Please do a carbon dioxide extracted decaf!
Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
221–230 of 394 posts
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#222Please do a carbon dioxide extracted decaf!
Working on it - either that or Swiss water.
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#223Earlier 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…
I would love to have this when I'm on a flight!
There might be some customer facing bigcos with a service component that might buy into this as a differentiator, especially in their premium cabins.
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#224[deleted]
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#225holy shit. soooooo expensive.
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#226Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do you mean the equipment we use to brew and dehydrate the coffee? We use CIP process for all the equipment - there's definitely no mold growing in any of our equipment. For brewing - just add the powder to water or milk, no need for brewing
Milk? Interesting. Does cold milk work?
Sure does but you need to stir (or better, shake) it a little more. The best solution is to mix the coffee in a tiny bit of hot water and then add cold milk/water.
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#227I'd try this if there was UK shipping!
We shipped internationally for about a year but stopped recently since a lot of packages got stuck in customs or got lost.
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#228Earlier quoted context omitted.
You have to call the New York Times to cancel your digital subscription. Why would I trust that some online coffee merchant I've never heard of isn't up to the same tricks? https://www.nytimes.com/content/help/account/purchases/subsc...
Just use a single vendor credit card. I do this all the time with Final (getfinal.com).
Cancelling your card != Cancelling the subscription.
You could get collections sent after you for doing this, bad for credit.
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#229Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's also one of the first things to turn off a new consumer thinking about taking a chance on an unknown brand. You're fighting the reputation of generations of scammers who promised "cancel any time" and either weasel-worded the small print or just outright ignored cancellation requests to charge as much as possible to recurring bills.
Automatic recurring billing is a "dark pattern" from back before anyone made up that term. The only reason it makes more money than one-time purchase or an honest subscription (where customers have to explicitly pay to resubscribe every month or year) is that people will forget or get frustrated when it's time to cancel. Do you want to run that sort of business? "Fun" fact: I bought a used car, only to discover that…
Co-founder here - I actually want to challenge that...for science. I've gone pretty deep on this.
There are definitely sets of products for which people want to 'set it and forget it'. At a basic level - electricity. I'd love to never think about my electricity bill ever. I do not want to explicitly pay for my electricity bill. Automated payment on electricity is amazing!
There are also many products in my life that I truly love and would use a lot more, but I am too lazy to buy or order them. I love LaCroix sparkling water. I would have no problem if it showed up at my house for $20 a month. However, because I'm lazy I never actually buy any - instead I get Coke at the corner store - worse for me.
Our goal with Sudden Coffee is to make it really really easy to get something you like. We are definitely not trying to pull wool over anyones eyes - we try to be as transparent as possible with this. We will never give you the run around if you need to cancel - that's just not who we are.
Closer to our hearts - a subscription allows us to actually make it an 'experience' instead of just cups of coffee. We can educate you about coffee, send you new recipes, guide you through coffee tastings - over a longer period of time. When we talk to customers at cafes - those extra moments of delight make the experience memorable - not just a cup of coffee.
That said, Kalle is also right. A subscription ultimately means we can spend less money & time on marketing, more money where it counts - on coffee, and give it to you at a lower price. I mentioned this in an earlier thread - for us to deliver the same coffee without subscriptions, we'd have to charge $4-5 per cup. However, I can also tell you that we have many happy subscribers who love that it's a subscription - it's not something that feels forced, but rather something that makes life easier.
Would really love for you to give us a try! Promise you will not be met with resistance if you need to cancel!
Re: Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that doesn't suck
#230Earlier 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…
I like good coffee: I don't care where it comes from. I like how I'm making coffee right now and where I get my coffee from, but this seems interesting for stuff like camping, hiking, and so on.
You can like good coffee and be interested in good instant coffee.