FAQ
So what exactly is an “Operation”?
An “Operation” as outlined in the definition above is a campaign or mission with a clearly defined desired social end state that is achieved through the three phase process we teach here at CovertChemistry: Intel Preparation and Targeting, Implementation and Control, and Execution and Review.
This sounds like a bunch of grown men playing Secret Agent. Are you guys serious?
In a word – yes.
The list of desired end-states we help “grown men” and “teams” achieve is only limited by their deviant little imaginations. And trust us: The three shop folks are twisted. Whether it’s getting the girl, accessing the VIP, making impossible to schedule reservations, burning a well-deserving frenemy, or meeting your favorite band back stage, these guys have come up with a heist to make it happen. Think more Danny Ocean than Jason Bourne. To get the general idea, you can take a look at our glossary page.
How exactly is this possible?
Our products, instructional materials and live training events are selected and designed to challenge the most basic assumptions that the public makes, and adapt military, law enforcement and intelligence community tactics to help you, the man on the street, live outside the boundaries of social convention.
(Since we started doing this, the most common reaction we get is “Really?” Yeah. Really.)
It’s actually been done before. All done before. The Stasi trained hundreds of what they called “Romeos” to collect intelligence from Western governments in cities like Bonn and Berlin after WWII. There’s a great article about it here.
Wow, those guys were really nasty. Why would anyone want to practice that again?
A lot of the people we train are after the skill set that the Romeos used to make history. And as you can see, they weren’t all bad. Some of them actually married their marks.
So what’s the average “Operative” like?
We find that the gents who are most often drawn to “Operate” are males, 19-35, with at least a basic understanding of law enforcement and military operations. Most find us along a path of personal development aimed at improving their dating life. Nearly all of them stick around because the events we coordinate wind up being more fun than being the head of the QA/QC department at the BunnyLand Ranch.
Then again, there aren’t that many guys out there who can say they’re spending the next long weekend flying to Odessa to meet a local contact who’s going to take them on a private tour of the hottest clubs in the Crimean and get down with supermodel-caliber women.
Sounds expensive. How much does all this cost?
Well. That really all depends on you. Would you like to learn how to pick locks? Escape from handcuffs? Discover and defeat hidden cameras? Find out if you’re being surveilled at work? Maybe you just want to learn some tips and tricks to get ahead of the curve in the office.
Care to plan an elaborate adventure abroad with a group of friends? We can create custom packages (and missions) that fit your budget and (we guarantee) will be more fun than a weak four day weekend at Sandals or Spring Break… even if you don’t accomplish your mission.
With a group of confederates operating wherever you live, the cost of planning and executing an operation often ends up being less than your average night out. And, let’s be honest here, who doesn’t want to be standing there at the end of the night with subtle smirk as the A-List watches you duck into a cab with the hottest girl in the room.
Interesting. How can I get started?
Just like the intelligence operatives that support National Security and Law Enforcement, some folks are born with the talents and abilities that allow them to adapt to mission requirements. That is to say, they’re born with a “dead fear nerve”. Other folks just have highly desireable personality traits or in-depth technical knowledge that’s valuable to the team, and they just need some instruction or coaching.
No matter what group you think you fall into, you should start with the Operations Manual. There’s a reading list we recommend for general knowledge along the way, and many of the works that are on it are required to be able to pass the aptitude test to qualify for some live training.
To receive a free example of a training email, or to review an abstract from the Operations Manual, visit our contact pageand enter “Manual Preview” or “Email” in the subject line along with any additional questions you might have.
So what happens after I book a training event. I’m not exactly sure that I want everyone I know to see that we’re associated. Do you protect Operatives’ privacy?
Of course. In fact, security and securing the information that supports training is the majority of what we do. If you choose to book a training event, you will be notified in secret from what appears to be an unbranded shell corporation.
As you can see in the Operations manual, working out logistics to get yourself to training in secret is a relatively complicated process. You need to know your cover before you initiate movement. After that, the only thing we keep secret is your data, and the level of instruction that you’ve reached.
You drive the process of how personally unclassified your activities are.
Can’t I get in trouble for some of the things that you’re teaching?
Knowledge is not action, and no one can control the consequences of their actions, only their intention. Some people who hear about us are of the opinion that we’re selling matches to arsonists. The problem with that line of thinking, though, is that its the arsonist that lights the fire, not the product.
