When acquiring companies, we look for alignment with our culture and mission; if a potential acquisition does not fit our values, we will not proceed, even if the service is appealing.

Our approach to acquisitions focuses on finding companies whose founders want to build with us, rather than those looking to exit due to burnout.

After rejecting the offer, I focused on hiring people who were committed to the long-term vision of the company.

We emphasize hiring people who align with our mission rather than those motivated solely by financial gain or personal challenges.

I decided early on not to franchise Starbucks because I believed it would compromise the company's culture and ability to maintain quality.

I think if I were to do an acquisition again, I would ensure that the leaders of the acquired company are completely aligned with my values.

Integrity in business is crucial; I chose not to lead the investment in Facebook to maintain my integrity, even though it was a great opportunity.

When entering China, we partnered with a local company, but it didn't align with our values, leading us to buy them out and operate company-owned stores instead.

We stood out to investors because we weren't like everyone else; we had a straightforward business model and were addressing a real pain point in a fragmented market dominated by big incumbents.