I recently picked up “It’s Not About the Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks”.
As you might know, I am a bit of coffee coin-a-sewer, owning a $2000 espresso machine and such. You might also remember the only popular blog post I’ve ever written – the one about the Starbucks logo. I was always very interested in everything Starbucks. The reason? Well, I really could not understand how a company with coffee that is so bad could be so popular. I mean, have you tasted the stuff?
“It’s Not About the Coffee” – wow, I thought, this should clear some things up. Because, I for sure know that it’s not about the coffee. I’ve had good coffee. It just can’t be about the coffee.
The first sentence of the book (int the A Note to Readers) reads: “Although this book is titled It’s Not About the Coffee, of course it is about the coffee–it’s about the people and the coffee.” Leadership lesson number one: start out with a lie, then weasel out.
Cloying, sacchariney corporate doublespeak only got worse on the following several pages, I am not even sure I can get through the book at all. There might be some interesting Starbucks anecdotes further down, so I’ll keep trying. Meanwhile I get a weird feeling about Howard Behar – the same I used to get about Soviet Politburo members: I could not understand if they believed themselves in the ideals that they extolled.
Ok, I read a couple of more pages, and was instantly rewarded by learning this interesting, although disturbing fact: besides the coffee passport, which I knew about, there’s a piece of corporate propaganda known as the “Green Apron Book.” Almost like Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book”. Neat.
All of this reminded me a story that I’ve read somewhere about a North Korean student at a Moscow university that used to carry around with him a little portrait of the Great Leader, Kim Il-sung. He would meditate, looking at the picture for hours, and even used it instead of a mirror while shaving. When asked – how could he shave without a mirror, he said – this is better than a mirror.
I guess, if you can make people shave in front of a portrait, you can make them believe that Starbucks coffee is tasty. There are ways…
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It’s Not About The Coffee is actually a book I want to read in the future!
I am a bit of coffee coin-a-sewer, owning a $2000 espresso machine and such.
I keep a decent espresso machine at my desk at work.
(and a coffee grinder ^^;)
I really could not understand how a company with coffee that is so bad could be so popular. I mean, have you tasted the stuff?
There’s a lot of people out there who really want Tea but, won’t admit to it. They desire is sweet, watery, or creamy — not straight coffee or espresso.
An espresso machine that can be kept at a desk is really not worth it. You simply can’t get the temperature and pressure stability out of something like that. Major geek points for it though. The only thing really worthy of bringing to work is an aeropress – a little plastic doohickey that produces results comparable (if you use a good thermocouple thermometer) with the output of a $12K (I think) Clover machine. It won’t make good espresso like they claim, but will make a wonderful drip-like coffee. Well, it’s somewhere in between drip and Americano, but good in any case.
The problem with Starbucks coffee is not that it’s watery – it’s anything but watery: thick, burnt, tarry, bitter, acidic.
> I am a bit of coffee coin-a-sewer, owning a $2000 espresso machine and such
I’m thinking of buying something like that. Could you give some recommendations? ;) My husband prefers espresso, I prefer latte, and we need only one machine for that.
Thank you!
Well, for one thing, I would not buy what I have. I’d save some more money and buy a better machine. Reneka Techno is the best (well, and actually only) pid-controlled, rotary pump machine that $2000 bucks could buy, but it’s discontinued, I can’t get service for it, and I don’t like the design of the steam wand.
If money’s no object, I would buy a one group Synesso Cyncra. It is literally the best professional machine in the world. You will need a 220 volt outlet, plumbing for cold water and waste water, and a housing for the external rotary pump. You’d need professional installation with this machine.
To get a similar deal cheaper, I would buy a used, but cleaned and rebuilt, one (if I could find it) or two group La Marzocco Linea and have it professionally installed. Since Starbucks stopped using them, they became available very cheaply on eBay and in other places. Cynra was created by defecting La Marzocco engineers.
Worst case scenario – I’d buy a new Marzocco GS/3. It has an internal rotary pump, just like my Reneka and comes in 110v variety, and more than that, by default it’s a pour-over machine with an available direct plumb-in kit.
I’d still get a Mazzer Mini doserless grinder. It’s awesome.
By the way, I also highly recommend the $25 Aeropress device – it’s really the equivalent of a $7,000 or so Clover machine. You still would need a decent grinder, good coffee and a thermocouple thermometer (I use a Fluke 51 that I got on ebay for $30).
I am just finishing Starbucked and I find it a really fun read and I am facinated by the history of Starbucks. Don’t expect a “how to run a business guide”, but a fun read for coffee enthusiasts.