It had been several months since Jaesung last saw the Stanford graduate students Jeremy Yang and Dave Filo, and they looked like typical early startup founders.
With messy hair and dark circles reaching their cheekbones, fatigue clung to them thickly, but thoughts of money made their lips twitch occasionally due to the influx of investors.
“It’s James. Please thank your mother for me.”
“What’s this strangely shaped food?”
“It’s eel grilled with a kind of Korean teriyaki sauce. It’s good for stamina, so it’ll help with your work.”
Dave said he’d never eaten eel before and was scared, but when Jeremy ate it deliciously, he mustered courage and tried it.
“It’s a texture I’ve never had before, but strangely tasty?”
While eating the lunch box together, they talked about Yahoo’s progress.
Now, search sites were made with quite advanced technology and excellent features, but from Jaesung’s perspective, it was the basics of basics.
He gave appropriate advice whenever the two hit a wall and helped with coding within the bounds of Yahoo’s original functions.
Thanks to that, Yahoo site’s visitors increased day by day, and investors came to Stanford with money.
“Because you invested generously early on, we don’t need additional investment right now.”
“Dave and I talked, and your contribution is bigger than we thought. So we want to give you more shares—what do you think?”
Due to Jaesung’s investment and advice avoiding additional funding, the two’s Yahoo shares had risen more than originally.
Since they hadn’t formally established the company yet and were just operating the site, the naive duo said they wanted to give Jaesung additional shares.
“I’d like that, but is it okay? I’ve heard people fight over even 1% of shares.”
“Honestly, we could wipe our mouths and pretend nothing happened, but following the directions you gave reduces errors. Plus, most of the hardest coding is done by you. We have consciences too.”
Flustered by their initiative to give more shares, Jaesung pondered and said he couldn’t just accept it—he wanted to add investment and buy shares.
“Last time I bought 10% for $500,000, and since then Yahoo’s value has risen a lot, so I’d like to buy another 10% for $1 million.”
Jaesung would own 20% of Yahoo total, but the remaining 80% split 40% each between Jeremy and Dave, so it wasn’t a problem yet.
Yahoo shares are the ones I’ll liquidate fastest, so a bit more is fine.
Surprised by Jaesung’s offer to add money, the two said 10% was too much and offered 8% for $1 million.
They felt burdened over 20%, and wanted to maintain 41% each.
“We needed a lot of money to establish the company, and $1 million should be enough to start it.”
The year-end was already approaching, and Yahoo, launched in January 1994, would formally incorporate in March 1995.
After founding, it would quickly go public a year later and become a site representing not just America but the world.
Though the Stanford visit for confirmation led to a $1 million expenditure, he ended up acquiring an additional 8% of the rapidly rising Yahoo shares.
Conversing with Yahoo’s two founders about site expansion and also discussing company establishment.
“Ah! I forgot again—are you really a middle schooler?”
“Yeah. We talk so naturally that… you seem to know more than us. You’re suspicious.”
In his previous life, having been a startup CEO in much tougher Korea, know-how for creating companies naturally flowed out.
“The uncle next door who taught me coding is preparing a startup, so he told me a lot.”
“Even so, you know too much in detail? It’s not a level you can understand.”
“That uncle next door has a genius talent for teaching others. If you meet him, Jeremy and Dave will understand too.”
Once again, the all-purpose excuse—Jefferson Bezos—appeared.
They couldn’t believe it now, but if he became the famous Amazon’s Bezos in the future, they’d accept it as possible.
To the two doubting his ability and knowledge far beyond his age, he invited them to visit his home in Seattle if they had time.
He planned to show the garage workspace and introduce Jefferson making Amazon.com next door.
“No trouble, and you’ve been well?”
Dad, whose conference had ended, came to the engineering school.
He had briefly relaxed when Jaesung spent all the money from Microsoft, but earning even bigger money from Costco made him worry again.
“Jeremy and Dave wanted to give more shares, so I decided to invest another million dollars.”
“We were going to just give it, but James wanted to contribute to company startup funds.”
“We didn’t demand the money. Professor.”
Realizing it was Jaesung’s doing again, Seokhun rubbed his forehead and shook his head.
Since it was a follow-up to a previous contract, the additional investment proceeded easily, and the Yoo father-son duo headed to Pixar in the rented Subaru WRX STI.
Interested in cars, Jaesung wanted to drive the recently released Honda NSX, but it wasn’t available for rent, so he whined to drive the most sporty rental—the first model Subaru WRX STI.
