EP 1012 Part 2 of 5 | The Reality of Running a Coffee Business (Jan-Cort Hoban)
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Episode Description
This is episode 2 of a 5-part series with Jan-Cort Hoban, founder of Mr. Hoban’s Coffee Roastery in Germany. In this series of The Daily Coffee Pro Podcast by Map It Forward, we’re discussing the myth of being big in the coffee business and challenging many of the assumptions around growth, success, and sustainability in the coffee industry.
In this episode, Lee and Jan-Cort talk openly about the reality of running a coffee business and why so many people underestimate how difficult this industry really is.
The conversation explores the pressure that comes with trying to scale, the financial realities of operating in specialty coffee, and why social media often creates a distorted picture of what success in coffee actually looks like.
Jan-Cort shares why he deliberately chose not to build a large company, why outside investment changes the relationship a business has with its values, and how growth often introduces pressure that ultimately impacts staff, producers, quality, and personal wellbeing.
The episode also examines the growing influence of venture capital in specialty coffee, the emotional pressure business owners feel to constantly expand, and why many operators are beginning to rethink whether growth at all costs is really worth it.
This is a conversation about redefining success before the industry forces you to.
Connect with Jan-Cort Hoban and Mr. Hoban’s Coffee Roastery here: