New Employees With an Annual Salary of 1 Trillion Won - Chapter 103

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 103. Things Money Can’t Buy (3)

 

I hadn’t come to the United States solely for Midopa Department Store.

 

Rather, there was an even more important matter remaining, and the meeting location was California, a 6-hour flight from Manhattan.

 

“You’ve arrived! Did the Chairman come with you today as well?”

 

“No. I came alone today. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly.”

 

The meeting location was Apple Headquarters.

 

Steve Jobs personally welcomed me, and it seemed he had come out wondering if Chairman Robertson might have accompanied me.

 

“Please come inside. There’s a product I really want to show you.”

 

“I suppose it’s a new product incorporating Nexfin’s technology?”

 

“You’ll know when you see it.”

 

I followed Jobs inside the headquarters.

 

After passing through strict security systems, we arrived at the Product Development Lab.

 

“This is the new MP3 born from the meeting of Apple and Nexfin’s technological capabilities!”

 

“It’s exactly what I had imagined! Have you decided on a name for it?”

 

“We’ve decided on iPod.”

 

The moment I heard the name, a strong harmony resonated in my mind.

 

An enormous number of gears moved, rapidly rotating Apple’s structure.

 

This product would definitely succeed.

 

I hadn’t even tried using it yet, but I was already certain.

 

“May I try using it once?”

 

“Of course. Most of the UI comes from Nexfin’s technologies, so you shouldn’t have any difficulty using it.”

 

When I pressed the power button, a familiar screen unfolded.

 

The UI I had designed was there exactly as it was, and the operation method was exactly as I had designed it.

 

“Compared to the MP3s currently available, this is superior in everything from functionality to design!”

 

“Functionality is important, but what’s more important is emotion. The iPod’s unique emotion is something no other MP3 can match!”

 

The emotional aspect wasn’t my area of expertise.

 

Nevertheless, the iPod’s unique design kept catching my eye, and I began to understand the emotional aspect, even if just a little.

 

“Once it launches, it seems like it will definitely create a sensational popularity. When have you set the launch date?”

 

“Actually, we had planned to launch it in the second half of next year. But thanks to Nexfin and Rollbook’s technology, we were able to move up the launch date by nearly half a year.”

 

“I’m really glad we could be of help.”

 

If the launch date was moved up, we could gain many benefits.

 

Most importantly, we could realize sales early.

 

We could also preoccupy the MP3 market where no monopolistic products had emerged yet.

 

And since we could quickly recover the investment funds put into product development, it would greatly help with cost reduction and production plan optimization.

 

Even if the iPod’s sales were just moderately successful.

 

It would mean profits of at least tens of billions of won or more.

 

That’s why Steve Jobs had personally come out to discuss this with me.

 

“Please continue to work well with us. Nexfin and Rollbook’s technological capabilities are truly fresh and ingenious. If I could, I’d really want to acquire Nexfin.”

 

“It’s a company that can’t be bought with money.”

 

“That’s why I gave up. I’m satisfied maintaining a good cooperative relationship like we have now.”

 

Of course, Nexfin wasn’t really a company that couldn’t be bought with money.

 

It’s just that to satisfy both Tiger Fund and all the Nexfin colleagues, Apple’s financial power alone would be impossible.

 

“I also hope Tiger Fund and Apple continue to maintain a good relationship.”

 

“Actually, I value my relationship with Mister Lee more than with Tiger Fund. When I talk with Mister Lee, inspiration keeps coming to me.”

 

“Have you started conceiving a new product?”

 

The iPod hadn’t even launched yet.

 

But it seemed like he was already preparing for the next stage.

 

“I gained tremendous inspiration when we newly concluded the contract in Korea.”

 

“It’s not easy to gain inspiration from contracts, but what part gave you inspiration?”

 

“I was strongly inspired by the part about applying licenses not just to MP3s but to all portable devices. I thought Apple could also challenge not just MP3s but other portable device markets, especially the mobile phone market.”

 

I had also considered that part when adding that content to the contract.

 

Since we were challenging the MP3 market, there was no reason not to challenge other portable device markets.

 

“I agree with that part. Apple’s technological capabilities are too valuable to focus only on the PC market.”

 

“If there’s one PC per household, then mobile phones would be carried by all family members. I keep getting greedy about a market several times larger than the PC market. Am I being strange?”

 

It wasn’t strange at all.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

“The mobile phone market is huge, but right now various companies are dividing up the pie. To monopolize that pie, innovative technology is needed.”

 

“Innovative technology. If Apple and Tiger Fund join forces, couldn’t we create it sufficiently?”

 

“First, the iPod must succeed before we can make the next plans.”

 

It was still premature.

 

There was still time before the era I was planning and envisioning would come.

 

First, it was a picture that was only possible if the iPod succeeded.

 

“I was thinking too far into the future. As you said, there can only be next plans after the iPod succeeds.”

 

“If there are any areas where you need support, please let me know anytime. I’ll help with everything from promotion to technical support.”

 

“Would you like to check out the client too? Rollbook’s music player was very helpful. We named it iTunes.”

 

It was iTunes with similar functions to the Rollbook player.

 

Playback, management, synchronization, and even playlist creation.

 

These were all functions already included in the Rollbook player, but there were also several differences.

 

The biggest difference was.

