American History 1988
Chapter 58 - 54 Morgan Tailer Venture Capital Company

Chapter 58: Chapter 54 Morgan Tailer Venture Capital Company

The day after the Price’s List party took place, a wave of discussion swept across the entire Cleveland State University town.

If Price’s List had some fame before, after the party it practically became the most frequently mentioned term on everyone’s lips.

The contest for the campus beauty queen was the hot gossip everyone was eager to discuss, and Annie’s sudden rise to fame had become a momentous event in the university town.

Those students who, for various reasons, missed the party, were hitting themselves over the head in regret, although what they truly regretted was missing Annie’s catwalk.

There were those who questioned the fairness of the campus beauty contest, but no one really cared about that.

They had attended the party, witnessed the event live, and enjoyed a marvelous night. They had the capital to boast about to friends and incited their envy; that was enough for them.

With the promotion and spread from the several hundred people who had been there that night, Price’s List’s user base saw a significant leap.

Not only that, but now Price’s List was also gradually extending beyond the university town and starting to spread to the Cleveland city area.

However, as Dean watched his website’s user count grow, he had mixed feelings. The cost of the party had deflated Dean Grant’s wallet by a fair amount.

What was originally estimated to be two thousand US dollars ended up exceeding that by more than half. Sitting in his dorm room, Dean carefully calculated and added up the cost including what he had given to Simon as a handling fee, the party had cost him over three thousand six hundred US dollars.

The balance in his account of over sixteen thousand US dollars had instantly shrunk to around twelve thousand US dollars.

The thrill was over, but now it was time to be cautious with spending.

Apart from collecting more rent, Dean hardly had any other source of income for now.

Looking at the fax in his hand, Dean decided to get this list done today. With nearly a hundred targets to search, that meant an income of 1900 US dollars.

Look, the money spent on the party was almost half recouped already.

However, the end of the year and the beginning of this year was the busiest period for the rental market. In one or two months’ time, there would no longer be such good fortune.

Watching report after report generated in the correct format on his computer screen, Dean actually felt a twinge of reluctance.

The accumulated orders from over two weeks were all here; once he sent them out, he wasn’t sure when there’d be this much income again.

The telephone in the dorm rang with a ding-a-ling.

Dean picked up the telephone and, after speaking two sentences, rose to his feet excitedly and walked outside. It had been a call from UPS, informing him that he had a parcel from California that needed his signature.

If Dean’s guess was correct, this parcel should be coming from Stanford.

He had sent his application materials over two weeks ago, and only now in mid-February had he received a response. This speed was incredibly slow.

Dean didn’t complain much though, knowing well that the logistics of this era couldn’t compare to those of the future. Fortunately, he had anticipated this and mailed his materials a week in advance.

Arriving at the bottom of the dorm, a UPS employee, wearing the uniform, was waiting by the phone booth, with a motorcycle that was still running beside him.

"Dean Price?" asked the sunglasses-wearing courier from a distance.

"Yes," Dean took out his driver’s license, which was virtually the same as an ID card in its effect.

After confirming his identity, the courier handed him an envelope, "Sign here, and then you can take it."

Seeing the large "S" on the envelope and the iconic redwood, Dean immediately knew his guess was spot on—the mail was from Stanford.

No sooner had Dean signed his name than he eagerly tore open the envelope. Skimming through it quickly, the letter primarily informed Dean that Stanford had received his transfer application.

After an initial screening, he met Stanford’s admission requirements. However, in order to further evaluate his overall qualities, Dean needed to send his resume, transcripts, recommendation letters, and other materials to Stanford’s admissions office by mid-April.

This submission was crucial, as it would determine whether Dean would ultimately be accepted by the Stanford University of his dreams.

Dean had nearly prepared all the other materials, but C-Link would still need some time to complete. It seems he would have to spend more time on it soon since Miss Miranda had urged him several times already.

"It looks like good news, doesn’t it?"

Just as Dean was about to turn around and head back to the dormitory, a young man in a black suit gave him a smile and a greeting from the side of the road.

"Sorry, you are...?" Dean had noticed him earlier, initially thinking he was just a passerby, but it now seemed that the young man had been waiting for him specifically.

