I recently quit my job as a barista and got my first data analyst job, I absolutely hate it and miss being a barista; I’m a first generation immigrant so I can’t just quit and go back go making coffee 🙁

i always wanted to work at a coffee shop or bookstore, seems sooo nice since i love coffee and books. in my tech job, i am usually a little stressed and i hate being at home all day. I like being out and moving. but then the paycheck hits and it’s like “i love working”

As someone that's working in tech as a software engineer, I get it. Sometimes it's incredibly boring and difficult to find meaning in the work I do. Yes the money is nice but it's not always about money unfortunately... I love tech and programming has been a passion of mine since I was in highschool but lately I've been enjoying it less and less and I just don't have the disciple to push myself and do things that I don't enjoy doing anymore. A solution could be to start your own company and work on things you actually like.

Ha! I did something similar - I left a fancy paying job at a tech company to work at a farmers market and sell apples. But selling fruit ended up being the most fun job I ever had, so no regrets!

Thank you for speaking so openly about this!! “Success” has become so twisted in media reporting and societally-set standards & expectations. Coffee for the win! Or whatever brings you joy and satisfaction!

While it is true that it shows privilege, I feel like people forget each person has a right to do whatever they want in life as long as it doesn't harm others. It is so weird we have to remind people it is your life and you can make choices because you are the one living with it at the end of the day.

Life is not all about money. It is a blessing to make a living and love what you do

I left my network engineer job, to work a basic job to spend more time with my kids

Feeling this so hard. Just entered my 30s and not down for the tech desk job life anymore.

Tren was spacing out the whole time 🤣. This topic and conversation is the one i avoided back when i was 16 picking out colleges and i figured that i’d go with the status quo. It’s such a fact we’ve been taught to only choose and be committed to one path which is frigid and as a result we grow old and gradually discover that we’d have to be responsible for our decisions and happiness and the definition of success to each person is important above all. I love the idea of your gap year being like, in the moment of retirement, we’d figure out what to do when the time comes, but all we get to experience is now so it’s best to do whatever that aligns at the moment and feel for yourself. Thanks for the vid!!

this is so valuable, thank you for taking the time and effort to make this kind of content

I just found this, this is gold! I've been in the dental field for a couple of years while taking IT classes. I'm excited about the IT world but as you said, I've never felt too good for a part-time job. I've worked at so many restaurants just to have something fun to do. Haha. It's been great!

I work in IT making a good amount of money. I am thinking about leaving the IT field as a whole because I am burned out. The amount of stress that came through out covid for the department to do more with less staff. They promised us after covid we would expand the department but instead it has shrank even more. We have a ton of people retiring and quitting but no one is coming in behind them to take over for their positions. The company talks about all this growth they have inside the company but that is only inside of the business departments. I am thinking about leaving the field to become a motorcycle tech or an auto motive tech. The only problem is the money issue would be there. I would be leaving a nearly 6 figure salary to step down to 50k or less.

Loves this bro, seriously love your thought process. I’m literally in your shoes at the moment.. making lots of money versus doing something that feels purposeful, something I believe in. Thank you for summarizing my thought process in true regard

As a recent grad for berkeley I constantly feel a pressure that I need to go into the typical popular career routes for people’s respect. honestly I’m still struggling with it but I try to just focus on the corny “follow your heart” method to decide

more people should work in retail or fast food to build character or to have empathy for those who work in low paying jobs

i interned at fb this past summer and hated it so i left halfway through to go live in nature because i felt like i needed to recover - really feel the same, it's something about it being like 'did i really deserve this lifestyle' 'do we really live in a meritocratic society' and it just felt so off having everything so taken care of for doing nothing and coasting so glad i found your channel today, keep up the great work i don't see this opinion shared very often and a pivot going from cs to a creative field

Nice Albert Camus reference lol and very true too about life being absurd. I really agree about the importance of different experiences, trying out different roles, how satisfying working with your hands can be after office work. Also how being a barista doesn't make you less worthy than being a high paid tech worker. I wish more people realised that and would stop looking down on people due to their job and income.

I agree with this !! I am a software developer ! (Intern) but until I’m either promoted or find fulltime employment I work as a server at a restaurant . So many people are surprised when I tell them that I am a developer . They automatically say “well don’t you guys make a lot of money ? Why are you working here ?” So I really understand this video ! Thanks so much for this ! 💜

This was an excellent conversation! Looking forward to seeing how your perspectives change over time. I had similar philosophical thoughts about life and purpose in my early twenties. Back then, I felt like I needed to prove myself to the world. "Who do I want to be? What legacy do I want to leave?" I moved to NYC, SF, and LA to experience life and try new things. Now that I am 29, my wants and needs have totally changed. I feel less desire to prove myself and instead just want to be helpful to my family, friends, and my community. I care less about what I do and care more about who I work with. Moving back to my home state got rid of the gnawing existential dread. Life has been much more enjoyable when I can share it with people I care for. Anyways, enjoy the journey of your twenties!! 🙏 It can be very enlightening if you so chose.

i think the word you're looking for the "fine line between ballsy and chaotic" is curiosity it's like windowshopping for the things you like, you're not necessarily invested by it, and you can walk away at any time

Such a great conversation 👏🏾 everyone in every job field needs to see this and ask themselves these questions

You both seem very insightful. Love this video, Chris. Cheers!

