it is not the permissionless stacks and asking for permission.
it is asking the chain for technical help to onboard a project.

Say a project wants to come on and connect and needs help building a HAF server and an API endpoint for there in house systems.

Let's say a current project has that working and I go. "hey can I see that code and ask you some questions" and they go no. FK off.

they have the right to do that but it sure as hell doesn't look good.

Too many people around here are focused on themselves and not the chain. Which they have the right to do, but the world does not work that way.