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Re:Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that d... by ccameron on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @07:29PM (#13936062)
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 it simply because it doesn't meet my daily needs. I already have a nice electric grinder and do either pour over or Aeropress for coffee. Maybe I'm not your target market, but I think I could be if I can simply order it for travel and backpacking or on the go use.

Re:Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that d... by freese on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @07:32PM (#13936082)
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.
Re:Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that d... by ccameron on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @07:36PM (#13936120)
That makes sense. If you offered a batch where I could just buy a bunch and it stays good for a long while then I would definitely buy some in that model. That way I can simply stock some away and pull it out for trips or when I don't feel like making it / in a hurry etc.

If you want to hit the backpacker market get some freebies out to blogs like Andrew Skurka, Section Hiker, Adventure Alan, Gear Junkie, etc. I don't know that the market is big enough to target, but I suspect with how profitable REI is there may be something to it.

Re:Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that d... by tedmiston on Sunday March 26, 2017 @02:46PM (#13962365)
I'm not sure what the shelf life is currently… maybe a couple months?

Personally I subscribe for a similar use case and then just defer a week or two or skip on the months where I haven't used it all yet. Their subscription management options are very fine grained which is nice. I've been really happy with it so far.

Re:Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that d... by freese on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @07:45PM (#13936188)
These are all great - thanks! Although we don't advertise it on the website you can always email me and we can figure out something in terms of orders ;)
Re:Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that d... by ccameron on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @07:43PM (#13936163)
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 d... by freese on Wednesday March 22, 2017 @07:46PM (#13936191)
Working on it. They're all really bad, and I'm pretty confident we can make something a lot better.
Re:Launch HN: Sudden Coffee (YC W17) – Instant coffee that d... by elxavit0 on Thursday March 23, 2017 @05:47AM (#13938426)
Another thumbs up for backpacking and back-country camping with little amounts of gear. I load up on the "slim" packs of coffee for these trips. Looking forward for Sudden if I can ever buy it without a subscription.