We recently had the opportunity to interview Nassib Sawaya, Co-founder of Koonoo Coffee, a Specialty Drip Coffee product in the UAE. With an entrepreneurial mindset and desire to run his own business, and with expertise in product development, Nassib successfully launched the company.
Nassib has a track record of leading growth and sales strategy in the US, Europe, GCC, and India, catering to customer and sales demand. In this insightful interview, Nassib Sawaya shares his career trajectory, the inspiration behind founding his business, and his upcoming plans for the business.
Advent Of This Journey
We started the session by asking, “What initially drew you to your field, and how did your early experiences shape your approach to business?”
Nassib Sawaya shared, “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset growing up. I have had stints in the corporate world, however, I always felt I had more to offer running my own business. Since I had experience in different value chain steps of product development, I was able to take our current product from inception to go-to-market.
Koonoo came to be when I was introduced to Vietnamese drip coffee during a trip to Vietnam. Witnessing how coffee was an integral part of their culture inspired me to create a brand that offers high-quality, convenient, and accessible coffee. The experience shifted my perspective as a classical consumer, sparking a passion for exploring unique brewing methods and flavors.”
Meeting The Market Gaps
Eager to learn how Nassib Sawaya meets the gaps in his industry, we asked, “Can you tell us about the genesis of your current business and what specific need or gap you aimed to address?”
Nassib Sawaya replied, “On my return back home I started an in-depth study on the coffee market. Trends, prices, types of coffees, brewing methods, and origins.
Specialty Coffee is what caught my attention. Upon further research, I realized that consumers are paying a premium for specialty coffee, which is not sustainable in the long run. A lot of specialty coffee brands were sub-par in terms of quality. In addition, the access to specialty coffee was sort of high with consumers requiring specific experience, equipment, and time to brew their favorite coffee. As such, my objective was to find a way where I could create a formula consistently balancing convenience, quality, and price.”
“Koonoo Coffee was a thoroughly thought-through concept. My partner Joe and I went through a long thinking process where countless ideas for products were explored, which made us realize that the Single Serve Drip Coffee market was a white spot, relatively nascent market in the region. So, we ended up adapting the existing concept of ‘single-serve drip coffee,’ adding some personalized aspects, and developing our very own blends and roasts and since then Koonoo Coffee was born.
We ran intensive focus groups to inform our product categories and as a result, came up with different blends to cater to different tastes in the market, and these are the Bold, Smooth, Cardamom, Decaf and Espresso blends, and this is just the start, we have a busy pipeline of projects that are expected to come live this year – so keep tuned to our Instagram page for exciting innovations.” Nassib added.
Nurturing A Symbiotic Collaboration
We further asked, “How have your values influenced the way you conduct business?”
Nassib Sawaya added, “Common interest in business is crucial, but beyond common interest, I believe that safeguarding this common interest and nurturing a symbiotic partnership is key to growth. This is why we do not sign contracts as buyers and sellers. We team up with ‘partners’ that have a complementary value proposition, where our success will also lead to their own, and this helps partners and suppliers feel part of the same success story as it unfolds.
I’ve been in the UAE for nearly 40 years. I am proud and grateful I grew up here. This country has given me unprecedented exposure, allowing me to interact with people from all corners of the world and from different walks of life. This multicultural ecosystem is reflected in the way we conduct business today, the way our product was developed and is being marketed. Open collaboration towards making a high-quality specialty coffee accessible for all.”
Adaptability Amidst Adversities
Every business is filled with challenging phases. We asked, “What has been the most challenging project or period in your career, and what did you learn from it?”
“To be honest, setting up your own business is in a category of its own. Its success depends on so many factors that you cannot control fully, so being comfortable with a certain level of uncertainty is key.
Another important factor is to have a good founding partner, with complementary experiences to yours. They are not only a sounding board, but a supporting figure, and you need a lot of support in this business.
I can’t think of a better partner than Joe, who comes from an extensive FMCG consulting background, has tremendous acumen in the industry, and a sharp analytical mindset. His insights on the markets allow us to channel our efforts into new upcoming products. How and where we enter, what to launch next, price points, sales channels, budgeting – the list is endless.” Nassib shared.
A Wide Client-Base
To learn more about the client base of Koonoo Coffee, we asked Nassib Sawaya, “Who is your target audience and what industries do your products cater to?”
Nassib Sawaya shared, “We cater to a diverse range of customers, primarily aged between 22 to 45, gender agnostic. Our clientele includes passionate travelers, and professionals in fields like banking, law, and consulting, among others, where mobility is at the center of what they do or enjoy. Our convenient drip bags offer an excellent solution for enjoying high-quality coffee on the move, requiring nothing more than a mug and hot water.
This product idea came to mind after extensive research which yielded an overwhelming negative sentiment towards subpar coffee experiences in hotels or even at client sites. Many guests either struggle to find a satisfying cup or settle for whatever is available at nearby coffee shops.
Koonoo drip bags present an ideal solution for the hotel industry. They eliminate the need for bulky and troublesome machines prone to breakdowns and residue buildup. Single-serve drip coffee offers a clean, hassle-free, and consistently satisfying coffee experience, perfect for all settings.”
Plans We Asked Nassib Sawaya
We were intrigued to learn more about the upcoming events and plans of Nassib Sawaya’s coffee business. So, we asked, “Tell us more about your future business plans.”
Nassib Sawaya shared, “We have a lot of exciting ideas on the table. We have to cherry-pick what we want to dive into and that means keeping the focus on solving customer pain points. We’re still young in the coffee business, but strive to be pioneers in the region and ultimately around the world.
Some ideas in mind are for example to diversify our sales channels, expanding into retail, Hotels restaurants & catering (HORECA). We also think about regional and global expansion. And of course how to introduce new product categories like capsules, RTDs to name a few. We’re ambitious, yes, but that’s the only way to succeed.”
Worth-Sharing Business Advice
Lastly, seeking guidance for beginners in this relevant field, we asked, “What is one piece of advice you would give to someone starting in your industry today?”
Nassib Sawaya shared, “Look around you. What’s a pain point you can address – it can be a product or service. Do a lot of in-depth research, talk to people, and get their insights and experiences.
Starting a business requires dedication and a deep understanding of all aspects, from production to pricing to distribution. Don’t hesitate to do the hands-on work yourself as an entrepreneur to maintain control over your business, product, and quality.
Be ready for many things – financial instability for one, countless rejections of your ideas, feeling alone in a whirlwind, and not many lending a hand. However, it is extremely satisfying to create something that becomes more and more tangible with every effort spent, receiving positive comments about the product you put out there, and ultimately gaining market share and replacing incumbent brands in markets – this is where we hope Koonoo will lead. Ultimately yes being an entrepreneur is hard, but for me, it was evident and necessary. As Dhirubai Ambani once said – If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.”
Follow Nassib Sawaya on LinkedIn.
Find Koonoo Coffee on LinkedIn.
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