The shift for me came in January 2000 after returning to Jacksonville, Florida from New Years Eve in New York City. Over the holiday break, the President decided that he didn’t want to be in control the company anymore. His father wasn’t happy. His father created the company so that his son would have responsibly. But this is a good time to mention a genius named Dan. Dan’s mind could program in various computer languages. He helped built operating systems for medical hospitals, nanotechnology, and other creative directors admired his intellect when it came to finding solutions for difficult problems. Dan rarely asked questions, but one day walked into the President office to ask an important question. The answer would take under a minute to ask and answer. The President saw Dan approach. The President held up his hand in mock protest as Dan walked in. Dan thought it was a silly joke from a President with no experience at running a company. Another silly joke. In a multimillion dollar company responsible to investors this President was preoccupied with an obsession of playing golf. The President said to Dan, before you ask the question you have to make a hole. In the office was a miniature golf course with sticks, clubs, and little white golf balls. The President insisted to Dan’s chagrin, “You can’t ask me a question until you sink one of those golf balls into the cup.” Dan tried. Dan failed. Dan walked out when the President insisted on refusing to ask the question. Dan left the meeting to return to the production department. He met with every team member and told them the President was incompetent to lead the company. Over drinks that night, he told coworkers sipping cocktails that he was sending out his resume to other companies. Over the phone in his office, Dan walked with the attitude of a man who stopped caring about the company. He would stop without fear to tell techs, “The President of the company wants to play golf. That is his way of saying, “I am going to spend more time squeezing money from investors.” The President made Dan’s point for him within weeks. That January at the start of 2000, the President recruited an executive from Washington D.C. to replace him in the office as President. Dan led the production team into a meeting. In the first meeting with the engineers in charge the new President admitted that he had a limited knowledge of computers. The new leader talked about his career in sales, marketing, and advertising. Dan couldn’t hold back a mumble that every ear heard. Dan mumbled under his breath, “Another marketing guy.” Those three words added to Dan’s resignation. Moral was so low when Dan turned in his two week notice that the President said, “We will honor your contract and pay you, but just leave now. Don’t wait two weeks. Just pack your office and go now.” Dan had a cardboard box put in the back of his car trunk within two hours. Dan basically drove away with the team producing the website that afternoon. Three senior team members pretending to have a smoke break took their cigarettes outside and walked around the building to talk as they smoked. By the time the day was done, they joined Dan by sending their resumes to recruiters. The President of the company bought the foundation for a new building in Washington D.C. He lied about leaving Jacksonville to his father, investors, and employees because he wanted to play golf in Washington instead of answer questions in the Florida office. Dan was so senior that he drove away with the company following his car as if he led a convoy from the Production Department. The initial insult was over a question. The President refused to answer unless Dan hit a golf ball into a cup on the floor with a club. The only people left in the building were sales people. The sales people used to be real estate agents. Remember from reading Volume One, the real estate agents were the initial company before the Internet. The military’s vertical portal started out as a military website for real estate agents.
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