Starbucking

I recently wrapped up an interview with a man you may have heard of .. the guy trying to visit every Starbucks in the world.

His name is Winter, and as you might imagine, it's a daunting task. Few companies are growing as fast as Starbucks, and for them, fast growth means coffeeshops popping up on what seems like every streetcorner where we live. No matter where we live.

True to his word, Winter (which is his real name) has been pretty single-minded in his focus and pursuit. He makes a little money as a contract computer programmer, lives out of his (small) car to save funds, and knows in detail where every Starbucks, new and old, is...and is going to be.

He's even got a documentary film, "Starbucking," out on DVD, about his quest.

It seems like a crazy way to go, especially since his quest isn't sposored or anything, but Winter insists that it's how he's going to make his mark on the world. For its part, Starbucks isn't getting involved in the long Winter journey, but even the baristas he met while we were following him around knew of his quest, and were nice to him, comping him his coffee.

And, about all that coffee. As you mught guess, Winter is paying the physical price (headaches, skin rashes, etc), and seems perpetually, well, energetic. He's otherwise a nice guy, and it makes me wonder why someone would take ten years of his life (he started when he was 25) to do this.

Think about it. If you're around my age, think about what you did from the age of 25-35. Then, think about tossing almost all of it aside .. to visit lots of Starbucks.