I can relate to this on a deep level, because apart from being an introvert, I also happen to have a stutter (though they're mutually exclusive. I would've been an introvert even if I didn't have a stutter). So, I try to avoid talking to anyone new, because that triggers the stuttering. Being a startup guy makes this much harder as I have to meet new people now and then. I love meeting new people, but the talking becomes unbearable, and I usually find a way out of the conversation to avoid awkwardness. A lot of my feelings can be summed up by the movie, Rocket Science.