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Beyond the Bottom Weight of Decision
Chapter 80The following days felt like a whirlwind. With Rachel and Alex in town, the team had been running at full speed—working late into the night on revisions, brainstorming marketing strategies, and refining their pitch for potential investors. The presence of the two new members energized everyone, but the pressure was building, and Jamal could feel it weighing on him more than ever.By the end of the week, the team had made significant progress. Ethan had worked out a few major bugs in the app’s back-end code, while Leah and Zoe had finalized the marketing plan. Rachel had dived into the user research, offering insights that helped tweak their messaging. Alex, despite his packed basketball schedule, had been instrumental in helping refine the pitch. His ability to break things down in simple terms had been a game changer, allowing them to clearly communicate Skilbridge’s value proposition.But now, it was time for the next big decision: who to approach first for investment.Ja
Beyond the Bottom The First Pitch
Chapter 81The air inside the conference room was thick with anticipation. Jamal stood at the front, his palms clammy, the PowerPoint presentation blinking behind him. His team was spread out around the table, Rachel and Alex leaning in from one side, while Ethan, Zoe, and Leah had their eyes locked on the screen. Everyone was ready.Jamal cleared his throat, adjusting the collar of his shirt. It was a subtle move, but enough to show his nerves. He had practiced this pitch a thousand times in his head, but now that it was real, everything felt different. The room felt too quiet, too vast."Alright," he began, his voice a little rougher than he intended. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with us. My name is Jamal Davenport, and I’m here with my team: Ethan, Leah, Zoe, Rachel, and Alex. We’re the creators of Skilbridge, an app designed to connect students and professionals through a new kind of mentorship system."He paused, letting the words settle. There were two investors on the
Beyond the Bottom Balancing Dreams and Reality
Chapter 82The weeks following the pitch meeting were a whirlwind of emails, calls, and countless hours spent refining Skilbridge. Jamal, Leah, Ethan, and Zoe had their hands full, but the added energy of Rachel and Alex's visit kept them all grounded. Though their college lives were busy, their commitment to the app kept them connected in ways that were impossible to ignore.It was a crisp, sunny Friday afternoon when Rachel and Alex finally made their departure. They’d spent the last few days back on campus, catching up with old friends, attending meetings, and lending their expertise to Skilbridge. But now, it was time for them to head back to their respective schools—Rachel to Stanford and Alex to Boston for his basketball team’s next game.Jamal and the rest of the team had made plans to meet up one last time before they left. The campus quad was buzzing with activity, students lounging in the grass, discussing everything from upcoming exams to weekend plans. Some were walking be
Beyond the Bottom Campus Chronicles
Chapter 83It had been a week since Rachel and Alex returned to their respective lives, and the team was finally settling back into the rhythm of college. The energy Rachel and Alex left behind was palpable, driving Jamal, Leah, Zoe, Ethan, and even Evan to work harder on their dreams. Yet, college life waited for no one. Between classes, projects, and social obligations, they still found themselves juggling more than they thought possible.Jamal sat in the lecture hall, scribbling notes furiously while Professor Clarke discussed negotiation strategies. Leah was seated a few rows ahead, her notebook already filled with diagrams and bullet points. Every now and then, she’d turn back to give Jamal a knowing look as if to say, Keep up.Once the lecture ended, the two made their way to the campus café, where Zoe was waiting. She had her sketchpad open, and her pencil danced across the page as she worked on designs for a potential Skilbridge branding overhaul.“You’re early,” Zoe said, not
Beyond the Bottom Building Bridges
Chapter 84The sun rose over campus, casting a warm glow on the bustling college grounds. Jamal was the first to wake, thanks to the blaring alarm he had set on his phone. He groaned, fumbling to turn it off before dragging himself out of bed. The faint sound of Ethan’s keyboard clacking could already be heard from the other side of the dorm.“You don’t sleep, do you?” Jamal asked, rubbing his eyes.“Sleep is for the weak,” Ethan replied without looking up. “I’m tweaking the user analytics dashboard. We need better insights on engagement metrics before the next beta test.”Jamal chuckled. “You know that’s not healthy, right?”“Neither is missing our meeting with Clarke,” Ethan shot back.Jamal’s eyes widened. “What time is it?”“Relax,” Ethan said with a smirk. “We’ve got two hours. I just wanted to see you panic.”“You’re the worst,” Jamal muttered, grabbing his towel and heading to the bathroom.---By the time Jamal returned, the dorm was alive with activity. Leah and Zoe had arriv
Beyond the Bottom Building Bridges Contd
Chapter 85The following morning, Jamal woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing on his nightstand. Groggily, he reached over, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Rachel."Hey, can we do that video call later today? I have a few ideas that might help us with the next pitch."Jamal quickly typed back. "Sure! How about 3 p.m.?"Rachel replied almost immediately. "Sounds perfect. Talk soon!"After the brief exchange, Jamal rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock. It was already past noon, and the group was expected to meet with Professor Clarke again in a few hours for a final review of the pitch. He could already feel the weight of the day pressing down on him. There was so much to get done, and with the investor pitch looming, the pressure was building.As he grabbed his laptop and headed out the door, Leah was already in the hallway, carrying a pile of printed documents.“Got everything for the meeting?” Jamal asked.“Yep,” Leah said, her face set in determination. “We nee
