Why are you so sure that this person is even starting their own firm? What prevents someone from asking innocent questions about how others operations whom might actually be posing as a "newbie" to gain info on what their competitors are doing??? This person has not uncovered their true identify and could actually be fishing for intel......

There's no such think as an innocent or stupid question.
I sometimes ask questions and already know the answer in efforts to determine how someone else will answer.
I get recruited often and take the calls to find out what my competition is doing....