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Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

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Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#61

Post by timgriffin77 »

theturtletalks wrote: post #58
timgriffin77 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really appreciate this level of detail, all of this is really helpful. In terms of biz-dev I'm happy to share, because it's been the definition of doing something that doesn't scale, but it's worked to this point. When we were getting started, our team + family and friends split up the task of pinning independent coffee shops on Google Maps, by using keyword searches like "local coffee," "espresso," etc. From there,…

Do you expect apps like DoorDash and UberEats to offer coffee pick-up in the future? I know some stores already allow pick-up for orders.

I fully expect it, but our goal is for that not to matter by the time they do. Both of those co.'s recently announced features that directly compete with other startups: 1) Ubereats announced an order ahead and dine in option, the exact same feature that Allset built as a foundation 2) Doordash announced a group order feature, the exact same feature that Ritual built as a foundation

It's only a matter of time until they attempt to carve into another aspect of food ordering, but we're confident that if we stay focused on supporting our target market (coffee) and building the best possible product for that industry, it won't be a concern.

Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#62

Post by ben_jones »

timgriffin77 wrote: post #54
ben_jones wrote: post #53

I appreciate the thorough write-up. Here are a few notes from a potential power user: 1) Your service is currently unusable for me because there are only two shops in SF both located in the Mission. As a general rule of thumb I have no interest traveling >= .25mi for coffee. 2) My average monthly spend is ~$150 of primarily take-out coffee split equally between SBux, Pete's, and other. 3) I'll never wait in a moderat…

Really appreciate this level of detail, all of this is really helpful. In terms of biz-dev I'm happy to share, because it's been the definition of doing something that doesn't scale, but it's worked to this point. When we were getting started, our team + family and friends split up the task of pinning independent coffee shops on Google Maps, by using keyword searches like "local coffee," "espresso," etc. From there,…

My company does A LOT of coffee meetings and the actual ordering can be a bit awkward, usually someone senior pays and you get this sort of awkward exchange where the other person offers but then lets the first person pay anyways.

What about including it as a corporate benefit like Classpass where a company can pay for seats and then the seats can get coffee at various places as a benefit? Could definitely see it being a big hit and a much easier sales vertical because now you're pitching entire companies visiting a given shop instead of a single individual. I can dream :)

Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#64

Post by timgriffin77 »

azhu wrote: post #59

I think you're going to hit difficulties getting most local coffeeshops onboard. Unless there is a brand of local coffeeshop I am not familiar with, and it's probable that this in-between brand exists in cities without much space and more of a focus on pumping out volume, most local coffeeshops identify with the opposite of this ethos. They are focused on the experience of being in the coffeeshop and standing as a cl…

Completely agree with a lot of your points, we run into coffee shops every day that are hesitant to offer something like this. That said, resigning themselves to the fact that a chain exists is a surefire way to go out of business. Most of the shops we speak with are actively looking for ways to maintain the quality you've noted, while simultaneously attracting more customers.

In terms of scale, we're asked about fragmentation a lot. Chains like Starbucks and Dunkin' will never use Cloosiv, but there's no reason to believe that as our network grows, that we can't support large regional chains (Joe Muggs, Dollop) and even national chains (Caribou, La Colombe, etc.).

For now, we're hyper-focused on building out that network, by adding any interested shop as quickly as possible. That may appear fragmented across the country, but as we increase our speed we'll be able hit a critical mass quickly.

Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#65

Post by azhu »

timgriffin77 wrote: post #64
azhu wrote: post #59

I think you're going to hit difficulties getting most local coffeeshops onboard. Unless there is a brand of local coffeeshop I am not familiar with, and it's probable that this in-between brand exists in cities without much space and more of a focus on pumping out volume, most local coffeeshops identify with the opposite of this ethos. They are focused on the experience of being in the coffeeshop and standing as a cl…

Completely agree with a lot of your points, we run into coffee shops every day that are hesitant to offer something like this. That said, resigning themselves to the fact that a chain exists is a surefire way to go out of business. Most of the shops we speak with are actively looking for ways to maintain the quality you've noted, while simultaneously attracting more customers. In terms of scale, we're asked about fra…

I think your points of targetting large regional chains and not-Starbucks national chains are great. I think you may achieve more impactful market acquisition there.

