Then I reflected on that and thought about the many times I rarely responded to any LinkedIn messages sent by someone who I have not met or had no common connection what-so-ever. I realized everyone is busy and also may not want to spend any time or energy on someone who they have no connection - or want to protect themselves from potential spammers.

What is in it for them? - That's the hard truth that rarely anyone wants to spend any time or energy on someone who they have connection. It doesn't matter if you are from the same school, city or an entrepreneur like them.

Since I've never met you, if you reached out to me using the post above, I politely decline since I don't see what I'd learn from you. I expect you're not Bill Gates or Steve Jobs etc (if you were you wouldn't be hitting me up).

Now it's possible you could learn from me, but (shrug) probably not. There's a million places you can go online to read much better things than I could say. (I most certainly am not Steve Jobs.)

I think you're suggesting we meet as "peers" - but you're giving me nothing to suggest er are peers. Since my default position is "nothing to see here", I'm just moving along.

I think if you want to make contacts you need to narrow down your search a bit.