The Future Is Yours: A Novel
Page 3
Now, obviously, that paradigm is going to change everything. That’s why we’re moving to sell this technology to the masses. So—next slide, please—we can eventually live in a word like this…
BOYCE: A world where everyone has access to this technology. Where every computer is connected to its future self. Where your email is seamlessly linked—past, present, and future. Where you’ll read a news story today, written by a reporter who’s gathering information from the future. Where people on your Instagram feed are not only posting the trip they just took but the one they’re about to take. A world where companies are not only able, but compelled, to give accurate predictions of their future revenue. And at every turn, the consumer is empowered with the best information.
That’s our vision. That’s the world we believe in. And we’re going to get there. We’ve already seen it. Now is your chance to get on board…
At this point, when we’re presenting to investors, we typically transition into talking about the business plan and the financials of the company. Which, obviously, are rock-solid, since we have a direct line on what’s coming next. And we’ve elected to keep our funding private and rolling, so even now, as people learn about it, there’s an opportunity to get in on a sure thing.
REP. WANDA MOONEY (D-AR): Thank you, Mr. Boyce, we don’t need you to court investment in the midst of a congressional hearing.
BOYCE: Of course not, ma’am, I am merely cooperating to the best of my ability. If my cooperation has the unintended consequence of eliciting investment interest in our company, I have no control over that.
REP. WANDA MOONEY (D-AR): No one here will be investing, I assure you. And I find your presentation, like your personality, to be heavy on hype, light on substance.
BOYCE: Hey, sometimes hype is what you need. It’s definitely what Adhi needed. I mean, the paper you referred to earlier, he had trouble getting people to take it seriously even in grad school.
EMAIL—SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
From: Dr. Jenelle Emory
To: Adhvan Chaudry
Adhvan,
The formal letter is being drafted and mailed, but as you requested, I’m writing to let you know the outcome of the committee meeting to discuss your thesis and defense.
The committee has ultimately decided, at this time, to recommend that your thesis should not proceed to defense. The other professors are collating their feedback, which will be submitted to you throughout the next week. The feeling is that much of this work, in its present form, falls outside the purview of Computer Science, and that the thesis cannot be represented as academically rigorous by the CS Department.
Hopefully, this outcome is not a surprise. I want you to know that I put your work forward with no caveat regarding my own feeling, and that the responses of my colleagues were independent and uncolored, but nonetheless in line with my own intuitions.
Your intelligence is universally recognized by our department, and I hope that you will consider narrowing the focus of your paper as we discussed, and reworking your paper for submission next semester.
Sincerely,
Dr. Emory
REPLY
Dr. E—
Firstly, thanks for the heads-up.
Secondly, no I don’t blame you. But come on.
The work is strong.
I’m not saying it’s undeniable or speaks for itself.
I know that people are likely to have some questions.
But is that not what the defense is for?
Am I really to be kicked back a year and asked to work on some comp-matrix problem no one cares about, simply because they can’t wrap their heads around what I’m trying to do?
Nikolai graduated last year with a similarly experimental thesis.
I’m not asking them to blindly green-stamp my work.
I’m asking for a chance to proceed to defense so I can defend it.
—A
REPLY
Adhvan,
To be clear, the criticisms raised by my colleagues were both technical and fundamental/theoretical. The most common reaction was, quite simply, “Is he genuinely talking about how to build a time machine?” And while I’m aware that is an oversimplification, I’m sure that you are aware of where it comes from, based on the topic you selected.
Regarding the defense, the best I can say is, that’s not how it works. In my entire tenure here, I have never chaired on a project that failed its defense. Works proceed to defense when, and only when, they have the support of the entire committee. You do not have that support.
It’s not simply a formality. It is intended to be a collegial challenge, one that deepens the thought and work of the presenting academic and enriches all who are present. Nikolai Guriev’s work on quantum transistors was experimental in a much more tangible way, and he has now proceeded to actually building prototypes.
I don’t think it is beneath you to work on a project that might actually have tangible benefits to people working in our field, as opposed to a theoretical “moonshot” that feels, frankly, more like a thought experiment than a meaningful attempt to build something. CS is not the Philosophy Department.
Sincerely,
Dr. Emory
FORWARD
From: Adhvan Chaudry
To: Nikolai Guriev
N—
Am I being unreasonable here?
Or are they?
—A
REPLY
From: Nikolai Guriev
To: Adhvan Chaudry
Hahahaha, ho-ly fucknuts, you got some huevos pushing back like that.
