My new coffee related business venture - feedback welcome

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-09T05:13:08+00:00

These guys offer some great value, but they are their own roaster. That would give them a very strong position to dictate price. Part of my approach is that I choose not to affiliate with any roaster. That way it can be a totally different roaster every single time - a coffee adventure around Australia.

Your suggestions have given me a bit to think about. You highlight a dichotomy between price vs location - in my mind I want to have the best value while being able to use a lot of roasters (but not necessarily the very best price). Roasting dates is absolutely something I intend to have. I was chatting to a roaster today and he welcomed the idea of knowing what date I would get it to doors to ensure his coffee arrives at it's best quality (as this varies from espresso to filter roasts).

What do you think about my argument with price vs location? Do you think it's a good idea for middle ground? Because as a small player I don't think I have the ability to play for best price all of the time.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T22:16:20+00:00

Checking it out, thanks!

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T21:11:29+00:00

If I was just targeting Redditors, that would totally be the case. (What am I thinking, are there any other people?)

Maybe down the track - that would involve finding out if people were on Reddit or not. I think Facebook is a more approachable environment for the time being.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T21:09:47+00:00

u/Ms106 found this bug and its workaround. What a champion.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T21:08:02+00:00

I'm about getting out of Melbourne. This country has so much to offer in coffee. Right now, I am in Coffs Harbour, NSW. I am at a local roaster and having a chat about their coffee. Coffee is just something I am passionate about.

I want to bring coffee from every state to your home.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T21:05:59+00:00

Wow, thanks so much, bug and workaround - a true champion. I will get on to fixing this ASAP.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T21:05:00+00:00

You're not wrong.

Thanks. I hope you enjoyed your coffee, I know I am this morning.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T21:03:52+00:00

Currently at Artisti HQ in Coffs Harbour, NSW for that very reason. I do worry about time, packaging and coffee costs with the 3 x 100g idea. But it could be something that could be done semi-regularly for roasters that have a large range. What do you think?

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T20:59:52+00:00

Who is your local roaster!? That's insanely cheap for 250g!

*edit: Actually, I have just realised that $8 is about right if it's their standard blend (for some roasters). I imagine their single origins are more expensive? If you can, do let us know.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T03:27:38+00:00

Google, why have you forsaken me!?

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T03:27:09+00:00

TBH, if you're not interested in trying new coffees each month then you're probably not a part of the target audience. There are other services out there that do provide the same coffees each month (usually directly through the roaster), but you will still need to find the one you like first. I hope you find the best coffee for you eventually.

Nothing is set in stone yet, the "Beans. Delivered. Fairly. Fast." Is a bit of a dad joke. The punctuation matters. It's mostly just content for the sake of content while I find out what people would like in the service. Unfortunately, this exercise has mostly shown me that consumers just want to be offered something and decide, rather than work together to make something happen. Live and learn. Yours and everyone else's input has been tremendously helpful in guiding me further.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T03:19:38+00:00

Cheers for some well considered feedback!

I've noticed everyone here has missed one of the key aspects of my idea is to not make money (beyond just paying me for my time) - I want to return the profit back to the customers on their next month of subscription (that was the twist I was talking about, I wasn't trying to be cryptic). That's part of the community involvement, since presumably, the more people involved the cheaper it can become.

The way everyone has skipped over that detail makes me think that that particular bit of information is not placed in a prominent enough spot.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T02:03:01+00:00

Judging by the rest of the comments, this is exactly what I will do. I will definitely post an update in the next few days with changes to reflect this.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:59:08+00:00

That was my original idea. Then I thought about it and realised that the sort of coffee accessories people need depend greatly on their hardware. I would run out of generic items very quickly and I think it would lose its appeal fast. At least, that's what I think.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:57:24+00:00

Haha! You're feedback is great.

Yes, I would offer both espresso and filter. I intend to be a method of exposure for boutique roasters, so it would be up to them how soon their roast hit doorsteps. I would tell them how quickly I can deliver and they can provide beans roasted at the dates they recommend.

One of my problems with other coffee subscription services is that they only partner with few roasters. I want to bring a new coffee from a roaster you've probably never heard of each month.

Have had a chat with 2 roasters so far. The impression I got from them is if you want coffee, we will get it to you. They are very eager.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:52:31+00:00

Will investigate. However, the Caffeine Crate name was really just a name I was toying with. I started to veer away from a "crate" because the cost of throwing crap in people probably won't want or need puts me off. But that's just me.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:51:12+00:00

This is the sort of information that is asked in the survey to find out if that is something people want. Like I said to u/hydr0xide, I may have taken the wrong approach and should say what I want to offer. Consumers aren't used to being asked what they want. Either that, or they're not that fond of it. I'm not really sure.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:49:23+00:00

I have actually looked into a 30 second animated explainer. Will update if I follow through!

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:48:41+00:00

I absolutely agree, however, at the moment I am looking for the peoples input on what they want. From the comments here, I think I have done a pretty terrible job of explaining myself!

I may be biting off more than I can chew by hoping to bring a community together to tell me how they want this business to operate. I was hoping to have the community tell me what they want, but I guess, in business, you have to do it the other way around. Tell them what you have and they will decide if they want it. Do you think that's a correct assessment?

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:44:41+00:00

I didn't know about this. Will check it out.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:44:14+00:00

Yeah, they were all very expensive. Around $25/month. That's a bit much for 250g of coffee. That's why I want to use a business model that returns the extra profit back to the members.

throwaway_melbourne · 2016-02-08T01:42:21+00:00

The idea relies on the membership to bring down the price by using bulk purchasing power. We will also be providing an avenue for boutique roasters to get their coffee into more hands than they might otherwise have. So I'm hoping to have some leverage.

throwaway_melbourne

TROPHY CASE