The Soul of the Bean

Howard Schultz walked into a Milan espresso bar in 1983 and saw something that didn't exist in America. What he built from that moment became a $110 billion company. And what happened when the company forgot it, three separate times, is deeply insightful.
28 Feb 2026 5 Reflections

Three times Starbucks drifted from its founding vision. Three times it nearly paid the ultimate price. The most important document in your organisation isn’t necessarily your strategy deck but the one that answers why you exist.