Thing is, if you want to do academic anything, you gotta learn to roll with these punches. I think your paper is dope but that’s not the point. They passed my quantum transistor paper through the system because they saw potential for a big article, which means money. Your time machine? Not so much. More reputational hazard for them. It’s all optics. That’s the game you gotta play in the academic world.
Nikolai Guriev
Stanford Dept. of Computer Science
Post-Doc Research Fellow
Quantum Analytics Lab
TEXT MESSAGE EXCHANGE
BEN BOYCE
October 4, 2020 5:16 PM
Hey A!
How you been?
ADHVAN CHAUDRY
Hey man.
Same ol same ol.
Your mom hit me up, she’s worried bout you.
Oof sorry about that.
I just couldn’t handle talking to her last week.
I’ll call her back soon.
Yeah she thought maybe some girl broke up w you?
LOL you gotta keep me in the loop!
I didn’t even realize there was some girl to do so
Me neither.
I told her I went on one date, big mistake.
Now she’s wondering when the baby’s due.
Aw man your mom just wants you to be happy
And one date’s a step in the right direction!
Her profile said she was into physics.
Turns out she meant metaphysics.
Like chakras and crystals.
I deleted the app after that.
Hahaha well if you want to get back out there, lmk
Leila’s got some seriously nerdy friends
D&D-playing chicks
Thanks but dating is not a priority right now.
After everything last year, better to focus on myself.
WORD.
So everything’s good?
Just ignoring your moms for the heck of it?
My thesis was rejected.
If I want to continue, it wil
l be at least another year.
Aw fuck man, sorry to hear
I’m sure your shit is just over their heads
Yeah. So.
I haven’t been leaving home much.
Dude you know you can’t hole up like that.
I’ll be fine.
How bout you, how’s Freewerx?
You a millionaire yet?
No Freewerx is fucked.
I got the full Series A round and the founders blew through it without getting to a working prototype
Two months of runway then we’re toast
Well, since we’re both failures…Want to come over, get drunk, and play Halo?
Always.
But don’t give up so easy on grad school.
Even if it’s another year.
I mean, how you gonna fulfill your dream of being a supervillain if you don’t get that doctorate?
Haha I haven’t thought about that in years.
Benny-Boy vs. Doctor Dark.
I still got half an issue waiting to finish.
Too bad we both suck at art.
And writing, probably.
Even more reason to finish that degree.
I’m getting sick of the academic grind.
It’s pretentious and disconnected from reality.
Thinking I might jump early.
You wouldn’t be the first.
Zuck didn’t even get thru undergrad
You getting out and applying?
Not much.
Clarification: not at all.
I’ve met a couple recruiters, could put a word in?
Thanks but I don’t need you looking out for me.
I’ll be fine.
Alright dude.
Well I gotta get goin
But I’ll let you know about Halo, maybe Friday.
Keep your head on straight.
You too.
EMAIL
From: Ben Boyce
To: Dina Vargese
Hi Dina,
Ben Boyce here, I got your card at the LinkedIn mixer last month in the Castro. The guy with the fly bow tie, if that helps! I’m always on the hunt for a good opportunity, but currently reaching out to toot a horn other than my own.
My good friend Adhvan Chaudry is doing his Comp Sci PhD at Stanford right now and has gotten bogged down in the bureaucracy over there, so he’s open to leaving his program early. I can’t really overstate how genius this guy is. If people were startups, I would put every penny I have into the Adhi Seed Round. If Google is serious at all about wanting top-level tech talent, there is an incredible opportunity here. This is the moment where you have a chance to draft LeBron straight out of high school, don’t miss out.
Sending along his contact info. If you don’t mind though, maybe don’t tell him I put him forward. Just keep me in mind down the road if anything opens up over there on the management side!
Best,
Ben Boyce
EMAIL
From: Adhvan Chaudry
To: Prisha Chaudry
Mom—
Sorry I haven’t called you back.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to talk on the phone.
Meaning, always.
I’m considering leaving my program.
But I don’t want you to worry about me.
I just need to figure some things out.
—A
REPLY
Hello Adhvan thank you to write me email. Easier to phone but when you can you can call. Maybe this wekend you are able to coming over I can make saag. You must be staying in the school program, educating is the key to sucseed. You do not want to be working the dry cleners with me. When you come too you can bring a girl would be nice!
EMAIL
From: Adhvan Chaudry
To: Dr. Emory
Dr. E—
I should make you aware, I am being recruited for a position at Google.
