GSBC ethos/values/philosophy

Posted on January 05, 2026

This is not the final word. Come back in 50 years and maybe I’ll have the final word then, but I doubt it. This is just a draft of some philosophical meanderings in the new year.

The one most solid fact I know if is Descarte’s cogito ergo sum which is a good place to start, but it doesn’t take you far beyond solipsism. Solipsism is, frankly, boring and lame. A short step out from “I literally exist” is a whole world of fun and interesting things plus a lot of terrible things.

I am (and therefore GSBC is) fundamentally an Epicurean. We’re flying through a cold dark universe a bazillion miles an hour with no clear reason or meaning. But this rock we’re latched on to has ice cream! And lots of fun people.

I have also spent the bulk of my adult life to this point trying to understand complex systems and have come to appreciate that when more than about 100 people have to work together in one organization, you start to get some really weird incentives. Corners get cut that shouldn’t. On the other hand, some things get created that wouldn’t be possible at a small scale. For all Boeing’s problems, I’m not ready to fly on an artisanal jet liner.

Nothing’s going to be 100%, but the Pareto rule has been helpful for navigating tradeoffs. Ice cream is good, but it’s best when you’re healthy. The Pareto rule predicts that we can often get 80% of the benefit of something at 20% of the effort. Some corners are worth cutting.

And of course practice makes progress. Incremental progress is the name of the game. “Incremental Coffee” is an alternate name for my coffee business that I’ve considered.

Let’s try to put this compactly:

• We’re here to enjoy each other’s company as well as the buffet.
• Trust small and local more than big and famous.
• Nothing’s perfect. Perfection is a pretty good target to move towards, but cut the right corners.

Mission statements and corporate values lists make me sick to my stomach. I think I’ve seen too many organizations abandoning principles like “don’t be evil” in the same way a lot of college graduates just can’t drink tequila any more. But a bit of corporate midrash on those statements above might be helpful.

The first two points have fallen into line quite nicely in 2025. The third is the tricky one. What corners are uncuttable at GSBC? What compromises should be intentional policy instead of regretable flaws?

The goal is to create and protect a neighborly vibe centered around excellent coffee and beverages.

Some prohibitions are easy. “Don’t punch babies!” goes without saying. But other lines are fuzzier. I hate the idea of factory made syrups (while also appreciating their possible usefulness outside of my outfit). But I also use a lot of Biscoff cookies. Homemade syrups, but factory cookies doesn’t let me say “we must not use factory products”. There’s got to be some judgement.

Ultimately, I’m asking my customers to trust my judgement.(I, in turn, trust my suppliers, especially Sweet Maria’s for coffee and Breakaway for matcha.)

Some requirements are easy. The proverb “If you can’t smile, don’t open a shop” is axiomatic. I approach customer service trying to be friendly, inviting, caring, and curious. Other requirements are harder. Some degree of snobbery is essential for quality, but it needs to be held at bay to prevent harm to the vibe.

Let me wrap up this session with a quick mixed list of corners that aren’t worth cutting, and some 80/20 tradeoffs that make this all possible.

• My opinions are not perfect and will certainly change over time. The same is true for GSBC (as an abstraction I hold at arm’s length to organize my activity around Coffee). In some areas GSBC is mild mannered, but in other areas it’s strongly opinionated.
• Neighborliness is next door to Godliness. Be cool, be authentic, but don’t go nuts.
• Fresh roasted coffee doesn’t have to be roasted perfectly to be dramatically better than the average cup.
• Homemade is almost always better tasting than factory made. If you see me serving something I didn’t make myself, it had better be a better option than I could do myself. (Note to self: look into buying a couple Jersey cows and convince neighbors to let them graze on their lawns.)
• My memory is far from photographic (to the point I suspect I’m at least a little bit face-blind), but a friendly attitude more than makes up for messing up the odd name or asking 37 times if that’s with oat milk or regular.
• Don’t punch babies, and don’t cater to people who would.
• Punch cards you’re meant to lose are not acceptable.
• Better to be slow and excellent. Seasonal drinks and Tik Tok trends can be fun, but I’m not going to give you a seasonal drink that I’m not happy about.
• Taste is more important than appearance.
• Minimalism has it’s place and that place is nestled into a little nook in a larger maximalist context.
• If I won the lottery, I would keep doing what I’m doing, only more so (I would buy a transit bus and build a 6 seat cafe in it!). If I find lottery wishes out of line with my day-to-day I will update my plans accordingly.