Starbucks is broadly in the food industry, and so is McDonald's. But despite being so close in size and value, why does Starbucks get so much of "love", while McDonald's...doesn't? How does Starbucks manage to earn such premium and respect at that scale? I was quite fascinated and picked up this book (with a Frappuccino). 'Pour your heart..' is the biography of Howard Schultz who first joined Starbucks as a marketing guy and later acquired it from the founders. What he wanted to bring to US was the beautiful culture of 'Espresso Bars' he saw in Milan. He got so fascinated by that sight of communities being brought together with coffee that it became his mission to bring it to the world. What's incredible is that Mr. Schultz was born very poor but rose to the greatest heights imaginable. He came from the Projects! So inspiring.
The book does a good job while talking about coffee romance, building a 'business with a soul', and going through tough times. A line really struck a chord with me:
In the initial days of business, the most important thing is Marketing. But soon after, it's HumanResources. It's always the people.
Howard Schultz sounds like the embodiment of the idea of "the great guy". Can a person really be so flawless? I don't know! He ends the book by thanking his wife for supporting him through all the tough times. Sweet. :) #52booksin2019 #45togo
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