Media Coverage
Nakayama Takuya rubbed his back, which was sore from being slapped, glanced helplessly at Tom, and then walked to the whiteboard.
He picked up a pen and drew three circles on the whiteboard.
He pointed to the "Computer Science" section on the screen, where a circle labeled "User Traffic" was still embroiled in heated debate.
The second circle reads "Industry Value," and he was pointing to the "Industry Sector" section, where in-depth technical exchanges had already begun.
Finally, he pointed his pen heavily into the third circle and wrote the words "Capital Convergence," then pointed to the "Startups & VC" section where the first potential transaction had just been generated.
He drew three arrows, connecting the three circles to form a perfect closed loop.
"Disputes bring popularity, exchanges accumulate value, and capital chases value." Nakayama Takuya's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly to everyone's ears. "When all three wheels are turning, Silicon Valley Online BBS will be Silicon Valley's signature."
He turned around and looked around at the faces that were flushed with excitement and elation.
Tom Kalinske's smile slowly faded. He looked at the closed loop on the whiteboard, then at the excessively young Asian man beside him, his gaze becoming more serious than ever before.
He suddenly realized that he might have underestimated Nakayama Takuya's ambition from the very beginning.
This is by no means a small extension of Sega's gaming business.
This may directly reflect Nakayama Takuya Silicon Valley.
"Takuya— " Tom's voice was a little hoarse, "What exactly does this ' Silicon Valley Online ' mean to you?"
Nakayama Takuya put down his pen, met everyone's gaze, and smiled slightly.
"Tom, I already told you."
"This is just the beginning of the internet revolution."
At this point, Nakayama Takuya paused and turned to the administrative staff standing behind him.
"Have you taken all the photos today?"
"We've taken pictures of everything, Executive Director," the administrative staff member quickly replied.
Takuya nodded and turned to Tom Kalinske.
"I'll leave the matter of contacting the media to you."
"I can do it without you telling me," Tom Kalinske said with a smile, giving an OK sign.
The next morning, when Team Leader Nohara and the others walked into the office with dark circles under their eyes and coffee in hand, Harry rushed in, waving several newspapers in his hand.
"Front page! We're on the front page!"
Harry slammed a copy of the Los Angeles Times onto the conference table; the huge headline nearly filled Yamaichi of the technology section. "Silicon Valley Online: The New Era of the Internet."
"Listen to this!" Harry cleared his throat and began to read in an exaggerated, theatrical tone, "Our reporter interviewed a computer science PhD from Stanford University, who declared: 'Emacs users are a bunch of self-important guys who need a bloated program to prove they're smart. Vi is the pure, efficient, and beautiful philosophy!' Hahaha! These nerds!"
Harry laughed so hard he almost fell over, and the United States engineers in the office joined in the laughter.
Team leader Nohara and several Japan colleagues huddled together, their expressions somewhat subtle as they looked at the English commentary in the newspaper, which had been quoted in its entirety and was brimming with inflammatory rhetoric.
"Executive Director—did they really write down the details of their argument?" Nohara asked Nakayama Takuya in a low voice.
"Nohara- san, controversy is just hype, and hype is the best 'GG' (a slang term for a romantic relationship)." Nakayama Takuya said calmly, holding his coffee.
Harry turned the page and pointed to another article from the * San Jose Mercury News *, this one clearly going a step further. "Look at this! They interviewed a professor at Berkeley!" Tom's speech quickened. "The professor said, 'The discussion in the "Industry" section is extremely high-level. He's already exchanged views with an engineer from Sun Microsystems on optimizing the SPARC architecture. This is more efficient than attending any academic conference!'"
The article then shifts its focus, mentioning the crucial event that everyone is well aware of.
"Most notably, the 'Startups & VC' section was born." Harry's voice suddenly lowered, carrying a hint of dramatic mystery. "On the very first afternoon of the BBS's launch, a startup project called 'TaWiz' posted a funding request. And just minutes later, it received attention from Sequoia Capital and KPCB." The article concluded with this...
Tom took a deep breath and read aloud, word by word. "A completely new online ecosystem is being born, and the sharks of capital have already smelled blood. Silicon Valley Online may well become the first great name to define the 1990s."
Harry was still gesticulating wildly, imitating the tone of those tech geeks in the newspaper, making everyone in the room burst into laughter, and the whole office was filled with a triumphant atmosphere.
However, this commotion was interrupted by the appearance of Tom Kalinske.
What he was holding was not a local newspaper, but a newspaper folded neatly into a square, with a completely different paper texture.
He didn't laugh out loud as usual; instead, he walked straight to the conference table and slammed the newspaper open.
The Wall Street Journal.
These five words, like a silent command, instantly silenced the entire office.
All eyes were on that newspaper, not the technology section, but the business commentary section on the front page.
A calm yet insightful title: [Internet Catalyst: How Silicon Valley Online BBS Reshapes the Venture Capital Ecosystem]
Tom's finger tapped heavily on the opening of the article.
"They didn't say a word about the editor wars or the operating system wars," Tom said in a deep voice, quite unlike his usual style. "They only care about one thing."
Everyone held their breath.
Harry leaned closer and involuntarily read it aloud.
The article focuses on the "TaWiz" project that emerged yesterday afternoon. Commentators believe that with the increasing prevalence of personal computers (PCs), the computer industry is already on a fast track of development. The internet, especially efficient information platforms like Silicon Valley Online, will provide an unprecedented turbocharger for this speeding vehicle.
By this point, Harry's voice was already a little weak.
He continued reading, his speech becoming faster and more excited.
The Wall Street Journal conducted a detailed analysis of our BBS user base—faculty and students from top universities, core engineers from major technology companies, and researchers from national-level laboratories—calling it "a highly concentrated, invaluable intellectual goldmine!"
The article cites discussions about the SPARC architecture in the "Industry" section, calling it a "top-tier technology seminar at zero cost." Then, it shifts its focus to the core issue.