Beyond the Bottom Defining Moments
Chapter 86The morning of the investor pitch was met with nervous energy. Jamal woke early, sitting on the edge of his bed, staring at the pitch deck on his laptop for the hundredth time. The stakes had never felt higher.Ethan was already awake, of course, sipping on a mug of coffee and fine-tuning the app’s demo on his screen. “You ready for this?” he asked without looking up.“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Jamal replied, closing his laptop. “How’s the demo looking?”“Solid,” Ethan said confidently. “It’s running smoother than ever. We’re good to go.”The rest of the team slowly trickled in. Leah arrived with a large paper bag of pastries, followed by Zoe, who was balancing a tray of coffee cups. Evan strolled in last, carrying a rolled-up banner that read: "Skilbridge: Bridging Gaps, Building Connections."“Why do we need a banner?” Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow.“Presentation is everything,” Evan said, unfurling it dramatically. “You’re welcome.”Leah chuckled. “I’m with Evan on th
Beyond the Bottom Threads Of Connection
Chapter 87The room fell into an uneasy silence as everyone huddled around Ethan’s laptop. The subject line of the email glared back at them like a warning beacon.“Cease and desist?” Zoe asked, her voice filled with disbelief. “What does that even mean? What are they claiming?”Ethan opened the email, scanning the contents quickly. His brow furrowed as he read aloud.“To Whom It May Concern: It has come to our attention that your product, Skilbridge, infringes upon proprietary features and intellectual property owned by Zenith Networks. We demand that you immediately cease all development and distribution of your app, or we will pursue legal action…”He trailed off, his face pale. “They’re claiming we stole their idea.”“That’s ridiculous!” Leah said, pacing the room. “Our app is entirely original. Zenith Networks focuses on corporate networking events—we’re not even in the same space!”“Makes sense,” Zoe muttered, folding her arms. “Milo always bragged about how his dad’s company wa
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Sliver Lining at Last
Chapter 113 The media storm surrounding ByteEdge’s corruption sent shockwaves through the university. News stations aired reports on their monopolistic practices, and students flooded online forums with outrage. ByteEdge’s once-infallible reputation was crumbling, and the momentum was shifting in Skilbridge’s favor.Jamal Davenport sat in the Skilbridge workspace, exhaustion evident in his eyes, but there was no time to rest. The fight wasn’t over yet."We’re seeing record-breaking sign-ups," Zoe announced, staring at the analytics on her screen. "In the past 24 hours, over 20,000 new users have joined Skilbridge."Leah whistled. "That’s insane. Can our servers handle that?"Ethan nodded. "For now. But if this keeps up, we’ll need a serious upgrade."Jamal leaned forward. "Good. The more students we help, the harder it’ll be for the university to ignore us."Leah smirked. "Speaking of which… The board just announced an emergency town hall. They’re opening the floor for discussion abo
The Tides of War
Chapter 112 The days that followed were a whirlwind of meetings, legal consultations, and sleepless nights. Jamal Davenport had always known that challenging a corporate giant like ByteEdge would come with consequences, but he never imagined they would escalate this quickly.Sitting in the Skilbridge workspace—a small, converted student lounge in the university’s co-working hub—Jamal rubbed his temples as he scrolled through the latest news articles. The lawsuit had made national headlines."ByteEdge vs. Student Innovators: The Battle Over Digital Education""A Campus Rebellion: Students Fight Back Against Corporate Monopoly"Skilbridge had become more than a startup. It was now a symbol of student empowerment.Leah walked in, dropping a thick folder on the desk. "Legal just sent over an updated breakdown of ByteEdge’s claims. They’re arguing that we reverse-engineered their platform."Jamal scoffed. "That’s ridiculous. Our code is original.""Yeah, but proving that in court takes ti
The Breaking Point
Chapter 111 Jamal Davenport sat in front of his laptop, fingers hovering over the keyboard. The email from ByteEdge’s former corporate partner was still on the screen, the offer staring back at him. It was an opportunity—one that could cement Skilbridge’s place in the industry.But there was a catch.“They want exclusivity,” Leah said, pacing the room. “If we take their deal, we won’t be able to work with any of their competitors.”Ethan frowned. “That sounds like a trap. ByteEdge lost them, and now they’re trying to lock us in before we grow any bigger.”Jamal exhaled slowly. He knew Leah and Ethan were right. ByteEdge played dirty, and even if this company had pulled away from them, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t try to control Skilbridge in the same way.“We need to negotiate,” Jamal finally said. “We can’t afford to get boxed in.”Zoe tapped her phone, scanning through their latest engagement numbers. “We have leverage,” she said. “Skilbridge’s user base has tripled since the unive
The Turning point