 

iTunes was a client made exclusively for Mac.

 

It couldn’t be used on Windows and was looking only at Mac users.

 

“Is there a reason you made it Mac-exclusive?”

 

“To maintain the ecosystem. Hardware, software, and devices. Everything must work only in Apple-created environments to be controllable.”

 

Jobs wanted to control everything.

 

In some ways, he had similar tendencies to me, but he was much more closed off than I was.

 

“Wouldn’t having iTunes for Windows also help secure more users?”

 

“That would push back the launch date. Our development team prioritized Mac development, and we lack the capacity to develop for Windows too.”

 

Was this a strategy to test market reaction?

 

Mac users were famous for their high loyalty and had characteristics of being friendly to new technology.

 

They were a very suitable group for experimenting with new products, so it seemed iTunes was made only for Mac for that reason.

 

“Do you perhaps doubt the iPod’s success?”

 

“I don’t doubt it. I’m just trying to proceed slowly. First securing data and gradually increasing the customer base won’t be too late.”

 

“If you do that, efficiency will increase, but sales will decrease.”

 

The obsession with wanting to create perfect products.

 

From the customer’s perspective, it wouldn’t be bad since they could receive high-quality products.

 

But this kind of closed nature didn’t help improve sales at all.

 

Especially, it was a bad structure for Tiger Fund.

 

We could receive more royalties only if iPod sales were high.

 

“If you lack the capacity for Windows development, could we perhaps start development on our side? Since the Rollbook player is made for Windows, it wouldn’t take that long.”

 

“Are you thinking of making it possible to manage the iPod through the Rollbook player?”

 

“That’s right. If we make an iPod-exclusive Rollbook player, Windows users could also purchase and use the iPod.”

 

I was sensing his contradiction.

 

He was showing obsession with market expansion while maintaining a closed ecosystem.

 

This was contradictory, and I had proposed a solution that could resolve that contradiction.

 

“If it’s not an official version but a partnership version, I can accept it.”

 

“To avoid affecting Apple’s ecosystem, we won’t use the word Apple at all. You can think of it simply as a beta test.”

 

“You’re saying we should check Windows user reactions through the Rollbook player.”

 

“We’ll clearly notify that it’s not software developed by Apple.”

 

It might seem like Rollbook was swallowing its pride.

 

Since we were saying we’d develop a dedicated program for a product that hadn’t even launched yet and hadn’t shown market reaction.

 

And it wouldn’t even be recognized as official software.

 

It could even be treated as subcontractor work, conducting tests on Apple’s behalf.

 

Nevertheless, I made this proposal based on strategic judgment.

 

I was confident in the iPod’s success, and we needed to secure iPod-exclusive software-related technology in advance from now.

 

“If those are the conditions, we’ll accept them. But is there a reason you’re going to such lengths?”

 

“The more units sold, the more royalties we can receive. So we have to do our best.”

 

“A very simple reason. But you should know that Apple products are centered around existing customer base.”

 

“It doesn’t matter if no one uses iTunes for Windows. Just make sure the iPod officially isn’t compatible with other clients.”

 

This was a necessary condition to utilize Apple’s closed ecosystem.

 

Only when the Rollbook Player became the sole bridge between Windows and Apple could we maximize our profits from that gap.

 

“Fine. But please answer just one thing.”

 

“If it’s something I can answer, I’ll respond with utmost sincerity.”

 

“What do you think is the next direction for the iPod? Anything is fine.”

 

Was he trying to test me?

 

Whatever the reason, I shared the thoughts I’d been having.

 

“The iPod is ultimately a Digital Music File playback device. Digital Music Files can be downloaded through the Internet.”

 

“That’s why we made iTunes.”

 

“That alone isn’t enough. It needs to be able to play Digital Music Files without connecting to a PC, and I think that’s the direction the iPod should go.”

 

“Are you talking about Wi-Fi?”

 

Jobs understood my meaning immediately.

 

Not just MP3s, but all portable devices would inevitably require Wi-Fi as essential.

 

And I could speak so freely about this because I had already registered all related patents.

 

“If wireless Internet is built in, it could transcend the limitations of MP3s. Of course, if that happens, the iPod’s form would become very different from now.”

 

“You mean it would move away from the current simple design since it could do so much more.”

 

“We need to enable various functions while maintaining Apple’s philosophy.”

 

Jobs rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.

 

After doing so for a while, he showed a smile.

 

“Hmm, I’ll have to think about it. Thanks to Mister Lee, my head feels very clear.”

 

“I’m glad I could be of help.”

 

“There aren’t many people I can have conversations like this with. Among them, Mister Lee is the only one I can have such enjoyable conversations with.”

 

“I also enjoyed having this kind of conversation with you, CEO.”

 

“Next time, I’ll visit Korea myself. I need to go see directly what other technologies and patents Nexfin and Rollbook have hidden away.”

 

There was no reason to refuse someone who wanted to come.

 

It would be much better than me traveling back and forth to the United States.

 

My routine might be disrupted for about a day, but that was something I could sufficiently tolerate.

 

“I’ll be waiting in Korea.”

 

“The schedule will depend on how the iPod is received. Well then, see you again next time.”

 

Did he mean he’d come to Korea quickly if the response was good?

 

Then we’d be meeting again in Korea soon.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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