empee was wondering what @DavecUK did for work before the coffee hobby and how/why you were able to retire early? (mentioned in the Vesuvius Evo Leva Story)
I did something hard and difficult with long hours/ I was well paid and invested well. I also never lived beyond my means.
empee How you were able to start working with coffee machine companies? At least 4 that I know of
I have a lot of experience of espresso machines, nowadays more than many companies tech/design departments. I also know what customers really want because of the help I have given people over 20 years on forums. What a customer wants and what retailers want are often 2 different things.
empee Why you do this unpaid? Spending time with ACS on their show stands, coming up with machine evolutions, is this so you are not tied to one brand or machine? I feel like your work is deserving of compensation.
It was a hobby not a business. I stopped doing reviews and user guides, mostly because I was asked to do so many. I now choose when and what I review publicly and most of my review work now is direct to manufacturer. I get sent a machine they are going to launch, so I can look at it and give the manufacturer feedback of stuff I don’t like, bad engineering, missed opportunities, improvements, errors etc… This is long before it goes to the “hey, please like and subscribe influencers”, who are basically advertising the machines. Lelit had a lot of advice from me and took all of it…and look how that turned out!