[mindcrime]

To go to an event with the mindset of being a mentor to other people when you're just another guy trying to get a startup off the ground would definitely put me off.

Why? You don't believe he may have learned some useful stuff from the process of "trying to get a startup off the ground"? Some "stuff" that could be useful to someone who is earlier in their own journey than the OP? If so, why wouldn't he share?

And as far as that goes... I don't know about you, but I subscribe to the belief that "everybody can learn something from pretty much everybody else".

There's also something to be said for the old saw about how an expert's mind is full and closed to new possibilities, while a beginner doesn't know what is "not possible" and can therefore discover new things more easily.

[Cakez0r]

I wouldn't be presuming you don't know shit or wondering why you're here

I think it's fine to go to events and share experiences as part of conversation

I absolutely think you can learn something from everybody. In this situation, I feel that should be in the context of learning from a peer, rather than a mentor