It started in January 2024. This July marks 18 months since I began working closely with a manufacturer, researching ready-to-drink coffee. Looking back, every stage has been filled with emotion and learning. Now, as I move closer to the supply chain and go-to-market strategy, it feels like the right time to reflect — on how it started, and how it’s evolving.

Why Ready-to-Drink Coffee?

First of all — I like coffee. I started out as a barista at 20. Coffee has been my only profession. My passion and curiosity for improving it run deep.

But why ready-to-drink?
Because it’s been my daydream since I started Kaizen Coffee. And if we look closer, it’s a format that hasn’t changed much in decades.

It’s crazy — every social platform today is blowing up with new cafés and coffee creators. Consumer preferences are shifting. The specialty movement is growing fast. Coffee culture and younger passionate drinkers are expanding year by year.
Yet this category still feels like it was made for the previous generation.

There’s room for a better option — one that speaks directly to today’s passionate drinkers.

So when the opportunity came — aligning both business logic and personal belief — I took the bet.

I want to swing with everything I’ve learned.

Why Black Coffee?

There might be no second chance in this CPG business for me as a small, new player if it doesn’t start well. It’s better to do it right from the beginning — be truthful, be thoughtful — because once you're in, it’s hard to fix things as you go.

So choosing the right drink to start — and having full conviction to get it right — is my strategy. It was also the best investment decision I could make at the time.
My financial resources are limited, and the restaurant still needs careful attention just to stay afloat.

I’m planning to start small, focus on our niche — people who are passionate about coffee — and build from there.
I’m optimistic, but cautious.
That’s the lowest-barrier path I can think of.

But again — this isn’t a made-to-order café drink you can test and tweak every day.
The mindset is different.

Mass production for ready-to-drink coffee isn’t just about creativity. It’s full of trade-offs: packaging, shelf stability, ingredients, consistency, supply chain.
Mistakes carry a heavy cost — in time, money, and opportunity.

So every move has to be intentional.
You explore to learn, iterate to see what can change, and decide when to push forward or pivot.
That process takes time — and often depends on aligned schedules and tough calls.

Without clarity on what we’re aiming for — or who we’re creating it for — it’s easy to get lost.
Or worse, give up.

Luckily, I’ve spent years in the field, working in cafés every day — learning what makes great coffee, what flavors resonate, and what passionate drinkers truly care about.
That experience taught me what to look for — and why it matters.

It all comes back to a first principles question:

There’s no point in recreating the same old RTD DNA with just a new label. If I want to build with purpose — on the edge of what’s possible — I need to show it can be different. That’s the only way to earn the right to go further.

I asked myself, thinking back to day one:
What made specialty coffee a movement?
What education or experiences sparked my curiosity and shaped my taste?

As someone who’s seen multiple shifts in coffee culture, I believe great coffee has always been a vehicle of connection.
It’s a mood enhancer. A celebration of beautiful flavor. A more passionate path that builds social meaning.

People come together through deeper personal interest.
Some value exploration. Others find identity or a sense of belonging.
Some enjoy craftsmanship and want to keep sharing it — as individuals and as businesses.

"But what often defines specialty coffee comes down to one mutual thing: it's a passion for celebrating great acidity — challenging the traditional norms of bold and burnt flavors in commercial coffee."

That belief shaped my decision to start with black coffee.
It represents the spirit of specialty in its purest form — and it set this research on a strong mission:
To explore what’s possible.
To truly differentiate from what already exists.

Reflections

It’s been a valuable journey of learning through a wider lens as an entrepreneur.
The days, months, and years of uncertainty were frustrating and exhausting — but also exciting and inspiring with every breakthrough along the way.
Every trial and error added to the knowledge — not just of what’s possible, but of everything we still had to learn.
I’m grateful for every bit of help and everyone who took part.

Stepping into this project hasn’t just been a big challenge — it gave me the courage to think bigger and helped the business uncover a deeper purpose.

Honestly, it’s a pivotal moment for kaizen coffee
I believe that good, real coffee in a can is possible — and that creating it can carry real meaning for coffee culture.
Looking forward to figuring out the next stage.
Thanks for reading.

This extensive R&D journey in ready-to-drink coffee now serves as the foundation for the ambitious vision of icedcoffee.com.

The most overlooked are often the most ready for reimagination.