Standart

The scent of freshly ground coffee drifts through a quiet morning as Michal settles into his daily ritual. Before his first cup of coffee is poured, and before any emails start calling for his attention, the only thing you can hear is the soft sound of pages turning.

This moment of peace reveals how this former karate student approaches his life's work; with discipline, purpose, and an appreciation for taking things slow.

From those early days of practicing martial arts at age five, Michal carried the lessons that would shape his future: the importance of a strong foundation, the value of patience, and the courage to adapt. These principles would prove invaluable as he ventured into creating Standart, an independent specialty coffee magazine that now reaches readers across 103 countries.

From dorm room to the world

A decade ago, Michal was a college student who spent his spare time in local coffee shops. As he describes it, these spaces were vibrant and social, teeming with creative conversations and new friendships. Increasingly drawn to specialty coffee—its intricate flavors, transparent sourcing, and artisanal approach—he began wondering how he could contribute to the coffee community he was growing to love.

At the same time, Michal was an avid reader of magazines like The New Yorker and Monocle. Their high editorial standards and emphasis on storytelling captivated him. One night, an idea took hold: “What if I fused the ethos of these premium magazines with specialty coffee culture?”

By 2015, that spark of inspiration had a name: Standart. Early issues were printed on a shoestring budget, and Michal tried selling them at coffee festivals and through small subscription drives. It was enough to prove that coffee enthusiasts had an appetite for beautifully crafted, in-depth journalism. The bigger question was whether a print-first publication like this could scale in an era of digital everything.

“We faced plenty of skepticism at the start,” Michal recalls. “People said, 'Why not go all-digital?' But I strongly felt that the tactile experience is crucial. We stuck with print, and that turned out to be a defining decision.”

Michal's karate training shaped more than just his physical discipline. It fundamentally influenced how he approaches business challenges. Just as a martial artist must flow with their opponent's movements, Michal learned to adapt and respond to the ever-changing landscape of publishing and coffee culture.

His journey with Standart mirrors his progression through karate belts. Each milestone—from securing those first hundred subscribers to launching editions in new languages—required the same patient dedication he once applied to mastering new kata forms. When faced with setbacks, whether logistical challenges or difficult staffing decisions, he drew on his martial arts experience of turning defeats into opportunities for growth.

Perhaps most importantly, Michal maintains what martial artists call a “beginner's mind.” Despite Standart's success, he approaches each new challenge with the same humble curiosity that characterized his first days on the dojo floor, always ready to learn and adapt.

An experience that feels like visiting a beautiful café

When you hold a copy of Standart in your hands, you're immediately drawn into its visual world. Over the years, the magazine has evolved through two transformative rebrands, each one carefully crafted to capture the essence of a perfect coffee moment. The story of its design is as rich as the beverage that inspired it.

At its heart lies a simple yet powerful visual language. The logo, stripped down to pure black or white, mirrors the fundamental nature of coffee itself. Throughout its pages, colors dance like flavor notes in a perfectly roasted bean—hints of berry here, whispers of chocolate there, perhaps a touch of stone fruit in the margins.

But what truly sets Standart apart is its tactile soul. Each issue is printed on uncoated paper that begs to be touched, creating an intimate connection between reader and page. As you move through the magazine, different paper stocks surprise your fingertips, much like discovering new layers of flavor in your favorite brew.

“We want the act of reading Standart to feel like stepping into your favorite café and discovering a new perspective on coffee,” Michal explains. “In a world saturated by screens, physical objects can be a breath of fresh air—especially when created with real care.”

Just as a barista carefully crafts each cup, each page of Standart is meticulously designed to be savored. The magazine invites readers to slow down, to immerse themselves in stories the way they might lose themselves in the aroma of a freshly brewed pour-over.

Growing global: from local to worldwide

From the early days of distributing a handful of copies, Standart steadily evolved. By 2024, the magazine aimed to reach $1.7 million in revenue—an impressive feat for a publication that started in a humble dorm room. Michal attributes this growth to a combination of bold decisions and patient, organic expansion.

Rather than relying on traditional ad-heavy models, Standart embraced a subscription-based approach. Subscribers receive multiple issues per year, each packed with long-form journalism, stunning photography, and in-depth features that connect coffee to broader cultural topics—ranging from sustainability to social justice.

Today, 15,000 active subscribers in 103 countries count on Standart to deepen their coffee knowledge. The largest communities have formed in the U.S., Japan, Germany, and the U.K., but the magazine has passionate fans everywhere from Canada to Brazil, and Singapore to Norway.

Remote work culture

As a remote team, the Standart staff often work from cafés or coworking spaces, which, Michal says, fuels their creativity. He describes his daily environment as “somewhere between the smell of toasted coconut and jasmine, with a hint of blueberry muffin,” referencing the characteristic aromas typically associated with specialty coffee. Occasionally, an LP of Satoshi & Makoto might be spinning in the background, adding a low-key ambiance to the day's tasks.

Though Standart occupies most of Michal’s professional life, he also tries to maintain personal balance—a value reflected in his plan to offer part-time roles so that employees can enjoy healthy work-life integration. Drawing on his martial arts background again, he believes true success is rooted in balanced personal growth and consistent self-reflection.

