Chapter 542: A Quite Intuitive Name

Steve Jobs punched in the office password. As the door swung open, he gave me a gentle shove and said,

"Charlie, you've more than earned your place here."

Reluctantly nudged by him, I stepped into the office.

The room was packed with computers, and about ten people were hunched over their monitors.

Engrossed in their work, none noticed our entrance.

"Hey, Scott!"

Jobs called out to someone. Only then did the workers stop and turn their heads.

Glancing briefly at Jobs, they tilted their heads, curiosity creeping into their gazes as they spotted me.

It seemed like they were intrigued by the stranger entering the secure zone with Jobs.

Developers are definitely known for their curiosity.

But Scott was different. Rising from his seat, he scratched his head and furrowed his brows.

"Jobs, bringing outsiders in here…"

"Relax, relax. This man is our largest shareholder at Apple and the owner of Dream High."

"What?"

Scott looked at me in shock, interest flickering across his fatigued face.

"And he's also the genius who first shared this whole idea with me."

At that, all the developers' eyes widened with intrigue.

'Gee, this is quite the pressure, isn't it?'

I gave Jobs a light jab in the ribs. He turned to me, grinning.

"This man first told me about the key concept for the iPhone when I met him. A tiny computer in your hand!"

"Oh!"

"Back then, the concept of a smartphone hadn't even been solidified yet. Hearing that hit me like a ton of bricks. That was before I returned to Apple, so you can finally grasp how brilliant this guy truly is."

While other developers' eyes sparkled, Scott remained skeptical.

Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Jobs.

"Jobs, is that true?"

"What would I gain from lying?"

"I'm just saying, is that because of the shares Dream High holds?"

"Ha ha! Scott, have you ever seen me be worried about what others think? If I was, I wouldn't have been kicked out of Apple back then."

Scott nodded, finally conceding with his own wry grin at that jab.

Steve Jobs certainly doesn't compromise when he believes he's right.

He was famous for pressuring and vexing developers until his imagination became a reality.

"Right. Let's say everything you said is true. So, what's the name?"

Scott asked, looking at me.

"You can call me Charlie. You must be Senior Scott Forstall, right?"

"Do you know me?"

"I can't claim to know every Apple employee, but I should know a genius like you. After all, I'm technically Apple's biggest shareholder."

"Hmm, you're flattering me."

Very few know the name of every developer.

Scott, aware of this fact, chuckled awkwardly while scratching his cheek.

He then turned back to Jobs, asking,

"What's the reason for bringing Charlie along?"

"Let's head inside first."

"Hey, Jobs."

"Let's talk once we get in. The others can keep working on their projects as usual."

Following Jobs' orders, the staff cleared their curious expressions and returned to their screens.

"Let's head in."

With that, Jobs lightly patted my back.

After him, I stepped in, with Scott trailing behind us.

We entered a meeting room at one end of the office.

"Let's sit down first."

At Jobs' prompt, Scott and I settled around the round table.

Jobs sat down too, having prepared coffee for us.

"Charlie."

"Speak, Jobs."

"I'm not a developer. You know that, right?"

I nodded.

There was much debate over whether Steve Jobs could code at all.

I leaned towards the notion that he couldn't; he was a businessman, not a developer.

"If Scott or the developers from earlier weren't around, my vision wouldn't become a reality."

"Of course. I understand how crucial developers are as well."

"Among them, Scott is the genius I acknowledge."

After a quick glance at Scott, I chuckled. He seemed a bit uneasy with being constantly praised.

"I feel like this is the first time I've seen someone Jobs considers a genius."

"Ha ha! I have to acknowledge that. But I don't like stubborn geniuses. I need someone who can turn my dreams into reality. Most developers can't step out of their worlds, which is why I need geniuses like Scott more than ever."

I understood what he meant.

While Silicon Valley is filled with developers, finding the right ones is akin to catching stars in the sky.

At least Apple had many brilliant developers, making their situation a little better.

Most geniuses were busy starting their ventures, creating what they wanted.

Yahoo, Google, and many other rising IT companies share that pattern.

"I felt it acutely this time. I realized I have to take the lead in all of this. Just looking at the horrific designs of those phones by Motorola made me doubt my own eyes."

As Motorola came up, Scott nodded in agreement.

"We only handled the software. The hardware was their realm. But when I saw the physical products, I was shocked too."

"We can't put the Apple name on such garbage. It's utterly unacceptable."

It seemed Jobs was genuinely angry as his voice grew increasingly agitated.

"How could they create such trash and expect to receive payment?"

"Jobs, calm down a bit."

Scott tried to soothe Jobs, but he slammed his palm on the table, ignoring him.

"That's not what I wanted!"

"I know. We all do."

"That's why we terminated the contract. It cost a hefty penalty, but still."

With Jobs sulking about, Scott forced a smile.

"Why not mention the board meeting? There was some noise during the approval, wasn't there?"

"Those idiots only care about current profits…"

Jobs directed his attention toward me.

"The board members sent by Dream High are the same. Charlie."

But I hadn't received that report.

