American Entertainment: Taylor Swift wrote a song for the beginning

Chapter 265 Angel Investment
At 9 Place des Vosges, in the Marais district of Paris, there is a Michelin three-star restaurant. Live musicians played melodious violin music and the dining environment was quite comfortable.

"Although Avenue Montaigne is not as spacious as Madison Avenue in New York, there are enough brands there, and they are all flagship stores. Taylor, take a look at this." Ivanka stretched out her hand, revealing the bracelet on her wrist. The bracelet was inspired by a spirit snake and was inlaid with a variety of precious gems and diamonds. It was clear and translucent under the light and matched with a platinum chain. It was obvious that it was not a cheap item.

Taylor's pupils reflected a green light, and he suddenly felt that the super-large diamond ring on his left ring finger was not so attractive.

"It's a Boucheron Serpent Bohème bracelet, the latest model this year. I bought it in the Place Vendôme. I also bought you one of the same style. Can I let you wear it when we get back?" Ivanka smiled.

"Isn't it too expensive?" Taylor felt a little embarrassed.

"What's the big deal? If I think something is suitable for you in the future, I will buy it for you. It will be worth it for us two sisters." Ivanka grabbed Taylor's hand.

The two will live together in the future. They are not real sisters, but they are better than real sisters. Ivanka's move of "testing the waters" is also to avoid friction in the future.

"Then I'll accept it. Let's go to Galeries Lafayette together the day after tomorrow? I heard there is an area of rare goods that are not on display to the public. I'll treat you." Taylor said very generously, holding Ivanka's hand.

"Okay, it's settled, but you have to be prepared because I spend money lavishly," Iwanka joked.

Ryan, who was at the other end of the round table, cleared his throat when he saw this.

"Where did you go this afternoon besides shopping?" Ryan couldn't help but ask.

"There's no way I can finish shopping in one afternoon. There's still a lot I haven't bought yet." Ivanka said as a matter of course.

Iwanka has been living a life of luxury since she was a child. When she goes shopping on Avenue Montaigne, it is no different from ordinary people going to a two-dollar store.

"However, I also booked a private luxury yacht. After we finished our meal, we boarded the boat from the Alma Bridge and passed many landmarks along the Seine River," Ivanka continued.

"Sounds good." Taylor nodded.

When Taylor got up to go to the bathroom, Ivanka asked, "How are you and the Olsen girl doing?"

"She will then return to Florida with us and serve as another of my assistants for the time being."

"Should I tell Taylor?" Ivanka asked again.

"Don't talk about it for now, I'll deal with it later." Ryan said.

Ivanka nodded. She didn't care, but she didn't know how Taylor would feel.

After Taylor came back, Ryan told her that he had reached a deal with Delphine. It would be officially announced at the press conference that Taylor would become the new spokesperson for Dior's beauty product line, and the endorsement contract period would be tentatively set for one year.

"This is a big order! The last female singer to be the spokesperson for this kind of luxury brand was Madonna. Taylor, you are now on par with her, we must celebrate!" Ivanka raised her glass.

"How did you deal with her?" Taylor was equally excited.

After Ryan told the details, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "How are you going to thank me?"

"How do you want me to thank you?" Taylor's cheeks flushed.

"That gives me a lot to think about." Ryan clinked his glasses.

The three of them put their cups together, making a crisp clinking sound.

·
In the evening, Ryan and the two women stood at the bow of the ship. Ryan stood between the two women, put his arms around their shoulders, and took a group photo. The background behind them was the Eiffel Tower.

Since it was night and they were some distance away from the shore, there was no need to worry about exposing the fact that Ryan already had two women. This kind of feudal lord-like personal life had too much impact on modern people's concepts, so the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

During the entire parade, Taylor took out his mobile phone to take pictures many times. Ryan took a look and found that he was still using the same photo-taking app as before.

"The response to the photos uploaded today was quite enthusiastic, but these photos all have software corner marks. There won't be any follow-up impact, right?" Taylor suddenly realized something, and at this moment the ends of her hair were slowly blown by the breeze.

"Even if there is an impact, it is a good one." Ryan thought about it. He also took notice of this software. It was jointly launched by two Stanford students. Most likely, there is a small workshop behind the scenes.

"I think I made this app popular. Now its download volume has soared to the top three in the download list." Taylor held up his phone and took another close-up selfie of himself and Ryan cuddling together.

"Is it so exaggerated?" Ryan took the phone and operated it, and found that the function was very simple, just a photo filter. It was very easy to use, and these filters, even for him, a photography novice, could indeed significantly improve the texture of the photos.

"I have recommended this software to many friends, and they all said it's good." Taylor said that taking photos is a necessity for every girl who loves beauty. She has used several similar software, but this one satisfies her the most.

