A while later, Lee Hyun-woo welcomed Billy Keitz and Smith Balmer at 【Jungle】.
It was different from last time. Previously, Lee Hyun-woo had to visit them at a hotel, but this time, they stepped in because they wanted to.
“Long time no see.”
“Long time indeed.”
“How have you been?”
The fact that they were familiar to each other shortened the time for pleasantries. This applied to both Lee Hyun-woo and Billy Keitz.
They kept the introduction brief and went straight to the point.
Lee Hyun-woo started first.
“I’m envious. Stepping down from the front lines of management.”
But Smith Balmer quickly interjected.
“Until now, 【Macro Soft】 has been advancing with Billy at the helm. It’s hard to step down all at once.”
Lee Hyun-woo was perceptive. He noticed it right away. Nevertheless, he feigned surprise and looked at Billy Keitz again.
“So, you’re saying you can free yourself from responsibility while still operating freely? 【Macro Soft】 will become even more formidable.”
“It could be, or it might not be. Honestly, right now, I’m most scared of 【Jungle】.”
“Our foundation is unstable. We still need to build it stronger. That’s why I’m just envious of you.”
“If you’re envious, you can do it too.”
Lee Hyun-woo shook his head. That was one thing he couldn’t follow Billy Keitz in. Why? Because 【Jungle】 wouldn’t let him go. Even if it wasn’t that, it wasn’t the right time to step down yet.
“If I were to step back like Billy, 【Jungle】 would be quickly chased by other companies. We don’t have an experienced CEO like Smith Balmer yet. Plus, we’re also preparing for an IPO.”
“I know from experience that stocks mean nothing. And as for a successor… sometimes, experience can be a hindrance.”
Even with Smith Balmer right next to him, Billy Keitz spoke without hesitation.
It wasn’t out of disrespect. He wanted to convey this to him through this meeting.
“You can tell just by looking at yourself. Management that doesn’t correlate with experience, that’s why more than half of 【Jungle】’s strength is you, Hyun-woo Lee.”
“I can’t deny that. You’re right.”
Lee Hyun-woo cast aside humility.
In reality, if Lee Hyun-woo were to leave 【Jungle】, the outcome would be obvious.
As mentioned earlier, investors would feel an immense sense of betrayal while preparing for an IPO.
At this point, Lee Hyun-woo felt the need to change the topic.
“So, may I ask what you’ll be doing next?”
“There’s a lot to do. Games, MP3s, social media, cloud, etc.”
“Coincidentally, those are areas 【Jungle】 has entered as well?”
“Indeed, quite a coincidence. It seems like 【Macro Soft】 is always following where 【Jungle】 has already entered.”
“If you let me know in advance, I’ll wait to enter those areas after seeing 【Macro Soft】 enter first. But it has to be a new area, right?”
Billy Keitz’s eyes sparkled for a moment.
This was a provocation. It implied that even if he came late, he could catch up.
“Instead, how about challenging the operating system we entered first? Or there’s also office software.”
“For the former, it’s like we’ve already entered through PDA, and for the latter, there’s a domestic company, making it difficult to step in without criticism. We’re bigger than them.”
In other words, they wouldn’t enter areas where smaller companies had already stepped in, which was also a provocative statement to Billy Keitz.
But Billy Keitz didn’t take offense.
‘In some ways, he’s similar yet different from that friend Steven.’
He was similar in constantly provoking but different in his approach.
Most importantly, unlike Steven Jobs, Lee Hyun-woo always had a sense of ease.
“Anyway, it’s exciting that we can compete with 【Macro Soft】 in games, MP3s, social media, and the cloud.”
“You can look forward to it.”
“While we’re at it, why don’t you enter the PDA sector as well?”
“Like I mentioned earlier, if there’s an area where we surpass 【Jungle】, I’ll think about it then.”
“I hope we don’t have to wait too long.”
“It won’t take much time.”
Lee Hyun-woo laughed. It seemed like Billy Keitz had come to declare a sort of war.
Additionally, choosing Smith Balmer as his representative had a significance in itself.
Thus, Billy Keitz stepped back at the right time, giving Smith Balmer a chance to speak.
“My thoughts differ from Billy.”
Smith smiled brightly and continued.
“I met Jamie Wang recently, and she mentioned an interesting concept. A cooperative competitive relationship.”
“Ah, are you suggesting that kind of relationship with our 【Jungle】?”
“If necessary, that’s what I have in mind.”
“That’s great. Just earlier, while talking with Billy, an idea came to mind.”
“…?”
“A PDA operating system.”
Smith Balmer tilted his head.
A PDA operating system? Is 【Jungle】 planning to make a PDA? And install a Windows-based operating system on it?
“As I mentioned earlier, the idea of starting a cooperative competitive relationship would be a PDA with two types of operating systems. One with Windows installed and another with 【Jungle】’s operating system. If I request it, 【Guseong】 will produce it.”
