Hacking LinkedIn's Paywalls (Part 1/2)

If there's one thing I've learned over the past couple years in the startup space, it's that most things that are core to top-notch products aren't done mindlessly. The second fact that I'm considering before posting today is that a friend who I respect a great deal told me that the smartest people in the Valley are working at LinkedIn. Given that, today I'm puzzled.

In a biz dev capacity, LinkedIn is one of the most important tools. Just straight stalking people. In that tomfoolery, the things you're driving for are people's names and contact info. LinkedIn knows this, so it tries to upsell me on a premium account by witholding people's last names on their profiles if I'm 3 or more steps removed from them, e.g. today I was doing some research and came across a Brittany G. In theory, LinkedIn has found a great monetization scheme. I need the last name, and I can't find it without paying them. Problem for them is I've learned several ways around LinkedIn's barriers.

Way 1
Without being too efficient, I could just Google Brittany G. and the position she held at whatever company, which is the information that's usually available to me. Low and behold, her name is Brittany Grouchmarxio. And, when I go to her company's site, I can get the email nomenclature (first.last@, or, as is more frequent in startup land, first@ or last@).

Way 2
My process was made even easier when I discovered that by clicking the first person that 'other people view when viewing Brittany G.' Let's say that person is Steve Buckwilder. By looking at the list of 'other people folks view when viewing Steve,' I'll see Brittany Grouchmarxio's name in its full glory. Mission accomplished in one click. Without leaving LinkedIn. Then rinse and repeat with an easier Google for the company name. Figure out the email nomenclature. Boom shakalaka!

My craftiness isn't LinkedIn's fault, but still. Why even put up the front? Why try to upsell me on stuff with SUPER simple hack-arounds? Is it just a convenience thing? Are people really willing to pay for that convenience? If so, that's amazing. And, if so, LinkedIn, I'd love to work with your data team because those guys are ballers for figuring that out.