Chapter 47 - Founder #3
Engineering hated sales.
Customers wanted everything yesterday.
Classic.
I listened.
Then—
"You don't have a product problem."
Benjamin frowned.
"What?"
"You have a governance problem."
Tori's head turned.
Product manager now interested.
Benjamin asked—
"How?"
"Who can approve custom work?"
He paused.
"Sales director."
I stared.
"Why?"
He laughed weakly.
"Historical accident."
"Fix it."
"How?"
Tori spoke for the first time in several minutes.
"Product review before commitment."
Benjamin looked at her.
She continued—
"Sales can request. They can't promise."
He nodded.
"Exactly."
I looked at Tori.
She looked at me.
There.
Same brain lane.
Different angle.
Benjamin noticed too.
"Would you require ROI threshold?"
Tori answered—
"Not always financial. Strategic account, reusable feature, market-entry value."
I added—
"But somebody has to document why the exception exists."
Benjamin started writing again.
Now both of us.
Oh no.
Tita Elena was witnessing her matchmaking candidate getting a two-person consulting session from the couple she was trying to break up.
Narratively—
excellent.
Twenty minutes later, Benjamin had forgotten food existed.
"Okay," he said, scrolling through notes. "Last question."
Tori laughed.
"You've said that three times."
"I know."
He looked at me.
"If I fixed those things—"
Pause.
"What do you think all three companies would be worth?"
There.
Valuation.
Everyone listened.
Even Tita Elena.
I leaned back.
"Not enough information."
"Range."
"No."
"Very rough."
"No."
He laughed.
"Why?"
"Because I'd be inventing."
"Fair."
Then I thought.
"But—"
Benjamin leaned forward immediately.
"If you clean the logistics margins, prove customer-level profitability, reduce concentration risk, and stop buying bad revenue—"
He nodded.
"Distribution?"
"Rationalize SKUs. Improve working capital. Prove inventory turns."
"Software?"
"Stop letting sales create liabilities disguised as revenue."
Tori smiled at that.
I continued—
"Then valuation depends on how much of current EBITDA is real versus repairable."
Benjamin listened.
"If there's a lot to fix?"
"Lower multiple or heavier discount because buyer absorbs execution risk."
"And if I fix it before selling?"
"You keep more of the value."
He nodded slowly.
"So don't sell messy."
"Depends."
He frowned.
"On?"
"How expensive the cleanup is."
There.
"Sometimes selling messy is rational if the buyer can fix it cheaper than you can."
Benjamin stared.
Then—
"That makes sense."
"Also depends why you're selling."
"Exit?"
"Different from raising capital. Different from partial liquidity. Different from strategic partner."
He nodded.
"How much do you think the changes would cost?"
Again—
"Depends."
He laughed.
"You really hate estimates."
"I hate fake precision."
Tori looked at him.
"She'll estimate when she has data."
"Exactly."
I glanced at her.
She knew.
Benjamin looked between us.
Then smiled.
"You two are terrifying."
Tori shrugged.
"Apparently."
Tita Elena had been silent for a very long time.
A historic amount of time.
Then she tried.
One last attempt.
"Benjamin has built all of that himself."
There.
Her voice was weaker now.
Still—
trying.
I looked at Benjamin.
"That's impressive."
He immediately shook his head.
"Not entirely myself."
Interesting.
"Team."
"Obviously."
"My COO on the logistics side is better than me operationally."
"Then keep them."
"Definitely."
"My sister runs finance."
"Good?"
"Brutal."
"Keep her too."
He laughed.
Tita Elena tried again.
"He's very humble."
Benjamin looked confused.
"Tita?"
"And hardworking."
Tori stared at her mother.
"Ma."
"I'm just saying."
Benjamin finally understood.
Fully.
He turned toward Tita Elena.
Very politely—
"Tita, I'm sorry."
She looked at him.
"I really don't think this is going the way you intended."
Silence.
Bea bit her lip.
Marco looked at the ceiling.
Tito Ramon closed his eyes.
Benjamin continued—
"Tori has a girlfriend."
"Yes."
"And she clearly likes her."
Tori raised an eyebrow.
