I've met Virginia a couple of times. She's definitely got game and is a delightful person and great businesswoman. I totally disagree with your assessment that owners have to be wrenches. Her shop has been around for years which is a testament to her business acumen. She's establishing a dealer program for the brand as seen in courts videos. In a world of disappearing IBS, you need good business skills and hire good people. She's done both. I wouldn't hesitate buying from her, online or in store. BtW check out her prices on Stromers. A testament to her background and negotiating skills with the Swiss.
As for Tora, yes I have a lot of respect for him as a designer and engineer. But from a business perspective, he needs a lot more help. Just look at his forums and website comments. He needs Quality Control, Supply Chain Management and CSR's, badly. It's great to watch his videos, but stock outs and very long delays while sitting on a float from customers is no way to run a business. He's good but he can't be a 'one armed paper hanger' for long. He's also trying to sell through dealers now.
I remember an old TV show, maybe Michael Moore (or similar) who would interview CEO's. He'd ask Bill Gates to format a floppy disk on camera, Bill Ford to do an oil change, etc. Is this what you're looking for as a measure of leadership and business management?
If there's any doubt, I'd recommend that you support a dedicated ebike store. They may not have your Perfect ebike, but you'll be taken care of by experts who will provide great customer service. Yes it'll cost more than the online guy. But totally worth building a relationship with them. Regular bike shops are trying,but in my experience they often don't get it with ebikes since their regular spandex customers aren't that interested in this technology.