Previously, I instructed them not to contradict Jobs, but could they have disobeyed my orders?

"Did someone from our side oppose it?"

"If they did, it wouldn't have passed. About half of the board members were from Dream High. They ultimately voted in favor, but they were reluctant about the hefty penalty that would come crashing down soon."

"Jobs, they too are profit-driven individuals. No matter how much their role is to act as rubber stamps, they can't ignore Dream High."

A company without Jobs held no significance to me.

Hence, I positioned our board members strategically to gain control.

They cast supportive votes without making a fuss about Jobs' views.

"Just how much is the penalty? Why are they complaining about it?"

"About ten million dollars."

Ah, that's no small amount. It was quite a sizable sum for them to grumble about compared to my expectations.

"Why is it so high? I anticipated only around five million at most. That was my upper estimate."

"They already began production, apparently."

"They started production without securing approval?"

"We provided the operating system. They thought it would just pass without a hitch."

Not having seen the contract, I couldn't say how it was structured, but if production had already started, they'd gotten off light.

"I certainly would have said something too. It feels foolish to pay a ten million dollar penalty."

"The damage to Apple's image isn't something a mere ten million can cover. It could cost a hundred million or even a billion to repair."

Jobs spoke decisively. His deep-seated pride in Apple shone through.

"Once the iPhone's development starts, I don't want to hear about board objections. So Charlie, stand by my side."

"I'll deliver your message."

So, this is why he welcomed me today. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"But you've mentioned the iPhone multiple times already. Have you designated a name for it?"

"Yeah. It evolves from the iPod to iPhone. What do you think?"

Even if history has been twisted, some aspects remain unchanged.

The smartphone Apple creates will ultimately be called the iPhone.

"iPhone, huh? That's nice. It's quite an intuitive name. Just like you, Jobs."

At my praise, Jobs' face lit up with joy, prompting Scott to chuckle in disbelief.

"Jobs, let's say Charlie was called here because of the board. So why did you call me?"

"Let's gather the three of us to brainstorm the iPhone."

"I'm a developer. I just build what you ask. What opinions could I possibly give?"

"Don't talk like that. In the end, it's me who decides. So you should share your thoughts too. Charlie and I will merely voice our ideas, and…"

Scott sighed deeply, exuding a developer's melancholy.

"Let's hear what you have in mind."

"Charlie?"

Jobs turned to me with a smile. As he was setting up the stage, I should gladly share my thoughts.

I recalled the presentation Jobs made when unveiling the iPhone and began,

"Imagine an iPod with a wide screen that you can control with touch."

"A touchscreen? But we already experimented with that on the iPod. That doesn't sound revolutionary."

Jobs shook his head in dissatisfaction. You must listen till the end.

I locked eyes with Jobs and spoke clearly.

"No, not just any touchscreen. A touchscreen that requires no auxiliary tool. One where everything can be done solely with fingers."

"Is that feasible with current technology? It might be possible but would it be marketable? The cost would skyrocket."

Scott posed that question, and I answered, smiling.

"We're already in talks with a company that has capacitive multi-touch technology at Dream High. We'll likely acquire them soon. So the royalties will be negotiable since Apple is also my related company. Regarding the commercialization, if we go for mass production, the costs can be brought down considerably."

"If that happens, then the conversation shifts."

At that moment, Jobs interjected.

"How about merging that company with Apple instead?"

I shook my head and opposed his idea.

"No. Monopolies aren't inherently good. Competition is vital for market growth. If Apple alone survives, the pie cannot grow. It's better to secure a market where we can sell a hundred million or even a billion products rather than just ten million."

In my past life, competition between Apple and Android smartphones significantly boosted the smartphone market.

In time, everyone would have smartphones.

But what if only Apple existed in that market? If choices were limited?

Surely, the pie would shrink. Monopolies halt growth.

Jobs appeared regretful at my words but quickly acknowledged my point.

"And? Keep going."

"The second part is an innovative phone."

"That's something we intended to do with Motorola; merging the iPod and phone into one."

I smiled as I delivered the final piece.

"And the last part is a groundbreaking internet communication device. All three combine into one smartphone."

"A phone that's also an iPod and allows for internet usage? Now that's what I'm talking about! It needs to be that innovative. You're on the right track!"

It was clear that Jobs shared the same vision as I did.

I noticed he wanted to test me, but I played along.

However, Scott was visibly skeptical.

"If three products merge into one, the device will inevitably grow bulkier. Moreover, it won't distinguish itself from the existing smartphones."

"The current smartphones are clunky and poorly made. I think it's embarrassing to even call them smartphones."

"But they are indeed smartphones. While they claim to be innovative, it doesn't seem like something completely new is being developed."

In a broader sense, it's easy to miss the finer details.

It seemed Scott was caught in that mindset.

"That's correct. It's not about creating something entirely new. However, Apple has the ability to transform even familiar products into something new."

"Huh? What do you mean by that? What unique quality does it possess compared to current smartphones?"

The answer came from Jobs.

"The operating system! That's Apple's greatest weapon."