"Very observant."
"And Lia—"
He looked at me.
Then actually laughed.
"I'm honestly much more interested in stealing thirty more minutes of her time than asking Tori on a date."
I covered my face.
No.
No mercy.
Tita Elena's face went red.
Deep red.
Benjamin looked horrified.
"That sounded terrible."
Tori was laughing.
"No. Keep going."
"I mean professionally."
"Obviously."
"I've literally watched her interviews."
"I know."
"I sent one to my managers."
"Yes."
"And I just got free advice I would probably pay—"
He stopped.
Looked at me.
"How much would you charge for this?"
I pointed at him.
"No."
"Seriously."
"No."
"Consulting rate?"
"No."
Tori looked delighted.
"Ask again."
"Don't encourage him."
Benjamin grinned.
"How much?"
I sighed.
"If this were a formal company review, it wouldn't be hourly."
"How?"
"Scope."
"Roughly?"
"No."
Tita Elena stared.
This had somehow become worse.
Her founder candidate was now trying to hire Lia.
Tori leaned toward her mother.
Very softly—
"Ma."
Tita Elena looked at her.
Tori smiled.
Not cruel.
Just exhausted and deeply amused.
"Wala ka na bang iba?"
Silence.
Marco fell sideways.
Bea screamed.
Tito Ramon laughed so suddenly he coughed.
Benjamin looked confused.
I understood perfectly.
Tita Elena closed her eyes.
Finished.
Absolutely finished.
"No," she finally said.
Very quiet.
Tori blinked.
"What?"
Her mother opened her eyes.
"No."
Pause.
"Wala na."
I bit the inside of my cheek.
Do not laugh.
Do not.
She looked at Benjamin.
"Founder na."
Then at me.
"Tatlong kumpanya."
Then at Tori.
"Wala pa rin."
Tori's mouth trembled.
"Ma—"
"No."
Tita Elena lifted one hand.
"I understand."
Oh.
Everyone quieted.
She breathed out.
"I really thought..."
She stopped.
Then laughed once.
At herself.
Finally.
"I thought if I found someone impressive enough..."
There.
Tori softened.
Her mother looked at me.
Then Benjamin.
Then her daughter.
"But that's not the problem."
No.
Never had been.
Tori said quietly—
"No."
Tita Elena nodded.
"He's successful."
"Yes."
"Handsome."
Benjamin smiled awkwardly.
"Thank you po."
"Good family."
Probably.
"Has everything."
Tori waited.
Her mother looked at her.
"And you still don't want him."
"No."
Not cruel.
Not apologetic.
Just true.
Tita Elena finally—
finally—
let the answer exist.
"Okay."
There.
This time—
different.
Not heard.
Not tolerated.
Not waiting for revision.
Closer to—
accepted.
Tori stared at her.
"Okay?"
Her mother sighed.
"Yes."
Then—
"No more."
Silence.
Marco whispered—
"Historic."
Bea hit him.
Tita Elena pointed at him.
"I heard that."
"Sorry."
Then she looked at Tori.
"No more men."
Tori's eyes filled immediately.
Oh.
That hit harder than expected.
Her mother saw.
Her own eyes filled too.
Tori asked—
"Really?"
"Yes."
Pause.
Then Tita Elena looked at me.
"Unless Lia brings one."
I froze.
Everyone laughed.
Tori cried and laughed at the same time.
"MA."
"Joke lang."
There.
Actual joke.
No hidden candidate.
No strategy.
Just—
joke.
Tori wiped under her eyes.
Her mother reached across the table.
Not toward me.
Toward her daughter.
Tori gave her hand.
There.
Done.
Maybe not fully.
Families were never fully anything.
But—
campaign terminated.
Finally.
Unfortunately—
Benjamin was still holding his phone.
He looked at me.
"So about the logistics customer profitability model—"
Tori stared.
"BENJAMIN."
"What?"
"Lunch is over."
"I know."
"You got rejected from a date you weren't trying to get and somehow acquired a mentor."
He smiled.
"Best possible outcome."
I laughed.
Fair.
Very fair.
And Tita Elena—
finally—
laughed too.