I was thrilled. Microsoft bought my software startup for more than $200,000,000 and offered to keep me in charge.
Initially, we were 3 geeks who chose to quit their second year at Stanford and work on an idea I had. The theory was easy to understand: Many travelers waste a lot of time googling the best destinations, most sought-after attractions, hours of operations, prices, how busy it is, etc. I created software that combined data from multiple sources that allowed me to display all of the above in real-time. Together, the 3 of us worked to perfect the application, and 6 months ago, we were happy with the final version. I presented the program to 3 representatives of Microsoft, and they liked it, even though these days the company's general direction was different. My 2 friends elected to take $50,000,000 each and leave, while my share as the main guy was about $100,000,000.
...
I, Evan, grew up in a small apartment in New York. My father was a factory worker, and Mom supplanted his salary as a part-time worker at Walmart. The total income could barely cover all our expenses during good times, and we got into debt each time Dad or Mom became sick. I couldn't remember ever getting NEW presents. On my birthdays and holidays, I usually got used stuff: A sweater that was too small for my cousin, a fire truck toy that nobody else wanted, etc.
As a child, I vowed to become successful and not be poor. I invested all my energy in studying and rarely went out to play with classmates or the few friends I had. I loved to read, mostly biographies of famous people. In the beginning, I focused on political and military figures, but later, I became fascinated with the lives of inventors. Edison and Ford were high on my list until I began reading about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. My dream was to be just like them: Conquer the world with an invention that an average person can use.
With straight-A scores, I got accepted to Stanford on a full scholarship. I met Aaron and Jay in our freshman year. By then, the idea of a total travel package had already existed in my mind, although I just started thinking about ways to create it. One evening, I sat with my friends and talked about it. After an hour of explaining and persuading, they agreed it was a good idea. For 6 months we searched for resources and crossed the results, and the fruits of our work began showing. However, doing this big project took too much of our time. I was the first to suggest we quit the university. The other two were less convinced it was a good idea: After all, our software was not ready yet, and even if it was, there was no guarantee people would use or buy it. Only in our 2nd year we agreed it was time to sink or swim. Jay's parents threatened to disown him if he quit school, and only after a lengthy speech, I was successful in convincing them to let him leave school on a trial basis for a year.
For an additional 2.5 years, we gathered the necessary tools and combined them all together. We checked our program against other available travel apps and there was no comparison. Ours was by far the fastest, most detailed, and importantly- the most reliable.
We celebrated by getting drunk in a bar nearby. I recall asking them what they were going to do with the money if we sold it for millions. Aaron joked, "I'll find a pretty woman, fly to Hawaii, and live on the beach for the rest of my life doing nothing." Jay said he'd invest half the money in cryptocurrency and watch it grow in value. I had no idea what my plans were, except that I wanted a big house near Silicon Valley.
...
After signing the contract with Microsoft, I googled to find a real estate agency to help me find a suitable house. The list included many familiar names and others I never heard of. Going through the list, I encountered the name Rachel Allgoes. The name caught my eye, and I called her number.
Her voice was very pleasant, "Rachel Allgoes is here. How can I help you?"
"I plan to move to one of Silicon Valley neighborhoods, and I want to buy a house."
"What is your price range?"
"I'd say at least 1 million."
"May I meet you tomorrow afternoon? We can talk about your preferences, and I'll show you some examples online. Later, when I understand what exactly you are looking for, we can visit some houses on the market."
"Sounds good. Is 4 pm OK?"
"Perfect. Thank you for considering me, and see you tomorrow."
...
The following day, at 4:01 pm, there was a soft knock on my door. A blonde woman of about 30 smiled at me, "Hi, I am Rachel. Nice to meet you."
I invited her in. The rented apartment was small and poorly decorated. She glanced at the place, and her smile disappeared, "Sir, before we start, do you know the houses in these neighborhoods are quite expensive?"
I joked. "I won the lottery, and I think I have the money."
"What are you looking for?"
"I want at least 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, a balcony with a nice view, and a decent size yard that will accommodate a small pool and a jacuzzi."
She smirked, "There are less lucrative areas that may offer at least some of your priorities for about $1,000,000."
I said, "I prefer to live in Mountain View or Palo Alto."
She stood up with a disappointed look on her face, "I thought you were a potential customer. These are the most expensive neighborhoods..."
"Sit down!" Rachel gazed at me and sat.
"Lady, I have more money than you think. If you are not interested, you can leave now, but if you are, talk to me."
She turned on her laptop and stuttered, "Soorry if I ooffended you."
"That's OK. Just show me what you've got."
While Rachel prepared her computer, I inspected her. Her face was very cute, with large blue eyes, a small straight nose, and full lips. The dirty-blonde hair was shoulder length and framed nicely her pretty face. She wore a short beige dress, which revealed an impressive cleavage. She was a hottie!
We sat side by side, and she started showing me houses. The first one cost 2 million and was very small. I rejected it before looking at the details, telling her I wanted a bigger one with a nicer view. She grinned. The next one was bigger but with a relatively small yard. I asked to see another one. The 3rd house was much nicer: Four bedrooms, a large sitting place outside the house, a jacuzzi for 4, and a small flower garden. I told Rachel I wished to see the house. We continued our online search and narrowed my selection to 3.
When we finished, she stared at me and blurted, "The prices of these 3 houses range between 3 and 10 million dollars. Do you have the money or wish to get a mortgage?"
I laughed, "I can call the bank and get the money as we speak."
Rachel smiled warmly, "Sir, may I pick you up tomorrow at 10 am, and we'll check these 3 houses?"
"That will be fine."
I accompanied her outside. She glanced at my old Subaru that was parked in front of my house and grimaced. Obviously, she doubted I had the money to purchase the house and suspected I was wasting her time.
The following day, she rang the bell. I let her in. She stared at me and said, "Mister, I thought about our business last night. How do I know you can afford what you wish to see?"
I smiled menacingly at Rachel and said in a low tone, "Lady, I do not like to be judged by my current apartment or my car. You have 2 options: Either you want to leave, and I'll find another agent, or I'll prove to you I have the money, but it'll cost you."
"If you don't mind, I wish to see proof you have $10,000,000."
"As you wish. To prove to you it's not a trick, please dial the phone number of the Chase-Morgan branch on Park."
