I got inside the conference room and spotted Mr. Johnson handling his papers. He looked refined. Salt-and-pepper beard, dark hair, and his suit was sharp - charcoal gray, crisp white shirt, tie on point.
We threw each other a nod.
He laid down the last-minute lowdown on our strategy, and I made sure I knew what to say.
As the clock neared 1 PM, my attention turned to the entrance to the conference room, where the duo from Adomi stepped in.
The gentleman, wearing a dark green suit, exuded confidence with every stride, making a statement as he entered.
Beside him was an elegant young woman in her early 20s, she had a professional demeanor.
Her sleek attire was a chic black skirt paired with a white blouse. Her hair, neatly secured in a bun, added a nice touch.
Holding a portfolio of documents, they approached us.
"Good afternoon," the man greeted with a firm handshake, "I'm John Turner, we spoke before, and this is Mia Brooks, from the technology department."
"Good afternoon, Mr. Turner, Ms. Brooks. Pleasure to have you here," I extended a handshake.
Ms. Brooks, with an air of confidence, extended her hand. "Mia Brooks. Nice to meet you, Max."
"I hope we can come to an understanding beneficial for both of us," Mia added.
"Likewise, Ms. Brooks," I replied, noticing a subtle glint of interest in her eyes.
They moved towards the opposite side of the conference table.
We all took our seats, and the negotiations began. The discussion started with a brief overview of GAI Weather, its features, and its current user base.
John Turner took the lead, "We've been impressed with what GAI Weather has to offer. Our users are tech-savvy, and integrating your weather app into our smartwatches could enhance their user experience significantly."
Ms. Brooks interjected, "Max, your app's predictive capabilities are particularly intriguing. How do you ensure such accuracy, especially in regions with unpredictable weather patterns?"
I delved into the technicalities, explaining the machine learning algorithms and the extensive data sources that contributed to GAI Weather's accuracy.
As I spoke, Ms. Brooks listened intently, occasionally nodding in understanding.
John then shifted the conversation towards an unexpected topic.
"We're not just interested in licensing your app. We see the potential for deeper collaboration. Is Dreamland Net open to strategic investments?"
Mr. Johnson, my lawyer, interjected at this point, "Mr. Turner, while we appreciate your interest, I must clarify that Dreamland Net is not currently seeking external investments. Our primary focus in this meeting is to discuss the enterprise contract for GAI Weather."
Mr. Johnson and I hashed this out beforehand. Adomi was eyeing an investment, but I figured it ain't the move right now. I preferred holding the company in my own hands.
Mia Brooks leaned forward, her eyes meeting mine. "Max, we believe in what Dreamland Net is doing. Your innovations in AI align with our long-term goals. Can you really not consider external funding to scale your operations?"
I was captivated for a moment; Ms. Brooks was a stunning woman.
Thankfully my lawyer, Mr. Johnson chimed in, "At the moment, our focus is on finalizing the contractual details. Let's concentrate on the terms of the GAI Weather enterprise contract and ensure a mutually beneficial agreement."
As we got down to business, Adomi made it clear they wanted the whole package.
After some back-and-forth, we sealed the deal. Adomi would grab the GAI Weather plan for their smartwatches, paying $1.5 per user each month.
To get things rolling, they dropped a cool $115,000 upfront.
I felt a real sense of victory, and big props to Mr. Johnson, my lawyer – he knew the ropes and made sure we weren't getting played.
The meeting wrapped up with handshakes and a feeling of success. As the Adomi crew headed out, Mr. Johnson gave me a nod.
Just as I was gathering my stuff, Ms. Brooks turned back and leaned in with a confident smile. "Hey, Max, mind if I grab your number?"
I raised an eyebrow, a bit puzzled. "Sure, but you guys already have my business number from the contract, right?"
She let out a light laugh. "Not for business, Max. I meant your private number, you know, for out-of-office chats."
I hesitated for a moment, not entirely sure about handing over my private number. "Well, we're here to talk business, right? What's the need for a personal number?"
Ms. Brooks leaned back, still wearing that playful smile. "Come on, Max, just a little insurance policy. You never know when you might need a quick chat. Besides, it's just a number."
