It happened when a b-school grad tried to talk me into joining his startup. I contract sometimes, so if he was funded, I'd have "given him my email." It was the

It happened when a b-school grad tried to talk me into joining his startup. I contract sometimes, so if he was funded, I'd have "given him my email." It was the sense of having something someone really wants when what they are offering isn't something you're interested in. The predatory leer also triggers some part of the "flight" instinct. It was also enlightening in the sense that the rejection wasn't about him (he was a Sloan grad, and a nice enough guy), or his idea--it just wasn't a match. I work on unfunded startups, I'm just busy now and didn't care for his idea. When I had to politely repeat how busy I am, I could suddenly see how being an attractive woman who had to fend off advances could be exhausting, and how easy it would be to stop being polite if you had to do it all the time.