I agree. There is a time and a place for signing an NDA. Don't sign everything that crosses your desk just to get the initial meeting and don't try to avoid signing one as part of finalizing a contract with a good client.
An NDA protects you as a consultant as well. That is, if you're smart enough to make sure it's bidirectional.
Always make sure every NDA has an expiration date for the obligation to keep the information secret (not just for the contract itself). Tech knowledge has a shelf life and you don't want to be on the hook for backing up 10-year-old data because it's impossible to prove you've destroyed it.
Note I am not in the web consulting business so there are slightly different sensitivities.
An NDA protects you as a consultant as well. That is, if you're smart enough to make sure it's bidirectional.
Always make sure every NDA has an expiration date for the obligation to keep the information secret (not just for the contract itself). Tech knowledge has a shelf life and you don't want to be on the hook for backing up 10-year-old data because it's impossible to prove you've destroyed it.
Note I am not in the web consulting business so there are slightly different sensitivities.