[ctvo]

> It was amazing how much secret information people were willing to share.

Was it secret information or did they spell things out much more clearly for you because there was no assumption that you had prior knowledge? This tends to happen to journalists also, for the same reasons.

See the replies in this thread for examples of people clearly spelling out things step-by-step. It's not secret information. When you take away any assumption of expertise, it may seem that way to someone not involved in the industry.

[chairmanwow1]

Absolutely. They gave revenue numbers, they told me how they marketed, how they retained customers, if it was a good deal for the customers.

I think there’s some element of explaining things, especially if you come across as naive and interested in what they are doing.

[waheoo]

I dunno, if my competitor emailed me I would be pretty tight lipped.

A student, not so much.

Its not game over of competition finds out but I don't need to hand it to them.