"Then download it and let this software create your exclusive filter. You are the only one in the world who can use it." Ryan said casually. This kind of small tool software would not cost much money even if you bought it. It might not be as much as the cost of Taylor and Iwanka going shopping at the "Galeries Lafayette" together.

"Forget it, it's free anyway." Taylor thought this was more luxurious than shopping at Galeries Lafayette.

All I can say is that there are indeed some differences in the values ​​between men and women.

"Speaking of software, Ryan, why don't you open the forum's communication software directly to the public for registration? Although the software interface is a bit simple, it is quite convenient to use. Smartphones are becoming more and more popular, and people need this kind of communication software." Ivanka also came over and said subconsciously.

"How did you know I was going to open registration to the public?" Ryan couldn't help but laugh.

Ivanka and he were thinking alike.

The Internet is the place where new powerful people can truly emerge. Ryan was unable to catch up with the previous portal and social network boom, but the same may not be true for the mobile Internet.

"Oh? I mean, Apple and HTC phones are selling so well, you can't be indifferent." Ivanka nodded. After all, he got his master's degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Even if he just got a diploma, he was influenced by the alumni circle and had some vision.

"Once the server is ready, it will be open to the public for registration. During this period, I have asked Veronica (technical director) to recruit people." Ryan said.

"If you need help, can you transfer me over too?" Ivanka thought for a moment and said, she felt that this had much better prospects than the spiritual club.

"Not yet, but once the Spirit Club is on track, you'll be the first choice." Ryan put his arm around Ivanka's waist.

·
After cruising the Seine, the three returned to their hotel room, and Taylor was checking his phone all the way.

As soon as they entered the room, Taylor immediately handed the phone to Ryan.

"The Instagram staff @ me on Twitter and said they would launch an exclusive filter for me! How come it's exactly the same as what you thought?" Taylor was very surprised.

"I just want to use your fame to attract traffic to the software. I guess... someone will send you a private message as early as tomorrow, hoping to cooperate further with you." Ryan calculated the time difference. According to the West Coast time of the United States, it was already time to get off work.

Ivanka began to sort out the pile of shopping bags piled up at the entrance. These were the spoils of this afternoon's shopping spree. She had them delivered directly to the hotel, and then the hotel waiter took them to the room.

Then she took out the bracelet she bought for Taylor, threw the packaging box aside, and put it on Taylor herself. The two women then compared their beauty.

"By the way, Ryan, I bought you a watch that's more sporty. The big gold watch on your hand is too business-like, not restrained or low-key at all." Ivanka continued to rummage through the clothes.

At this moment, Taylor actually received a private message from the other party. The content was similar to what Ryan said, but it came one day earlier than Ryan expected.

"It seems that the other party is still working overtime at this time. He even attached his phone number. Should I call him?" Taylor couldn't help but say.

"Of course I have to call him, right now." Ryan stretched out his hand, having decided to talk to the other party in person.

"You don't really want to buy this software, do you?" Taylor then realized that Ryan seemed very interested in this ins.

"It's just a photo-taking software. The core assets may just be some imaging algorithms. Is it necessary to acquire it?" Ivanka also felt that Ryan's move was a bit redundant.

"Taylor, have you forgotten what you said to me on New Year's Eve this year?" Ryan couldn't help but ask.

"We said so much at the time, which one are you referring to?" Taylor couldn't remember. Ryan didn't say anything and just dialed the number.

"Hello, Taylor, I just noticed the photos you generated on the Internet using our software. I have to thank you first..." A male voice came from the other end of the phone, and he sounded not very old.

"You don't need to thank me, you should thank her." Ryan adjusted his posture.

"Is that Ryan? Sorry, I thought it was Taylor herself calling or one of her staff calling personally."

"and who are you?"

"Kevin Systrom, co-founder of Instagram."

"Call in person?"

"You are the same. I mean, the team is quite lean right now, so there are many things I have to do myself."

"College students?"

"No, I've already graduated. I worked at Google for two years before I quit and started working on software with a Stanford alumnus."

"So, you want to work with Taylor?"

"To be precise, this cannot be called a collaboration, but a marketing campaign. We will launch a filter named after your fiancée. It would be even better if she could repost it on social networks." The other party said with a smile.

"How much are you prepared to give?"

"money?"

"Of course, this is a personal image licensing act. You don't want to get it for free, do you?"

"Mr. Rivers, what I mean is, it's just a tweet. This shouldn't be called an endorsement, right?" He said hesitantly, afraid of angering Ryan, and explained carefully.

"It costs money to post tweets. Do you know how much the brand quoted? Half a million dollars for one tweet!" Ryan reminded.

“Since she likes our app, can you charge less?” he tried to bargain.

"That's right. You are just a startup team and don't have much money for marketing." Ryan said very understandingly.

"That's right, we... yes, we are indeed just a small team." Kevin Systrom hesitated to speak, obviously not wanting to reveal too much inside information.

He's quite tight-lipped.

"Are there any angel investors?" Ryan asked again.

