"Mr. Harryson, you also need to reach out to Exelon Electric. We're facing a massive supply gap," Giovani said, his nerves finally settling as he sipped his coffee. "We never expected the accessories to move this fast. We weren't fully prepared for the smart home craze."
Nick frowned. "How short are we?"
Giovani did the math in his head. "Based on current sales velocity, we're looking at a shortfall of 70,000 to 80,000 units. But that's a moving target—it scales every time we sell another H1. People are obsessed with the ecosystem."
Nick nodded slowly. "I've actually been thinking about bringing in new partners. Tyler mentioned that both Black Bull and Tree Shade reached out after seeing our smart switches. They're both very eager to collaborate."
"Dumping Exelon might be a mistake," Giovani cautioned. "They've been very sincere with us."
Nick shook his head. "It's not about replacing them; it's about diversifying. Exelon is great for the domestic market, but they don't have much of a footprint overseas."
"Are you thinking about the international market already?" Giovani's eyes lit up.
"Not quite yet," Nick said. "If we move too fast, we'll trip over ourselves. We need to lock down the domestic market first. Besides, the AI hasn't been localized for other languages yet, so we're stuck for the moment."
"If we want to be a global player, we can't ignore the rest of the world," Giovani suggested. "We need to start laying that groundwork now."
Nick offered a wry smile. "The lab is on it, and I've got HR scouting for linguistic talent. But localization is a nightmare. Even sticking to English, you've got regional accents and completely different vocabularies for the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada. We have to start with a 'general' English profile and refine it from there."
"That's a solid start. The English-speaking market is massive," Giovani agreed.
Nick's smile turned a bit bitter. "Do you think we actually have a shot at the US market right now? Apple is willing to 'cooperate,' but they're being incredibly greedy. Tyler is still in the trenches haggling with them."
"It's a hurdle, for sure, but we can't abandon a market that big just because of some corporate gatekeeping. I'm not a scientist, but have you considered a partnership with Google? They're the domestic leaders in translation and voice tech."
Nick shook his head. "That's a tough sell. Our businesses are on a collision course. Once we master English, we aren't just expanding overseas—we're building real-time translation. Once the H1 can translate on the fly, it's a death blow to Google's entire business model. Our voice recognition has already put them on edge; I don't want to poke the bear too hard."
"I think you're underestimating them," Giovani smiled. "They can see the writing on the wall. If we develop this independently, they get nothing. But if they cooperate now, they maintain some relevance and secure a steady stream of licensing revenue. They might be willing to trade their advantage for a seat at our table."
Nick felt a sudden flash of clarity. He'd been looking at the industry through a purely technical lens, but Giovani was seeing the strategic map. For a company like Google that could smell the impending crisis, the options were narrow: wait for Militech to destroy them, or join forces.
"Okay," Nick said, smiling. "Once the dust settles on this launch, I want you to talk to them. We can be generous—give up some profit margin if it means saving us millions in R&D and years of development time."
"Actually, let Tyler handle the negotiation," Giovani said, shaking his head. "My plate is overflowing right now; I don't have the bandwidth for a high-level partnership hunt."
"Fair enough. Tyler it is."
Nick looked at him sincerely. "I've been thinking about the structure of the company. Once we're out of this launch phase, I'm splitting Marketing into two distinct units: Marketing and Operations. I'm bringing in someone else for Marketing, and I want you to step up as Director of Operations and VP of the company. We need an experienced hand at the wheel, and after these last few months, I know you're the one."
Giovani was taken aback, then shook his head. "I actually like being in the trenches with the marketing team. Leading these kids into battle... it's fulfilling."
"They say Marketing is a battlefield. It looks like you've got a taste for it," Nick joked.
"At my age, I thought I was over the ego of it all," Giovani said, smiling. "But working with these young guys has lit a fire in me. I want to see how far I can push this."
"The Operations role will give you an even bigger stage," Nick countered. "You'll still be overseeing the market ops—you'll just be commanding the entire map instead of one front. I need you in the C-suite, Giovani."
Nick was being strategic. On one hand, he genuinely valued Giovani's work. On the other, he wanted to secure the loyalty of his most capable executive. He also knew that letting one person control a critical department for too long created risks. By promoting him, Nick was breaking up the potential for "fiefdoms" while rewarding Giovani with a massive career jump and future equity.
Giovani, a veteran of the corporate world, saw right through the move. He knew that as a company grows, leaders have to reorganize to keep things controllable. But he also recognized a golden opportunity when he saw one. He nodded, accepting the new mantle.