Howard Schultz

He ran digital for Starbucks.

He ran digital for Starbucks.

Yeah, he ran digital. I'm trying to make sure I got the sequencing of this right. I think there was a future meeting scheduled for Starbucks and Apple around mobile order and pay and other things. And I met Steve on a phone call. I had never met him. I was talking to him on the phone. And I'm telling him what's going on. He said, you should come down. And he had a whole thing about walking.

Yeah, he ran digital. I'm trying to make sure I got the sequencing of this right. I think there was a future meeting scheduled for Starbucks and Apple around mobile order and pay and other things. And I met Steve on a phone call. I had never met him. I was talking to him on the phone. And I'm telling him what's going on. He said, you should come down. And he had a whole thing about walking.

He would go out and we'd walk around the building. Have you heard this before?

He would go out and we'd walk around the building. Have you heard this before?

This is Infinite Loop at their old campus? Yeah, yeah.

This is Infinite Loop at their old campus? Yeah, yeah.

And so I went down there and basically went down and we took a walk. And I just told him all my problems, everything that was going on. And he just stopped me and he said, this is what you need to do. He just looked at me and he said, you go back to Seattle and you fire everyone on your leadership team. I thought he was joking. I said, what do you mean fire? What are you talking about?

And so I went down there and basically went down and we took a walk. And I just told him all my problems, everything that was going on. And he just stopped me and he said, this is what you need to do. He just looked at me and he said, you go back to Seattle and you fire everyone on your leadership team. I thought he was joking. I said, what do you mean fire? What are you talking about?

Fire everybody. He said, I just told you. F and fire all those people. He's like screaming at me in my face. Fire all those people. That's what I would do. I said, Steve, I can't fire all those people. Who's going to do the work? He said, I promise you in six months, maybe nine, they'll all be gone. He was right. Except for one, the general counsel. They're all gone.

Fire everybody. He said, I just told you. F and fire all those people. He's like screaming at me in my face. Fire all those people. That's what I would do. I said, Steve, I can't fire all those people. Who's going to do the work? He said, I promise you in six months, maybe nine, they'll all be gone. He was right. Except for one, the general counsel. They're all gone.

Your whole leadership team turned over after?

Your whole leadership team turned over after?

Yes, they were all gone. Wow. That's the story about Steve Jobs. Wow.

Yes, they were all gone. Wow. That's the story about Steve Jobs. Wow.

Did you ever call him back and tell him?

Did you ever call him back and tell him?

Oh, I talked to him since then, and we were on stage together at an event. And I told him, they're all gone. He said, well, you're six months, nine months late, man. Well, think about all the things you could have done.

Oh, I talked to him since then, and we were on stage together at an event. And I told him, they're all gone. He said, well, you're six months, nine months late, man. Well, think about all the things you could have done.