“There’s more to life than work,” he muses. “Yes, I’m deeply passionate about Standart. But I also want to have time for my family, for staying active, for continuing to learn—maybe even picking up a new discipline if karate has taught me anything.”

“Ask yourself if you really want to start a business, or if you just like telling people you're an entrepreneur. They're two different things. Running a coffee shop and making coffee, for instance, are entirely separate skill sets. Be brutally honest about why you're doing this.”

He adds that once you're certain, it's crucial to take action rather than agonize over perfection. Produce something, put it in front of real customers, and see how they react. In Michal's experience, no amount of theoretical planning replaces the insights gleaned from your first paying customer.

“Better done than perfect,” he says. “That immediate feedback loop after your first sale is worth a hundred business plans.”

Tools for a global audience

With subscribers scattered across more than a hundred countries, the logistics of shipping physical copies can get complicated. To manage orders efficiently, Michal built Standart's ecommerce store on Shopify, attracted by its reliability and ease of use. After briefly experimenting with a custom-built solution—an expensive detour that cost time and money—he realized Shopify was the better long-term partner.

“I went back to Shopify because it's powerful, effective, and simple enough for us to maintain in-house,” Michal explains. “We don't need to reinvent the wheel.”

Standart's digital infrastructure includes Klaviyo for newsletters, Recharge for subscriptions, Rise for gift cards, and Help Scout for customer support. For order fulfillment and shipping, they use Parcelify and MassFulfill, along with custom scripts that help manage their international distribution.

Streamlining invoicing with Sufio

An often-overlooked part of ecommerce is invoicing. However, for Standart, which caters to both individual consumers and occasional wholesale orders, having a smooth invoicing system is crucial. Initially, Michal used a patchwork of third-party integrations and manual processes.

“We had a solution that wasn't fully compatible with Shopify,” he recalls. “It created confusion around VAT and distribution of invoices. Sometimes customers needed to request PDF invoices, and our team would have to dig around or ask our accountant. It wasn't ideal.”

One of Standart's favorite Sufio features is that customers can download their invoice directly from their order confirmation email. This eliminates the need for back-and-forth email requests, especially among subscribers who purchase multiple issues or gift subscriptions.

Additionally, Sufio adds a convenient link to the Shopify order page, so Standart's customer care team can retrieve invoices instantly. If a customer has a question about VAT or requires an invoice to be resent, the team can act quickly—no waiting on the accounting department.

“It sounds small, but these moments matter,” Michal stresses. “Consumers appreciate not having to jump through hoops for something as simple as an invoice.”

Because Standart sells worldwide, understanding different tax rates can be complex. Sufio can handle special requirements and add line-by-line VAT breakdowns—features that many invoice apps either struggle with or don't support at all.

“Sufio displays VAT so precisely that we no longer see those pesky rounding issues at the month's end,” Michal explains. “Reconciliation used to be a nightmare. Now it just works.”

What's more, Standart's brand is distinctive—clean lines, bold typography, coffee-inspired hues—and Michal didn't want the invoicing process to clash with that visual identity. Sufio's customizable templates allow him to maintain brand consistency across every touchpoint: from the website to the invoice itself.

“Every detail counts,” Michal says. “When customers receive an invoice that looks like an afterthought, it sends the message that you don't really care. Sufio lets us keep it elegant and on-brand.”

That's why, after exploring various invoicing solutions, Standart chose Sufio for its ability to integrate branding elements, handle complex tax rules, and automate time-consuming tasks. It's one more cog in the machine that keeps Standart's polished image intact and operations running smoothly.

“A brand isn't just a logo. It's every interaction—Instagram posts, packaging, the design of your website, or the invoice in a customer's inbox. When those elements align, you build trust and recognition.”

Brewed with passion, steeped in innovation

Standart is more than just a coffee magazine. It’s a testament to how a singular idea—bridging high editorial standards with the nuances of specialty coffee—can resonate with a global audience when executed with authenticity, discipline, and a willingness to adapt.

From Michal’s karate-inspired beginnings to remote team collaboration, his unwavering determination to print in a digital age and the latest expansions in Japan, every aspect of Standart reflects the core values of quality, curiosity, and community.

Technology partners like Shopify and Sufio have played key roles in streamlining operations, whether it’s subscription management or automatic invoicing. By automating administrative burdens, Michal and his team can focus on what truly matters: producing captivating content, growing an engaged community, and continually elevating the coffee conversation.

“We’d like to see a copy of Standart in every coffee shop that believes in genuine hospitality,” Michal says. “When people ask, ‘Why does this coffee taste so special? What’s behind this whole scene?’, we want baristas to point them to Standart and say, ‘Here, read and discover.’”

In a world often driven by quick clicks and fleeting trends, Standart stands as a reminder that depth, tangibility, and consistent branding can still thrive. It proves that if you fuse passion with solid execution—and have the right tools to handle the nuts and bolts—your project can connect with people worldwide. After all, coffee has always been about bringing people together, and Standart has simply given them more reasons to stay.