Not a developer, but this is related. I'm pretty surprised by how many companies in SV ask me to do design exercises for them. I've won industry awards, built

Not a developer, but this is related. I'm pretty surprised by how many companies in SV ask me to do design exercises for them. I've won industry awards, built giant sites that millions of people use, endured some of the toughest board meetings on Wall Street, had to endure killer hours, won millions of dollars worth of work for my old company, shown you my portfolio, and you want me to do work for your funded company for free? My old company in NY hired me at a competitive rate for three months before bringing me onboard full-time. How difficult is that? Just hire me for a day or a few days to get a glimpse and then make your judgement. Otherwise, it's just spec work and absolutely insulting. I don't get my mechanic to fix my car once for free to test his expertise, nor get free first-time haircuts from hair stylists.