Adam Galuszka is a buyer/manager for a bicycle shop in Palo Alto.

I’ve lived in Silicon Valley for twenty-five years; the first twenty in Mountain View and about five years in Los Altos.  I was born in Canada, but I came over with my parents when my father was transferred to a large engineering firm in Redwood City.  I’ve never worked outside Silicon Valley.

I think that a lot of people choose to have the Valley “change” them.  I think it’s up to the person to either have that actual change inspired by the Valley, or you choose to change yourself.  I don’t think I’ve been led by the Valley; I think that there are certain things that yes, my work ethic, the speed I work [are probably determined by] the Valley.  But other than that, I don’t care about the car I drive or the clothes I wear.  That’s another part of the Valley too, the association of social ranking, what you drive, what you wear.  It’s an important factor of the Valley, [but] I think it’s what you make of it.

I do the buying for Palo Alto Bicycles.  I do some managing also, meaning that when the other managers are out, my primary job is management.  Prior to my being a buyer, I was the sales manager.  I’ve been at the shop for about six years now.

My typical workday starts an hour to an hour and a half before the store actually opens, about 8:30.  I go online and check in with my vendors, most of whom are based on the East Coast.  If I don’t catch them at a certain time, the deadlines for freight restrictions expire.  I check my e-mail, which is also part of ordering, and answer between 50 and 75 e-mails before I start my day.  This takes about three hours, depending on what the shop needs.  I’m also responsible for making sure our invoices get paid on time.  After that, I’m obligated to be on the sales floor when I’m needed.  Then there’s the basic stuff: answering phone calls and performing management duties for my salespeople.  Sometimes you’ll find me in the back, in the service department, where I’ll be working on a bike.  I wear many hats, but my main hat is the buying and accounts payable. Those will be the core of my day.

I have multiple criteria that help me decide what to buy.  The brand name, brand recognition, and the quality of the brand is very important.  But I don’t necessarily like to bring things in that everybody else has.  I think we’re a unique store with unique items, and it sets us apart.  I also don’t like to keep the same item in and restock it consistently.  Warranty is also a huge thing for me.  I want to understand what a company’s policies are on warranty, whether it be an article of clothing, a bag, a bike, or a wheel.  I also look at a lot of different consumer websites.  I do a lot of research online in consumer forums to see what other people are thinking.

I’m often willing to pay for the product to get it, and I don’t expect freebies.  I call the companies and say, “I’d love to have this product, and I’ll pay for it.  I want to use it for four months before we consider bringing it into the store.”  You’d be amazed at how many vendors are willing to do that.  We’re in one of those ideal locations in the Valley, which means we have a lot of exposure to a broad demographic.  As great as the internet is, there are only so many people you can reach with it.  You can’t touch the product, or feel it, or wear it or try it on.  So it’s really nice to be able to have a product available in the store.

In my previous job, I worked for a genetic software company.  It was a small company, and I was in charge of marketing, but I performed a number of tasks there as well.  It was intense.  We were very driven because we knew that if we didn’t get the company up and running, we were gone.  And essentially, that’s what happened.  I just got back from a conference in the bicycle industry, and none of us would change the industry we’re in.  We love it.  It may not be the most lucrative financially, but I love what I do.  I feel valued here because we’re a reputable bike shop.  I feel valued in the consumer’s eye.  We’re really bike-centric.  We love biking, and everything that’s involved with it, whether it be commuting, clothes, bikes, technical items, etc.  This is what I study.  They [consumers] come to me saying, “I don’t know about this; can you tell me about it?”  They put a lot of trust in me.

I think the cycling culture here is unique.  I’ve had the opportunity to travel around the world, and I would say that cycling here in the Americas is still up and coming.  In Europe, for example, children, teens, and adults are riding as a means of transportation.  Regardless of weather or what they’re riding, it’s transportation.  I think that’s something that we have the potential to grasp.  Whether it’s just running to the grocery store, doing a quick errand, or having your kids ride to school, we could do more.  A lot of kids live less than two miles from school, but they’re being driven there by their parents and there’s no need for it.  They can ride their bikes.  We have bike lanes, and it’s a relatively safe community.

If you look at Silicon Valley versus other places in America, such as the Midwest, we have a larger percentage of people who ride.  We live in a beautiful area, with a lot of unique rides, and climate is a huge issue.  In the Midwest right now [February], they’re not riding.  It’s extremely cold, maybe zero degrees, and you can’t ride safely.  There are snow and ice on the ground.  In California now, it’s in the low sixties.  In February!  I think there’s not much of a comparison.  This is a real Mecca for riding, and there’s still the potential for more.

Contributed by Kelly Stuart