Ok I have your solution right here. Block people who use you and don’t pay. Be nice if they get a hold of you, don’t burn bridges and hurt feelings, just be totally unavailable to someone who didn’t pay for the last “favor”. If they so happen to seek you out, unfortunately, you’re busy for the next 10 days, and even then it’s not for sure.

Look - there is something wrong with you. At some point the lesson that you should help others and be kind was indoctrinated into you, probably by your parents, maybe because they knew based on looks you would never get laid and have grandchildren, and so you would have to be kind to have a chance.

People exchange their time for money. Everyone does this, that’s how we all eat, so why is your wallet empty?.

If you’re paid for a job do it right and proper. If your pay is overlooked, become unreachable. Block them on your phone and email. Just cease to exist. It works. You’ll end up with people who respect you enough not to steal your time - and those people are NOT your friends, even if they’re friendly because they want to use you. As you well know.

And that brings me to another point. If you know something isn’t in your interests then why are you doing it? I ask smokers that. Pull on that thread.

Good luck, and BTW, your time as a startup founder is worth $1000 per hour. Seriously.