My Worst Investment Ever Podcast

Andrew Stotz - I, Coffee: The Capitalist Miracle Behind Your Morning Cup

Apr 15, 2025

07:56

I, Coffee: The Capitalist Miracle Behind Your Morning Cup

I am the cup of coffee warming your hands right now. A simple drink with a story no government could brew. My journey from a cherry on a tree to your morning ritual is a testament to freedom, ambition, and human ingenuity.

I exist not because of a single plan by a government or business but because of countless decisions, risks, and exchanges made by individuals and companies.

I am the child of voluntary trade, fierce competition, and the pursuit of profit, all working without a master plan. These forces grow me, move me, roast me, and deliver me to you.

No single person could make me from start to finish, yet billions of cups like me are made every day.

Private ownership gives rise to ambition

I began as a cherry on a small farm in Costa Rica, grown by Manuel. Because he owns the land, he has reason to think long-term, studying prices, testing new methods, and planting varieties that take years to bear fruit. He’s not just farming for today; he’s betting on tomorrow. That’s what capitalism rewards: patience, planning, and the courage to take risks.

Manuel’s commitment to tomorrow propels his green coffee bean across borders, where profit and competition transform local harvests into global goods.

Profit connects personal effort to progress

Once picked, my journey begins from fruit to finished drink. I pass through the hands of workers and businesses, each driven by their own needs. No one is in it for love. They’re in it for a paycheck. And that’s precisely the point. The drive to earn a living keeps the whole system in motion.

Profit isn’t greed; it’s survival. Prices tell people what is scarce and wanted; markets change direction overnight. To survive, you adapt. To win, you innovate. That’s how competition works; it’s the quiet engine pushing new ideas forward. In capitalism, you don’t get to stand still. Evolve, and you’ll thrive. Stay stuck, and you’ll disappear.

Trade works without central control

As I leave the processing facility, my journey goes global. I cross oceans and borders. The people along the way live in different countries, speak different languages, follow different beliefs, and may even hate each other, yet they still cooperate. Peace is the quiet miracle of capitalism. The market’s invisible hand turns individual pursuits into shared progress.

Each region plays to its strengths. Manuel grows coffee in Costa Rica. Luigi builds espresso machines in Italy. They’ve never met, but through trade, they both win. By trading rather than trying to do everything alone, both end up better off.

Consumers determine what survives

At the roasting factory, experts dial in flavor. The process begins with precise heat control, powered by machines and fuels from distant places. Roasters adjust their methods to meet customer expectations because you, the consumer, decide who wins.

I don’t exist by chance. Every choice, a dark roast or a decaf, oat milk or cream, sends a signal. You’re the boss here. I’m shaped by what you sip. That’s why quality matters. Even minor errors lead to waste, lost sales, and the risk of being replaced by someone who gets it right.

Every job contributes to final value

Each role, from warehouse staff to maintenance teams, shapes the outcome. The technician who calibrates the roaster’s heat, the quality inspector who catches defects, and the logistics coordinator who ensures delivery affect how I taste in the end.

In this system, no task is too small. A green coffee warehouse worker in Indonesia who rotates inventory properly helps ensure I arrive fresh in Denver. One mistake and a competitor gets the next order.

Specialization turns effort into excellence

At the café, baristas add their expertise, turning a roasted bean into your favorite cup: a bold black coffee, a tangy espresso, or a smooth latte. They steam, clean, pour, and seal. And they know: just one overheated shot or cracked lid, and everything I’ve been through goes to waste.

That’s the harsh reality of capitalism. Each choice leads towards profit or loss. Accountability isn’t imposed; it’s automatic.

Competition enforces accountability

Some argue that markets need heavy rules, but I’ve seen competition shape behavior better than any bureaucracy. The people who move me act responsibly not because they’re forced to, but because trust pays off. Break that trust, and the market makes you pay.

Even sustainability depends on you. When you choose shade-grown beans or Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee, farms change. Your fair-trade purchases raise wages. Your demand for carbon-neutral shipping pushes the whole system forward. I’m not made greener by policy memos; I’m made greener by you. That’s capitalism.

Voluntary exchange creates something greater

So here I am, your coffee, warming your hands just as I began this story. I started as a simple cherry on a tree, and through countless individual decisions, I’ve become your morning ritual. No one commanded my journey from Costa Rica to your cup, yet I arrived through millions of voluntary exchanges.

I’m not just a drink but living proof that capitalism, at its best, transforms strangers into partners and simple beans into something extraordinary.

As you sip me slowly, remember: every drop represents a quiet miracle of human cooperation, brewed not by force but by freedom, the same freedom that will bring your cup tomorrow and every morning after.

Essay by Andrew Stotz, loosely adapted from Leonard E. Read’s “I, Pencil”

Andrew’s books

Andrew’s online programs

Connect with Andrew Stotz:

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts

Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.