Chapter 96: Project Lisa

"Steve, I've got a ton of things to do. Can't you just talk to my CEO?" Seeing Jobs looking relaxed, William White couldn't help but get annoyed. "Darn it, you should stay in Silicon Valley; what's the point of going to LA." William White elegantly extended his middle finger and said, "Silicon Valley is full of straight-laced guys, but Hollywood is packed with beautiful women. Buddy, I'm still young; why else would I go to Hollywood?" Being so shameless, William White was quite something. After he said that, Jobs was left speechless, and even Markkula was dumbfounded. "What's with those expressions? Did I say something wrong?" "Ahem, alright, William, I'm defeated by your shamelessness." Don't be fooled by Jobs' composed act; he's no saint either. He got his girlfriend pregnant and didn't take responsibility, even claiming he was not the father. Maybe there was some guilt, so he named the new project after his daughter. William White wasn't a fool; he wouldn't joke about that. "Let's not talk about that. Come and see our Lisa computer." Steve Jobs really admired William White's computer skills. His typing speed was almost like a professional typist. "16-bit? Boring. My gaming console is 32-bit. If the price is right, this thing isn't bad," said William White bluntly, pointing out the issue. "William, your cost control is impressive. We're considering OEM options too," Markkula added to avoid the awkwardness. "Ha, I actually had no choice. America lacks production capacity, and OEMs get criticized by unions." William White was really frustrated. He was a patriot, but there wasn't much he could do when things were lacking. "William, when will your Office software be ready? Are you guys developing a 32-bit system?" Steve Jobs, being the self-centered guy he was, insisted that White Software keep up, even though he knew Lisa was just a transitional product. "To be honest, there's nothing exciting about it. Our 8-bit system update is coming soon, and I think its lifespan will outlast the 16-bit unless you can drastically cut semiconductor prices." William White wasn't shy about it. Business was business, regardless of friendship. Apple was going public that year, and they needed a new product for the market. Strategically, it was a bad move, but the capital market thought otherwise; they needed new products to boost investor confidence. You couldn't just judge right or wrong simply; everyone had a different perspective, and nobody was truly wrong. "So, William, what do you really want?" Knowing his cunning ways, Markkula decided not to beat around the bush. William White didn't hold back either. "I've made a little money recently, how about an investment opportunity?" "Dang, are you trying to rob us?" "Calm down, Steve. This will help your valuation. I'm not asking for much, just a five million investment." Jobs was really not pleased, but Markkula was tempted. William White wasn't bluffing; his investment could genuinely raise their valuation. "Steve, don't be upset. Before your new product launches, I'll definitely get the Office software out, and there will be PC versions of Tetris and Pac-Man." Seeing Jobs' frustrated expression, William knew it would cost them to have him play along with the hype. Since they'd laid out their bottom lines, it was time to discuss details. Apple was different from White Software, where the boss could make decisions solo. Although everyone knew White Software didn't make hardware, nobody doubted their design capability. Choosing not to do it was one thing; unable to do it was another. Thinking of the IBM's leapfrog plan, William White couldn't help but marvel. Giants truly were giants, making effortlessly bold moves that could crush others. You may have heard of IBM-compatible machines, but who ever heard of Apple-compatible ones? Being a weaker brand didn't help; IBM set the standards, so no matter how hard you tried, it was pointless. Hmm, someone needed to keep an eye on Bill Gates. Though his DOS system was quite lousy, IBM endorsed it, and there was no arguing with that. They'd already won at the starting line. No matter what William White came up with, he wouldn't get that order. ... "Boss, is it okay to increase development pressure? They won't easily compromise," Tom asked. "Tom, that's our attitude. We decide the promotion effort based on how much stock we're offered." "You mean we'll produce no matter what?" "Of course, who would turn down profit? Jobs might not get it, but Markkula surely understands. He's a competent manager, just overly focused on profit." ... As expected, Apple's shareholders were having quite a discussion. Their valuation was much higher than historically, so naturally, no one wanted to sell their shares. "Markkula, are these software really that important? Can we get another company to develop them? Doesn't that Houston kid come by often?" asked a Wall Street-looking guy. Apple's founders ignored him. The fact that he asked such a silly question directly spoke volumes about his ability. Markkula, being the nice guy, patiently explained. "White's hardware capability isn't bad, and their software and games are ahead of the times. But what's even scarier is that their Office software and microcomputer database have virtually no competitors." Others might not understand the rest, but monopolies were extremely sensitive issues. "Would they leave money unearned? Doesn't our new product also boost their sales?" Not even Markkula spoke this time. These professional managers couldn't be unaware of the situation with the Lisa project. Obviously, they had no interest in this project. ... Ignoring Apple's internal squabbles, William White knew they would likely give him some shares. His demands weren't unreasonable, just looking for some compensation. "Tom, I need at least two million in shares. If they propose a stock exchange, we'll give them an equivalent during our end-of-year Series A." "Got it, boss. I'll go talk to them tomorrow." William White didn't have time to wait for them to hash it out and headed straight to Los Angeles. His editing had just started, and there was a ton of other stuff to do. The IT world was still in chaos, and the personal computer wars were headache enough without a tough competitor like Bill Gates. ... "That bastard went back to Los Angeles again?" Steve Jobs asked with a face full of discontent. Tom pretended not to hear Jobs' complaining. These two both had fierce personalities, and such exchanges weren't unusual. Apple's bureaucracy meant endless red tape, and it might take a month without a solution. Who has the patience for that? ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.