Man, he speaks so much wisdom. I love it.

yea i heard there’s a high rate of burnout in tech bc it’s hard to find meaning in the work you do. you never really see the impact you have on people’s lives. it’s just grind x3. love this video! hope your coffee journey brings you great success. i remember the other tech youtuber has his own coffee bean brand. maybe you can do something like that? also I thought Tren was dead haha… Tren we miss your videos!

STRONG outro 😂 awesome discussion and perspectives

The interview we’ve been waiting for 🙌

This is amazing 🤩 very courageous and true to yourself! Happiness is everything

This generation, our Millennials/GenZ generation, is profoundly different. We understand that giving your soul to these sad corporations comes with a terrible price. I hope that more and more people specifically the Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Indians who are so eager and so fond in the workplace to sacrifice themselves throw anyone under the bus just to show their sadistic managers how much they work and how much they produce will come to realize one day that they gave their life to an ideology that benefited them nothing. Time is your only asset and is deflationary by design, every day that passes by you're left with less and less time to actually live.

At the end of the day you don't have to justify your decisions to anyone. Just live your truth

This guy described how I feel dropping my engineering degree for the sake of my mental health. Yup people treat you differently... But at the end of the day it's your life to live, they are not going to live your struggle doing something that doesn't work for you, but looks good to them. Live your life, don't kill yourself trying to stay in people's good graces in the process.

You're mindset is gold man

Yo it is Chris. Nice to see you again! Also, I think there is a thing called "Skill Minimalism." Like, SWE requires tons of skills, but the burnout or other factors can affect you to focus on other skill sets like being more intentional with people and relationship building. I enjoy and highly respect your transition. :)

I've missed you. Your videos are so good 😭😭

I think a big reason why people go for money is that it's just a very easy goal to have, it's something you subscribe to whether you want to or not right. Often a person's first "adult" experience is realizing "hey I need money and I don't want to live on the streets". Essentially, the world pushes this visceral need into your mind, hell it even screams into your ears: you need money. I think the immediacy of this goal is something that is easy to get attached to, even after a basic level of financial stability is achieved. This largely makes sense because accessibility and momentum are core drivers of decision making in any person. Going beyond this immediately available and instantly gratifying goal is difficult, largely because many people are so preoccupied by it that they have little time/energy to reflect on such things, but also because it is a goal that will always need to be satisfied in any other goal you make. i.e. You always need money, so any other plans you make that seek for a life beyond money also will need to incorporate money as a subgoal. Thus, not being driven by money is an incredibly hard task to supersede in the system we inhabit.

Happy to see you doing well and pursuing what you love

the whole time in this video the indian dude looks like he'd rather be anywhere else but there

I don’t know how anyone can afford to live on a barista’s wage. I’m a chemical engineer. Only make about 60,000 and I struggle. Affordable housing is in a crisis right now. I’m living in lower income housing. Lot of crime where I live and even then these houses are selling for like 500,000 for a two bedroom.

Nice to see you again Chris.

I aspire to have that much B Roll! Great video.

You know i worked for a tech company as a "programmer" but i never did any real work. The most frustrating thing about it is that i spent nearly 3 years learning to code but ended up not doing real world projects. A year into the job my motivation just plumetted. I started to really hate what i was doing. I started to hate coding altogether. As of April 13 2023 i was fired, it was a big relief but unfortunately i decided that it was the end of my coding career. I might be burnt out or i might actually believe that coding is not for me. Either way i have decided to take a break from coding and find another job that i wont or might not hate. I wish i knew what it was. I wish it wasn't so hard

I quit my $14/hr retail job and took a $130k government job in HR, every part of my work needs to be detailed and there's so much more responsibility and accountability on my shoulder. I kinda miss the ease of retail and daily interactions with customers.

i understand you. lol I'm a pharmacist and make six-figs and I joke (or am i really?) to my coworkers that I'd quit and going to work as a park guide or maybe teach brazilian jiu jitsu. I also do understand I'm coming from a position of relative privilege but we gotta live our life here dude. Love the content, subbed!

mm coffee. Great to hear from you again, Chris!

