Griselda McKinnon eyed the young woman with the shock of purple hair opposite and thought of herself three decades ago. She even has my pug nose and taste in jewelry, thought the CEO.

 

“You’re a busy woman,” said Brianna. “Why don’t I cut to the chase.”

 

“By all means,” replied Griselda and smiled at the other’s defiant tone, another echo of the CEO’s past self.

 

“I’m disrupting your business model by giving customers an opportunity to exercise a faculty that you took from them – free will.”

 

“That’s a tad harsh.”

 

“Instead of sitting passively at home and letting your super-duper digital twins decide what they will buy and when, customers shop my site and decide for themselves.”

 

“That old chestnut again,” sighed Griselda. “As you well know, each super-duper digital twin is an exact replica of the customer’s buying intentions and preferences, combined with his or her financial and social profile and a host of external inputs such as weather patterns.”

 

“That old chestnut again,” said Brianna.

 

Griselda could not help but smile at the young entrepreneur’s pugnacity. She carried on.

 

“Yes, the virtual digital facsimile decides what fashion items its human twin wants to buy and when to deliver them. But the twin is the customer and the shopping experience is the same for the real-world person. We’ve just made it infinitely more efficient and convenient.”

 

“Bullshit.”

 

For the first time her guest annoyed Griselda.

 

“Even if there is a grain of truth in your accusations, we can’t go back to the days when retailers struggled to forecast what consumers will buy and ended up with wasteful product surpluses and shortages, not to mention mountains of returns. Digital twins have eliminated the shopping inefficiencies that the planet can no longer afford.”

 

“Point taken,” conceded Brianna. “But let’s not pretend that fashion houses like Ultra-Ultra use digital twins just for the sake of the planet. Besides, my operation is as slick as hair gel and doesn’t need digital twin avatars of my customers.”

 

“Your supply chain is impressive. It practically runs itself,” agreed the CEO.

 

“Damn right it does.”

 

“But mine is better. And you cannot hope to replicate our scale.”

 

Brianna took a gulp of coffee and decided it was time to bring the meeting to its anticipated conclusion.

 

“I know why you called this meeting. You’ll warn me off with platitudes then use your market muscle to run me out of business if necessary. Maybe you’ll offer me a sweetener to disappear quietly. Please don’t. I’m not interested. I’ve done okay. And there’s no need. I’m moving on. It’s time to try something else.”

 

“Just like that? You are going to pull the plug?”

 

“Life’s too short to fight your bullshit.”

 

“I see,” said Griselda and sipped her coffee. “I’m curious. You don’t seem the type to give up so easily.”

 

Brianna shrugged. “Choose your battles. I learned that the hard way.”

 

“Or join your adversary.”

 

“Are you offering me a job?” The young woman laughed harshly and shook her head, chandelier earrings glinting in the office lights. “Why? So I can teach you how I did it and make it easier for you to screw the next schmuck who steps on your toes?”

 

“That’s not what I have in mind. And you would do well not to jump to conclusions. That’s a hard lesson I learned,” said Griselda.

 

Brianna’s respect for the industry legend went up another notch.

 

“I don’t follow,” she said.

 

“I propose we acquire your business and relaunch it under a new label, for argument’s sake called Ultra-Ultra-Impulse. We offer your service at a premium to high-end customers. You’ll have full autonomy to run the unit. I’ll just look over your shoulder now and again.”

 

Even though Brianna hid her reaction well, Griselda knew she was intrigued.

 

“You just said you don’t want to go back to old-fashioned retail models.”

 

“This is not going back,” replied Griselda.

 

The CEO explained that old-style retail sites where buyers choose what they want – often on a whim – would never return for the masses. But they could be viable for wealthy customers willing to pay for such an exclusive service.

 

“It’s a niche I’ve been thinking about for some time. And I think it would inject some much-needed creativity into our business.”

 

“How come you haven’t done it yourself?”

 

“In time we might. But I don’t underestimate the challenge of creating such a supply chain and the price of failure. You are too young to remember the chaos of the old days. Besides, while you are not the first young tiger to threaten us in this way you are by far the best. I’d like to have you aboard.”

 

Despite her best efforts to remain stoic, Brianna could not help but smile at the compliment.

 

“Think it over. I’m sure you want to talk to your partners.”

 

“They’ll do what I tell them,” said Brianna.

 

There’s that brashness again, thought Griselda, and promised herself to recruit this firebrand no matter what it took.

 

“I’ll mull it over.”

 

“Good. Hopefully the next time we meet it will be to celebrate in a more convivial setting.”

 

The suggestion, and the fact she found it appealing, surprised the younger woman.

 

“If that’s all, I’ll let you know then.”

“Please do. But don’t leave it too long,” said the CEO pointedly.

 

Brianna motioned to leave. Just before reaching the door, she turned. “One question. Had you decided to make this offer before our meeting?”

 

“No,” replied Griselda. “I suppose you could call it an impulse buy.”