After speaking here, Melanie suddenly realized that since she could think of these things, Eric would definitely not fail to think about them. Even if he really didn't think about them, the business elites around him would also think about them. Seeing Eric's slight nod, Melanie asked with a smile, "Eric, you came to Boston this time to solve these problems, right?"
"Last week, I just merged three companies into the new Yahoo Networks."
When Melanie heard Eric say the name of the new company, she showed a look of surprise, and said: "Many people judged in class that the Yahoo portal is the center of gravity of these three companies, and now it seems that this is indeed the case Woolen cloth."
Eric continued to ask: "What do you think about business transformation?"
Melanie said: "Ad placement and membership services are the only two things I can think of for the time being. In addition, I don't agree with the free strategy of IE browser. If a charging model is adopted, although the number of users will not expand as much as It's so fast now, but the revenue it brings is enough to maintain the normal operations of three companies, Eric, may I know why you do this, IE browser has no competitors on all operating system platforms so far , The free strategy is obviously very irrational."
"This is an agreement between me and Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the World Wide Web. Two years ago, many technical standards for the World Wide Web had not yet been formulated. Do this. Moreover, since you have realized that the Yahoo Portal is the focus of the three companies, you should also understand that the browser software is more of an interface for Yahoo to expand the user base of the Yahoo Portal. Up to now, the profitability of software is not so important.”
Melanie remembered that since the World Wide Web announced last year that it was completely free and open to all users around the world, other small regional networks and paid networks quickly disappeared. The World Wide Web has now developed into a global Internet network. Choosing the free strategy for the tilt of the World Wide Web's technical standards, although he gave up temporary profits, Eric gained more. after all. Once the standard is formulated and promoted, it is difficult to change it, but Eric holds browser software products that meet these technical standards, and it has been two years. The company in his hands must have built a solid patent barrier, so before someone breaks through this patent barrier, IE browser will be the only one with no branches. Simply put, it has completely monopolized the Internet interface channel.
Think clearly about the pros and cons. Melanie admired the courage of the young man on the other side of the sofa: "To be honest, Eric, if I were in your seat, even if I could understand the benefits of the browser-free strategy, it would be difficult for me to make a deal with you." Not everyone can make the same decision to give up tens of millions of dollars in easy-to-reach benefits."
Although Caroline was busy making coffee in the kitchen, she had been listening attentively to the conversation between the two. At this time, she walked into the living room with a coffee pot and poured coffee for the three of them. Hearing Melanie's words, it seemed like she As if he was being praised. Said: "That's why Eric is so powerful."
Melanie looked at Caroline's smug face and joked, "Caroline, why don't you tell me why you got a C in this class?"
Caroline blushed, but retorted confidently: "Now I have been able to prove that my judgment is correct."
"Eric, don't you know, Caroline got A's in almost all her classes, but got a single C in the case of... Yahoo! Networks, because we didn't look into the ones you had with the World Wide Web Consortium. The content of the agreement, but she insisted that your free strategy is not wrong, and she still talked back to the instructor without any evidence." Melanie laughed when she recalled the situation at that time.
Eric also smiled, and said to Caroline: "Maybe I can prepare some materials for you. Let your tutor change the grades."
Facing the ridicule of the two, Caroline sat shyly beside Melanie, took her arm and stared at Eric harmlessly.
After the joke, Eric took a few sips of coffee, put down the cup and asked, "Melanie, do you have your own work plan now?"
Melanie heard Eric's words. Immediately understood Eric's intention to test her just now, shook his head and smiled, "Not yet."
"So, what's it like to come and work for me?"
Melanie glanced at Caroline with sparkling eyes, and asked tentatively, "What about Caroline?"
"Of course it's the two of you together. In the next few years, I will increase my investment in the Internet industry. At present, most of my personal assistant team's energy is devoted to the media. If you join, it will just be able to make up for this aspect of personnel. vacancy."
Melanie looked enviously at Caroline who was holding her arm tightly without any thought, and her eyes were full of expectation that she would agree. Although Eric's invitation was very sincere and she was very moved, she still realized that Eric did this probably because he wanted to work with Caroline and take care of this innocent girl who had no intentions. Melanie was born in an ordinary middle-class family. In order to pay for her MBA tuition, she worked in an Atlanta securities company for two years after graduating from college. These two years also gave her a deep understanding of the intrigue of office politics. In that kind of environment, it was very difficult for a girl like Caroline, who was so pure in her mind and would never think of something sinister, to adapt. The employees who can be selected to work for a super media tycoon like Eric are definitely one-of-a-kind elites. These people's ability to work is absolutely unquestionable, but they are definitely more skilled at playing office politics. Throwing Caroline among the group of people, Even if Eric was personally protecting her, they would probably only be bullied, and those people would never let Eric find out that they bullied this girl. With Caroline's character, she might not even be able to find out.
Eric didn't realize that Melanie had figured out his thoughts. Seeing the girl hesitated, she said, "Although it's just my personal assistant, this job definitely has great prospects for promotion. My original first The first assistant, Alan Fissman, has been working as the deputy general manager of the prime-time program production department of ABC TV network last month. In recent years, many people in the office have been promoted to the management of the company. Moreover, after several years of training, You will find that even if you don’t get promoted within Firefly, there will be many headhunting companies that are happy to poach people.”
