- Late 961 ARR (39 BBY) -
Was I really considering this?
I had been with the Keren Plasma Corporation for more than twenty years. A secure well-paying job facilitating sales of various plasma products to our partners in the Trade Federation. Was I seriously willing to give up that career, to join a brand-new company started by a kid?
Well, it was Lars who put the idea in my head. This John was friends with his daughter, and he was convinced this company was the next big thing. Lars is not one for hyperbole or fantastical ideas, so his conviction alone was pretty convincing. Stranger still, his wife even agreed with him.
I had sat down to meet with John, which was a strange experience. He was twenty-year-old man, dressed like a Corellian, speaking with Basic with a unique half-Naboo, half something else accent. The thought that I was being interviewed by someone who was half my age was, uncomfortable, so I considered it a friendly meeting.
I suppose I expected a tech geek with grand dreams about changing the galaxy, and that's exactly what John is.
What I can't understand is why I believe every word of it. His invention is genius; I had previously bought a SuperPAD myself at Lars recommendation. The idea that John had started making them in his bedroom and is now expanding into a real viable business is astonishing.
People don't just invent things like that, people don't start new tech companies, and they really don't do these things on Naboo.
John was willing to offer me a huge salary increase to help him with running his business, and was promising me a real say in how the company operates.
I had been stuck as a sales representative at Keren Plasma for more than a decade now. It was a trap. Every time I applied for a management role, they said I needed more than just sales experience, experience they would consistently deny me.
If I didn't want to just be a saleswoman for the rest of my life, I needed to move on. Before now, there was nothing to move on to.
So, I was going to do it, I was going to say yes. Risk throwing away everything I've worked for, because I believe him. I believe John will change the galaxy and I believe he will let me help him do it.
---
- Early 962 ARR (38 BBY) -
What exactly have I let myself in for?
There is no real structure, just twenty technicians and a handful of logistics staff running round like maniacs, turning parts into pads and getting them out the door as fast as possible.
I can't even really fault John for it. He doesn't know anything about running a business and he knows it. The demand is incredible, and the profit margin is obscene, so he has just kept going. Recognising his need for help, he was trusting me to make sense of it.
Well, I wanted to be trusted, and I wanted more responsibility, so I can't say I didn't ask for it.
At least Ona had made a great start in making the piles of flimsy documents disappear. A heroic feat of professional administration, for which they really should give awards.
Jaarl was clearly a great technician, far more experienced than the herd of young men and women John had found to assemble his products. However, Jaarl had never had to manage people before nor did he have much experience in manufacturing, but then who on Naboo does?
John had put him in charge of production on the basis that he was the only technician with much work experience at all. Like a lot of John's decisions, it was definitely correct, but needed more follow up. Jaarl needed more guidance, and John had just assumed that the older man knew what he was doing.
Still, I know I can do this. I can turn this into an effective business. I know this is where I am meant to be.
---
I understand why John made us sign so many confidentiality documents, though it was probably only necessary in Jaarl's case. I thought code is some sort of spy nonense.
Going solely off Jaarl's reaction to John's explaining how the SuperPAD works, it appears John is a once in a generation technical genius who has discovered something remarkable. That's how he's managed to produce his miracle product from nowhere.
Still, I really am struggling to understand what it all means. What else can John do with this impossible knowledge?
---
A military contract! We must be mad!
When John called us together for a meeting and revealed the request from the Royal Security Forces for a bespoke device, my first thought had been incredulity. Theed Tech was a tiny company, less than a year old, and we were going to try and supply the security forces? We were struggling with basic business functions and couldn't meet the demand on our product as it was.
Then I saw the opportunity.
John had not wanted to seek loan financing or investors, for reasons that were understandable but deeply frustrating. We needed capital to invest in our facility, our production line and to build all the other elements of a business we were currently lacking.
Rather than selling devices one at a time, bringing in a trickle of income, we would have a single large order. If we could get a significant chunk of the order paid for up front, then we would have the capital we desperately needed, and the business could really start to grow at pace.
The meeting did show what I liked about John, he listened. He didn't want to be the only one with ideas, he valued our input. There was no hint of arrogance or condescension, and genuine sincere praise. I suppose this, more than anything, assured me I had made the right decision in joining Theed Tech.
---
- Mid 962 ARR (38 BBY) -
John had left me in charge while he and Ona went on his trip to the core. The trip was essential, if it failed, we would have to cancel our contract with the security forces, and that could doom the company. I believed John could do it, but I was quietly glad Ona and Brihlalon would be going along to make sure.
