We need to reinvent food at Starbucks. Less could be more.

There's an energy and excitement when you're building a company. You have so much tail wind. You're planting new seeds. But it's also scary, because there's no safety net.

There are moments in our lives when we summon the courage to make choices that go against reason, against common sense and the wise counsel of people we trust. But we lean forward nonetheless because, despite all risks and rational argument, we believe that the path we are choosing is right and best thing to do. We refuse to be bystanders, even if we do not know exactly where our actions will lead.

My son is trying to be a sports writer, and my daughter is a college student. She wants to be a comedy writer, and she's at film school. I discouraged both of them early on from getting involved in Starbucks. I didn't think it would be fair; plus, they didn't have any interest anyway.

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

When companies fail, or fail to grow, it's almost always because they don't invest in the people, the systems, and the processes they need.

Grow with discipline. Balance intuition with rigor. Innovate around the core. Don't embrace the status quo.