"Gary Morgan Taller," the young man said with a smile, extending his hand, "If I’m not mistaken, you are Dean Price?"

"Yes, that’s me." Dean shook hands with him. "But we haven’t met before, have we?"

"Today is our first meeting," Gary replied, pulling out a business card. "I’m the business manager at Morgan Taller Venture Capital. Interested in a chat?"

"Morgan Taller Venture Capital?" Dean raised an eyebrow; this response surprised him.

When it came to venture capital firms, it wouldn’t surprise him had the setting been Silicon Valley. After all, as the cradle of modern investment trends, venture capital played a significant role in the reputation of Silicon Valley.

But in Ohio, especially in Cleveland, which was gradually losing its metropolitan luster, it seemed quite out of place.

Seeing Dean’s puzzled expression, Gary chuckled, "Price’s List, a very cool idea. I’m also one of its users now. So as its founder, could you, Dean, listen to some suggestions from this user?"

"Of course, that’s what I’ve been doing all along. Price’s List is willing to listen to every user’s opinion." Dean finally understood the purpose of Gary’s visit, though it had come much earlier than he had anticipated.

"Good! But before we start our discussion, I think we need to change the location," suggested Gary, glancing at the dormitory building in front of them with a meaningful look.

Dean looked at his wristwatch. "I’m free until two in the afternoon. But after that, I have classes to attend."

"No problem," said Gary, walking to the roadside and opening the door to a black Mercedes.

"Wow," Dean said with an exaggerated nod, "is it that easy to raise money from the wealthy for a venture capital firm?"

"That depends on how you package a product that catches their interest," replied Gary with an unconcerned smile, finding the young man quite amusing.

Once in the car, Gary drove directly toward the west of the river. When it comes to a business atmosphere, the choice was naturally the western part of the city center.

Cleveland State University was close to the city center in the east, so in just fifteen minutes, the car stopped in front of a coffee shop.

"Hotz, the oldest coffee shop in Cleveland, with nearly a hundred years of history," Gary said, gesturing to the retro coffee shop in front of them. "My father loves this place; their hand-ground coffee is famed throughout Cleveland."

Famed throughout Cleveland? I’ve never heard of it, the country bumpkin Dean nodded pretentiously, "It has a very European Renaissance feel to it, seems like it has a strong Italian flavor."

"Dean, you have a good eye. The first owner of the shop was indeed from Rome," Gary said, surprised, noticing that Dean was not the stereotypical bookworm he had imagined.

Dean spread his hands, "After all, the taste of Italian coffee is too strong."

"Haha," Gary laughed heartily, patting his shoulder. "To be honest, I’m beginning to doubt whether Price’s List was really developed by you, Dean. No offense, but those programmers are all so dull, yet you’re different."

"Maybe that’s why they didn’t come up with Price’s List," replied Dean, following Gary into the coffee shop.

After settling down at a table by the window, Gary asked Dean about his preferences and then instructed the waiter to prepare their coffee.

"Dean, I must say, you’ve chosen a great name for Price’s List," began Gary, not discussing the website’s content first but instead focusing on the name.

"Perhaps that’s completely coincidental, since it’s my surname," Dean did not boast about his own cleverness.

"No," Gary said earnestly, shaking his head, "Dean, you don’t need to be modest. A man-made coincidence is the best marketing strategy."

"Price’s List, look at that, what a wonderful name. Among the many website directories, it caught my eye at first glance." Gary praised the name of Price’s List, noting that puns are just as impressive in English.

For a company, or even a website, an eye-catching name will undoubtedly bring a significant boost to brand marketing.

Before placing a bet, venture capital firms will consider a variety of aspects when deciding whether to invest or not, and the brand name is undoubtedly one of the most immediate factors.

"Dean," as the waiter brought the coffee, Gary finally got to the point, "Let’s talk about Price’s List. From its content, I believe it wasn’t designed as a non-profit website."

Dean took a sip of his coffee but immediately started coughing uncontrollably. "I think it needs some sugar; the Italian flair is stronger than I expected."

"OK~" Gary laughed, "I also prefer coffee with sugar. After all, it’s tastier that way."