I had been doing a lot of the day-to-day running of the company as it was, but it was still a great show of trust on John's part to delegate real decision-making to me while he was away. That being said, there was a lot to do.
Jaarl and the other technicians were hard at work setting up automated production lines, with engineering droids. The idea being that once the components needed for the SecuriPADs arrived, the assembly should be as seamless as possible.
A lot of bickering broke out among the technicians, unused to working closely together on one project rather than assembling devices individually. I had to step in repeatedly to keep them on task, giving some added authority to Jaarl's softer directions.
Putting some of our own security in place was proving an additional hassle. The contractors to install better locks and alarms were constantly rescheduling. I had at least agreed with Lieutenant Panaka that a direct link be established between our alarms and the nearest security office, so there would be a swift response. Given we would be producing devices for the Security Forces they were keen to ensure there were no breaches at our end.
Getting our staff to adhere to basic precautions was more challenging. Making it clear that no data about our processes or ways of working be taken off site was becoming an irritating conversation. Ensuring doors were secured and visitors only be allowed in on appointment a similar frustration.
Worst of all, was covering Ona's responsibilities on the logistics. John mission to Vulpter should get us the most expensive components for the SecuriPADs, but the rest still needed to be sourced from somewhere. Dealing with dozens of wholesalers to scrape together handfuls of datapad and holo components was almost as exhausting as dealing with my ex-husband.
Still, one way or another I as keeping this show on the road.
---
I forget how young he is.
Everything about the mission to Vulpter had gone perfectly, a huge success for Theed Tech, until just hours from home, a pirate attack. Pirates on his first trip off-world, what kind of cursed luck does John have?
Since coming back he's been distant, barely leaving his workshop. I don't have the faintest idea what he's working on, though I think he's mostly wallowing in guilt, as if he could have done anything about it.
Still, this can't go on. We've made commitments to this Security Forces contract, and we have a million things to do to keep this company moving forward. For better or worse, John is the leader of this company, and he needs to step up. Still, it's a lot to ask for a 21-year-old.
I guess it's my job to make sure he does.
---
Ona is in a bad place too, though she's far better at hiding it than John. She doesn't want add to John's guilt and makes an effort to show him a brave face, which is sweet but not particularly helpful. She's been burying herself in her work and getting snappy with her already stressed logistics team.
I took her down to the cantina last week to talk it through. She keeps imagining what might have happened if the ship had been boarded. I've quietly arranged for her to receive some counselling. I think it will help her, but it will be sometime before she's back to her old self.
- Mid 962 ARR (38 BBY) -
Deputy Chief Executive of Theed Tech, a multi-million credit company. It does have a rather nice ring to it.
Yes, I had effectively been doing the job for months now, but I was still touched that John recognised it. What it really means is now I can be confident he won't be bringing in anyone over my head. I am his number two and I'm going to live up to that.
The mad part, he even gave me part of the company!
It's not entirely unprecedented, directors of major corporations will have compensation agreements in the form of shares, or linked to performance in some way. What John has done, giving me what is effectively a multi-million credit gift, seems almost reckless.
In theory, I could walk away now and retire early as a wealthy woman, but he knows I won't, that's why he did it the cheeky ****. He knows, I'll stay and that he's making sure I benefit directly from the future success of the company. I can't even be mad at him for being sneaky when he's being so damn thoughtful.
John has become a whirlwind of activity after I dragged him out his workshop. With some guidance he had overhauled the structure of the company leadership, turning it into something vaguely coherent and professional. Hiring a Head of Finance and Security Chief, formalising Ona and Jaarl's roles as department heads and planning more key appointments were all important steps.
All these people would be reporting to me, with me reporting to John. Essentially, I would run the company in accordance with decisions John makes about our future direction. It was a little unusual, but it reflected our respective skill sets and showed a great deal of trust.
There would be many other challenges to work through in the coming weeks. Further improvements to production, expansion of the facilities and most ambitious of all, taking the first steps towards our own shipping division. Still, it really felt like the vision was coming together.
---
Seriously…. a twi'lek dancing hologram.
Someone please remind me why I work for an overgrown child?
Still, Ona seems happier at least. Apparently, Aria has made her job a whole lot more manageable, which hopefully means she can focus more on her recovery.
I guess the little holo-sprite does grow on you over time, though I swear John is testing my professional patience on purpose.