"No problem!"James answered without a second's hesitation, his tone steady and confident, locking eyes with Jim Clark across the desk.
For Jim's condition—that Netscape must be the center of the Internet Digital Advertising project, and that the first advertising campaign should feature a top-tier company—James had no objections. In fact, it was a small price to pay for what he stood to gain.
He smiled faintly. Names? Credit? James could give that away easily. In this game, the east wind he needed was Netscape's endorsement. With it, DoubleClick Advertising might just survive and even thrive.
He rose from his chair smoothly and gave a respectful nod."Director Jim, I hope we'll meet again, under even better circumstances!" James said warmly, extending his hand.
Jim gave a short, almost imperceptible smile and shook his hand."Maybe, James. Maybe."
Behind Jim, Anderson was already gathering papers, impatient to move on to the next meeting.
As James exited the buzzing Netscape offices, he turned briefly to glance back at the place. Glass walls, rooms humming with servers, a sea of people typing away at lightning speed — a vision of modern ambition and chaos.
Next time I come back here, James thought, I wonder what they'll call me then?
After securing Netscape's unofficial support, James wasted no time. Under the banner of "endorsed by Netscape," he began reaching out to other fledgling Internet companies in Silicon Valley.
In truth, there weren't many major players yet—maybe a few dozen websites with any real traffic. But in this chaotic gold rush, even small names could grow into giants overnight.
One of James' first stops was Yahoo.
The meeting there went unexpectedly well.
Though Yahoo's two co-founders, Jerry Yang and David Filo, were away in New York chasing investors, James met Tim Brady, Yahoo's first employee and now their de facto product manager.
Yahoo's headquarters, if it could be called that, was an absolute mess—a cramped, sweltering office with servers buzzing nonstop, pizza boxes stacked to the ceiling, and the unmistakable funk of too many young men working too many hours without showering.
Brady hurried over, wiping his hands on his jeans, and motioned James inside."Sorry about the mess, man. We, uh, don't have a receptionist yet," he joked.
James grinned, stepping carefully over a tangle of cables."No worries. Looks like every good startup I've ever heard about. If you had a marble lobby, I'd be suspicious."
They sat down—Brady after clearing a heap of wires off a chair—and began going over the terms.
Brady, flipping through the agreement, looked up sharply."So you're telling me... DoubleClick guarantees Yahoo at least $500,000 in ad revenue over the next year, and no less than $2 million annually for three years after that?"
James leaned back casually, steepling his fingers."That's correct. We're betting big on Yahoo's growth. And if we fail to deliver, you can terminate the agreement, no questions asked."
Brady whistled low."Man, that's... really generous. Almost too generous."
James smiled disarmingly."We believe in Yahoo. You're about to transform the Internet. Portals are the future—and advertisers will pay to be on the front page of the future."He paused, then added, voice low and persuasive,"With Netscape backing digital advertising, you're gonna want to be first in line when the floodgates open."
Brady chuckled."Man, you could sell ketchup popsicles to a woman in white gloves."
James laughed along with him, but inside, he was already calculating. Yahoo didn't know it yet, but they were as desperate as he was. And in this game, timing was everything.
Brady signed the agreement with a flourish.
As they shook hands to seal the deal, Brady said,"By the way, how old are you, James? You look like you're barely outta college."
James smirked."Old enough to know the rules, young enough to break them."
Meanwhile, back at Yahoo
Just as James was boarding a flight back to his own small office, Jerry Yang and David Filo rushed back into Yahoo headquarters.
Brady greeted them with excitement, tossing the signed DoubleClick agreement onto Jerry's cluttered desk.
Jerry ripped open the folder and scanned the contract. He was still chewing on a cold slice of pizza."DoubleClick, huh? Never heard of 'em."
Brady shrugged."Neither had I. But the guy who came—James—he's sharp. Chinese-American too. Said he's got connections with Netscape. Seemed legit."
Jerry set the pizza down and narrowed his eyes."Too good to be true, maybe?"
Brady looked uneasy."I mean, sure, it sounds a little like a fairy tale. But even if they're bluffing, just signing with a company associated with Netscape could bump our valuation, right?"
Jerry leaned back in his chair thoughtfully, tapping a pen against his knee."Maybe. Maybe. It's a risk though." He looked over at Filo, who was already lost in coding at another desk."Right now, our biggest priority is meeting with Sequoia Capital. Moritz is coming. If we close that deal, Yahoo's future is set. DoubleClick won't even matter."
Brady nodded, relieved."So… we just wait and see?"
Jerry smirked."That's startup life, Brady. Make bets. Hope you picked the right horse."
He tossed the DoubleClick agreement into a growing pile of contracts on his desk. For now, DoubleClick Advertising was just another gamble.
Meanwhile, back at DoubleClick
James landed back at DoubleClick's tiny, overheated office just as the sun was setting. His small team, still barely a dozen people, was waiting anxiously for news.
James tossed his bag onto a chair and grinned widely."Good news, everyone. Netscape's in. Yahoo's in. We've got ourselves some oxygen."
The team cheered—some of them more in disbelief than excitement.
James called a quick meeting and stood before them, electric with energy.
"Listen up! We're not out of the woods yet. But with these partnerships, we have a fighting chance. Our name will be next to Netscape's and Yahoo's when people talk about Internet advertising."
He pointed toward the whiteboard, where the words "Phase 2: Dominate" were scrawled in big letters.
"Phase One was survival. Phase Two is domination. We don't just want to be players in this space. We want to own it. When people say 'Internet advertising,' I want DoubleClick to be the first thing they think of."
Someone at the back raised a hand."But what if Yahoo tanks? What if Netscape tanks?"
James grinned wolfishly."Then we sell the dream harder. This industry moves fast. Today's loser is tomorrow's winner. And vice-versa. But if we move fast enough—if we're smart enough—we might just stay winners."
The room buzzed with a new energy.
James clapped his hands once, sharply."Alright! Get back to work. This train's leaving the station, and it's not slowing down for anyone!"
As the team scattered, James sat at his desk, the adrenaline slowly wearing off.He pulled out a notepad and scribbled:
"Risk everything. Bet on yourself. Build the future."
Outside, the lights of Silicon Valley shimmered like distant stars.James leaned back in his chair, smiled to himself, and whispered,"This is just the beginning."