Volume 3: My days in a college fraternity Chapter 93 No matter human or animal, no one can survive
While Tommy and his brothers were meeting, several Lotus founders and executives were also sitting in a conference room at Lotus headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, looking at the SSD-2 software running on their computers.
The only business overlap between this software and their Lotus 1-2-3 is the spreadsheet function; the other function is electronic documents, which Lotus software does not have.
"The most outrageous thing about this software is that it is compatible with our file format without our permission, which means that if someone creates and saves a Lotus spreadsheet file with the suffix WKS using Lotus, and copies it to another computer that does not have Lotus software installed but has this piece of shit installed, that piece of shit can open our file." Lotus Vice President and CBO (Chief Business Officer) Jim Manzi said to the company's founder, president and CEO Mickey Kapur:
"For this kind of behavior, just like I did before, send a weak lawyer's letter to encourage the other party to quickly put the software on the market instead of testing it. I have people keeping an eye on that company. As soon as they release the software, we will immediately use lawyers and public relations to force them to stop development, hand over data, and go bankrupt. Then we will snatch it away and declare it ours. We will openly use those convenient features that you guys are praising in the next update of our software."
Mickey Kapur, who was dressed in casual clothes, clenched his fists to cover his mouth and stared at the computer screen on the conference table. After more than ten seconds, he spoke, but he did not respond to Jim Manz. Instead, he looked at the company's co-founder and his MIT alumnus, the company's chief technology officer Jonathan Sacks:
“Have the data from your team’s testing come out yet?”
"It will take a few days to get more accurate data, but judging by the rough data, if two people use these two software to do the same work, the efficiency of using the software can be improved by at least 15%. Just the automatic filling and calculation can save a lot of time." Jonathan Sachs looked at Mickey:
"That software doesn't seem to emphasize professionalism, it only emphasizes efficiency and ease of use. It doesn't have the complex functions of those professional software, it's just simple document input and spreadsheet input, and it has achieved the ultimate in efficiency and ease of use on the existing basis. Some of its functions are even functions that we have just received customer feedback and are preparing to develop. Without large-scale testing, it is impossible for only a few or a dozen programmers to design functions that take user experience into consideration. I have been wondering, how did this Actor software company do it?"
"15%... 15%. Do you know what this means? If a piece of software can increase the hourly productivity of company employees by 7%, the company boss will choose it without hesitation." Jim Manz continued, "Exert pressure, don't think about it anymore, use public relations, hire lawyers, and kill the other party directly. Swallowing them is the best solution."
Unlike Mickey and Jonathan, he, the chief business officer, was invited by Mickey to join the company after it started making money, because he, a professional who graduated from the School of International and Public Relations, was needed to be responsible for the company's transaction decisions and management. He did not understand or care about how the software was developed, but he felt Mickey's shock and that the software could improve efficiency. He did not understand programming, but he understood capitalists, and rich people would not waste any time, so he gave what he believed to be the most efficient solution.
The other party was just a small, unknown company. In his opinion, he could easily shut it down by throwing money at it. Today's Lotus is not what it was a year and a half ago. It is now the third largest software company in the United States with abundant cash flow, second only to Microsoft and Wisma. As for the reason for the lag, it is because Lotus currently only has one software on sale, while the first two companies have been operating for many years. Jim believes that in time, with Mickey and their genius creativity, it is only a matter of time before they surpass Microsoft and Wisma.
"But it's not available on the market. I've done what you said, haven't I? We sent a lawyer's letter. Now we're just wondering if we can acquire it. We don't need to be so aggressive, we can solve it gently. I'm curious about what kind of student can develop this software." Mickey looked at Jim, whose tone was a little intense, and smiled: "Maybe we can invite him to join Lotus, and he can help Lotus contribute more brilliant ideas."
Jonathan nodded in agreement. "I think so too. If we can cooperate and merge that small company into Lotus, maybe in a few years, we will have a new chief technology officer who can bring innovation to the company, and I will be able to relax."
"What decision have you made?" Jim stared, and his aura made him look like the president of the company.
"I'm planning to have Jonathan fly to California to talk to him," Mickey said to Jim. "He's also a technical developer. He's the same kind of person as us. We will appreciate each other because we both understand the magic of 0 and 1."
"No!" Jim Manz said in a strong tone, "Don't contact them privately. This is a company-level matter. Put away your programmers' mutual admiration. Mickey, I am very grateful that you let me manage this promising company. So for your respect for me, I must say that we should solve it as soon as possible. Your private contact will let the other party know immediately that they have come up with something with potential, and then quickly find an investor in Silicon Valley, where there are more investors than stray dogs. Do you know what it means to have an investor? It means that they can have money to burn. When facing our offensive, they will form a team of lawyers to fight with us and send the product to the market at the same time, which will make us passive! You are no longer the programmers who were typing code in the garage a year and a half ago. You are now billionaire capitalists. This is no longer a house-playing game of the Computer Association. Actor is our potential opponent. Either swallow it or destroy it! This is what the boss of a company should do."
Seeing that the two founders were ready to do what they did before, and that they would sympathize with each other when they saw a talented developer, and that their first behavior was not to kill each other, but to give money to help each other develop, Jim Manz finally couldn't help it and burst into dissatisfaction.
"Jim, in the past six months, Lotus has become a jerk in the mouths of many people, just like Microsoft. Do you know why?" Mickey sighed and did not blame Jim for his excitement just now. Instead, he said:
"Because in just half a year, we have closed down dozens of individual software studios using the methods you described, so people call us assholes."
"It's my honor. For Lotus, I'm willing to kill more idiots who always want to copy us in the second half of the year!" Jim took out a cigar, roasted it, and said:
"The insults from those people will only make me and Lotus stronger. I will make more money and stimulate those guys who can only curse helplessly. This is why you invited me here."
"Jim..."
"If you insist, I will resign and go back to work at McKinsey. Mickey, you have to trust my business judgment, just like I believe you are a computer genius. Don't give your opponent any chance." Jim bit the cigar in his mouth and looked at Mickey who wanted to speak with a firm look:
"Just like what Jehovah said to all living things in the Bible: Do not touch it with your hand. You will surely hit it with stones or shoot it with arrows. No matter whether it is human or animal, it will not survive. This is how God teaches all living things to treat their opponents. Do not go against God's will."
