I had this surreal NDA experience once: a couple of startup guys was looking for engineer #1 for their new idea. They were total “idea people” and needed someone to build their idea. After going the idea with me and what they envisioned our roles will be, I realized I would be doing all the work of actually implementing it —- taking all the risks while neither one of them had any real skin in the game. They weren’t even going to pay me in money but just equity in a company that didn’t exist and had nothing. The worst part is their idea was dumb. Having no real skin in the game meant any dumb idea that comes along was worth trying to them. So I turned it down.<p>After the meeting, they sent a NDA over for me to sign. Not going to steal a bad idea but also don’t want to sign anything with only downsides and zero upsides for me. So I just didn’t even bother to reply. Freaking amateur hour.