When the demonstration concludes, Tinsley opens the floor up for questions.
The first person asks, “What is the actual translation delay?”
I repeat the question for the audience to hear. Danica responds in Spanish, and there is a three-second delay before the voice in English broadcasts to the audience. The crowd goes crazy.
We ask someone to ask a question using regional idioms. A woman in the front row raises her hand. “Like, you know, when I was a girl growing up in, like, the Valley, everyone I knew talked like this,” she says in her best Valley Girl accent. “Can you manage that?”
There’s a collective laugh through the auditorium. The system repeats the question to Danica in Spanish.
“Nice Valley Girl accent,” Danica replies in Spanish, and the English is broadcast to the crowd.
Tinsley then asks for another volunteer to use some slang. She admits this is the hardest part of the software because some words have different meanings, so the programming had to be designed to make assumptions.
A gentleman stands. “Beyoncé’s outfits always slay the game,” he says. “Your favorite could never.”
Tinsley closes her eyes and probably says a silent prayer. Danica listens to the translation and responds in Spanish, which is translated into English. “Beyoncé’s outfits are elegant, but Seattle grunge is more my style.”
The crowd erupts, and camera bulbs pop like firecrackers. I pull Claire and Tinsley to my side, and the three of us stand together.
Greer Ford, SHN’s public relations expert, helps us manage reporters’ questions. She also directs inquiries to Mason and his team. We stand together and watch.
“We did it,” Claire says.
“Yes, we did,” I confirm.
It takes over three hours before everyone has left the auditorium. By the end we’re hiding behind the stage in a dressing room, drinking champagne with our teams, and we’re all a bit nervous.
Greer and Mason join us.
Mason is grinning from ear to ear. “You guys blew it out of the water.”
“The press was expecting a translator, but to know you could be wandering the Amazon and have the ability to talk to someone you came across knocked everyone’s socks off.” Greer is jubilant.
Mason’s nodding. “I think you’ll have some major competition among buyers for your software. You’re going to be able to name your price, and I don’t think anything will be too high.”
We all look at each other and grin. I already have more than enough money for my grandchildren’s grandchildren. Now it’s about doing something for others.
“Tom Sutterland has already said he’ll beat anyone else who wants it,” Mason says.
Mason is preening, and it’s great. We all love something that’s genuinely a game-changer, and Claire was absolutely right when she insisted on Tinsley joining us.
Now for the tough ask. I clear my throat. “About that… We were wondering if we could license the use instead of selling it to a single provider.”
Mason’s brow creases. This is a huge shift in our thinking, with enormous potential. I like it because it means we’ll own the translation market, and Morgan Bennett can eat our shorts.
“What we mean is that PeopleMover and other companies can pay to use the software,” I explain. “Claire and I will put up the satellites needed with the help of SpaceX, and then ‘rent’ the usage space. We can charge a lot of money, and over the long term, we’ll make more money, but we also want to provide small and disadvantaged countries with free or almost-free access.”
Mason doesn’t say anything for a moment.
I know if he still wants to sell outright, we’ll have to. He invested, so he calls the shots. But I hope he’ll see this our way. I think we can come up with a business plan for companies like PeopleMover and others to customize and lease the technology, which will subsidize it for those who can’t afford it. I hope opening the world up to others and helping to save languages only used by small groups will have some appeal for him.
Finally, Mason’s eyes light up. “Let’s pull together a business plan. I think I see what you’re trying to do, and I like it.”
“This would also mean that competing companies, like Morgan Bennett’s, will be so far behind the curve with their own version that it’ll be too late,” Claire adds. “Everyone will already be leasing our software.”
He nods. “That is absolutely brilliant. Truly.”
Mason’s brain is calculating, and I love it.
“I guess we’ll also need to figure out how we’re going to go public,” I add.
“That’s the easy part,” Mason says. “I think the next step is getting you three out in front of the media—starting with all the morning shows in New York.”
My stomach drops. “That could be a problem. With Heather McCoy still missing, we want them to focus on the software and not the fiasco with me.”
“I get what you’re saying…” Mason is staring off and already planning. “We’ll figure it out. You guys just celebrate tonight. Let’s get together in the next few days and work out the business plan. We can do that in our office.”
“Sounds great,” Tinsley replies.
I turn to look at her, and she’s clearly exhausted. All the adrenaline has worn off, and she’s wiped. “Do you think you can make it out to the car, or do you want to stay here in the hotel?”
“I want our bed, and I’m going to sleep for the rest of the week.”
Yolanda helps us get to the car
