Postcard Coffee
Coffee subscription service with handwritten postcards
Submitted by @sarahkline on twitter
What it was meant to be
Monthly coffee subscription where each bag came with a handwritten postcard from the roaster. The idea was to make specialty coffee feel personal again. We would partner with small roasters who wanted to connect with customers beyond Instagram.
Where it stopped
Launched with 3 roasters and 40 subscribers. Shipped for 4 months. Had a working website, fulfillment process, and customer relationships. Revenue was $800-1000/month.
Why it stopped
Shipping costs killed us. We underestimated how much it would cost to ship 2lb bags individually. Margins were razor-thin. When our fulfillment partner raised prices 30%, we were losing money on every order. Couldn't afford to continue without external funding.
What, if anything, replaced it
My co-founder went back to corporate. I started freelancing.