Aged 71 and a billionaire, Howard Schultz is a sure bet of American capitalism. The entrepreneur’s career is above all linked to the destiny of Starbucks, a company that he managed for many years and of which he is today the main shareholder.
His advice to young people
The boss has just given a fascinating interview to our colleagues at Fortune. On this occasion, he notably provided valuable advice to young people who wish to succeed. In fact, he does not recommend newcomers to launch their business directly, but rather to first acquire some professional experience.
The manager thus underlines:
At 22, you would benefit from working for a company that can teach you and show you how an organization works, as long as that company has values that are compatible with yours. There is a great benefit to being part of an organization and seeing with your own eyes how a business really works and what’s going on inside, before you do it yourself.
According to him, this is in no way a renunciation, but a learning process necessary to move forward with his projects. He adds:
More often than not, people will tell you that your entrepreneurial dream is too big and that you should settle for something else, that the risks are too high. You don’t want to be 40 and look back at your 22-year-old self telling yourself: “I really should have believed in myself and in my dream.
A career full of twists and turns
And precisely, Howard Schultz himself matched his words with actions. He initially served as director of retail operations and marketing at Starbucks. At that time, he suggested to his superiors to add espresso to the menu. This idea was initially rejected.
Ambitious, the latter left to found his own line of coffee called Il Giornale. He then demonstrated that this concept could work and returned to Starbucks through the front door as CEO in 1987. He then continued to develop this company which is now listed on the stock exchange and present in all four corners of the world.
Note that Starbucks, however, experienced a chaotic last year with real difficulties. To find out more about this, do not hesitate to consult our previous article which discusses the challenges of this society here.
Finally, let us point out that the bosses of large companies are often asked to give advice to young people. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, recently addressed this subject. In particular, he suggests speaking directly to colleagues and managers, even if it means displeasing them.
