[jessedhillon]

There's no disagreement on this point; you've changed the subject.

I was taking issue with your characterization that non-technical entrepreneurs are trying to get people to work for free. I think that's an unhelpful way to look at things.

People are not working for free at a startup, they're building equity and increasing the value of the overall enterprise. Except for the case where the original person is actually sleeping or playing golf all day, I don't see how you can seriously propose that some people are genuinely trying to pitch an opportunity where you are doing all the work (and presumably at some companies they've succeeded in getting the techies to do all the work?)

Considering your last statement, I think you need a better way to evaluate the work of people who don't do technical work for a living. What sort of concrete work would a marketer be doing before there's a product? I wouldn't want to work with someone who said they had already printed all the advertising for a product that hasn't even been designed!