I've been quiet here the last few weeks. I'll be honest with you about why... I've been stepping back to look at this community the way I'd look at a coffee shop's numbers. What's working, what isn't, and where you get stuck. In the meantime, we passed 3,500 members. People from all over the world who either dream of opening a coffee shop or are already open and trying to make it work. When I started this, I didn't imagine that. Thank you. Really! Over the last few months I've learned a lot from your questions, your calls and your mistakes (and from a few of my own, as always 😅). The biggest lesson: Content alone doesn't get you open. You can watch every lesson and still be stuck on the same decision for months. I've seen it again and again. What actually moves people forward is clarity on the next step and someone checking their thinking. So some changes are coming to make this place: ✅ More engaging. More conversations, less scrolling. ✅ More practical. Real numbers and real decisions, not just theory. ✅ Faster. Helping you move from "looking into it" to actually doing it. I'll share the details very soon. But first I want to build this around you, not around what I think you need. So tell me in the comments 👇 1️⃣ Where are you stuck right now? 2️⃣ What's the ONE thing slowing you down the most? I'll read and reply to every single comment. Looking forward to seeing you again in the community. Juan P.S. If you've been quiet too, that's completely fine. Just drop your city in the comments. I'd love to see where everyone is building their dream coffee shop 📍

Before Carl Ludwig, I had notes, pictures, and a spreadsheet full of guesses. It felt like progress. It wasn't. What moved us forward was one decision: putting a date and a number on paper. Most of you don't need more information. You need the next step, done. So here's your one action for this week (30 minutes, a coffee and a pen): ✅ 1. Write your target opening month. Not "someday." A month and a year. ✅ 2. Write the budget range you can realistically invest. Honest, not hopeful. ✅ 3. Write the ONE thing you'll finish before next Sunday. That's your contract with yourself. Take a closer look in the Classroom if you want the template 👉 A contract with myself Then comment: DONE + your city + your opening month. I read every one and I'll reply to you personally. Already open? Your one action: compare last month's coffee price per kg with what you paid a year ago. If the number surprises you, comment PROFIT. It's not easy, but we'll figure it out. Together. P.S. In January we're doing this properly, for 5 days together. More soon. ☕

👋 Welcome to The Coffee Shop Launchpad Free Course. Please take a second to introduce yourself Welcome. This community is here to help you open your own coffee shop! Here are your next steps 👇 1. Start the free course: The Coffee Shop Launchpad 2. Introduce yourself: name, country, and your coffee shop goal. 3. Answer the poll below 4. Book your free 1-1 call: Link 5. Join the bi.weekly calls 6. Stay active: ask questions, help others, share wins, make friends, have fun! To your success! Juan ✨ No pressure — keep it simple. This community grows when we know who you are and what you’re building. What's your goal for the next 30 days?

To get access to The Free Business Case Course you just need to gather 5 likes in YOUR comments. 1 Like = 1 Point and you need 5 points to reach level 2 --> Feel Free to introduce yourself or post your learnings from the Inspiration Video!

I talk to a lot of people who want to open a cafe, and almost none of them have this done. No full business case. No complete list of variable costs. No complete list of fixed costs — the stuff you pay even on the days you're closed. No real number for total investment needed before you open the door. And here's the part that actually worries me: more than 60% of coffee shops fail in year one, and more than 80% don't make it past year five. I used to think that was because people didn't try hard enough. I don't think that anymore. I think it's because people assume it's simple. Pick a nice space, get a good machine, make good coffee, done. It's the opposite of simple. The owners who make it are the ones who sat down early and got honest about the numbers — before the lease, before the buildout, before any of it. You don't need my template for this. Use whatever system works for you. But please, please do not sign anything until you've built these three lists yourself: 1. Every variable cost — what changes with how busy you are 2. Every fixed cost — what you pay whether you're open or not 3. Your full investment number — everything it takes to actually get the doors open If you want the breakdown I use with people going through this, comment "Lists" and I'll send it your way. ☕ P.S. This is for anyone who's serious about opening, even if it's a year or two out. If you're just daydreaming about it, that's fine too — just know these three lists are where the daydream turns into a real plan.