How to build your own Market Share

A few years ago, I built the ‘Apple of Coffees’

A few of you might know me from one of my previous ventures, El Mejor, where we sold organic coffee directly from farm to cup.

When I started this in 2016, there were already a few companies doing the same thing. Naturally, I wanted to stand out, and I had this dream of building the Apple of Coffees.

For that to happen, just having great design or messaging wasn’t enough—the product itself needed a truly unique USP.

That’s when I identified a major problem many coffee connoisseurs faced: they wanted fresh coffee beans every time they brewed a cup.

This was a challenge for most companies because they had to buy coffee in bulk from farmers for competitive pricing, which meant they had to stockpile beans. As a result, by the time customers received their coffee, it had already lost its peak taste and aroma.

This is where I had a distinct advantage—my deep roots in the coffee estates of my hometown.

With the help of some incredible farmers from the hills of Nerimalai, we created a unique selling proposition (USP) that disrupted a global market:

“We roasted and ground the coffee only after the customer placed an order.”

The Science Behind Fresh Coffee

Coffee has a ‘peak taste period’—the first 13 days after roasting are crucial for experiencing its full flavor and aroma.

Our competitors couldn’t guarantee this freshness because they had to store their coffee for quick delivery. In contrast, we took a different approach:

✅ Day 1: We roasted the coffee.
✅ Day 2-3: Express shipping pan-India.

This meant every cup of El Mejor coffee was as fresh as possible.

Innovating Beyond Just Coffee

I didn’t stop at freshness—I wanted to redefine the coffee-buying experience.

✔ Introduced coffee subscriptions (a rarity back then).
✔ Launched gift cards so people could gift premium coffee.
✔ Customized the lid on every box to feature the buyer’s name.

With my minimalist instincts kicking in, we crafted packaging so elegant that even Steve Jobs would have been proud.

While other companies were battling for market share and razor-thin margins, my co-founder and I were silently building a market people didn’t even know existed.

Our competitors struggled with profitability, while we comfortably maintained a 40% margin on coffee priced at ₹799.

Btw, I’m attaching a few designs and posters that we did for El Mejor.

Here is El Mejor’s Minimal Posters & Brand Kit.

3 Takeaways for Every Entrepreneur

1️⃣ Find the gap others are ignoring. Your biggest strength lies in solving a problem that existing players overlook.

2️⃣ Profitability > Growth. While others chase volume, focus on building a business where margins are healthy.

3️⃣ Branding is more than design. A great product, the right story, and a unique experience make a brand unforgettable.

Would love to hear—what’s one unique branding lesson you've learned in your journey?

Hit reply!

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