The last point is that Alan occasionally told Eric as an interesting thing, in order to be able to find out the "secret" of the continuous success of Firefly films. The assistants in Eric's assistant office who are responsible for following up the progress of the film are always poached by other film companies with high salaries. In the past few years, the assistants in charge of these tasks have been changed several times, until Firefly's personnel department formulated very strict confidentiality terms and hired Contracts, this trend has gradually cooled down. and. Many film companies have gradually come to understand that the biggest secret to the success of the Firefly film is Eric's "brain", not the "eyes" of the assistant's office. However, even so, the act of poaching people from Eric's assistant's office has never stopped. Especially every time Firefly has a hit movie.
Of course, Melanie is aware of the promotion prospects of this job. As an assistant to Eric, a legendary rich man who has created a series of business miracles, even if it is just a question, this job resume is enough to compare with the MBA she got at Harvard. The gold content of the degree is even higher. only…
After hesitating for a while, feeling Caroline gently shake her arm again, Melanie finally couldn't help but agree.
The maid should be the maid, anyway, this 'princess' not only doesn't put on airs, she doesn't even realize her own 'identity' at all.
After Eric left, Melanie pinched Caroline's delicate face in exactly the same way as Eric did, and said with envy in her tone: "He is really good to you. No wonder he let you, silly girl It's a dead set stick."
…
Woke up early in the morning, because John Chambers and Steve Case were coming one after another today, Eric took care of himself a little. After washing, he shaved off the scattered stubble that had accumulated for many days. Standing in front of Yushi's mirror, staring at the young face for a few seconds, he felt an inexplicable feeling deep in his heart.
Is it handsome again
Just as he boredly made a joke with himself in the mirror, Eric heard the doorbell, quickly wiped his face with a towel, put on a light gray plaid shirt and opened the door.
Say good morning to Chris outside the door. The two chatted casually and walked towards the restaurant together.
There are not many guests for breakfast in the hotel, and I met Tina Brown a few days ago, but this fast-paced woman decided to join Yahoo, and she couldn't wait to get into her work. Now I have rented a house not far from the Yahoo headquarters, and I am even planning to let my husband and children move to Boston together.
Last night, Eric and Chris had discussed in detail the cooperation intention reached in the meeting with Bill Gates, and informed the other heads of Yahoo Networks by phone.
After breakfast, Eric and Chris hurried to Yahoo headquarters.
Just after eight o'clock, Ian Grenier and several other principals have arrived at the company.
As a former manager of Oracle Software, which regards Microsoft as its deadly rival, Ian Grenier knows more about Bill Gates' behavior than anyone else in the room. So it seems worried.
Ian Grenier is very clear that if he does not choose to cooperate with Microsoft, then Yahoo and Microsoft will definitely go to confrontation, and the current Yahoo Internet company has no right to confront Microsoft at all. Although he has a backer like Eric, and Eric also said that he will do his best to support Yahoo, Ian Grenier still feels that according to the market rules of capital seeking profit, in the situation where the two sides are fighting to the death, in order to To get more benefits, Eric is likely to give up the Yahoo Internet company. In his opinion, Eric's career is based in Hollywood, and giving up Yahoo will not cause much damage to him.
Now, although Eric has chosen to cooperate with Microsoft, this cooperation agreement is very unfavorable to Yahoo. Yahoo will conduct an IPO operation next year. In five years, it wants to obtain enough development funds from the financial market. The shares that Yahoo will sell one after another will not be less than 20%, and the management will also get 20% of the shares. Then Eric, the major shareholder, will not have more than 60% of the shares. Once Microsoft gets 30% of the five-year Share options, when Eric's personal shares will be reduced to less than 30%, in Ian Grenier's view, this approach is no less than handing over control of Yahoo five years later.
As a middle-aged man in his prime, Ian Grenier realized that he would probably participate in The opening of an era, therefore, among the few people in the conference room, he was the one who least wanted to let his hard work go to waste.
Ian Grenier unreservedly confessed his thoughts to everyone present. He is not opposed to cooperating with Microsoft, but hopes that Eric will be more cautious in choosing the way of cooperation.
Eric patiently listened to Ian Grenier's words, and said sincerely: "Ian, do you know why I am willing to give up 30% of the share options?"
Not only Ian Grenier, Steve Mitnick and others showed puzzled looks, but only Chris, who had already got the answer in advance, calmed down a little.
Eric drew everyone's attention to himself, and said in a firm tone: "Because I didn't intend to sell any shares to Microsoft."
Eric said this, and the people around him were even more puzzled when they heard it. Eric paused for a while, and then continued: "Yahoo was created by everyone from scratch. Yahoo's feelings are like their own children. I personally do the same, and I expect much more from Yahoo than all of you. The reason why it seems very generous to sell 30% of the shares to Microsoft in five years Shares, I just hope that after five years, Microsoft suddenly finds that they can no longer afford it. It is not difficult to achieve this. With Yahoo’s current explosive growth rate, even if Yahoo’s market value is only one-third of Microsoft’s by then One, Bill Gates will find that if he exchanges 10% of Microsoft shares for 30% of Yahoo shares, then he will usher in a major shareholder that may affect his control over Microsoft. If he wants to continue to annex the entire In the case of Yahoo, he may even find that he has introduced a group of major shareholders who threaten his status. Do you think Bill Gates will insist on implementing the share options at that time, or will he give up on his own initiative?" (To be continued.)