Happy Thursday everyone,

I’m taking 13 of my closest friends up to Sonoma County this weekend to wine & dine them.

It’s my version of a “bachelor party”: long dinners, quality banter, nice views.

I mention this not only because I am excited, but because planning something like this forces you to prioritize what really matters to you.

It’s an exercise in self awareness and understanding. It forces you to slow down and examine what brings you joy. It invites consciousness in a world of distractions.

Through that lens, I’m optimizing for enjoyment over efficiency. For example: the quality of the restaurant’s food, service, and atmosphere is more important than proximity to our house. Dinner is 45 min away? Good - more time to chat with my boys who I am lucky to see more than 2-3 times/year. Once we’re there, it should go on for hours. Full sensory smorgasbord. Sights, sounds, smells, tastes…just feeling alive.

Coming together. Breaking bread. Staying a while. These are important tenants of hospitality and humanity. They are worth actively seeking out when everything else is seemingly optimized for this opposite.

With that in mind, let me tell you a quick story…

Coffee with Clyde

For a few years in my 20’s, I had a weekly coffee date with my grandfather. He was brilliant, dry, witty, and full of stories. The 7th son born during the Great Depression in South Dakota, he joined the Navy, relocated to Southern California, and later helped developed the Special Education programs that the state still uses to this day. He was an avid reader and he always had a line for everything.

He loved to go to Starbucks. Nothing cute or fancy. Just old, reliable Starbucks. I’d get him his $4 Flat White and let him tell stories for an hour. It’s one of my favorite memories.

This was back before Starbucks had locks on their bathrooms, garbage on the patio, and more mobile orders than patrons. It was a reliably welcome environment, and still lived up to its aspirational status as the “3rd place” for people, after home and work.

Unfortunately, like many elements of our society over the past 5 years, Starbucks began optimizing for efficiency over enjoyment. The app became the focus. The stores were shoddy, and people only came in for pickups if there wasn’t a drive-thru. In short, the brand lost its soul.

So, last year they hired a new CEO: Brian Niccol. His mission was to bring the mojo back. After 12 months, the vision is starting to take shape:

Brian is doubling down on Human-Proof Experiences:

• He understands the cultural coherence that made Starbucks: coffee shops are a place to sip, enjoy and linger.

• He’s optimizing for in-store character over order volume efficiency.

• He’s focusing on authentic craft served by engaged employees.

Whether you like Starbucks or not, we should all be rooting for this turnaround to succeed. Our society needs it.

We optimize damn near everything else in our lives; we don’t need to optimize a timeless experience like sharing a coffee with friends or family.

If we don’t, it will be just one less thing we remember.

This Week’s Playlist

Featuring Destroyer, Stevie Wonder, and Daft Punk.

Forward this to someone who likes coffee.

RP WEEKLY!!!!!