Seeing the expectant looks around the table, Nick gave a slow nod. "We've made some headway, but we aren't at the finish line just yet."
The R&D lab had always been Nick's private sanctuary. Even Tyler didn't have the full picture of what went on behind those keycard-protected doors, let alone the rest of the staff. Dropping this news now was like lighting a fuse in a quiet room.
After letting the chatter die down, Nick signaled for silence. "Look, you'll all get the full briefing on the new project soon enough. I'm keeping the lid on it for now. Let's move on to logistics. Zack, I need you to hand off your current project to Terry and come assist me in the lab full-time."
Zack looked up, his brow furrowing. "Nick, we're at a critical phase with the Amazon pilot. Is it really the right move to swap leads mid-stream?"
Nick was caught off guard by the pushback. He studied Zack for a second before offering a small smile. "Don't sweat the hand-off. It's just a leadership change; it won't derail the day-to-day progress."
This was a move Nick and Tyler had hashed out in private. Nick needed a right hand in the lab, and Zack was the most qualified. Plus, having Zack stuck in the weeds with the logistics project felt like a waste of his potential. Terry was more than capable of taking the reins.
"Fine. I'll start the transition as soon as possible," Zack said, nodding slowly. But even as he agreed, everyone in the room could see the tension in his jaw.
They had discussed this before, and Zack had seemed fine with it then. Seeing this reaction now left Nick and Tyler feeling a sharp sting of disappointment. The rest of the room, mostly seasoned corporate veterans, caught the vibe immediately. By tomorrow, the rumors of a rift between the founders would likely be the talk of the water cooler.
Nick shook it off and turned to the HR Director, Taylor. "We need to hit the gas on hiring. We're facing a talent gap that's going to start eating into our dev cycle if we don't fix it."
"We're already on it," Taylor assured him. "We've got five campus recruitment teams hitting the top engineering schools this fall. Plus, we've stationed headhunters in the major tech hubs like Austin and Silicon Valley. We'll have the seats filled by the end of the year."
"Good. I'm holding you to that," Nick said.
He then turned to the Administration lead. "How's the new lab space coming along? I want to be moved in and operational right after New Year's."
The company was bursting at the seams. With the head-count growing daily, their current four-story building was cramped. They'd recently leased the matching office next door specifically to house the R&D wing.
It was a move that doubled as a security upgrade. The new building would be a restricted zone—engineers only. Nick had collaborated with a government-certified security firm to install a high-end access control system, and he'd personally written a secondary encryption layer for the core servers.
"I'm leaving the day-to-day operations to you," Nick said, glancing at Tyler. "I need to go heads-down on the new project."
Tyler nodded. "Don't worry, I've got the bridge."
...
After the meeting broke, Nick retreated to his office. He spent most of his life in the lab, but Tyler had insisted he have a proper executive suite for paperwork. A few minutes later, Tyler walked in.
Nick looked up from a stack of NDAs and sighed. "I was expecting Zack."
Tyler poured a glass of water and slumped onto the sofa. "He's down there handing things over to Terry. He's definitely taking it personally."
Nick leaned back. "He's been out in the field too long. He's forgotten what it's like to actually grind in the office."
"You have to see it from his side," Tyler said, playing devil's advocate. "He was the point man on a billion-dollar partnership. He had the perks, the status, the autonomy. Now you're pulling him back to be an assistant. It's a blow to the ego."
Nick sat across from him and rubbed his temples. "There's an old saying about how a little help makes a friend, but too much makes a dependent—and a lot makes an enemy. Once someone gets a taste of that kind of influence, it's hard to remember the brotherhood that got us here. I wanted him in the lab so he could eventually lead this new wing. I'm disappointed he's already calculating his 'status' over the work."
Tyler frowned. "Let me go talk to him. We were roommates for four years; I don't want this to turn into a thing."
Nick thought about it and nodded. "Probably for the best. You two speak the same language. See where his head is at. If he's really miserable in the lab, tell him he can transfer to the operations side."
"Operations?" Tyler was stunned. "He's one of our best techs. That seems like a waste."
"If his heart isn't in the code, what's the point of forcing him?" Nick said flatly. "I just hope he doesn't prove me right."
"I'll have a talk with him," Tyler promised.
Nick handed Tyler a cigarette. "Keep it close to the vest. Let him make his own choice. I've given him the door; it's up to him to walk through it."
Tyler took a long drag, staring at the ceiling. "As the company gets bigger, we can't just wing it like we used to. We have to be professional."
"Business is business, Tyler. Feelings are for the weekend." Nick flicked his ash into a tray. "As friends, I want the four of us to be together forever. But as CEOs, we have to stay objective. If you don't treat the founders the same way you treat the new hires, you'll lose the company."
Tyler rolled his eyes. "Easy for you to say. You get to hide in the lab and be the visionary while I have to be the heavy. It's a headache."
Nick chuckled. "Everyone has a role, man. Someone has to be the good cop, and someone has to be the bad cop. You've got that tough-guy face anyway—you're a natural for the bad cop."
"What kind of logic is that!" Tyler barked, though he couldn't help but laugh.