Page 5 of Omega's Tempting Fate
Chapter 2 - Wes
“Knock, knock!”
I looked up, trying to focus after having stared at lines of code for too long. I blinked until my best friend and business partner, Jordan, swam into focus, lights glinting off his blond hair.
He frowned and walked over to plop into the guest chair on the other side of my desk. “Twenty-twenty-twenty rule. How many times do I have to remind you?”
I rubbed my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I know.” I turned and focused on the framed magazine on the wall, my photo on the cover. It somehow never felt like me. Sure my black hair was immaculate, and the suit impeccable. But they’d had me shave, and anybody who knew me knew that I preferred a short stubble look. Unfortunately, that didn’t fit their image of an under-thirty startup CEO.
“I’d ask, but I already know what you’ve got your head buried in.” Jordan said as I took too long to talk. “I don’t know why you insist on reviewing the code yourself. It’s not like you’re still in college and writing small projects. We’ve got a whole team of software engineers who know what they’re doing. Multiple teams, in fact. Besides, no one man has the time to review thousands of lines of code.”
I smiled and sat back. “Old habits die hard?” I tried.
He made a face. “Is it that, or are you just worried that the business is getting too big already?”
I ran a hand through my hair. “It’s stupid. I spent all those years in comp sci classes so that I was connected to the product. I knew that if I wanted to forge my own path, then it was the way to go.”
“I get it. You’re trying to be your dad, and keep your hands in the process. But it’s a very different industry.”
I sighed. “Yeah. He can still walk onto the design floor, look at the blueprints for a new jet and give his input. But…” I motioned to the lines of code filling my screen.
“He builds planes. We develop software. The processes are different. But even he doesn’t control everything. He has teams for engine design, fuselage design, control systems… just like we have teams for different operating systems, APIs and user interface. And that’s for each product. No single person or group is in charge of the whole process. That’s the way it should be. Don’t feel bad that you can’t go over every line. It’s not your job.”
I frowned. “No. My job is apparently to review reports, attend meetings, be a decider, and make connections.”
“As it should be. It was one thing when we were starting out and you worked on simple apps in your living room with a small team. But we’ve grown since then. Abramsoft needs a leader, not a man trying to do it all.”
I rubbed my neck. “Part of me knows that, but…”
He nodded. “I’m the one who went with a business degree, not you.”
“Yeah. Yet somehow you’re not the one in charge, even though we started this company together.”
Jordan laughed. “You’re the one with the vision. That matters. I’m more than happy to help you execute it.”
“I don’t know if that makes things better or worse.”
He leaned back in the chair. “I don’t see things the same way you do. Even back in college you were able to spot the changing needs of businesses. My skills are better used to sell your ideas, not be the one deciding the company’s direction.”
“Are you sure about that?”
He smiled. “I am. Remember, you’re the one who came into this thing with ideas. I was just some guy you met in college. Now I’m a billionaire along with you. That wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t been in charge. It was your products that sold, and your leadership that rocketed us from a couple small apps to suites of niche business tools. Now, if you’re done second-guessing yourself, how about we call it a day.”
I blew out a long breath. “I think that sounds like a good idea.”
Jordan stood, and I noticed a spot on his shirt.
“Hey, you’ve got something on you,” I said, standing and rounding my desk to point it out.
He blinked, then looked down. “Damn, I’ve been wearing that all day and nobody said anything?”
“What is it?”
He sighed. “I bumped into an omega this morning when I left the vacation rental place. He was carrying coffee and it spilled.”
I frowned. “You spilled coffee on some random omega?”
“Not completely random. I think he was an employee there.”
