Why I'm doing this (and why it matters for your coffee)

I wrote a book over a decade ago called “It Smells Better Than It Tastes.”

It took me 11 days to write. The actual writing was a blur. I just kept going until I couldn't anymore. Then came a year and a half of editing, revisions, finding a cover artist, getting depressed, pushing through. All of it.

The book is about a guy named Mark who's lost, angry at the world, not happy with himself. He wants to throw everything and everyone out of his life because he thinks that's the only way he'll ever be happy. On the outside, his world looks fine. Great, even. But inside? Complete chaos.

I wrote it because I wanted to explore choices. How we make them. How we follow through with them even when people tell us we're crazy. How every decision has real consequences.

And here's the thing: coffee runs through that whole story. Not as the main plot, but as this thread that keeps showing up. The ritual. The centering. The smell that promises something the taste might not deliver.

Which brings me to why I'm writing to you.

I started this newsletter because I needed another way to connect with people who love coffee the way I do. Not just "I drink coffee every morning" love. I mean the kind where you're thinking about your next cup while you're still drinking this one. Where you care about getting the most out of every bag. Where the ritual means something.

I wanted to build something real.

And I know "community" is a word that gets thrown around so much it doesn't mean anything anymore. It's surface level. Cliche. Everyone has a community now.

But here's what I mean by it:

A place where we're all trying to get the most out of our coffee experience. Whether that's dialing in a brew, understanding why your cup tastes different today than yesterday, or connecting with other people through this weird thing we all obsess over.

A place where you can actually grow. As a coffee lover. As a brewer. Hell, maybe even as a person.

Because coffee is easy to make. It works. Throw some grounds in hot water, you get coffee.

But if you're trying to maximize the experience? If you want to actually understand what's happening in your cup? There's more to learn than anyone tells you upfront. And a lot of it feels gatekept. Intimidating. Like you need a certification just to ask a question.

I want to change that.

Here's what I care about: giving you real information for your actual situation. Not theory. Not "well, technically..." explanations that don't help you tomorrow morning. Real world applications that solve your coffee problems.

I don't care if you ever buy a bag of my coffee. I mean that. The profit on a single bag is tiny. But if I can help you throughout your journey? If I can watch you grow from "I don't know what I like" to "I know exactly what I want and how to get it"? That's the win.

That's almost priceless to me.

So this newsletter is going to be the hub. The place you come back to. Where you get something useful, something honest, something that actually moves you forward.

I'll share what I'm learning as a roaster. The experiments that work. The ones that don't. The gear that matters and the stuff that's just marketing. The philosophy behind why any of this matters at all.

And yeah, eventually I'll probably offer a course or other things. But that's later. Right now, I just want to build trust. I want you to know that when you open an email from me, it's worth your time.

That book I wrote? "It Smells Better Than It Tastes"? I'm going to give it away for free. Because it's not about the transaction. It's about showing you how I think. How coffee and life weave together. How the choices we make shape who we become.

But that's for another email.

For now, just know this: I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. And I'm building this for people like you.

Just keep reading. I've got you.

☕️ Oke