Founder Sascha Bayu Handojo was born in Germany, but his cultural roots lie in Indonesia. As the scion of a traditional Indonesian entrepreneurial family, he combines characteristics typical of this culture with classic German virtues to create an entrepreneurial personality. With his business model, he proves that profit and humanity are not mutually exclusive, thus significantly shaping the MYBALI-corporate philosophy.
Sascha, you built a bridge between Bali and Germany with MyBali Coffee. What was your motivation?
I wanted to do more than just sell good coffee. MyBali stands for an emotional connection - to the origin, to the people behind it and to an attitude to life. As a child of two cultures, I saw how much potential there is in fair, direct value creation - and I wanted to make that tangible.
Your model is based on direct trade. Why is this not only idealistic, but also makes business sense?
Because it creates trust - in both directions. For our partners in Bali, this means fair prices, long-term purchases and planning security. For us, it means transparency, quality assurance and the opportunity to build a strong, authentic brand. At the same time, direct trade also reduces unnecessary margin losses through middlemen in the medium term.
How have you positioned yourselves in such a competitive market as Germany?
With clarity. We don't offer "the best coffee in the world", but real, honest Bali coffee with a story. Our brand is emotionally charged, our design appeals to lifestyle customers and our product delivers what it promises. We also have strategic partnerships in retail, online sales and with brand ambassadors.
What are the biggest challenges in this business model - especially in terms of Cash position and cash flow?
This is a very important point. Our goods cycle is long: we pay the farmers in Bali directly after the harvest, before the coffee even arrives here - so with a lead time of several weeks, sometimes months. At the same time, many retailers in Germany only pay with a payment term - which puts a massive strain on our cash flow.
How do you deal with this area of tension?
Early Cash flow planning is essential. We work with forecasts, scenarios and deliberately conservative assumptions. Tools such as COMMITLY help us not only to keep an eye on current account balances, but also to manage the future Cash position transparently. As the founder, this gives me the certainty that we remain capable of acting - even in the event of growth or delays on the customer side.
How important is financial transparency for you - especially as an entrepreneur who puts his heart and soul into his work?
Extremely important. Passion alone is not enough. If you want to grow, you need to understand your finances - not just at the end of the month, but every day. I want to see at a glance: How far does our cash stretch? What outstanding receivables are coming in? What payments are due? This is not control, but a prerequisite for healthy growth.
What are your next goals with MyBali Coffee?
We want to further develop our product portfolio and expand our presence in the DACH region at the same time. Always with the focus: sustainable, direct, fair. And economically stable.
In conclusion: What advice would you give to other founders who also want to work internationally?
Trust your vision - but never underestimate the importance of a well-managed cash flow. Especially with international procurement, you have to understand that Growth costs money. And Cash position determines whether you can get through it.
Thank you very much for your time!
BONUS:
Sascha has set up the exclusive voucher code commitly10 for COMMITLY customers.
This gives a 10% discount on all products, except subscriptions.
The code can be easily redeemed at checkout.
Click here to go to the store: MYBALI COFFEE Shop
Credits: Photos by MYBALI COFFEE