> resigning themselves to the fact that a chain exists is a surefire way to go out of business

Saying this to a local coffeeshop is a surefire way to get them to not only not listen to you, but to tell all their friends about how much you suck. This is absolutely wrong. This may work in selling to someone struggling, but the very fact that any other solidly-in-business coffeeshop exists proves your argument quite obviously incorrect.

Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#66

Post by timgriffin77 »

ben_jones wrote: post #62
timgriffin77 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really appreciate this level of detail, all of this is really helpful. In terms of biz-dev I'm happy to share, because it's been the definition of doing something that doesn't scale, but it's worked to this point. When we were getting started, our team + family and friends split up the task of pinning independent coffee shops on Google Maps, by using keyword searches like "local coffee," "espresso," etc. From there,…

My company does A LOT of coffee meetings and the actual ordering can be a bit awkward, usually someone senior pays and you get this sort of awkward exchange where the other person offers but then lets the first person pay anyways. What about including it as a corporate benefit like Classpass where a company can pay for seats and then the seats can get coffee at various places as a benefit? Could definitely see it bei…

I think that's a great idea. Not surprising, but our highest volume tends to be at locations in or directly around large corporate offices. That and hospitals.

We'll definitely look into this, I appreciate the suggestion!

Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#67

Post by timgriffin77 »

azhu wrote: post #65
timgriffin77 wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely agree with a lot of your points, we run into coffee shops every day that are hesitant to offer something like this. That said, resigning themselves to the fact that a chain exists is a surefire way to go out of business. Most of the shops we speak with are actively looking for ways to maintain the quality you've noted, while simultaneously attracting more customers. In terms of scale, we're asked about fra…

I think your points of targetting large regional chains and not-Starbucks national chains are great. I think you may achieve more impactful market acquisition there. > resigning themselves to the fact that a chain exists is a surefire way to go out of business Saying this to a local coffeeshop is a surefire way to get them to not only not listen to you, but to tell all their friends about how much you suck. This is a…

Sorry about that, I didn't do a great job of clarifying. What I meant to say is that we haven't encountered that type of pushback nearly as much as we anticipated. Owners tend to understand the concept and most are interested in improving their competitive advantage. The primary concerns we face are around fulfillment and customer expectation, but we'll likely continue to run into more shops that are simply uninterested in this sales channel.

Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#68

Post by bb88 »

kitcar wrote: post #56
julianlam wrote: post #8

This is exactly Ritual's (Toronto, Canada) schtick. Order ahead, start walking. Food will be ready when you arrive. There's no reason why you need to stick to coffee. I use Ritual to order from my favourite restaurant in the middle of a tourist attraction. The tourists wait 30+ minutes, and I can stroll up to the counter and grab my lunch and skip the line. Ritual even tracks your location with GPS (if opt-in) and de…

I believe Ritual actually currently operates in a number of US markets, like Chicago https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/ritual-3

It looks like NYC, SF, and Chicago are the big places on their maps. Those seem to be walking cities, though.

Not sure how their business would translate to the midwest, where many of the cities are driving cities.

Re: Launch HN: Cloosiv (YC S19) – Order ahead from local coffee shops

#69

Post by rainyMammoth »

shubhamjain wrote: post #5

I am not your target market, but holy shit, that's one heck of a write-up. I couldn't have been more "meh" seeing the title, but you sold me on everything—the size of a market, the growth, how you're doing no one else is and why it's an awesome opportunity. An amazing pitch. I hope you well for success.

Same. I almost want to launch a competing service now.
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