Search Engines and Portals

Frank opened his mouth, but couldn't answer.

Therefore, Silicon Valley Online's next step must be to start developing a search engine.

Nakayama Takuya wrote the words "SearchEngine" on the whiteboard with sharp strokes.

"What we need to do is not passively wait for website owners to submit their work, but take the initiative. We'll develop a program that crawls the web like a spider, fetching every newly created webpage and indexing it. Users only need to enter keywords, such as 'Apple stock price' or 'Michael Jordan,' and we can directly display relevant webpages in their faces."

Frank frowned. As a tech-savvy executive, he instantly recognized the difficulty. "This requires incredibly powerful algorithms, and—searching for content within specific web pages? This isn't just about scraping titles; it demands exponentially more computing power from the servers."

"Technological barriers are the best defense." Nakayama Takuya's tone was calm, yet it conveyed an undeniable determination. "If this were easy, we wouldn't be doing it. Whoever controls the search box controls the gateway to the internet. I don't want users to go online to go somewhere else; I want them to go online to ask us for directions."

Before Frank could fully process this massive technological challenge, Nakayama Takuya dropped another bombshell.

"We have search and navigation, but that's not enough. We can't just be middlemen, sending users to other websites; that's doing the work for someone else's benefit."

Nakayama Takuya drew a huge square next to that "entrance," and filled it with various small squares.

"We need to retain users. That's what a portal is all about."

"A portal?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "Like an airport terminal?"

"It's even more comprehensive than that. It's a super department store," Nakayama Takuya explained, "It includes news,

Weather forecasts, sports scores, financial stocks, entertainment gossip—all the information users need to see every day is gathered on our homepage. When a user turns on their computer in the morning and connects to Silicon Valley Online, they can read the day's headlines, check Sequoia Capital's stock price, find out if it will rain tomorrow, and even glance at NBA game reports.

Nakayama Takuya turned to the two of them: "We want to provide a one-stop" service. We want users to discover that as long as they stay on Silicon Valley Online, they can know everything happening in the world. They don't need to redirect, they don't need to go to those messy little websites, because we have everything here."

"This requires a huge content creation team—" Frank felt his budget was about to explode again, "This is another bottomless pit of money."

"GG, Frank, still GG." Nakayama Takuya laughed, a meaningful laugh. "When users get used to checking our news first thing every morning, then our weather forecast, and finally using our search to find information..."

This is more than just traffic; it's a lifestyle. Furthermore, we can collaborate with many media outlets on content. If the big media outlets aren't willing, we'll find their competitors. There's always someone willing to earn our money.

He walked back to his seat, placed his hands on the table, and said intently, "When Silicon Valley Online becomes synonymous with the Internet and a way of life, Wall Street will no longer be looking at your price-to-earnings ratio, but at your dominance."

"User numbers, dwell time, usage frequency—these data represent more than just revenue; they're the foundation of our confidence when we ring the Nasdaq bell." Nakayama Takuya picked up his now-cold coffee and downed it in one gulp. "Alright, that's all for today's lesson. Frank, you can go and torment your Development Department and Finance Department now."

Frank sat in his chair, staring at the densely packed architecture diagrams on the whiteboard—BBS, Blog, ICQ, navigation, search, portal. This wasn't a business plan; it was clearly a battle map for dominating the future digital world.

He took a deep breath, closed his notebook, and the fatigue on his face vanished, replaced by an excitement of about to go to the battlefield.

Nakayama Takuya tilted his head back, poured the last few crushed ice pieces from the bottom of the glass into his mouth, and chewed them with a crunching sound.

The crisp noise finally pulled Frank away from the whiteboard covered with "treasure maps".

The head of Silicon Valley Online had a contorted expression, his brain clearly overloaded—on one hand, a grand blueprint that could change the world, and on the other, financial statements that were about to explode; the two emotions were fighting on his face.

"Alright, stop mentally calculating bandwidth costs." Tom Kalinske walked over with a smile, slapping Frank on the back so hard the CEO almost kowtowed to the whiteboard. "You can't figure this out by yourself. Go call the core members of the tech department and do an evaluation together. Also, I'll have the investment director from Sega North America headquarters come and assist you."

Tom paused, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. "Go ahead with a big plan, and make sure the budget looks good."

In the end, it was Takuya who had the headache of signing, not me.

Frank gave a wry smile, rubbing his sore shoulder. "If this plan is submitted, those people in the Finance Department will probably need to keep some nitroglycerin pills on hand before they dare to even look at it."

"There are definitely variables, and there's a good chance this plan won't give us the exact opportunity to hit the mark. After all, many of these variables are unpredictable." Nakayama Takuya pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands, his eyes playful. "But since we're going to play, why don't we take a gamble?"

"What are we betting on?" The two United States turned their heads simultaneously.

Valuation.

Nakayama Takuya pointed to the rapidly growing Silicon Valley outside the window, "Once all these features are online, and Silicon Valley Online rings the bell on Nasdaq, how much do you think it will be worth?"

Frank licked his chapped lips, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. "The current three hundred million is just a drop in the bucket. If everything in that picture could be made—"

"It's no fun just talking," Nakayama Takuya interrupted him, tearing three slips of paper from his notebook. "Write it down. Write down the number that's most outrageous in your mind. We'll seal it away and open it on the day it goes on sale."

"What's in it for winning?" Tom took the note and had already pulled a pen out of his pocket.

"Whoever's figure is closest to the final market capitalization, the other two will have to foot the bill." Nakayama Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Treat all the VPs and above at Silicon Valley Online to a meal. They can choose the location; even if it's the White House cafeteria, we'll find a way to sneak in."

"Make a deal!"

The three of them turned their backs, like elementary school students in an exam hall afraid of being cheated on, and each quickly scribbled a string of numbers on a piece of paper.