When they signed the partnership agreement with Ryan and his team, neither side made much of a scene. It was strictly a project-based collaboration, and it wasn't the kind of thing that would set off alarm bells for other tech giants.
Of course, compared to a few flashy light-show drones, everyone was actually much more focused on how Nick's talks with the logistics companies were progressing.
Ever since Bezos from Amazon had tracked him down, representatives from every major shipping and delivery firm had been blowing up his phone.
However, looking at the field right now, aside from UPS and FedEx, it seemed like most companies had the interest but lacked the real capital to play.
Even though UPS and FedEx had the muscle, they lacked the sincerity. Both companies coincidentally tried to lowball him with a total buyout of the tech and the patents, which Nick shut down immediately.
Seeing him dig his heels in, both firms pivoted to a "tech-plus-service" model. Essentially, they wanted to buy the usage rights and have Nick's team handle the troubleshooting.
It was basically a licensing deal, not much different from an open-source enterprise plan. To put it bluntly, they wanted Nick to stay in the role of a glorified IT guy while they took the tech to build their own systems.
Nick wasn't exactly thrilled by these half-baked offers, but he kept the lines of communication open anyway. He needed to keep the pressure on Bezos and the Amazon crew to make them feel the clock ticking.
Sure enough, after seeing Nick playing nice with the competition, SpaceX finally couldn't sit still.
This time, the person sitting across from him wasn't Bezos. It was Sarah Gerstenmaier, a Senior VP at SpaceX who had flown in directly from the Houston headquarters.
She was incredibly sharp and clearly a high-performer; you don't make VP in your early thirties at a place like SpaceX by being a pushover.
There wasn't much room for small talk with someone like her. After the mandatory pleasantries, Nick cut straight to the chase.
"VP Gerstenmaier, for you to fly all the way to Atlanta, I'm assuming SpaceX is ready to accept my proposal."
"Haha, if we had accepted, why would I have bothered making the trip?"
Sarah gave him a tight smile and looked at him seriously. "Do you have any idea what the market cap of SpaceX Tech actually is? You asked for twenty percent right out of the gate; honestly, your confidence is bordering on reckless."
Nick didn't love her condescending tone, but he kept his cool and gave her a thin smile. "VP Gerstenmaier, if you're here to give me a lecture, I think you've got the wrong address."
"I don't care what the math on that twenty percent looks like; I only want what I believe the tech is worth. If you don't think it's a fair trade, you're more than welcome to walk away."
"Don't get me wrong, I'd hate to miss out on working with a company like yours, but we aren't exactly hurting for options."
"You're definitely young—you can't even take a little feedback," Sarah said with a smirk. "In business, nothing is ever that easy. Every 'effortless' deal you see is usually the result of a brutal negotiation."
"We know we aren't the only ones at the table, but how many of those other guys have our resources or our vision?"
"Partner with them, and you just get a check. Partner with us, and you get the chance to be part of something that actually changes the world."
Nick leaned back in his chair and laughed. "VP Gerstenmaier, you're good—I'll give you that. But sorry, we're just short-sighted college kids; we prefer practical benefits over 'changing the world.'"
"So, what kind of terms are actually on the table?"
Stunned for a second by his bluntness, Sarah eventually smiled. "Impatient. Fine, since you're being so direct, let's lay it all out."
"Your initial ask is a non-starter. Our logistics network isn't owned by just one entity. Forget twenty percent; even five percent would cause a board-room riot."
"Plus, our current infrastructure is a massive, complex machine. Your tech is going to break things before it fixes them, and the internal resistance to that kind of disruption is huge."
"So, we've decided to bypass the red tape. We're spinning off a brand-new logistics arm outside of the main SpaceX Tech umbrella. Our CEO is calling it 'Albatross.'"
"This isn't going to be a traditional shipping company. It's going to be built from the ground up on your intelligent systems to create the world's first truly autonomous logistics grid."
"We're looking at a ten-billion-dollar investment over three years, with the first billion hitting the account within thirty days of signing."
"We're officially inviting you to come on board as executives to help us build this thing from the inside."
"Oh?" Nick looked genuinely surprised. It seemed his "startup" talk from the last meeting had actually landed; SpaceX's leadership was serious about a total takeover of the logistics market.
However, Nick had zero interest in being a corporate employee again. He shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I have no interest in joining the company as an employee."
"We're offering you ten percent equity in the new venture. Just by signing, you'd be sitting on shares worth a billion dollars on paper." Sarah looked at them confidently. She didn't think for a second that a few twenty-somethings could say no to a billion-dollar payday.
Sure enough, Tyler and the guys next to Nick looked like they'd just been hit by a lightning bolt.
To her disappointment, Nick's expression didn't change.
"Like I said, we aren't looking for jobs, and the dollar amount doesn't change that. Your plan is impressive, but we have our own goals," Nick said, turning her down flat.
To him, this was just a "pie in the sky" pitch from Sarah; whether that billion would ever be real cash in their pockets was a whole different story.
Sarah was clearly caught off guard by the rejection. She looked at him with a hint of regret. "That's a shame. Our CEO speaks very highly of you. If you came out to Houston, it wouldn't take long for you to become a superstar in our organization."
"To each their own. Tell the CEO thanks for the kind words," Nick said with a smile.
Sarah nodded and got back to business. "Fine, let's talk partnership then. We still put up the ten billion for the new company over three years, and you join as a partner firm."
"We provide the capital, you provide the tech, and together we build the 'Albatross' network."
"Now that sounds more like it," Nick smiled.
Sarah pulled out a fresh stack of papers. "Alright, let's get into the nitty-gritty..."