I never took classic business classes in college, so I don't have the background that any of the people running large companies have.

Whatever you do, don't play it safe. Don't do things the way they've always been done. Don't try to fit the system. If you do what's expected of you, you'll never accomplish more than others expect.

When we began Starbucks, what I wanted to try to do was to create a set of values, guiding principles, and culture.

Customers don't always know what they want. The decline in coffee-drinking was due to the fact that most of the coffee people bought was stale and they weren't enjoying it. Once they tasted ours and experienced what we call "the third place" ... a gathering place between home and work where they were treated with respect.. they found we were filling a need they didn't know they had.

We are witnessing a seismic change in consumer behavior. That change is being brought about by technology and the access people have to information.

More than anything else, technology will pave the way for innovative change at Starbucks. The bulk of Starbucks' innovation over the next several years will be technology-focused.

Anybody can leverage celebrity for profit.