It was a strangely shaped 4-door sedan, so Seokhun rented his son’s desired car without much thought; manual transmission was inconvenient at first, but soon he was enjoyably driving the curvy San Francisco hills.
Giving his son thrills with moderate drifts, Seokhun set the mood on a straight road and voiced his concern.
“Your mom said she’s worried you’ve changed a lot since coming to America. To me too, recently you seem different from before.”
With a 40-year-old company CEO’s memories in his now middle school-aged son’s body, he couldn’t help but be markedly different.
Parents who knew their son well worried about his 180-degree change since starting computer coding, but since it wasn’t bad behavior, they just fretted.
“If anything, coming to America changed my thinking a lot. America suits me well, I guess.”
If he had suddenly changed in Korea, they’d suspect more, but since Jaesung changed after moving to America, parents thought puberty hit in the U.S.
Plus, Jaesung faithfully played the good son, adapting smoothly at school—even achieving top academic performance—making it awkward to criticize.
Suddenly selling self-made programs for big money and investing in various startups worried them, but since it wasn’t bad behavior, it was hard to stop.
“They say the younger, the faster adaptation, but you’re too fast. Still, thank you for adapting well. If you have worries or difficulties, tell me.”
“Because you and Mom sent me to a good school and take care of me, I adapted. I know our family lives well even in America.”
Worried about his changed son, but deciding to trust the son adapting without being swayed by 1994 American society.
Jaesung was grateful to parents who created opportunities by moving next to Jefferson Bezos, and planned to maintain being a good son going forward.
Talking with Dad about life in America, they soon arrived at Pixar Studios, went through the front desk, and headed to the CEO’s office.
“Steven, how have you been? Toy Story is coming along well?”
“Already acting like a shareholder? Animation is being diligently produced, so you do your homework.”
“Of course I do homework the same day. I got top grades this semester.”
Steve Jobs tried picking on school life, but couldn’t beat Jaesung perfectly playing honor student.
“Haha. He’s my son, but sometimes scary. He does everything well without nagging.”
“Hmm. You have an excellent son.”
With Dad’s mediation, the power struggle between Steve Jobs and the middle schooler ended, and he handed over the vegetable kimbap Mom packed.
“It’s 100% vegetable, so eat without worry.”
“You brought something unnecessarily peculiar.”
“Mom made it.”
“The colors are vibrant; it looks delicious.”
Even Steve Jobs couldn’t hit below the belt with Dad watching.
He explained Toy Story’s progress, saying it would release in theaters via Disney next Thanksgiving.
“If funding is short next year, don’t borrow from weird places—contact me. I earned some money selling inventory program to Costco this time. Next week, I’m visiting Walmart headquarters to tweak their system.”
At the middle schooler’s unbelievable words, Steve couldn’t speak and looked at Seokhun.
Feeling Steve’s gaze, Dad awkwardly smiled and nodded; only then accepting Jaesung wasn’t lying.
“What are you? You’re no ordinary kid—maybe a secret weapon made in Korea or something?”
“My son is a bit special, but he’s smart resembling me and my wife.”
Dad, the suppressor of Steve’s rude remarks, stepped in whenever he tried crossing the line.
Unable to crush the impudent kid’s nose in front of his father, he had to swallow it.
“Fine. If funds are needed, I’ll sell shares to you first. By the way, how much did you get from Costco?”
“$10 million, and for Walmart, at least double that.”
Groan~! “I’ve met many people, but a peculiar kid like you is a first.”
Interested in Jaesung, Steve Jobs said he’d visit Seattle himself next time for investment, to see the garage too.
After brief talk with him, they left Pixar.
No contract this time, so time remained; Jaesung had told Dad beforehand about a company he wanted to visit.
It was reasonable to ask why visit a semiconductor company founded last year with no products yet, but Seokhun, having given up understanding his son, drove the WRX STI to the address without suspicion.
“Welcome. You’re Mr. Yoo who scheduled a visit, right?”
“I’m Seokhun. This is my son James.”
They arrived at a small semiconductor design company in a corner of Silicon Valley; ringing the bell, a mid-30s white man with “engineer” written on his forehead came out to greet.
He naturally assumed Seokhun was the investor who contacted, shook hands with Dad, and guided inside.
“The company is small, so I’ll introduce myself as CEO. I’m Curtis Priem.”