The Boring Business Of Vending Machines, Made Interesting Again [TBS 53] episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 17, 2026 · 41 MIN

The Boring Business Of Vending Machines, Made Interesting Again [TBS 53]

from The Financial Coconut Podcast

☕ Can a vending machine make café-quality coffee?In this episode of The Financial Coconuts Business Show, we sit down with the founders of Flow Coffee, a startup challenging Singapore’s coffee scene with an unexpected idea: coffee vending machines that serve café-grade drinks made with fresh milk.After noticing how expensive and inconvenient good coffee can be, Chang Wei Sheng (Founder & CEO) and Jarran Ng (Co-Founder & COO) set out to build a smarter solution, combining automation, technology, and clever operations to make quality coffee more accessible.In less than a year, they’ve deployed 20 machines across Singapore - but the journey to get there involved engineering challenges, manufacturing hurdles, and plenty of experimentation.In this episode, we talk about:🔹 Why good coffee is getting more expensive🔹 The idea behind café-style coffee vending machines🔹 How they went from concept to 20 machines in under a year🔹 The technology powering their automated coffee system🔹 Lessons from building a hardware + operations startup🔹 The challenges of scaling a physical product business🔹 What it takes to disrupt a traditional industryIf you’re an entrepreneur, SME owner, or startup builder, this episode is packed with insights about launching and scaling a real-world business.🎧 Tune in to hear the full story behind Flow Coffee.Guests:Chang Wei Sheng, Founder & CEO, Flow CoffeeJarran Ng, Co-Founder & COO, Flow Coffee👍 Like this episode?Subscribe to The Financial Coconuts Business Show for more conversations with founders, operators, and SME leaders.#startup #entrepreneurship #coffee #vendingmachine #businesspodcast---🎧 The Financial Coconut: Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBESpotifyApple PodcastYouTube🔗 CONNECT WITH USGet daily tips, insights, and community:InstagramTikTokTelegramWhatsappNewsletter📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORKDiscover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube⚠️ Disclaimer:The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.Learn about our eventsHelp us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

☕ Can a vending machine make café-quality coffee?In this episode of The Financial Coconuts Business Show, we sit down with the founders of Flow Coffee, a startup challenging Singapore’s coffee scene with an unexpected idea: coffee vending machines that serve café-grade drinks made with fresh milk.After noticing how expensive and inconvenient good coffee can be, Chang Wei Sheng (Founder & CEO) and Jarran Ng (Co-Founder & COO) set out to build a smarter solution, combining automation, technology, and clever operations to make quality coffee more accessible.In less than a year, they’ve deployed 20 machines across Singapore - but the journey to get there involved engineering challenges, manufacturing hurdles, and plenty of experimentation.In this episode, we talk about:🔹 Why good coffee is getting more expensive🔹 The idea behind café-style coffee vending machines🔹 How they went from concept to 20 machines in under a year🔹 The technology powering their automated coffee system🔹 Lessons from building a hardware + operations startup🔹 The challenges of scaling a physical product business🔹 What it takes to disrupt a traditional industryIf you’re an entrepreneur, SME owner, or startup builder, this episode is packed with insights about launching and scaling a real-world business.🎧 Tune in to hear the full story behind Flow Coffee.Guests:Chang Wei Sheng, Founder & CEO, Flow CoffeeJarran Ng, Co-Founder & COO, Flow Coffee👍 Like this episode?Subscribe to The Financial Coconuts Business Show for more conversations with founders, operators, and SME leaders.#startup #entrepreneurship #coffee #vendingmachine #businesspodcast---🎧 The Financial Coconut: Your weekly source for empowering financial knowledge and unlocking possibilities. We explore personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship to help you build a richer life. Join us as we explore personal finance, investing and more.Get ready to take control of your financial future and live your best life, financially wise: https://linkin.bio/thefinancialcoconut📍 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBESpotifyApple PodcastYouTube🔗 CONNECT WITH USGet daily tips, insights, and community:InstagramTikTokTelegramWhatsappNewsletter📺 MORE FROM OUR NETWORKDiscover our other shows and deep dives on YouTube⚠️ Disclaimer:The content discussed in this episode is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. The information provided is based on our understanding at the time of recording and may not reflect the current regulations or market conditions. The opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent those of The Financial Coconut. Please do your due diligence before making any investment or financial decisions.Learn about our eventsHelp us get to know you better: http://bit.ly/thefinancialcoconut-survey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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The Boring Business Of Vending Machines, Made Interesting Again [TBS 53]

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This episode was published on March 17, 2026.

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☕ Can a vending machine make café-quality coffee?In this episode of The Financial Coconuts Business Show, we sit down with the founders of Flow Coffee, a startup challenging Singapore’s coffee scene with an unexpected idea: coffee vending machines...

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