Website Directory
"One thousand." Nakayama Takuya repeated the number, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. "So here's the question: if I'm a regular user who just bought a computer and installed the Mosaic browser, and I want to find a website about phishing, or somewhere to check the latest NBA scores, what should I do?"
Frank instinctively replied, "That's not difficult. People often share fun websites on BBS computer science forums, or you can download a text file containing the latest cool site lists from some university FTP servers. Of course, the best way is to buy a copy of Wired magazine; they recommend several good sites every issue."
Frank's voice suddenly stopped at this point.
Looking at Nakayama Takuya's ambiguous smile, he suddenly realized how absurd his words had been.
Go find posts on BBS forums? Browse through TT documents on FTP sites? Or even buy a physical magazine?
It's like driving Ferrari but having to get out and ask an old man on the side of the road for directions.
"It's too much trouble, isn't it?" Nakayama Takuya leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming highly suggestive. "If there are a thousand websites, users might only know about three of them. The remaining nine hundred and ninety-seven are like isolated islands hidden in the deep sea; nobody knows where they are, and nobody knows how to get there."
"Since there are already scattered website recommendation sections on BBS forums, why can't we make it more comprehensive?"
Nakayama Takuya casually grabbed a piece of white paper, pulled out a pen, and drew a simple sketch on it.
"Imagine if we created a dedicated webpage, like a library's index cards, and collected all one thousand websites."
He wrote down several main categories on the paper: [News], [Sports], [Entertainment], [Technology] ----
"We categorize them, even sort them. For example, under 'NBA,' we list all the relevant websites. Users don't need to know that damn complicated HTTP-starting address, or memorize those random domain names. They just need to open our webpage, find 'Sports,' click 'NBA,' and then choose a link that looks good."
Nakayama Takuya made a heavy dot on the paper with the tip of his pen.
"Snap."
"Hyperlinks redirect directly."
Frank stared at the sketch, his eyes almost fixed.
His brain was like a supercomputer that had just been plugged in, frantically calculating the feasibility and commercial prospects of this model.
Isn't this just an internet-based yellow pages for telephone directories?
No, it's more powerful than the Yellow Pages!
Nakayama Takuya observed the change in Frank's expression and calmly filled in the last piece of the puzzle. "Frank, you were just complaining about the high bandwidth costs. If such a navigation site is successfully built, it will become the 'first stop' for all internet users. Imagine that massive traffic."
"More importantly—" Takuya pointed to the top of the category list, "If two websites that both sell fishing gear wanted to be listed first in the 'Outdoor Sports' category, who do you think should be at the top?"
Frank suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a terrifying light.
"Whoever pays the most gets to be on top!" he practically shouted.
This isn't a navigation site, it's practically a fully automated money printing machine!
We don't even need to produce our own content; we just need to organize other people's links, and those website owners who desperately need traffic will wave their checks and beg us to include them!
All the anxiety and cost pressures seemed to turn into a joke in that instant.
"God, Takuya, how did you even get into this brain?"
Frank was so excited that he lost his composure. He didn't even care about his dignity as CEO. He grabbed Nakayama Takuya's shoulder and shook him hard twice, so hard that Takuya almost spilled his coffee.
"Genius! This is absolutely a genius idea! I'm going to wake up those bastards in the Development Department right now! Nobody's sleeping tonight! I want a prototype by the end of this week!"
Watching Frank dash out of the office like a child who had just won a new toy, forgetting even to close the door, Tom Kalinske laughed so hard he slapped his thigh, "Looks like the Redwood City pizzeria's going to get another customer tonight."
Nakayama Takuya picked up his coffee again, took a sip, and looked out the window at the busy office area.
He was thinking about a very interesting question.
Those two Stanford University graduate students, Jerry Yang and David Filo, are probably still struggling with their dissertations, right?
If I remember correctly, these two weren't supposed to produce that "Jerry's Guide to the World Wide Web" until later this year, which later became the famous "Yahoo!".
But now, from the moment Frank Marshall stormed into the Development Department, the wheels of history have quietly changed course.
Perhaps in this time and space, the name "Yahoo" will never have the chance to appear again.
The conference room door swayed twice due to inertia before finally closing, shutting out the noise from outside.
Tom Kalinske fiddled with the empty paper cup in his hand, his gaze falling on the young man across from him who was slowly blowing on the steam from his coffee.
"You're just going to let him get away like that?" Tom leaned back, crossing his legs. "I know that look in your eyes all too well. Every time you give me that look, it means someone's going to be in trouble, or someone's going to make a fortune—usually it's you who's going to get rich, and someone else who's going to suffer."
Nakayama Takuya put down his cup and rubbed his palm against the warm porcelain surface with his fingertips. "Was I that obvious?"
"Very obvious." Tom pointed to his eyes. "Your face says: Hey Frank, don't rush off, this is just the appetizer, the main course is still in the kitchen."
Nakayama Takuya chuckled and shrugged. "The current navigation site is enough to keep the Development Department busy for a while. Don't bite off more than you can chew, especially for a company that's growing at breakneck speed. Focus is paramount. If we reveal all our cards now, I'm afraid Frank's heart won't be able to take it, and neither will the servers."
"You always like to keep people in suspense," Tom shook his head, complaining, but the smile in his eyes was impossible to hide. "Aren't you afraid this piecemeal release pace will drive Frank crazy?"
"Quite the opposite, Tom." Nakayama Takuya stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and looked at the sketch he had just drawn. "The capital market is greedy, and it's also forgetful. If you play all your good cards at once, they'll only applaud you for five minutes, then turn around and look for the next prey."