I finished my university year on May 23rd.
The sumr vacation has officially begun.
In the anti, I wrote an email to Google.
"Dear Google Team,
My na is Jack Somnus, and I hope this email finds you well.
I have been closely following Google's progress, and I am genuinely excited about the innovative work you are doing. I believe that the search engine you've built has the potential to reshape the future of the internet.
I'm reaching out because I'm eager to invest in companies that I believe will define the future.
Google is at the top of that list.
I see Google becoming the backbone of the internet economy, a company that will redefine advertising and dia.
I believe in your vision so strongly that I want to sit down with you and discuss how we can make Google an even bigger success.
I want you to know that funds are not the only thing that and Johnson Trading Corp. can provide. We want to offer a partnership that looks beyond the imdiate future.
I believe we can contribute ideas that will help Google dominate the industry.
I'd love the opportunity to et with you in person at your office in Mountain View. Please let know when you might have ti for a eting.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Best regards,
Jack Somnus
Board mber of Johnson Trading Corp., Orlando
"
The next day, I was greeted with a formal response from Google.
"Dear Jack,
Thank you for your email and for your interest in Google. We appreciate your enthusiasm and the kind offer to invest in our company.
At this ti, we are in the midst of our Series B funding round and are not looking for additional investors. While we are not in imdiate need of further funds, we appreciate your offer and your confidence in our vision.
Thank you for reaching out, and we wish you continued success.
Best regards,
The Google Team"
'Fuck... I didn't exactly rember the date they did they Series B round...' I thought.
There was no way I would let go of this opportunity without a fight.
I needed to make them see the value in what I was proposing.
I went back and wrote another email.
"Dear Google Team,
Thank you for your prompt response.
I understand that you are currently focused on your Series B funding round. However, I want to clarify the scale of the investnt I'm proposing.
In a joint investnt with Johnson Trading Corp., we are prepared to offer up to $100 million, which matches the amount sought by your current Series B round led by Technology Crossover Ventures, Sequoia Capital, and KPCB.
To clarify the value that this collaboration would bring, I want to propose a specific idea.
I suggest developing a comprehensive advertising network where businesses can buy plans that use advanced analytics to intelligently display ads across a broad network of websites, linking dia buyers and suppliers.
Optimizing ad placents based on user interests and behavior could revolutionize advertising.
I am confident in my ability to help you achieve this.
Given the scale of our offer and the potential value we can bring to Google, I urge you to reconsider our request for a eting.
Looking forward to your response.
Best regards,
Jack Somnus
Board mber of Johnson Trading Corp. Orlando
"
Now, disclosing such an idea without already being invested in the company would normally be considered stupid, but I knew that Larry and Sergey, the founders of Google, already had this idea in mind.
My goal was to show them that I wasn't just another investor.
I was writing this so that they would give a chance.
...
Just a few days later, on Wednesday, May 28th, I was on a flight from Gainessville to San Jose Airport in California.
Larry and Sergey replied personally, and I was on my way to et with them.
The plane's air conditioning was cranked up high, and I shivered in my suit. It was one of the suits that I bought while shopping with Luna.
I think might catch a cold...
I wasn't traveling alone, though. Sam had sent soone with .
That person was Danny, "Coke Delivery Danny."
But Danny was a surprisingly competent person and that's what mattered.
He was tall and thin, with a businessman's cut. For so reason, he chose to wear a suit in the shade of brown today. Not exactly the perfect choice for a eting like this.
After landing, we grabbed a taxi to Mountain View, Amphitheatre Parkway.
When we arrived at Google's headquarters just after 2 p.m., I was struck by the sight.
The building was sleek and modern, with glass facades. This was the place where around 1,500 Google employees were currently working.
At the mont, Google is renting this place, but they will buy it in the future.
I noticed several people walking in and out of the main entrance.
Looking to my side, I saw a little cart selling doughnuts.
I walked over and bought four doughnuts—two with chocolate and two with jam. They were perfectly circular on the outside, puckering inward to an uneven hole that glistened with glaze.
"What are you doing?" Danny asked.
"Buying doughnuts." I said matter-of-factly.
As we walked by the entrance, I stuffed one into my mouth.
The lobby was bright and cozy, with lots of open space and big windows.
The walls were painted white and orange, and there was colorful artwork on the walls.
There were colorful bean bags scattered around instead of regular chairs and so people were sitting around, working on laptops.
At the reception desk, a woman with curly brown hair was busy at her computer. There was a coffee mug on her desk and colorful notes.
I gulped down the doughnut and walked up to the reception desk with Danny.
She looked up at us with a warm smile. "Hi."
"Hello," I said, smiling back. "I'm Jack Somnus. We have a eting scheduled with Mr. Larry Page and Mr. Sergey Brin."
The receptionist checked her screen and nodded. "Yes... Mr. Somnus and Mr. Lewandowski. Your eting is set for 2:30 p.m.
Please take a seat in the waiting area; I'll let them know you've arrived."
"Thank you," I replied, and then sat down on the comfortable couch in the waiting area.
After a short wait, the receptionist ca over. "Mr. Page and Mr. Brin are ready to see you now."
We walked down a hallway where people were working on computers and chatting. We reached a small eting room.
The receptionist knocked on the door and opened it.
Inside, Larry Page and Sergey Brin were waiting, smiling warmly.
Larry Page was dressed in a casual button-down shirt and jeans. His dark hair was neatly combed.
Sergey Brin, the shorter of the two, was wearing a simple sweater and khakis. He looked relaxed, with his curly hair slightly tousled.
The room itself wasn't large. There was a white table in the center, flanked by two chairs on either side. A TV screen was mounted on the wall.
"Welco!" Larry extended a warm handshake.
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