S2E13 - Jose Ramirez: Winning Without Competing — The Power of Category Creation

Welcome back to the Emajin Golf Podcast: Beyond the 19th. In this episode, we sit down with Jose Ramirez, Founder & CEO of HOPR, to explore how he built a new functional beverage category from his kitchen counter. Starting with $38,000, no beverage industry experience, and a personal desire to rethink his relationship with alcohol, Jose shares how HOPR began as a home experiment during COVID and grew into a multi-million-dollar business competing in one of the most crowded consumer markets. We explore: • How Jose's own experience with alcohol sparked the idea for HOPR • Why he saw an opportunity beyond traditional non-alcoholic beer, wine, and soft drinks • What it takes to create and educate the market on a new category • How HOPR combines adult taste with functional relaxation • Why Jose chose to build the brand online instead of chasing retail from day one • How honesty, consistency, and "building in public" helped create a loyal community • The role of customers and retailers in growing HOPR organically across Australia • Jose's long-term vision to help one million Australians build a better relationship with alcohol Jose also shares the realities of bootstrapping a beverage brand, designing the product himself, learning digital marketing from scratch, and staying close to the community as the business scales. For founders, business owners, and leaders looking to understand category creation, community-led growth, and what it takes to challenge an established market, this episode offers a practical and inspiring look at building something different. 🎧 Tune in now to hear Jose's journey from kitchen counter experiment to building HOPR into one of Australia's most exciting functional beverage brands.