Henry waited a few days but didn't receive any communication from Ford Brook, implying that Sequoia Capital had likely rejected the share exchange proposal. They probably believed that holding shares in Apple was more advantageous than in the Netscape browser. Knowing that Ford hadn't reached out, Henry decided to play the long game; after all, one day they might come back begging for a deal. He was prepared to leverage Sequoia Capital for a bit of blackmail later on.
Noah's Ark Company quietly settled in Silicon Valley without bringing any media attention.
Henry believed in the philosophy of letting products speak for themselves. He felt that doing more while saying less—being pragmatic and innovative—was the cornerstone of a successful business. Therefore, Noah's Ark only held a modest internal cocktail party to celebrate its establishment. Besides the company's employees, attendees included Nicholas Bookstore CEO Geely Hutt, Cisco CEO Posac, Ford Brook from Sequoia Capital, and, of course, Henry Williams, the chairman of the company.
The new CEO of Noah's Ark, Bob Gallagher, was also a noteworthy figure. A postdoctoral fellow in computer science from Harvard, he held an MBA as well. Previously, he had been the deputy manager of General Electric's Asian branch before resigning in February 1986 to join Cisco. Given his impressive qualifications and professionalism, Henry entrusted Bob with the significant role of CEO for Noah's Ark.
Bob Gallagher was in his forties—tall and slightly overweight—often opting for casual attire over suits; he typically wore gray casual clothes. Fortunately, Henry had the wisdom not to enforce strict dress codes on his employees.
During the reception, Henry crossed paths with Ford Brook, intentionally avoiding any discussion about the share exchange. The atmosphere was pleasant as they enjoyed their meal and engaged in light chatter.
After the reception, Henry called Bob Gallagher aside to discuss Noah's Ark's future development trajectory. While not an expert on servers, Henry had some understanding of tower and blade servers and recognized that the processor was a critical component.
As for which processor to opt for?
Henry knew Intel was a leading choice, but most of their processors were developed specifically for the Windows operating system. The two had formed the "Wintel Alliance," controlling the market and consequently driving up prices!
Naturally, Noah's Ark should aspire to have its proprietary processor, but that would require extensive development, costing hundreds of millions, which Henry simply couldn't afford. Thus, procuring processors from Intel or IBM became a temporary solution. The immediate goal was for Noah's Ark to design a web server that met current user needs!
A total of 25 technicians from Nicholas Bookstore and Cisco worked for Noah's Ark, and Bob recruited 20 individuals from Stanford University in Silicon Valley, forming a 45-person R&D team. Together, they brainstormed how to build this web server and chose the optimal processor, initiating a flurry of productivity.
After these discussions, Henry returned home. The past few days had been busy for him. After a brief two-day break, he resumed his writing project. Having penned nine novels in the "Harry Potter" series (including the seventh installment, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"), he set his sights on a new science fiction novel titled "Jurassic Park." The novel, published by Michael Crichton in 1990, had made waves upon its release and swiftly topped the best-seller list in the U.S.
Already a Hollywood player, Henry understood the importance of further preparations.
Additionally, film entertainment would play a vital role in the future of the internet industry. As a driven young man, he knew he needed to make significant strides in the film sector!
Henry was keen on acquiring the rights to various renowned novels, in addition to his own writing. While immersing himself in "copying books" at home, he also stayed updated on national events and company progress reports, ensuring he was abreast of developments at Nicholas Bookstore, Cisco, Noah's Ark, and Pixar.
With Cisco's advancements, the pace of internet development was at least two years ahead of Henry's previous timeline. Particularly, the growth of the National Science Foundation had strengthened under the guidance of major corporations like IBM. However, it had also led to increased commercialization—a departure from the original goal of fostering scientific research information. After the U.S. authorities reclaimed management from IBM and other firms, many American companies profited and banded together to create several commercial backbone networks.
The emergence of these networks signified the internet's impending boom. No longer limited to schools, government institutions, and corporations, the internet was becoming accessible to everyday Americans! Ordinary citizens would soon be able to connect online! Although the capital required for building these commercial backbone networks was enormous, progress would still take time. However, in developed areas, backbone networks began to materialize as many Americans joined the digital frontier.
By January 1987, 13 major cities—including New York, Washington, L.A., San Francisco, and Chicago—had integrated into these backbone networks!
The internet's development had established itself as a trend. Cisco had seen impressive results the previous year; their annual report revealed that sales had skyrocketed to $50 million in 1986. With routers priced around $1,000, that translated to approximately 50,000 routers sold—a fivefold increase compared to theirperformance in 1985! President of Sequoia Capital, Charles, remarked, "In hindsight, Sequoia should have invested even more!"
Ford Brook, Sequoia's Executive Director, lamented, "Henry is a tougher competitor than Bill Gates!"
Henry was oblivious to Sequoia Capital's envy and resentment. In his view, staying low-key was key to success, as was quietly accumulating wealth. Although Cisco had garnered recognition, few were aware of Mr. Henry Williams, the company's chairman.
Henry typically avoided the media spotlight, making rare appearances at public events, like a book signing in the U.K. His elusive nature left many outsiders unaware of his true identity.
Then, on January 5, 1987, Nicholas Bookstore CEO Geely Hutt called Henry to announce that the "Internet Movie Database" website was complete and ready for his review.
