the secrets behind JetBlue

Filed in archive Entrepreneurship on September 12, 2004

Source: www.cnn.com


The SFChronicle features a very well done interview with David Neeleman co-founder of Jetblue that has many smart answers:

"Q: How did you start out? Where did you go to school?

A: University of Utah. But I dropped out.

Q: What happened then?

A: I started a little travel business in Utah. We had about 20 employees, and were doing $8 million in business. We were doing Hawaii trips. I don't know if you remember Pineapple Express. I was buying tickets from them. They went out of business and took my little business with them. I was, like, "Oh, jeez, now what do I do?''

It was a difficult thing. I was 23 years old at the time. I kind of hated the travel business because of what happened to me.

And then I learned it was a business that really needed some fresh thinking and fresh ideas. At 23, I helped start Morris Air, ran it for 10 years, sold it and signed a noncompetition agreement that lasted five years. Five years ago, I started JetBlue, and I'm 44, so that's my whole life right there."