"We are currently conducting a seed round of financing, Mr. Rivers. If you are interested, I can give you a detailed introduction now..." Kevin could not hide his excitement.

"We have the industry-leading X-Pro II filter, and we have applied for a patent for the relevant algorithm. Next, we will gradually replace the cameras in mobile phones. We will make mobile phones with different configurations have amazing film-taking effects."

"The final film effect depends on the lens pixels, not the color modification. This thing is just an empty shell and it can be easily imitated by other competitors." Ryan said calmly.

"Mr. Rivers, I thought you were only focused on music creation, but now it seems that you have also done some research on mobile phone imaging." Kevin showed appropriate surprise.

"To be honest, filters are just the beginning, not our core competitiveness. What we really want to do is to create a photo social network where users can freely share photos, browse other people's photos, and have like and comment functions. This is a market with tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of users."

"The premise is that Twitter and Facebook are completely indifferent and do nothing, watching you take action. Do you think they are fools? Or do you think I am the fool?" Ryan showed some anger.

The other party was a little scared: "Well... at least that's what I think, whether you believe it or not. Now the software has been online for less than a month, and it has been downloaded more than 50 times."

"Because the App Store was just launched not long ago, everyone wants to try something new. You don't think it's hard to copy, do you?" Ryan laughed.

"You're right, but we have now climbed to the top of the download rankings. I just told you that we have applied for a patent for the color algorithm." Kevin repeated what he had just said.

"Forget it. I don't want to beat around the bush with you. To be honest, I have another project on hand right now. I need to create some additional features, which require photo filters. I don't want to hear you brag about those unrealistic things anymore. Now tell me, what is your valuation?" Ryan continued to show impatience.

"Our seed round valuation is three million. Yes, that's right, three million."

"Are you sure it's not 300,000, but 3 million?" Ryan asked again.

"You heard me right. I was only talking about the seed round. When it comes to the A round, the price might be much higher. Whether you continue to hold on or cash out, you will make a lot of money." Kevin was indeed a little unconfident, but he still finished speaking haltingly.

About twenty minutes later, Ryan hung up the phone.

When I came back, I saw Taylor and Ivanka trying on new clothes again. They were both 1.80 meters tall, so they could wear each other's clothes.

"How did the talk go?" Taylor, who was originally standing in front of the mirror, walked over directly.

"When can I use Taylor's filters?" Ivanka was also successfully recommended by Taylor and downloaded Instagram to her mobile phone.

"Forget about the filters, that thing is not important. I decided to participate in the seed round and invest one million." Ryan said.

In addition to Ryan, Baseline Ventures has agreed to invest $33. After the investment is completed, Ryan will hold 16% of the equity, Baseline Ventures %, and the rest will belong to the two founders. In the seed round, there are only these two external investors.

"As for whether Taylor will continue to promote this software on the Internet, that's another matter." Ryan looked at Taylor and said, "I'll remove those corner marks and watermarks later."

"Ryan, if that's the case, then why don't we just acquire it directly?" Taylor asked after thinking for a while.

"If they want to acquire the company, the price won't be this high, and the other party doesn't want to lose control," Ryan mentioned earlier.

"What if we make a knockoff? It won't be hard to do, leveraging your and Taylor's publicity advantage." Ivanka thought of another way.

"Ins' filters do have advantages, otherwise so many people wouldn't download them. After all, we haven't been involved in the Internet industry before, so there is a risk of failure. Besides, we already have another software, so there is no need to acquire another one," Ryan analyzed.

"That's not wrong." Ivanka yawned.

"It's getting late. Isn't it time to rest, Honey?" Ryan looked at Taylor beside him.

Soon, two blonde women wearing a full set of jewelry slowly lay down from the left and right sides. When their hands passed in front of Ryan, the bracelets on their wrists made a subtle metal collision sound, and the whole person looked dazzled by the jewels...

·
At this time in the morning, Ryan, Ivanka and the three Olsen sisters appeared together in the catwalk hall which was about to be completed.

Olsen was still a little shy when she saw Ryan again, but Ashley pushed her directly to Ryan's side.

"We won't bother you anymore. We have to go check out the stage." Ashley called her twin sisters and Ivanka away, leaving only Ryan and Olsen.

Ryan noticed that Olsen wore a short jumpsuit today, with thin-strap high-heeled sandals, and her lipstick was very bright. She would never dress like this before.

"It's not for you, I just want to change my style." Olsen fiddled with the ends of her hair, which she had curled into big waves with a curling iron before going out, and glanced away.

If we were in a separate room, she would be so tall that you would call her dad. Ryan looked at her and thought.

"You came quite early." A voice appeared behind him.

Ryan and Olsen turned their heads together. Even though Olsen was wearing high heels, she had to raise her head slightly to see the other person's face. It was Karlie Kloss, who was half a head taller than Taylor...

(End of this chapter)