Howard Schultz

There was clearly demand there. We were coming off this horrible Folgers and Maxwell House era, and there was this growing demand. But that doesn't mean that a company like Starbucks would have been created. It means just in some way that consumer demand would have been satisfied. Yeah.

There was clearly demand there. We were coming off this horrible Folgers and Maxwell House era, and there was this growing demand. But that doesn't mean that a company like Starbucks would have been created. It means just in some way that consumer demand would have been satisfied. Yeah.

But just remember, our intent was not to build a global business. You know, the first business plan, and I've said this many times, when I was raising money, it was 100 stores. And I wasn't raising the money, and I couldn't afford to reprint the whole document, whatever that was at the time. And I whited out. No one even knew what that means.

But just remember, our intent was not to build a global business. You know, the first business plan, and I've said this many times, when I was raising money, it was 100 stores. And I wasn't raising the money, and I couldn't afford to reprint the whole document, whatever that was at the time. And I whited out. No one even knew what that means.

Wow. When was the last time you used a whiteout?

Wow. When was the last time you used a whiteout?

Yeah. It's been a while. It's been a while. Wait, really? Yeah, I whited it out at 75 because I couldn't. Did it feel too ambitious?

Yeah. It's been a while. It's been a while. Wait, really? Yeah, I whited it out at 75 because I couldn't. Did it feel too ambitious?

Yeah, people didn't believe. Think you're crazy. But we never, you know, Japan was the turning point of thinking we could build an international business. But none of us had any international experience. No one in the entire company. I mean, in many ways, you could say this shouldn't have happened.

Yeah, people didn't believe. Think you're crazy. But we never, you know, Japan was the turning point of thinking we could build an international business. But none of us had any international experience. No one in the entire company. I mean, in many ways, you could say this shouldn't have happened.

Okay, so this brings us to the absolute magic of founder-led businesses. I mean, when you have a founder at the helm, you get all this leeway from shareholders, from employees. You can take crazy risks. And people know it's because you're you. But for you, it wouldn't exist at all. So run with it. What are the biggest innovations that have happened at Starbucks not under Howard Schultz?

Okay, so this brings us to the absolute magic of founder-led businesses. I mean, when you have a founder at the helm, you get all this leeway from shareholders, from employees. You can take crazy risks. And people know it's because you're you. But for you, it wouldn't exist at all. So run with it. What are the biggest innovations that have happened at Starbucks not under Howard Schultz?

What a question. I'm pausing, not because there hasn't been any, because I'm sure there has been, but I'm hard-pressed to kind of think about what it was.

What a question. I'm pausing, not because there hasn't been any, because I'm sure there has been, but I'm hard-pressed to kind of think about what it was.

I don't think you were running the show when the pumpkin spice latte came out. Yes, I was. You were?

I don't think you were running the show when the pumpkin spice latte came out. Yes, I was. You were?

Yeah, yes, I was. I didn't like it.

Yeah, yes, I was. I didn't like it.

Yeah. It does feel like you were obsessed with the purity of the Italian coffee bar for a long time. And then at some point you were like, actually, what I'm obsessed with is serving customers in whatever they want from us.

Yeah. It does feel like you were obsessed with the purity of the Italian coffee bar for a long time. And then at some point you were like, actually, what I'm obsessed with is serving customers in whatever they want from us.