Page 5 of The Hard Launch

“She’s really talented,” he says.

“I don’t disagree. I’m sure she’s smart. She seems a bit… hostile, is all.” And defensive, I could add, but I don’t. Also, abrasive and unprofessional.

He blinks a few times. Puts those glasses back on and stands up.

“I’ll go grab Trevor. But regarding Lacey—you might think about how your feedback lands when it’s delivered in front of the entire company.”

“So I’ve heard,” I say after he leaves the room.

“I’ve been told Jude wants to take a look at my spreadsheets,” Trevor is telling Jonnie in a fake-sexy tone.

“Just go in,” Jonnie tells him.

I know he can be obnoxious, but Trevor is my guy. I love this dude; I brought him on board as my first employee as soon as I could make a hire. Back in college, he was starting companies left and right, doing things as an undergrad that I thought we weren’t allowed to do until we had a diploma. When I told him about my idea for Lettercat, he was the one to ask me why I was talking about it instead of building it.

“What are you waiting for?” he said.

Trev has confidence and moxie, but when the first investors came on board, they were more interested in experience. Trev’s more of a Swiss Army knife than a specialist; he’s moved from Ops to Sales to Product. But he’s been cool with working under Glenn, says he’s learning the right way of doing stuff so in his next company he can fuck shit up and do it all the opposite.

“Bro,” Trevor tells me.

“Bro,” I reply.

“We build this shit, and you’re not talking Jimmy Jo-Bob’s Antique Newsletter anymore. We’re not making shit for that lady who draws a cat every day and sends it out to two hundred people. We’re talking marquee-level shit. We’re talking Lettercat is the platform for major news outlets, media corporations. Sports teams. High volume, big dollars. That means courtside, ringside for you and me. All of it.”

“Show me the data,” I say. And he does. For forty minutes I dig in and find his ideas are solid, the numbers are beautiful. I’d be an idiot not to follow this direction. It’s what’s going to usher in our new era and, more importantly, it’s what will get me that next round of funding we so desperately need. It’s the type of growth the board has been pushing for.

“You love it?” Trevor asks me.

“I love it,” I say.

I message Glenn and tell him this same thing. And then:

Me: Hey did you ask the other product manager to brief me on her idea?

Glenn: Sure did, asking Jonnie to find some time for Lacey and you.

Me: Tell her not to worry about it. We’ll go with Trevor’s vision

I see the bubbles indicating that Glenn is typing something, and while I have better things to do, I’m curious what he has to say, so I wait. And wait. Then:

Glenn: OK

I wonder what he typed out before he wrote that instead. No, that’s a lie. I know exactly what he was typing: do I love the idea, or do I love the projected results? Because there’s a difference between those things, a difference Glenn thinks I should spend more time exploring. But I can’t.

It’s time for me to steel myself for Edmund.

I’m a killer.

A warrior.

A winner.

CHAPTER THREE

LACEY

After a day like today, I could use some inner peace.