In this situation right now. I took a recruiting (basically sales) job out of college, and I absolutely hate it. I'm only 21, and my interests have completely changed since I decided to get a business degree at 18 years old. It's really frustrating, I feel stuck in a career I don't want to be in. However, I've spent the past few months growing a personal writing company, and am now making a few hundred per month doing it. My goal is to make enough $$ freelance writing to get a part-time job at a record or book store, so that I can quit my current 9-5.

disclaimer, not super ballin but consider myself privileged - i think about it all the time how once you reach a certain level of financial security, your happiness is really gonna depend a lot more on your relationships, health, lifestyle, and perspective, etc. and we’re here for ~80 years, 100 tops, and i’m assuming a lot of us are 18-30. so i mean… well this is how i explain why i could read this title and immediately get why.

Great inspirational video!

If we all had lots of money, many people would be volunteering in a lot of "low paying jobs" cause some are fun. If I had enough money to cater to all my wants and needs I would be a bartender. Its such a cool job, getting to chat with people and share stories. Super awesome

“This is the game I’m playing” I loved that line

Very good video, and that Freddie Gibbs that came near the end made me a subscriber!

im trying to get into a tech job. been researching what i want to try out then im going to do a certificate and if i am finding that its interesting i will pursue it further, any tips on exploring different things?

250k in California is minimum wage anyway

This was a nice collab 👍

I fuck with this philosophical podcast format

I resonate with this so much

I just quit my tech job and im looking for cafe barista bar work but I have no idea what i should put on my CV. My cv has all these corporate references what do i do?

Left IT years ago. Best decision I made with my life. The long checks didn't make me happy.

You had a video where you said "stop trying to figure out life and just live" where you were talking about your programming journey. Is that video unlisted now?

I think these guys should start a podcast

I failed in a tech job... more like I.T. but it involved programming and some software engineering. I didn't necessarily dislike it, but my boss was horrible to me and made it very clear that I sucked at the job. Had to quit before I was fired, fortunately I had good savings, but now I work part time as a security guard, which I like. I am poor though now!

Great vid man

Respect wish Tren has more to contribute but love your mindset

It’s honestly not a downgrade. Because currency intrinsically is your energy and your mind. Slaves are slaves through control of their body and mind. So if you don’t like what you do then your job is controlling your mind

i am feeling exactly like this guy...

You do you, man!

I see so many videos about quitting the harsh IT environment, but can't you design your lifestyle to fit you if you want? People in general business do it all the time. For example they'll contract for 6-9 months in a year and then take breaks whenever they want to, to travel, pursue hobbies etc.

If we all didn't have to work. I don't think people would be bored but people would actually volunteer in these they actually love and not just to put on their resume

Seeing your video and others talk about quitting their "tech" jobs, the first thing that comes to mind is, you went into it for the wrong reason. Whether is was for the money or for this idea of being a tech worker, it was all for the wrong reason and that's why you don't enjoy it. The other thought I have is, you simply took a job based on salary. I don't think you'd be quitting your job if you were actually working for a company that was doing amazing things and you were part of that process. Getting paid $250k really means nothing if you hate everything that you do. If you find absolutely zero value in what you do and what you are able to give to someone, you're going to hate your job. The job has to have some value to you and you have to find value in what your job gives to others. As a barista, you see the immediate value that you give to others. You see it daily and you find value and meaning in that. You know that cup of coffee you made is going to make someone feel better. On the other hand, no one cares about your 1000 lines of code unless that code actually can provide some value to others as John Carmack told Lex on his podcast. Your code just disappears into the ether and nobody but you knows you wrote them. This can be extremely dissatisfying and over time, it just compounds. This is why some people leave big tech and go elsewhere, be it to start a start-up, or to work elsewhere where they can see value in their work and see the value it gives others. The company you work for matters and what that company is doing matters. Landing a job with a big corporation means you will likely be a nobody and you will be relegated to doing things that really have zero impact on people's lives. We as humans value this aspect about our lives. Seeing you leave a high paying tech job to be a barista says a lot. One that comes to mind is that I don't think you are a creator. When I say creator, I mean someone who enjoys writing code from the ground up to do a specific task or tasks that will bring value to others. Good software engineers are creators and they love creating; they don't love coding. Coding is just the tool they use to create with. They enjoy building things, and not just anything. They enjoy the challenge of building something from the ground up that gives meaning to others, be it a library, an app, or whatever. Being a software engineer, there are so many things you can do that can impact people's lives positively, but I don't think you are that kind of person and that's why you've chosen the route you did. I find it hard to believe that someone who's really creative and enjoys bringing things to life and seeing how it gives value to others would leave that and become a barista. I think you are among those who thought it would be a good career and went after it only to find that it's not at all what you thought it would be, and no, the money is not going to make you happy. You climbed the ladders thinking it would lead to a big paycheck and meaningful work, but for most people, it doesn't. I would put the majority of college grads in this category. It's kind of a life choice, but there are many other things you'd rather do. For creators, if the job they have isn't their dream job, they are creating everyday after hours and their job is just a means to pay the bills and to provide them the means to allow them to keep creating, be it working on open-source projects, writing libraries, creating games, writing apps, or whatever. Sometimes we do our jobs not because we love it, but because it provides us the means to do what we enjoy. As long is we find some meaning in it and we see the value it provides others, we can usually tolerate it, but if none of these exists, it's hard to stay in that job for long. I think this was your situation and hence your path. You didn't have all these side projects you loved working on outside of your work to make the sacrifices you make at work worth it. Your dislike of your job spilled over and came home with you and in the end, there was no choice but to leave. Hope it all works out and I hope you find meaning in what you do now, regardless the pay difference.