Chapter 110 Jamal Davenport sat at his desk, his fingers drumming against the wood as he waited for the call. This was it. The meeting with the university board would determine whether Skilbridge could survive ByteEdge’s onslaught or be crushed under corporate pressure.The room was tense. Leah, Ethan, Zoe, and Evan sat around him, their eyes locked on the laptop screen.“You sure they’ll go for it?” Ethan asked.Jamal exhaled. “They don’t just want a scholarship. They want something sustainable. And that’s what we’re offering.”The laptop screen lit up with an incoming call. Jamal straightened his posture and clicked accept.“Mr. Davenport,” the university administrator’s voice came through, steady but unreadable. “We’ve reviewed your proposal.”The tension in the room thickened.“And?” Jamal asked, keeping his tone professional.The administrator paused. “The board is impressed. Your career development pipeline is innovative, and we believe it could provide real value to our studen
The War for Dominance
Chapter 109 Jamal Davenport had always known that running a startup wouldn’t be easy, but this was a full-on war. ByteEdge wasn’t just moving aggressively; they were dominating.Their latest move—securing exclusive deals with two universities—was a brutal blow. Skilbridge was fighting against a corporate giant with deep pockets and powerful connections. If they didn’t strike back fast, they’d be buried before they even had a chance to grow.As soon as Jamal ended the call with Ethan, he headed straight for their dorm. Leah, Ethan, Zoe, and Evan were already waiting inside, tension thick in the air.“We need a new plan,” Leah said, arms crossed. “ByteEdge isn’t playing fair.”Jamal dropped his bag onto the chair and ran a hand through his hair. “We knew this would happen. We just didn’t expect them to move this fast.”“They’re leveraging money,” Ethan muttered. “Universities can’t say no to a fat check.”“But that’s their weakness,” Zoe said, adjusting her glasses. “They’re focusing o
Battling for Survival
Chapter 108 Jamal Davenport had faced challenges before—balancing Skilbridge with university, securing funding, and dealing with relentless coursework. But this? This was different.ByteEdge was a monster, a competitor with deep pockets and industry influence. If Skilbridge didn’t act fast, they’d be crushed before they even got a chance to thrive.The emergency meeting in Jamal’s dorm had ended with a plan, but now came the hard part—execution.By the next morning, Skilbridge’s team was already in motion. Ethan was coding new features, Zoe was reaching out to student organizations, and Evan—true to his word—was spreading the word across campus.Leah, on the other hand, had taken control of the marketing strategy.“We need to hit every major university event,” she told Jamal as they walked through the campus courtyard. “Tech fairs, career expos, student meet-ups—anything that gets people talking about Skilbridge.”Jamal nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. His inbox was full of emails
Pressure Building
Chapter 107 Jamal Davenport had thought securing an investor would be the hardest part of the journey. He was wrong.With the ink barely dry on the contract, the real challenge began—balancing Skilbridge, university, and life. Columbus University was unforgiving; professors didn’t care about his startup, deadlines didn’t wait for board meetings, and exams loomed like an unstoppable storm.It was just past midnight, and Jamal sat hunched over his laptop in the student lounge, eyes scanning Skilbridge’s latest analytics report. The numbers weren’t bad, but they weren’t great either. Growth had to be faster if they were going to meet Langford’s targets.“Still at it?” Leah’s voice cut through the quiet.Jamal looked up to see her standing by the vending machine, a bottle of water in hand. She wore an oversized hoodie and sweatpants—her unofficial study attire.“I have to be,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “If these numbers don’t improve, Langford might start thinking we aren’t worth
The Waiting Game
Chapter 106 The days that followed were agonizing. Patience had never been Jamal Davenport’s strong suit, and now, with everything on the line, waiting for a response from Langford and Hayes felt like torture. The uncertainty gnawed at him, making it impossible to focus on anything else.He sat in the student lounge at Columbus University, his phone in his hand, refreshing his emails for what felt like the hundredth time. Nothing. Leah sat beside him, flipping through her notes, while Ethan and Zoe occupied the opposite couch, discussing an upcoming project.“You’re going to burn a hole through that screen if you keep staring at it,” Leah muttered, not looking up.Jamal exhaled sharply. “What if they back out? What if they decide Skilbridge isn’t worth the risk?”Leah sighed and closed her notebook. “Jamal, you need to breathe. We presented the best possible pitch. If they’re interested, they’ll call. If they’re not… we’ll find another way.”“You say that like we have a backup plan.”
Racing Against Time
Chapter 105 Jamal Davenport sat at the head of the table in Leah’s apartment, surrounded by his closest allies—Leah, Ethan, Zoe, and even Evan, who had surprisingly decided to stick around. Their expressions were serious, their gazes fixed on the documents and laptop screens before them. The weight of saving Skilbridge rested on their shoulders, and there was no room for hesitation.“We don’t have time to waste,” Jamal began, his voice steady but firm. “If we’re going to rebrand Skilbridge and attract investors, we need a full plan in motion by the end of the week.”Leah tapped her pen against the table. “That’s ambitious, but necessary. What’s our first step?”Jamal took a deep breath, knowing the next part would be the most difficult. “We need a pitch that sells Skilbridge as a must-have investment. Not just another start-up struggling to survive, but a company with real potential.”Ethan leaned forward. “We need success stories. Testimonials. Something that proves Skilbridge isn’t
