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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

#371

Post by miraj »

odonnellryan wrote: post #367
freese wrote: post #286

Earlier quoted context omitted.

+1

Bought 40, by the way, to give out. Will buy more if people love them. Won't replace my whole-bean subscriptions, but will be a great way to get a good cup of coffee away from my home, and a great gift for my dad who likes instant coffee. One suggestion: let us buy without a subscription, even if it costs 10-20 percent more. I don't want to subscribe to this service for the above reasons. :)

+1 for the non-subscription request. I've told a few people about Sudden few weeks earlier, and the subscription only option is a bit downer.

A pop-up store type experience in major coffee cities in N.America (including Canada pls.) would be a good way to get the word out about Sudden.

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

#372

Post by finnh »

zloof wrote: post #283
finnh wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With the 4-6 (+) shelf life you mention elsewhere on-thread, could you setup a seasonal subscription? "Camping time! Send me x ounces every: May [x] June [] July []"

Yeah that could definitely work. We're limited technically at the moment (e.g. can't really extend our platform to do things like that), but hiring a team to enable things like that. What would be really neat is if we learned exactly how much you need and sent you the right amount at the right time.

Just let me schedule it. Trying to "learn" the right time and amount probably won't work well with such small datasets, and has a high risk of annoying your customers.

At most, send me a reminder email asking if I want to repeat last year's order.

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

#373

Post by uptownfunk »

chrismartin wrote: post #202
uptownfunk wrote: post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Downvote me to hell, but I think people drink too much coffee (and caffeinated drinks), it's just not necessary and is an addictive substance. I think it's a toxic substance honestly, tires the adrenals and heart out. Anyone else on here who abstains from caffeine?

Uptownfunk, I also severely limit my caffeine intake (right now zero). It's a tool that mitigates fatigue at the expense of anxiety, irritability, and sleep disruption. Through an anthropologist's lens, caffeine helps adapt unreliable human mental concentration to an industrial/capitalist society. (Just like ritalin and adderall!) See ern's comment regarding "forced to take coffee to keep up with my fellow developers…

Yes, I used to be an avid coffee drinker, but I would get so irritable that my relationships would suffer so I quit. Things are much better now, and I find that I have more energy now naturally than I had before when I was a caffeine-addict.

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

#374

Post by rcar »

stagbeetle wrote: post #287
tps5 wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I think it's a toxic substance honestly, tires the adrenals and heart out Do you have any evidence for this or is it a hmm-I-better-not-vaccinate-my-children-because-I-think-it-will-give-them-autism type statement?

I tried looking for anything that would concur with his point, but all the sources Google Scholar gave me were very untrustworthy. I did, however, find this neat little article on the "myth" of adrenal fatigue, from Crossfit.[0] There's a part that says caffeine overuse can trigger general fatigue (or adrenal fatigue as refereed to the alternative medicine crowd). http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_2015_07_Adre…

Cochrane (http://www.cochrane.org/) is often a good aggregator for medicine-related subjects. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they've got anything good for this one -- just a few things relating to caffeine and pain, pregnancy, etc.: http://uk.cochrane.org/news/caffeine-and-health-evidence-coc...

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

#375

Post by phonon »

zloof wrote: post #48
startupdiscuss wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sometimes the market speaks REALLY clearly! (1) I, too, would love to try it out. This does mean that if it is not much better than my Keurig (wasteful) single use, I may not re-up. Would be interested to see. (2) Also, would be great if the trial packets were available someplace that already had my credit card (like Amazon). (3) Do you have half-cafs?

Co-founder here - love the idea of having trial packets some place that's easier to buy, like Amazon. Will think on that. We do want to make it a lot easier to try (see my comment above) - figuring out the best ways to do that.

Make it available S&S only on Amazon. People are a lot more comfortable setting up subscriptions through Amazon, and Amazon allows you to skip a month, bring forward, cancel, etc.

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

#376

Post by dang »

richthegeek wrote: post #318
iamacynic wrote: post #277

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Mr. Wonderful and Mr. Coffee will knock this off in μseconds if there's any traction. good. excellent. the more ripoffs the better. in what universe is the giants copying the small startup a bad thing? validation, validation, validation. validation, validation, validation. validation. val. i. da. tion. one more time. validation. i wish i could think like you, i really do. i would probably be much happier with every…

I know your username literally spells it out, but my god are you a dickhead.

Please don't make the thread even worse by reacting uncivilly. If a comment is egregious, flag it and move on.

(To flag a comment, click on its timestamp to go to its page, then click 'flag' at the top. There's a small karma threshold, currently 30, before flag links appear.)

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

#377

Post by uptownfunk »

freese wrote: post #349
aedron wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is a great mystery to me how so many people drink so much coffee. In the early days of my work life I started drinking a cup of coffee here and there. It helps if you're tired in the afternoon, and I like the taste. Then I started having a cup after lunch since everyone else went for it. Not long after, I'd have a cup first thing in the morning, and not too long after that I would be a complete zombie without drin…

We're hearing this from more and more people. Luckily, there are some great decaf whole bean coffees but if something sucks it's the decaf instant coffee. We're working on a decaf version that will taste awesome, so stay tuned.

I would try the decaf, but to be competitive you'd have to beat out or match the quality I get from blue bottle, phils, or Peet's. I won't even mention charbucks.

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

#378

Post by freese »

miraj wrote: post #371
odonnellryan wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bought 40, by the way, to give out. Will buy more if people love them. Won't replace my whole-bean subscriptions, but will be a great way to get a good cup of coffee away from my home, and a great gift for my dad who likes instant coffee. One suggestion: let us buy without a subscription, even if it costs 10-20 percent more. I don't want to subscribe to this service for the above reasons. :)

+1 for the non-subscription request. I've told a few people about Sudden few weeks earlier, and the subscription only option is a bit downer. A pop-up store type experience in major coffee cities in N.America (including Canada pls.) would be a good way to get the word out about Sudden.

We've been planning a pop up for a while now. First one will probably be in SF, then hopefully around the continent!

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

#379

Post by freese »

jamiek88 wrote: post #281
freese wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We started by targeting "coffee snobs" but we're now realizing that they indeed are not the best segment for us. We're shifting our focus toward more everyday coffee drinkers who are still interested in great coffee. Edit: Definitely makes sense for you to go to your corner coffee shop. However, Sudden offers you an option to drink kick-ass coffee when you don't have access to any other option

Yeah, for me this would be 'travel coffee'. We hate to fly internally in the US so we drive long distances, ofter over night. Right now I have a french press etc. for that but if I could find an instant coffee that was like 90% as good as pour over that would make me happy. Is there a non-subscription / trial offer?

Email me and I make get you a travel box

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

#380

Post by mjhoy »

freese wrote: post #181
mjhoy wrote: post #108

As someone who would love to buy this for long bicycle trips, I'm a bit turned off by the subscription model. I know you want to hook me with a steady supply of superior coffee that's quicker to make, but I love the ritual of brewing my own pour-over coffee too much to think I'd give that up.

Totally get that! I love making coffee too (guess that's why I'm a barista). Our goal is not to replace your existing coffee rituals but rather to offer an alternative that's better than other instants etc.

Right. My point is I only use instant on a very specific occasion, maybe once every two years, so a subscription turns me away. I'll still probably try it, though!
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