I mulled it over for a moment. "Alright, it's not like it's top-secret information. Here you go." I shared my private number with her.
She grinned and gave a playful wink as she strolled away. I couldn't help but shake my head.
After the deal with Adomi was successfully sealed, I sat down with Mr. Johnson, my lawyer, to discuss the details of his compensation.
"Mr. Johnson, your smarts in navigating these talks are solid. I know it's no walk in the park," I tipped my hat.
We delved into the particulars, discussing the time invested, the legal intricacies handled, and the successful outcome achieved.
It was clear that his expertise had been invaluable in securing the deal.
We have agreed to stick with the previously set price of 30 grand for the services of DLE Paper.
A firm handshake sealed not only the deal with Adomi but also our agreement. "Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Max. If you ever need legal counsel again, you know where to find me."
...
I left the hotel and grabbed a taxi back to the campus.
Back in my room, I sat down, started up LaTeX software, and started writing down AI-related thesis.
"Evolutionary Programming Algorithms in Connection with Genetic Strategy,", would create the theoretical base for the second one.
"Potential Use of Pre-trained Neural Networks and Evolutionary Algorithms for Proof Writing,"
For the next two days, my desk became a maze of papers.
Rick, the neat freak, kept nagging me to clean up, but I was too wrapped up in the writing hustle to bother.
Meals? Sure, squeezed them in between the typing frenzy.
I was in the AI trenches, sorting through algorithms and theories, hardly catching some sleep.
Thursday rolled around, and in the AM, I hit up the campus newsagent for the fresh release of the International Journal of Applied Mathematics.
Just an hour later I got a message on my phone from Nadya,
"Ai, your badass, Max, why didn't you tell me that you got a thesis on IJAM?"
"It's not that great..."
"Shut up! Check out the convos on IJAM's X account!"
IJAM has an X account? I quickly opened up Twitter, personally, I thought that X is a garbage name...
Absolutely, they posted about the theses featured in this release, and they listed the authors' names.
What made it even more noteworthy was that my name stood out. Unlike many other papers with multiple authors, mine was a written solo.
Exciting Release from the International Journal of Applied Mathematics!
Explore the latest contributions to mathematical excellence in our recent release:
"Analytical Exploration of Inversion Functions" - Maximillian Sullivan (MIT)
"Advancements in Algebraic Structures" - Team of Experts from Stanford
"Change in Quantum Mathematics" - Collaborative Effort by Scientists Worldwide
"Fractal Geometry in Modern Architecture" - Joint Work by Architects and Mathematicians
And then I looked into the comment section.
@MathEnthusiast1: First-year at MIT, Maximillian Sullivan, dropping a bombshell in the International Journal of Applied Mathematics! #MathGenius
@ThesisHelpDesk: Help me write my thesis, we can discuss the price. #ThesisHelp
@DebunkingRumors: Rumors circulating about academic fraud? Let's focus on the brilliance of the thesis – groundbreaking work from a fresh face! #SullivanThesis
@MITPride: Maximillian Sullivan, a unicorn in academia? A first-year student challenging norms at MIT #MITTrailBlazer
An academic fraud? What was this guy talking about?
There were some people asking about my Twitter account, but I decided to keep that private for now.
In the meantime, I posted some resources for learning about Evolutionary Algorithms on my blog.
With just 4 days left until the semester kickoff, I went all-in on my AI thesis game, managing to nail down the first one even before the official semester launch.
Yesterday, because of the online pressure and Professor Milik's insistence, the university added a page about me on their website, spilling the deets about me and showcasing the thesis I tossed over to IJAM.
Usually, such a website would be made once someone was a Ph.D. student.
It didn't take long before they needed to put another thesis on the page... This time in computer science.
The university professors started buzzing, and some wild students went all in, creating a fan page on X.
They dubbed it The Prodigy Max Sullivan. Kinda cringe, and there was a post on it already:
Max Sullivan the MIT's wild card genius droppin' bomb theses in math, electronics, and AI outta thin air. Which Galaxy did this guy drop from? #MaxSullivan #MITPhenom #ThesisWhiz
What's even crazier is that some of the folks who read my IJAM thesis are now following the fan page...