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Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

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Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#141

Post by _eht »

OK, I'll try it. I've been interested in an instant/easy cup of coffee for a long time and yet to find anything worthwhile.

From a tech standpoint the order process is a bit lacking and confusing. I'm prompted to create an account after ordering, but then emailed an activation for an account that was automatically created.

I'm unsure if my month starts now, and I can expect a shipment soon, or if I have to wait till 4/22, which is what your site says my next shipment will process.

You linked to a 'super secret' area (https://www.suddencoffee.com/?trial=true) where it says your trial will convert to an eight cup subscription for $24/month, but I signed up on the normal page for $22/month.

I'm looking forward to trying the coffee, as well as having a more intuitive and less confusing site to manage my subscription. How is that for a coffee/tech snob? :D

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#142

Post by bigtunacan »

tyre wrote: post #123

Maybe I'm biased, as a fellow YC founder, but I don't understand the negativity. 1) Sudden is the first company that I've actually considered buying instant coffee from. In the US, there's a pretty strong stigma against it, so that's not an easy task. 2) $3 per cup isn't a lot of money, roughly equivalent to a cup of coffee elsewhere in SF. Especially if I don't have to stop anywhere and can just put it in a water bo…

There is definitely some SV bubble around this. I can buy a local cafe pour over cup for less than this product.

I can buy my own beans and heat the kettle and pour that over in less than 5 minutes.

If I'm desperate and in hurry then I can make a cup of Keurig for a fraction of the cost.

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#143

Post by freese »

truthexposer wrote: post #133
zloof wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Happy to answer whatever questions we can disclose! Thanks for starting the thread. It's somewhere in the middle to be honest. We did not invent freeze dried coffee - it's been around for over a century. However, it is quite difficult to make it work at-scale in a way that's profitable/sustainable, and that still tastes good. I have a pretty extensive background in operations, manufacturing, & tech and I had to pull…

Who is your target? If people want good tasting coffee, like a connoisseur, one would like the option of selecting the type of bean, where it is sourced from, how it's roasted, how it's ground, how it's brewed etc. People even vehemently oppose and stand by brewing methods, which to an ordinary person who doesn't care about coffee, wouldn't care about. And if someone is buying instant coffee anyways, I doubt they car…

Even though I own pretty much every coffee brewing device I use Sudden at home every morning. It's just so much easier. It's never going to be better than a really well brewed coffee but it's just sooo easy and still really solid.

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#144

Post by freese »

iamacynic wrote: post #87
alaskamiller wrote: post #22

I work in the coffee industry and saw Sudden pop up last year so was interested in the technique and hacked it out. Freeze dried coffee is already what Folgers does and sell you. This is the more artisanal version of that since the big brands have big factories that can pump out plenty of instant coffee grounds. So this is a ramped up volume play on existing techniques perfected by the doomsday preppers. Youtube sear…

none of the things you just mentioned are easy or cheap, so i feel like minimizing the "what they're doing" part is a bit strange, or maybe that's just how i read your text. most businesses when analyzed on paper like this are very simple, or are re-packaging existing ideas. that's not something i would put against a business idea. having said that, the primary reason i pound cold brew instead of making 2 or 3 aeropr…

Yup. In theory making good instant coffee is a pretty simple idea but I can tell you that if I knew what I know about the process I'm not sure I'd start this business all over again.

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#145

Post by Exuma »

I just wanted to comment that I LOVE your marketing site. Extremely easy on the eyes, clear, good calls to action. I don't give that compliment easily either, it really is great, succinct, clean. That's my biggest problem with most sites is they're ridiculous and not built for actual sales. Great work

PS. I just ordered some. Now if only blue bottle coffee would do this :| I think their coffee is god like. we shal try yours now

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#146

Post by stjarnljuset »

freese wrote: post #113
stjarnljuset wrote: post #92

I'm actually a daily instant coffee drinker so I'll definitely check this out. Currently I use the Korean instant coffee packets (includes powdered cream and sugar). Since I get these for about 12 cents a packet, it's unlikely I'll be a permanent convert, but I adore the packaging for Sudden Coffee.

Yeah we definitely won't be able to beat that price. Would you buy a Sudden three-in-one with cream and sugar if there was that option?

I've already ordered the regular kind, but I'd be interested in the three-in-one also!

I do occasionally drink my coffee black if it isn't super bitter.

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#147

Post by ccameron »

freese wrote: post #135
ccameron wrote: post #132

I'd like to echo a huge need for this in backpacking and travel areas. For instance I went on a cruise recently and could not get a decent cup of coffee for a week. I would have loved this option for travel. If I saw this at a premium price and it was marketed and positioned properly as a much better alternative than Starbucks Via at REI or some other outdoor retailer I'd definitely buy it. I wouldn't subscribe for i…

Thanks for the comment! I hear ya. We're considering retail as an option in the future. Right now the subscription simply is the business model that makes sense for us - our current margins are too slim for retailers.

And one more thing, can you figure out a great instant creamer? I've tried many instant creamers and they all taste terrible. I really like the Coffeemate Natural Bliss creamer line, but I've had trouble finding an instant creamer that I like. Maybe it's out there and I just haven't found it yet.

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#149

Post by freese »

_eht wrote: post #141

OK, I'll try it. I've been interested in an instant/easy cup of coffee for a long time and yet to find anything worthwhile. From a tech standpoint the order process is a bit lacking and confusing. I'm prompted to create an account after ordering, but then emailed an activation for an account that was automatically created. I'm unsure if my month starts now, and I can expect a shipment soon, or if I have to wait till…

Thanks for pointing all these out!

Agree that the order process is a bit lacking. We just hired our first engineer to work on it. We're currently using Shopify + a bunch of apps since our focus has been the hardware (brewing + coffee). Also - just had a meeting yesterday to figure out how to make the site more clear.

Your month starts now. We'll ship your coffee tomorrow and the subscription will renew on 4/22.

The pricing for the trial is a bug. We lowered the price recently and clearly forgot to update the description - I just fixed it.

Really appreciate the feedback!

Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck

#150

Post by darkst4r »

zloof wrote: post #32
rhaps0dy wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What prevents you from subscribing and then unsubscribing just afterwards? (I don't know, maybe the webpage does, but there's no mention of minimum times anywhere and recurringcheckout has let me unsubscribe without problems in the past)

Nothing prevents you from doing this and you are totally welcome to do it! You can email our support email as well and we'll cancel it for you. We'd obviously prefer that you stay on with a subscription, but are just happy to have more people give us a try.

I would also not sign up for a subscription service that does not let me cancel without contacting customer service. It's a dark pattern that too many subscription services adopt. The only reason for this is to make it more difficult to cancel. I was about to visit your site and try it out (depending on price), then I read that comment. If your willing to make it hard for me to cancel to try and squeeze in an extra buck then what else are you willing to do. I feel like it's shady and makes me not trust your company.
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