Its something that is often overlooked, many people think of big successfull companies as faceless monsters whose staff as evil drones that wouldnt be bothered to give you the time of day.
But youd be surprised how often people are willing to help, or at least get engaged in a conversation as long as you approach them the right way. Spend some time finding out the best person to ask, formulate your questions in a clear and concise manner, show that youve already been working or thinking about the problem....
actually its a lot like asking for help on technical forums.....just more so.
This also works great if you have questions about points raised in a technical book....
I think at the fundamental psychological level its all about giving the 'expert' the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise...
and occasionally if your lucky youll raise a question that they hadnt thought of before....
