1. r/roasting on Reddit
This subreddit mixes home roasters and people turning roasting into a business. Self-promotion gets removed fast, so read the sidebar rules first. Search the sub for "inventory", "green coffee tracking", "spreadsheet" and "wholesale orders" and answer old and new threads with real advice. Example comment: "I track green lots by bag weight and roast loss per batch. A simple sheet with lot, origin, arrival date and kg remaining gets you 80% of the way." Mention your tool only if someone asks what you use.
2. Home-Barista.com roasting forum
Home-Barista has a long-running coffee roasting section where serious hobbyists and micro-roasters going pro post detailed questions. Members value depth, so write long, specific replies about roast loss, lot tracking and blend recipes. Put a plain link to your tool in your forum signature if the rules allow it, and never post a standalone announcement thread.
3. Roaster-specific owner groups on Facebook
Many small roasters run on the same few machines, and owners gather in groups for them, such as Aillio Bullet owner groups. Search Facebook for "[machine brand] owners" and "coffee roasters" and join the active ones. These groups often ban selling, so message the admin before you ever mention your product. Example: "I am building a green coffee inventory tool for small roasters. Could I post once asking members what they track today? No links, just questions."
4. SCA Roasters Guild
The Specialty Coffee Association runs the Roasters Guild for working roasters. Membership has a cost, but you can still follow the public events, talks and volunteer calls listed on the SCA site. Use it to learn the vocabulary and the pain points roasters raise in talks, then reference those exact problems when you talk to roasters elsewhere.
5. Shopify Community forums
Lots of small roasters sell bags online through Shopify and struggle to sync roasted stock with web orders and subscriptions. Search the Shopify Community for "coffee", "roast to order" and "subscription inventory". Answer the inventory question asked, and only bring up your tool if it directly solves the problem in that thread.
6. LinkedIn search for roastery owners
Search LinkedIn people for titles like "Owner" plus "coffee roaster", "Head Roaster", "Roastery Manager" and "Production Roaster". Filter for small companies. Send a short note asking about their process, not pitching. Example: "Hi Sam, I am talking to small roasters about how they track green coffee and roasted stock. Do you use a spreadsheet, Cropster, or something else? Happy to share what I am hearing from others."
7. Comment sections and newsletters roasters read
Roasters read trade outlets like Daily Coffee News and Barista Magazine. Read their roaster profiles and business stories each week, note the small roasteries featured, and reach out to them by email with a specific comment on the article. Example: "Saw your piece about adding wholesale accounts. How are you keeping roasted stock straight across cafes and online orders?"
8. Make it a daily habit
Spend 30 minutes a day answering two threads and sending three personal messages, and keep a list of every roaster you talk to and what they said. If you want help keeping this going, Hulby, an AI cofounder, finds these threads and roasters for a founder each day and drafts the replies for you to send.
Mistakes to skip
- Posting a launch announcement in a group that bans selling instead of asking the admin first.
- Dropping a link in every reply before you have a history of helpful answers.
- Pitching home hobby roasters who roast 1 kg a week and have no inventory problem.
- Using generic SaaS language instead of roaster terms like green lots, roast loss and wholesale accounts.
Want this done for your inventory tool for small coffee roasters, every day?
Hulby finds the people asking for what you built, writes every reply and email, and keeps you on it until they pay. Free to start.
Find my first customersQuestions
Which place should I start with?
Start with r/roasting and LinkedIn search. One gives you the language, the other gives you owners you can message today.
How do I tell a business roaster from a hobbyist?
Look for mentions of wholesale accounts, cafes, farmers markets, an online shop or a roaster above 1 kg batch size.
When can I mention my tool?
When someone asks what you use, when the rules allow it, or after an admin gives permission. Otherwise just help.
How many conversations do I need before I sell?
Aim for 20 real conversations with roastery owners. By then you will know who has the problem badly enough to pay.