[dcb]

Lets not be naive, there is definitely a non-altruistic interpretation here too.

The profits in a VZW come after salaries, and folks usually are not a PHD student for long.

And this forum is a good place to advertise (spam) ones services too, and those of their colleagues.

But you have a lot of homework yet to do on these projects, maybe if you get involved in something with no obvious benefit to yourself (except perhaps learning) and donate your own time and effort and assist with the researching and implementation, you will have better credibility.

But to say "Hi I'm Nick, can I handle the money for you?" just comes across pretty badly.