Navigating the Impossible

FOUR QUESTIONS

I had gone from a washed-out baseball player to a struggling rower to an elite Vesper assassin to nearly qualifying for the Olympics. But now, the time had come to test my mettle against my most serious challenge yet: the art of the perfect latte.

As it turns out, regatta trophies don’t take you quite as far in the job market as I’d hoped. Most respectable companies choose instead to focus on stupid things like “skills” or “experience.” That’s companies for you.

After Vesper, the only job I could get in a hurry was at a Peet’s Coffee near where I grew up. Every morning, faithful patrons would stream into Peet’s to grab a morning jolt and see what happens when you cram a six foot four rower into a small kitchen surrounded by hot ...