Henry rushed over the next day.
Upon his arrival at the company, Geely and Chief Technology Officer Tom Wilson guided him into an office and powered on a computer. Under Henry's gaze, Tom entered a web address, and immediately a familiar site materialized. Henry scrutinized the interface and tested its functionalities.
The features resembled those of the previous IMDb.
After testing, Henry nodded approvingly. "This looks promising. By the way, is it ready for launch?"
"Not yet," Geely replied.
"Then let's release it immediately! By the way, does the Netscape browser support a pop-up function?" Henry asked.
"Pop-up function?" Geely and Tom exchanged confused glances.
Damn! They didn't even know about the powerful "weapon" of pop-up windows? Henry found himself perplexed.
"Let me explain," he said. "A pop-up window is a small advertisement that appears in a browser or on a website—like the Netscape browser or Nicholas Bookstore's website. It can help promote our new site, the Internet Movie Database!"
The two suddenly understood, their faces filled with admiration. Once the pop-up function was implemented, its promotional impact would be immense!
"Chairman, this function is straightforward to implement! I'll work on it right away!" Tom Wilson exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Sounds great," Henry responded, but he wanted to remind them to use caution with pop-ups. He didn't want their site to devolve into annoyance. "Implement it, but let's not overdo it. A single pop-up when a user opens the Netscape browser and on the Nicholas Bookstore site is sufficient. Overusing them will irritate users and negatively impact our future development. Keep that in mind!"
"Understood!!!"
Henry smiled, pleased that even as the company evolved, there remained a balance between fun and responsible oversight.
The IMDb website was officially launched in September of the previous year, requiring over four months of meticulous preparation—gathering data, developing the site, and more. The IMDb was poised to create a sensation in Hollywood and to connect with movie lovers across the country.
Ten days after launch, the Netscape browser introduced its pop-up feature.
This was remarkable! As the only graphical browser in the United States, Netscape became the primary window to the internet for many users, who encountered its "powerful" pop-ups for the very first time. Engaging and innovative, users couldn't resist clicking through to the new site, now filled with pictures and rich information about films.
Those who explored soon realized the site's true power. It chronicled films from the dawn of American cinema to present-day releases—truly a comprehensive movie database. Notably, it also featured a user rating system, with options for comments and discussions below each entry, enhancing user engagement. This thoughtful design quickly endeared the site to film enthusiasts, who began registering accounts to rate their favorite movies and leave feedback.
While Nicholas Bookstore had a larger influence than a browser without internet capabilities, even it benefitted from the increased exposure.
As time passed, IMDb's popularity soared. However, since the number of internet users was still limited, its growth was gradual. Nonetheless, universities across the U.S. became primary targets for Cisco's efforts, with college students as the main consumers of films and future potential customers, amplifying the website's influence! Major Hollywood studios reacted variably: some disregarded the website, while others took it quite seriously.
Growth for IMDb would indeed take time!
Yet history would reveal that this site would play a major role in shaping Hollywood discourse. With the establishment of IMDb, Henry had carved out a significant voice in the industry!
Among Henry's four companies, Pixar became his favorite. It was the most enjoyable and the most creatively free. Pixar's culture fostered an atmosphere of unrestricted creativity, shared laughter, and childlike enthusiasm—making Henry feel quite youthful again. Despite being a twelve- or thirteen-year-old, his mind was that of an adult.
When he visited Pixar, he enjoyed watching the talented animators work on various projects, particularly the adorable cartoon characters on their screens. During one session, the team focused on a short film titled Luxo Jr., featuring a dancing lamp that would later become Pixar's iconic symbol.
Henry playfully volunteered to do the voiceover for Luxo Jr., and the team erupted in laughter at his candid proposal, teasing him about whether he would pass the "audition."
Everyone's camaraderie radiated through the studio, often leading to humor-filled interactions. Henry wasn't modest, highlighting his willingness to take part. Crowds gathered to witness his recording efforts, and he performed with surprising dedication. To everyone's delight, Henry's final voiceover came out remarkably well. Edwin Catmull, Pixar's CEO, swiftly decided that Henry would indeed be the voice of the dancing light!
Just like that, Henry became an honorary voice actor!
However, producing an animated short film is no small feat; Henry's voiceover work completed in a single day could only carry the project so far.
This short film Luxo Jr. would be Pixar's inaugural work. The team put in their heart and soul to craft a classic, with aspirations to win awards. In fact, in reality, Luxo Jr. was later nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film and secured the Golden Gate Award, establishing itself in the computer imaging category at the San Francisco International Film Festival!
After completing the production of Luxo Jr., Henry and the team deliberated on making the dancing light their company's emblem. A day later, the classic Pixar logo unveiled before Henry's eyes, which he personally designed, and the entire team approved!
But another critical challenge arose: how to distribute Luxo Jr.?
A short animated film spanning over ten minutes typically wouldn't get screen time in theaters. They were often profit-driven, and films that couldn't guarantee earnings likely wouldn't be shown. Henry pondered; perhaps once Luxo Jr. gained some notoriety, cinemas might be inclined to screen it.
The initial steps involved an extensive publicity push on the IMDb website.
The next step would be submitting the short film to competitions.
Henry took action, directing the IMDb team to initiate their marketing efforts while he submitted Luxo Jr. for consideration at the Oscars.