Q&A with JetBlue Chairman, Joel Peterson

I'm signing off for the evening. Thank you all for your questions. It was great to interact with you today in this way. If I didn't get to your question, I'll try and answer tomorrow. J… more

Some highly talented analysts happen to be very entrepreneurial. The top-down structure of consulting means analysts usually get assigned low-level work and can’t utilize their creativity. Advice?

Advice for young entrepreneurial spirits in a closed environment and lots of pushback from more tenured employees? How do we introduce new and innovative ideas when we’re overlooked junior employees?

What career memory gives you the strongest feeling of “Oooooh, I could have done this/acted/reacted differently” and what did you do about it?

Which of JetBlue’s destination partners/DMOs is the most innovative, in your opinion?

If you were 20 today would you go into investment banking/consulting?

Hi Joel, given the virus uncertainties and challenging climate for the travel industry, what are your guiding principles and priorities for leading the company and stakeholders?

Hi Joe, I am a marketing professor at Texas Tech University, what advise would you give to our students that are just getting in the work life?

How does your childhood, education and family background influence your entrepreneurship & leadership potential? How can one motivate oneself against all limitations (financial, family, background… more

What is JetBlue doing to inspire their people during the coronavirus outbreak (while all airlines are taking a hit)?

Hi Joel, in 2009 following the economic downturn, JetBlue ran the “All You Can Jet” promotion to stimulate travel. Do you plan to bring back this deal in light of the coronavirus? Please do!

How do you balance the demands of your current job and dedicate the time to the business ideas you want to build when your current job is heavily time and energy consuming?

How do you go about gathering the necessary resources to make an idea Into a business? (I.e., capital, technical expertise with online platforms, gathering market insight)

Hi Joel, thank you for investing your time into this today, I appreciate it. What was the turning point in your life that made you choose the path of an entrepreneur?

Been waiting over a year and a half for the JetBlue badges program to come back from its 'brief vacation'.As a mosaic flyer who saw the badges as a fun differentiator and sign of the culture w… more

How to balance between keeping the leadership team happy (delivering value) and protecting people on my team (not working crazy hours)? Any tips for pushing back?

Should you make your ambition clear to work colleagues, stakeholders and managers? Or keep it hidden?

Here's a question for the group....How do high-trust teams behave differently from low-trust, power-driven-only teams?

How important do you think using structured goals like OKRs are during the early days?

Hello Joel. What would you say are 5 things that you value more than money?

What are the factors you consider to decide between insourcing vs engaging a consulting firm

With new ventures, how critical is a strong team for success? Do you think successful leadership results more from an exceptional founder or from a team that together is uniquely qualified to win?

How did you decide to investing in a relative start-up like Jetsuite/JetSuiteX? What factors did you consider for an investment in a disrupter where the market is completely unproven?

Why did you remove Blue Potatoes from the snack menu??

How do you feel about comedian Patton Oswalt’s portrayal of Jet Blue?

How is the coronavirus affecting JetBlue? And what measures are you taking to provide travelers with a cleaner experience?

What will an MBA teach you, that actually starting a business and building it up to a certain revenue / EBITDA / other benchmark metric won’t? And vice versa.

What in your view makes for a good “start up” employee? How do you help your team deal with the high risk/high stakes nature of the work?

How would a startup business get to pitch with a larger company like jet blue? What would they be looking for and what assurances would they need to take a shot with a smaller business.

There are people who are very eager to start up their own businesses and say have the education/intellect/vision for it; but they do not have a solid idea. How should they start on their journeys?

How important is it for you that the person you’re working with is a good person and wants to do good by others?

How valuable is an MBA today (cost/benefit/value over time)? Thinking of getting out of advertising into strategy/innovation work. What sort of trajectories make sense coming from advert/new business?

If I think I have a great venture idea that is well supported by market research, what are some of the next steps you would recommend?

In your opinion, why are airfares in the US still so much more expensive than in Europe?

How the leadership qualities are going to change in next 20 years