The Art of Asking for Help and Making It Worthwhile

We all have to start somewhere, and to get there, we need to ask for help. Sometimes, that means asking people to give us their most valuable resource: their time.

We’ve all seen those Instagram posts about how time is the only thing we can’t get back. We speak in terms of “I don’t have time,” “I’m so busy,” “Time flew by,” “Let’s not waste time,” or “Can you spare a few minutes for me?”

And yet, even though we all know this, we tend to dismiss other people’s time — and I’m not just talking about being late for dinner. I’m talking about asking people to help you in a professional setting, particularly in the tech industry, but really, this happens everywhere.

Would you ask your therapist to meet for free? Your masseuse? Would you go to a coffee shop and ask them to teach you how to make coffee without paying? No? Really?

So why do people feel it’s okay to ask for free time from other professionals?

One of the most common ways this happens is in the accelerator and tech industries. For new mentors, giving time for free can help build a reputation. But what happens when they’ve already built their brand?

Marketing consultants, SEO experts, designers — people in these roles are often asked for free work. And while it might get you…