Why else would you meet with a competitor? :-) Most of my friends are co-workers, or other people in the industry, including competitors (more the field/sales

Why else would you meet with a competitor? :-) Most of my friends are co-workers, or other people in the industry, including competitors (more the field/sales types than the corporate/management types, because you see them when you are bidding for a client's buisiness). One of my friends used to be an employee. He quit. He then forked me. He then undercut me (or, well, my prices). Somehow, I don't know how, maybe because I am such a sterling man of honor (ed: throwaway prince Andrew reference), we are still friends. But I've got to tell you! In terms of price? It's kind of still a race to the bottom. (At least for the vanilla, not the value-add, product) So - even though Adam Smith has it right (he often does!), the public does not. We are enjoying shared stories of battle, over large accounts, and the blow-by-blows during large-account acquisitions go, and toasting one another's accomplishments, after battle, but ... the prices end up going down. It is the nature of competition.