What is your point? That your single case of not getting the job means that it is not true that they hire college drop outs?
I mean there is plenty of other things than just experience related to hiring someone. "More qualified" may well be a nice way to say "you don't seem to fit in" or whatever their reason not to hire you.
"Listen bud, you're talented, but not quite right for us due to X, Y, and Z."
... or ...
"Sorry, we want to hire you, but our investors won't let us."
If that was the case (and I don't think it was), then the latter is a cop-out. You don't make up reasons not to hire someone, no matter how much you want to. You'd be doing a disservice both to the candidate and to yourself.
My single case is just that: a data point. Weigh it along with all your other data points before making your interview/no interview decision.
Fair enough, I guess you were given a straight answer.
Anyway for some reason you original reply sounded to me pretty much like: "these guys did not give me a job, they suxxors! Don't go near them!"
Often you do not know the reason for not hiring. "Just does not feel right" or "gut feeling" may be the real reason, and then you try to rationalize it somehow. Hiring is not an exact science.
"these guys did not give me a job, they suxxors! Don't go near them!"
No sir, that wasn't my intention at all. :) JTV's interview was extremely rigorous, and they all seem like great hackers. In that regard, they r0x0rz. Unfortunately, their investors may have the final say as to whether you are hired or not, which is what I wanted to tell everyone.
I mean there is plenty of other things than just experience related to hiring someone. "More qualified" may well be a nice way to say "you don't seem to fit in" or whatever their reason not to hire you.