How do I ask for an informational chat? - what worked for you?

I want to talk to people in a new field but I hate cold messages. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. Some people reply with short answers. What did you ask?

I wrote three short lines: who I am, why them and a small ask for fifteen minutes. About one in four said yes.

I asked what they wish they had known at my stage. People enjoy answering that.