Why would someone say "I have one simple rule: I don’t want to work with people whom I wouldn’t [work with]?" That's a meaningless tautology. You also don't need to know someone's life plans and literature preferences if you're just working with them.
I'm pretty sure that "grab a coffee with" is a smartass way of saying socializing.
Grabbing a coffee, while talking about work isn't worthwhile mentioning.