[confiscate]

1. first and foremost, ask yourself WHY this CEO is giving you her valuable time? It's a lot of inconvenience for the CEO. There must be a real reason (more than just being a friend). You need to know the reason for you being there. Otherwise you are flying blind, and can easily say the wrong thing without knowing

e.g. if the CEO is doing this as a way to recruit you, don't say out loud in the meeting "I am going to start my own company after this". It will embarrass her in front of her team.

2. try to schedule the meetings to near end-of-day, and see if you can get to a social-event (e.g. after-work drinks) with the CEO and other executives. That's usually where the real conversations happen, and you find out the real "behind-the-scenes" info

[paradoxparalax]

I second the importance of 2,after the work drink or no-blackjack "behind the scenes" for its where the real business is, the rest is just the "acting". I agree in pointing the importance of the reason he/she was granted that position. Chances are parent is considered smart and polite and capable enough to be there, so maybe parent should just use his skills and go directly to open his company, or don't stay too long there, don't get used to be a shadow, even if you make good, comfortable bucks, if the desire is to open one's own company. Anyway, if the best thing if you are not just procrastinating in opening your own company is to go to your friend who owns 25 million bucks company and ask him if he would put some of his hard-nosed earn money in your plan for a company. Ask him to tell you as honestly as a friend can possibly be honest in this word, why he will not put the money that costed him his blood and sweat in your plan for a company. His honest answer would be enough what you need to learn from him in relation to opening this specific company you plan. Moreover, Whenever and wherever you see the word "opportunity" , be aware "opportunity" is a dangerous word, and all scam in the world comes from the word "opportunity".

[speedplane]

> I second the importance of 2,after the work drink or no-blackjack "behind the scenes" for its where the real business is

This isn't true at all. Socializing is important for gaining trust, but the real work still happens in the office.

[NewsAware]

Let's rephrase: the real work happens in the office, but during informal meetings many underlying motives and decision drivers become visible, so such times allow a deep insight into how a business works