Unwittingly, my job has given me a fair amount of exposure to, and interaction with, entrepreneurs building the next big thing. Whether it’s a gadget, software platform, online service or earth-shattering productivity whatchamadigger, I meet and talk with up-starts and start-ups from several walks of life. Many are trying to pitch me to write about their stuff. Some are trying to hire me to help them market it. Others are just like-minded folks sharing stories over a drink at a conference.