From Jitters to Clarity: Building a Functional Coffee Brand That Actually Works | Unconform Founder Yusuf Amanullah

What if your coffee helped you think clearly instead of making your heart race? We sit down with Yusuf, the founder behind Unconform, to unpack how a brutal relationship with caffeine led to a calmer, smarter cold brew built on adaptogens, nootropics, and a lot of hard-won lessons. From timed Pro Plus tablets to a litre of French press mayhem, Yusuf shares the moments that forced him to reimagine how caffeine should feel - and why balance, not hype, creates lasting energy.

We go beyond the origin story to map the gritty path from kitchen experiments to a retail-ready product: 31 formulation rounds, crowdfunding momentum, and an early break with Holland & Barrett. Yusuf explains how timing, persistence, and category needs opened doors, and how those same shelves exposed hard truths. Dark, muted cans disappeared in a crowded fridge; brighter, benefit-led designs finally clicked with shoppers. He talks through the emotional cost of stepping back from retail to rebrand, and the practical gains of leaning on expert flavour houses and real-world polling to refine both taste and message.

The conversation also tackles the shift every founder must make: stop worshipping the logo and start mastering the sale. We cover the difference between making a product and building a profitable system, why operating margins matter more than optimism, and how to set target numbers that guide pricing and channel choices. For operators seeking an edge, Yusuf’s reading list - Alex Hormozi, Sabri Suby, Russell Brunson offers a crash course in offers, funnels, and demand capture that applies far beyond coffee.

If you’re building in food and drink - or any category where shelves are ruthless and margins thin - this episode is a field guide to staying humble, iterating fast, and earning your spot with clarity and value. Enjoy the story, take the tactics, and put them to work. If you found this useful, follow the show, share it with a builder who needs it, and leave a review to help others discover us.

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