“Hmm…”
“There’s no need to worry. I’ll make sure there are no differences in the selling conditions and marketing of the two products.”
Billy Keitz’s eyes wavered slightly as he listened.
It felt like his friend Smith Balmer was being swayed by Lee Hyun-woo.
This proposal was, of course, to be refused. It was a good opportunity, but it felt very unsettling.
However, Smith Balmer secretly welcomed the entry of Windows into the PDA market. After a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded.
“Alright.”
Lee Hyun-woo’s face lit up with a bright smile.
“I’ll push this forward immediately.”
Once a decision is made, immediate action is the core identity of Lee Hyun-woo.
While he wasn’t this proactive in his past life, in this life, whenever he saw a sure path, he believed there was no need to waste time.
After sending off Billy Keitz and Smith Balmer, he immediately texted Kim Tae-hyun.
- Hyung, please make some time later.
Instead of a reply, he received a call. And his response that he would come right away made Lee Hyun-woo unable to hold back his laughter.
‘You knew I was meeting Billy Keitz and Smith Balmer today, didn’t you?’
They often talked and met, so he would inform him in advance when he was meeting famous people like today.
Kim Tae-hyun might have taken it as a signal that something good might happen.
Indeed, he quickly rushed over and asked Lee Hyun-woo.
“What’s up?”
“When are you meeting the two?”
“Tomorrow, with my father.”
“Okay, that’s great. I just got a verbal agreement to develop a PDA operating system.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Windows. I talked about installing it on PDAs.”
“So why are you doing that?”
“To quickly spread PDAs? If PDAs are combined with Windows, people will inevitably be interested. As the overall pie grows, the PDA ecosystem will open up. Further, it will pave the way to smartphones.”
“……”
Kim Tae-hyun still looked at Lee Hyun-woo with a face full of doubts.
Lee Hyun-woo could understand why.
“You’re wondering why I would share when I could monopolize?”
“Yeah, exactly. It’s good for us. We can promote it with the buzz of installing Windows, and as you said, it will attract interest and spread quickly. If the pie grows, the ecosystem forms, and if we can mass-produce it, we can produce affordable PDAs. The problem is that Windows could become the standard for PDA operating systems, surpassing yours.”
“That could happen, but I have no intention of losing in this competition.”
“No matter how much you don’t know failure, how can you guarantee the future? Windows has the know-how of PC operating systems. If they apply that to PDAs, who knows what might happen!”
Lee Hyun-woo, not even a developer, seemed so confident. Kim Tae-hyun had to listen to his detailed explanation today.
“If Billy Keitz hadn’t stepped down as CEO, I would never have suggested a PDA operating system. But he seems to be stepping back from the front lines of management. Instead, he’ll be influencing the development side. In our brief conversation earlier, he mentioned games, MP3s, social media, and the cloud. This means he’s already deeply involved in the development stage.”
Billy Keitz’s involvement in development was nothing new.
But the results differ when he engages as a manager versus when he steps back and directly dives into development.
In his past life, after handing over the CEO position to Smith Balmer, Billy Keitz’s tendency to get deeply involved often delayed the release of perfect products from 【Macro Soft】.
“Even if they prepare the operating system now, it will take 6 months to a year. During that time, we will target a special demand with the second PDA from 【Guseong】.”
“Special demand?”
“Yes, anyway, the news that Windows is working with 【Guseong】 will automatically attract interest and promote itself, so it will sell better than the first PDA.”
“We plan to increase production. And export much more.”
“That means you’ve already conducted market research abroad?”
“Yes, there’s sufficient market potential.”
“Then by the third or fourth PDA, Windows products will come out. By then, we will have perfected an excellent PDA operating system through trial and error.”
“Hmm, so by the time 【Macro Soft】 decides and their product comes out, the PDA operating system share will already be dominated by 【Jungle】.”
“Of course.”
Lee Hyun-woo actually thought even the fourth was too much. With a perfectionist involved, they would keep comparing it with 【Jungle】’s operating system, trying to release a superior one.
Eventually, with the widened market share gap, they might consider giving up, but Smith Balmer would certainly oppose by then.
The PDA market would have expanded significantly, and they would vaguely see the path to smartphones.
‘Their opinions will clash, causing friction.’
Of course, things might not go as planned. A proper Windows PDA could come out. But Lee Hyun-woo wasn’t worried.
Why? Because 【Jungle】’s goal wasn’t just PDAs but the completion of a mobile operating system.
In fact, the term ‘ecosystem’ emphasized earlier had ‘mobile’ omitted in front of it.
Would 【Macro Soft】, who jumped in without a plan, be able to beat 【Jungle】 with a concrete goal?
‘Absolutely not.’
A confident expression was already growing on Lee Hyun-woo’s face.
