I think there is the expectation of quid pro quo, but that the vast majority of people asking to pick your brain don't have a lot to offer. I started getting as

I think there is the expectation of quid pro quo, but that the vast majority of people asking to pick your brain don't have a lot to offer. I started getting asked this as soon as I started a company and it took me awhile to feel confident saying no. I felt like, who am I to strut around like my time is so valuable? But from experience I've learned to be extremely wary. There's been a class of people who aggressively tried to push me off of my idea and into working for their secret idea (seriously, they would try to keep it secret). There was a class of people who thought that meeting might lead to some sort of business--but it never does. Then there's the class of people who want a partnership where we do free work up front and then they make some small amount of money down the road (and I never see how we make any). Looking back--the highlight was talking to people who had just left failing companies because it helps explain what not to do.