November 9.
The periodic investments made in Stanford University had paid off, and with partial assistance from Alvy Ray Smith, the company Nvidia, which previously only thought to give a 30% stake, decided to stretch that percentage to 40% for $2 million. It was a bold move, but Billy accepted $1.5 million, which was eagerly received. Despite being just a small company, they were beginning to manufacture processing boards and had secured a $3 million interest-free credit line. Billy wasn't stingy when it came to investing in a company he knew would grow considerably in the future.
Nvidia's exquisite management in creating boards and their constant expansion with $1.5 million was the stepping stone for ordering 5000 processing units. It was the company's first order, and with Billy's money, they set up a small production industry, hiring staff and purchasing components.
Meanwhile, Raimon was pouting. His workload had kept him so busy that he had fallen behind on his readings and was three comics behind. He parked at a "Toys and Comics" store and bought the latest volumes of Slam Dunk and four volumes of Cowboy, both old and new editions.
-Sir, would you like to take a special Toys and Comics bag? - asked the cashier, packing the nine comics. The store was vibrant, with large piles of comics neatly arranged, including collections of Evangelion and Yu Yu Hakusho. The bag featured One Piece, and they still had some Evangelion ones left.
-Are there any Evangelion ones left? - asked Raimon, considering grabbing a couple more bags.
-No, - came the reply.
There was an awkward silence. Raimon's silly grin, coupled with his Toy Story t-shirt, might have made anyone smile, but the cashier dealt with customers like him every day—people who came to buy comics and boast about their knowledge.
-I'll take it! - Raimon resolved, avoiding embarrassment.
As he was leaving, he received a call. Hotmail was evolving from a mere team and shared office space in the RPG Platforms factory. Its inauguration was beginning, with a team of nine boys who had completed all the formalities to launch an email service that would connect people worldwide through the internet.
-Hello, - Raimon answered.
-We've got it all set. In less than two months, we can launch the first version of the email service online, - said Aaron Walter, overflowing with excitement.
-What's left in the two months exactly? There are many analog examples in the project review about server development, - said Raimon.
-We've designed the page as requested, took a copy from Word, and renamed many characters. For now, we're testing the server to handle the delivery and receipt of email messages, as well as storing users' mailboxes, - explained Aaron Walter.
Standard SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) protocols were employed. Email was developed in the 1960s by Arpanet, the precursor to the internet, created by the US Department of Defense. It enabled users to send messages to others on different computers connected to a network.
-Does Billy know about this? - Raimon inquired.
-Nope, it's just a progress update. We'll deliver the material and advances next month. The proposal closes in two months, but only the message delivery and reception network. We need to create a server that can collect and store data, machines to link servers, and assist in space modeling, along with more email-specific details like user identification, favorites, message anchoring, some... I don't understand them, - said Aaron Walter.
-No problem, I'll review it tomorrow. I have some pending matters today, - said Raimon, taking a detour to the next company he needed to visit: Pixar. Anne had visited the place before and had reached an understanding, but Billy had invited him since Pixar's growth was ridiculous. As major designers not only of TV commercials, video games, and films but now with a second team working on another movie, it was possible that the production time of two years per film could be reduced to one year or a year and a half per film. It could be a risk, but it could also lead to significant gains.
The second building was marvelous, replacing the houses, all its walls made of glass with a tent-shaped roof, giving it a modern and updated architecture for Vivian's time. This was the new home of the second team, a fresh environment for production.
Billy was in a board meeting; the second team led by Peter Docter and James Conniganh was a reality. The first team, headed by John Lasseter and Andrew Statan, painted a bright future for Pixar.
-Raimon, meet James Conniganh; he's mostly in charge of developing our video games, known as the genius of scenarios around here, along with Peter, - commented Billy, pointing to both. They just nodded, happy to be the team leaders of the film. Although it had a director behind the scenes, for the post-production process, the team of 24 animators would bring the Ice Age to life. Official hiring of newcomers to focus on commercials, and computer games as a form of training was also a wonderful teaching move that allowed them to start with simpler tasks and gradually take on more complicated ones. The company had 69 animators and 13 software developers at their disposal.
-Pleasure to meet you, - Raimon said effusively. He knew Peter Docter, who seemed like a pleasant guy. Now they were the ones making Disney movies. They weren't the only ones facing problems; the developers had been struggling to replicate snow, hair, and, of course, humans. Developing humans was a complication that had pushed them to strive harder, with the help of Autodesk and ID Software, although this task had its limitations.
-Likewise, you're the Director of Operations and the one who attends our functions in cool costumes, - said Peter Docter, embarrassing and flattering Raimon at the same time.
-That's me. I just do what I must and show people how awesome Pixar movies are, - Raimon replied.
The kickoff party allowed many animators to be delighted to complete their tasks. Billy's plans were clear: first Ice Age, then Shrek, and third Madagascar. These films, aimed at an animated audience, would contrast with Pixar's classic films, turning the 3D cinema classic into an unparalleled revolution.
Peter Docter took the microphone. - It's fair to say that in the coming months, we'll get to know each other. We have a very talented team in the great art of making movies. The first team knows this, and at this moment, they are close to the release of the company's second film. From today, not only the second team is created, with views and aims to improve creative space, the office has decided to create a similar system of script creation, opinions, and future projects. Anyone can create; they just need to have a good idea, - he said, receiving applause.
James Conniganh was next to speak, followed by other animators who took the floor. Not far away, Billy sipped on some juice while Raimon applauded those who spoke great words. The celebration was undoubtedly wonderful.
-What do you think of all this? - Raimon asked.
-We'll succeed, Raimon. We'll invest money in voice actors specialized in dubbing. When we have enough funds, I'll buy a dubbing academy. We need to improve the entire production process. It's not just about good animation but also good voices, sound effects, marketing, and more. There are so many series we plan to produce that it's best to invest in resources like these, - said Billy, surprising Raimon with his confidence.
-You're impossible, - said Raimon. - I spoke with Aron; he could have said that in two months, the email website will be mostly designed, and it's highly likely we'll have a messaging email in a year. -
-Has Jim said anything about the production of the show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - Billy asked.
-Not much, - said Raimon.
...