Innovation in the coffee industry is no longer just about large companies tweaking their standard equipment, but it is becoming democratized through small companies bringing their ideas to market through networking, research, and good old fashioned hard work. Today we are going to be talking with 2 of the 3 founders of one such company who sought to create the brew they always wanted but could not find. WE sit down with Michael Butterworth and Ozgur Jerdan of Etkin Design! Etkin believes that when brewing coffee, you shouldn't have to choose between batch size and quality. If you brew coffee for your friends and family, you’re often stuck making multiple batches. The Etkin Dripper is a new, flat-bottom coffee dripper optimized to make up to one liter of coffee. Its proprietary design helps ensure an even extraction and ideal brew time resulting in a sweeter, more full-bodied cup of coffee.  Michael is a long time industry pro who has been a Q Grader, competitor, cafe trainer, and is an active AST certified trainer Ozgur is from Istabul,Turkey where the brewer is made with local porcelain and has a long history in academia around ESL, education, and organizational direction.  Aaron O'Neal is the other cofounder who is not present in this interview. His history and expertise is in the work of media and marketing consultation and leadership as well as a deep love and enthusiasm for coffee.  In our conversation today we explore the story of how these three friends conceptualized and brought this brewer to market, the relationships, challenges, and what their story means for innovation, hospitality, and how we enjoy coffee at home.  We Cover: Unique journey to market Hospitality Proper brewing geometry Creating ease for hosting Relationships in business Crowd funding and democratizing innovation Building trust with the manufacturer Turkish culture of hospitality Is home brewing tech too complex? Consumer journey and goals Links: https://etkincoffee.com/ @etkindesign   Related episodes: 016: Raising the Bar on your Customer Experience w/ Michael Butterworth  360: Encore Episode! Hosting Consumer Coffee Classes: 7 Tips for Success Sustainability Series #4 : Consumer 092 : Tony “Tonx” Konecny of Yes Plz : Consumer Accessibility, roasting, 3rd wave, subscription 349 : Talking About 21st Century Coffee w/ Kenneth Davids 216 : Helping your Customers Brew at Home w/ Brian Beyke , I Brew my own Coffee Podcast 333: Bridging the Professional and Home Barista Gap w/ Lance Hedrick of Onyx Coffee Lab   Interested in leveling up your coffee shop? Click here to schedule a free consulting discovery call with KTTS Click here to book a formal one-on-one consulting call!   Visit our amazing Sponsors! www.groundcontrol.coffee www.pacficfoodservice.com www.coffeefest.com