A few things we’ve learned from our Kickstarter backers
It’s been a lively few months. In March, I announced Crema.co’s Kickstarter campaign at Coffee Con in Manhattan. When the campaign ended in April, 351 amazing backers had pledged $25,327 to help make the dream of a single-origin coffee marketplace a reality.
Since then, Crema.co’s team has grown to include some very talented people, we’ve forged partnerships with some great roasters, and we’ve been busy crafting the code and pixels behind the marketplace itself.
Within the last couple of weeks, our Kickstarter backers have been unboxing their first batch of rewards — with everyone receiving at least a Crema.co mug, sticker, and coffee sample. And we’re gearing up to invite the first users to our private beta release next month.
As we transition from Kickstarter mode to launch mode, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some learnings that our remarkable Kickstarter supporters have taught us so far.
Where in the world?
First, we were blown away by how widespread our supports are: 67 international backers from over 20 countries.
(Note: while 351 people backed the Kickstarter campaign, this survey was analyzed on the first 279 respondents.)
Coffee style
“How would you describe your coffee style?” 72 people indicated that they preferred light roasts with nuanced flavors (26%); 131 people selected medium, well-balanced roasts (47%); and 76 backers (27%) opted for dark roasts with a bold taste.
Brew method
When we asked how backers usually brew their coffee, almost twice as many said they typically use a pour-over method (such as a Chemex or V60) compared with any other technique, while traditional drip coffee and French press were neck and neck for second place.
Whole bean or ground?
The vast majority of respondents (241 of 279) indicated they usually buy whole bean coffee.
Purchasing channel
Remarkably, just 48 of 279 people (17%) reported the grocery store as their primary shopping outlet for coffee, with the largest number (145 or 52%) saying they usually buy coffee from a local coffee shop. Online was the second most popular channel at 25%, or 69 backers.
Price
Most people reported spending either $10.00 — $13.99 (37%) or $14.00 — $17.99 (34%) for a 12oz bag of coffee.
Bags per month
Most people said they go through two 12oz bags (41%) of coffee or more per month at home.
We’re listening
Beyond survey questions, we’ve also learned a lot from direct feedback. You’ve told us that you want to see more dark roast and decaf options. You’ve said that you want an easy way to discover coffees you’ll enjoy without needing to have much “coffee expertise.” We’re listening!
And in August, we can’t wait to share the Crema.co private beta with you; to continue learning from you about how to make the world’s best platform for discovering, buying, and experiencing coffee.
Thanks to Andrew Sardone for the photograph at the top of the page, and to @kicksopenminds, @redshift_z, @TheGarrettOden, @gvityugov, for their tweets shown above, and to everyone who helped make the Kickstarter campaign a success. You inspire us.
Originally published on July 31, 2015.