Bro just curious do you have parents and how did they feel about your kidnda erratic decisions to attend/leave college and leave your job like this?

Got my first Helpdesk job last year for the government and absolutely hate it, I’d rather do simulation racing or work at a coffee shop that to do this. Actually I kind of miss my old retail job

I loved the title!

Would you rather work for 5 years with 250k salary or work for 25 years making 50k ?

I think that being barista allows you to be creative and seeing people happy, and you missed that.

This video hit different

A long time ago I got a really well paying job offer, but becoming a barista seemed more interesting to me right now.

The 42 year old version of this guy will hate this younger guy! Could have been multi millionaire and have unlimited freedoms to chance passions, hobbies, be generous. Youth is wasted on the young

Tech has always been a means to an end for me. I don't necessarily enjoy the journey because of project managers and admin, but its when I am coding or designing. Those brief moments I enjoy. I think the best thing to do with the massive amounts of money you make is to invest into assets that make you money. Then start your own business and push through the difficulties to create something good. Its a good way to grow because being a boss is a great test.

The interviewee made mature,, valid points..The interviewer seems very disinterested, and also clearly doesn't understand the stress of working full-time in a corporate office.

What a flex. Goals.

I thought working as a Barista isn't a livable wage. How do you do it man? I'd like to know as I'm in the same situation you used to be.

tren black looked bitter when u were talking about being less bitter

Optimising for money is a fool's errand. It works to a point but deathbed regrets are mostly about not spending enough time with loved ones. Regarding patience, I've learned to appreciate it more as I've gotten older. Seeing something through is rare, especially these days. People used to envy me because I travelled a lot, but now I envy people who've spent years honing a craft that they love. With that said I know a lot of people who just did random cafe jobs for a couple of years and I thought they were a lost cause. Turns out it lit a fire under them and many started really interesting paths after that. If I wasn't so concerned back then with what other people thought of me/my parents expectations I probably would've taken even more time to decide what I wanted to do. As it is, I'm still figuring it out (despite doing well on paper). I took a gap year and it helped a bit but not as much as I'd expected. The point about it not being supported by others is key. I was kind of supported through a travel programme thing and although I had to work throughout, it wasn't just normal life, fending for myself. Without those elements it's just a holiday. Ramble over. Good vid!

Sounds like he’s just got burnt out. He just has to figure out what he wants to do next.

Before watching sounds like coast fire?

What was the level of your position? L4 Senior SDE?

You still work as a barista?

3:55 Interesting points, thanks!

Sometime mental health is more important than.. Money is very important but honestly I cannot sacrifice it for my health.. r there is only one life to live .. do what makes you happy .. A billionaire has the same needs as regular person difference is they allocated that to another person. If you can be happy with Taking responsibility of your own help and not be greedy and power centric honestly it all equate desame. It’s all perspective guys it’s all ego

fire

if minimum wage actually caught up with cost of living, I bet a lot more of us would be working in coffee shops. I know I would

Exactly what substance are you using to clean your monitor?? I’d love to know ty

Damn I haven’t seen T.Black in a min

Well, it’s not like this guy is jumping without a parachute. He has a CS degree from Cal, a litany of internships, and actual real-world experience. A lot of people out of college don’t even begin working until their mid-20s. If you’re a self-taught engineer that managed to find a job in this field, you might not have the same freedom to “follow your heart.”

I literally didn’t recognize Tren Black until I heard his voice lol

Chris, please consider doing another video just you and a camera.

The non-barista guy needs to go church lolllll "nothing means anything right"

bold move, how did your parents react, mine would for def kill me for doing something like this lol

I think you're more aware if you start thinking life is meaningless or what's the point of everything. And also, if you realize you can't take your money with you when you die. Is it introspection or is it depression? Maybe it's Maybelline.

250k annual earnings in software engineering?? Broo that's fr?

Doesn't it all just boil down to having fun? If life is meaningless, we as well might try to have fun. I mean having fun in life in general but also doing work that is fun for us.