Even with All-But-Dissertation status, they invited me for an interview.
I had hoped, given the fact that I finished an intellectually rigorous thesis, that I would be leaving with the blessing of the university.
But many hopes attached to this endeavor have been dashed.
—A
REPLY
Adhvan,
I understand that the current Valley culture places limited value on a completed degree. Zuckerberg certainly wears the dropout label proudly, as do many others. There is, no doubt, a certain appeal to the starting salary that they’ve offered. However, before you jump into that deep end, I would urge you to consider a couple things.
First, the fad for degreelessness will subside, as it ebbs and flows every few decades, and your long-term career will be served by the PhD suffix to your name.
Second, the private sector, for all its appeal, can be unfriendly to individuals like you (and me). I’m aware of your qualms with the academic world, but I can assure you, the world of billionaires is far more dark, unstable, and duplicitous. If you wish to avoid unpleasantness like last year, I would proceed with great caution.
Third, the university will support you staying on for another year. You can continue through next year, with full funding in place, maintaining your same position as my TA and lab assistant. This community will be happy to keep you.
I share these warnings not only as your adviser, not only as a mentor, but truly, as a friend.
Sincerely,
Dr. Emory
REPLY
Dr. E—
OK I don’t want to burn bridges but it has to be said—
Community?? Ha.
The over-privileged undergrads I taught C++ to?
No, I will not miss them.
You might be right.
I might hate private as much as I hate academic.
But I cannot imagine staying here one more year.
I don’t want to be ungrateful.
You made it bearable. You saved my life last year.
But I’m out.
—A
EXCERPT FROM CONGRESSIONAL HEARING—DECEMBER 1, 2021
SEN. ALONZO MARQUEZ (R-CA): So to be clear, this technology was developed by Mr. Chaudry as part of pursuing a graduate degree, which he never even completed. And during that period, you were…what, exactly?
BOYCE: Well, I took on a couple entrepreneurial roles out of college, put together some other startups with VC backing. Promising and innovative stuff, but turned out they were both a little ahead of their time, so—
SEN. ALONZO MARQUEZ (R-CA): To be clear—you started two companies, and they both failed.
BOYCE: Look, 90 percent of tech startups don’t last two years. Innovation is about placing bets. “Fail Fast,” that’s the motto. But after Freewerx went belly-up, I decided to make a move; I didn’t want to get a rep as a wantrepreneur.
SEN. ALONZO MARQUEZ (R-CA): As a what?
BOYCE: A wannabe entrepreneur. Somebody who’s all talk. So I decided to take a corporate position with a major comm-tech company. Getting some big-corporate fundamentals while I cooked up my next move.
INTERNAL DOCUMENT FROM VERIZON PERSONNEL DATABASE—OCTOBER 2020
QUARTERLY EMPLOYEE REVIEW
Employee: Benjamin Boyce
Position: Corporate Account Sales Associate
Time: 6 months (2nd quarter of employment)
Manager: Tabitha Poole—Director of Corporate Account Sales
Strengths: Benjamin has demonstrated strong commitment to growing and expanding his role within the company. He has been highly proactive in sourcing new clients, and has
actively recruited contacts at a variety of businesses outside the normal sphere of our department’s client base. His ambition to rise to a senior position is apparent, and he has proven himself proficient in forging positive social relationships with senior managers.
Growth Areas: In the future, Benjamin would do well to focus on managing his assigned workload, which he has a tendency to neglect in favor of pursuing new opportunities. He could be more of a team player by investing his time and energy in our own department, rather than constantly exploring possibilities outside of it.
Salary: Benjamin has requested placement into the performance-based bonus system early, but has not yet demonstrated reliability with his assigned workload. Recommendation to maintain salary at least through 4th Quarter of employment, then re-evaluate.
TEXT MESSAGE EXCHANGE
BEN BOYCE
December 25, 2020 10:08 PM
Merry Christmas motherfucker.
ADHVAN CHAUDRY
Thanks man, you too.
I got you a present.
It’s a joke.
How many computer scientists does it take to change a lightbulb?
Oh boy.
Dunno.
None. That’s a hardware problem.
Hilarious.
How bout: Did you try turning it off and back on again?
Slightly better.
OK here’s my gift to you
How many Ben Boyces does it take?
You tell me
Only one.
He holds it in place and the world revolves around him.
Clap…clap…clap…
I’ll be here all week.
Hey man congrats again on the gig at Google.