Frank opened his mouth but couldn't answer.
"Therefore, Silicon Valley Online's next step must be to develop a search engine."
Takuya Nakayama wrote the words "Search Engine" on the whiteboard with a sharp, decisive stroke.
"We can't just passively wait for webmasters to submit their sites. We need to take the initiative. We'll develop a program that crawls the web like a spider, grabbing every newly created page and building an index. Users will simply enter keywords like 'Apple stock price' or 'Michael Jordan,' and we'll throw relevant pages right at their faces."
Frank frowned. As a tech-savvy executive, he imdiately recognized the imnse difficulty. "This requires incredibly sophisticated algorithms. And—searching the content of specific pages? That's far more complex than just grabbing titles. The server power required would be exponentially higher."
"The technological barrier is our best defense," Takuya Nakayama said in a calm, resolute tone. "If this were easy, it wouldn't be our job. Whoever controls the search box controls the gateway to the Internet. I don't want users to go online just to go sowhere else; I want them to co online to ask us for directions."
Before Frank could fully digest this massive technological challenge, Takuya dropped another bombshell.
"Search and navigation aren't enough. We can't just be an interdiary. Sending users to other websites is like doing their work for them."
Next to the "gateway" he'd drawn, Takuya sketched a large square filled with a grid of smaller boxes.
"We need to keep users here. That's what a Portal is."
"A portal?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "Like an airport lobby?"
"More than that. It's a super departnt store," Takuya explained. "We'll aggregate news,..."
"Weather forecasts, sports scores, financial stock prices, entertainnt gossip—all the daily essentials every user needs are aggregated on our hopage. When users open their computers in the morning and log into Silicon Valley Online, they can catch up on the day's headlines, check Sequoia Capital's stock price, find out if it will rain tomorrow, and even glance at the NBA ga reports."
Takuya Nakayama turned to face them. "We need to provide a one-stop shop. We want users to realize that by staying on Silicon Valley Online, they can know everything that's happening in the world. They won't need to jump between those ssy little websites because we'll have everything here."
"This will require a massive content and editorial team—" Frank felt his budget sheet was about to explode. "This is just another bottomless pit for burning money."
"GG, Frank, still GG." Takuya Nakayama smiled, his smile full of aning. "Once users get used to checking our news first thing in the morning, then our weather, and finally using our search to find information, this won't just be about traffic anymore—it'll be a lifestyle. And for content, we can partner with many dia outlets. If the big ones aren't willing, we'll find their competitors. Soone will always be willing to take our money."
He returned to his seat, leaning forward with his hands flat on the table, his eyes burning with intensity. "When Silicon Valley Online becos synonymous with the Internet, when it becos a way of life, Wall Street will look beyond your price-to-earnings ratio. They'll be focused on your dominance."
"User numbers, ti spent on the platform, frequency of use—these trics don't just drive revenue; they're the foundation of our confidence when we ring the bell at Nasdaq." Takuya Nakayama picked up his long-cold coffee and downed it in one gulp. "Alright, that's all for today's lesson. Frank, you can go tornt your Developnt and Finance departnts now."
Frank sat in his chair, staring at the densely packed architecture diagram on the whiteboard—BBS, Blog, ICQ, Navigation, Search, Portal. This wasn't just a business plan; it was a battle map for conquering the future digital world.
He took a deep breath, closed his notebook, and the fatigue on his face vanished, replaced by the feverish excitent of a warrior about to charge into battle.
Takuya Nakayama tilted his head back and poured the last few ice chips from the bottom of his cup into his mouth, crunching them loudly.
The sharp, cracking sound finally pulled Frank away from the whiteboard covered in its "treasure map" of strategic plans.
The head of Silicon Valley Online had a contorted expression, his brain's CPU clearly running at full capacity. The grand, world-changing vision clashed with the impending financial disaster, the two emotions warring on his face.
"Alright, stop crunching bandwidth costs in your head," Tom Kalinske said with a grin as he walked over and slapped Frank on the back with enough force to nearly make the CEO headbutt the whiteboard. "You can't figure this out alone. Go round up the core team from the tech departnt and have them all assess it together. I'll also have the Investnt Director from Sega North Arica Headquarters co over to assist you."
Tom paused, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. "Make the plan ambitious and the budget look good. After all, it's Takuya who'll have to sign off, not ."
Frank forced a wry smile, rubbing his sore shoulder. "If we submit this plan, the Finance Departnt will probably need to keep ergency heart dication on hand just to look at it."
"There will definitely be variables," Takuya Nakayama said, wiping his hands with a tissue, his eyes glinting with amusent. "In fact, this plan might not give us a precise opportunity to hit the mark, since many of these variables are unpredictable. But if we're going to play, why not place a bet?"
"What's the bet?" The two Aricans turned their heads simultaneously.
"Valuation."
Takuya Nakayama gestured toward the rapidly growing Silicon Valley outside the window. "When all these features are launched, when Silicon Valley Online rings the bell at Nasdaq, what do you think it will be worth?"
Frank licked his cracked lips, a glint of calculation flashing in his eyes. "Three hundred million now will be pocket change. If everything on that diagram can be realized—"
"Talk is cheap," Takuya Nakayama interrupted, tearing three slips of paper from his notebook. "Write it down. The craziest number you can think of. We'll seal them and open them on the day of the IPO."
"What's the prize for winning?" Tom asked, taking a slip of paper and already pulling a pen from his pocket.
"Whoever's number is closest to the final market cap pays for the other two," Takuya Nakayama said, raising an eyebrow. "Treat all the VP-level executives at Silicon Valley Online to a al. They can choose the location—even if it's the White House ss, we'll find a way to get in."
"Deal!"
The three turned their backs to each other, like elentary school students afraid of being caught cheating during a test, and swiftly scribbled a number on their slips of paper.
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