[Phil]

I have about 8 years of IT experience and, after taking a risk and going for a high paying cybersecurity job, have recently been laid off.

The labor market is a bit grim right now so I’m thinking of starting my own business instead of going back to a W2.

I’ve daydreamed about having a coffee shop but have no experience as a barista. Maybe a business more technology focused would make more sense but I’ve also thought about combining tech and coffee.

I’m still in early stages but like the idea of being my own boss and providing value to my community thru business.

I am open to other business ideas.

Feel free to gut check me on this. My mortgage and health insurance is covered by my VA benefits. I also have $40k in a HYSA and my partner works 1099 as a mental health therapist so we are safe financially for the foreseeable future.

I am normally open to taking risk like this but I have a child on the way in November so I want this to a solid, strategic move.

Thoughts?

[Katie]

I think starting your own business is a great idea, but research the success rate is any restaurant/coffe/food service business and you’ll see it’s one of the lowest out there.

Not to mention you don’t make any money unless you’re the one there running it so you’ve just created a job for yourself that has very long hours (7 days a week).

[Sunny]

Get a job working in coffee shop. See how things are run. Find a building you can buy. You’ll rarely make it if you have to pay a lease to someone else forever.

If your coffee shop fails and you own the building, you can still sell the building.

If your shop fails and you’re leasing, you’re going to go bankrupt paying the lease.

Have plenty of ideas for the building if coffee fails. What else could you do with the building?

Maybe you could lease it out to someone else etc….

Owning the building is really key if you are just a small guy starting out.

[Bryon]

If it were me, I would look for a job in what you know well and that is the tech industry.

If your interested in opening a coffee shop that combines the tech piece, I would work part time on the side or on weekends at a coffee shop to start to understand the business to ensure that is both what you want to do and to make sure you understand the business side very well.

I would also make sure you have plenty of cash to float the business as many business can take some time to turn a profit when just opened.

By working in the business and stockpiling cash, I suspect you will increase your chances of success if that is what you decide to do.

That, and make sure you have a rock solid business plan and understand your numbers extremely well.

Many businesses go bankrupt as a result of not understanding their costs and market opportunities.

[Adam]

The thing that usually stops people is the fear of the unknown You already got laid off You have a cushion you have a supportive partner sounds like you don’t have real money needs like someone else suggests maybe work for a local coffee shop or Starbucks and see how you like it while brainstorming coming up with other things and deep diving into the world of being an entrepreneur There’s so many books out there There’s good podcast a lot of good mentors One of the key essential skills is going to be sales so maybe a coffee shop and a sales job while you get a business plan in place

[Marin]

There’s a coffee shop close to me that has rooms for tech people to work in (I guess for people who work remotely but don’t want to be at home)… it’s a pretty cool concept and definitely adds to the community.

The Hive in Austin tx.

I don’t go there however because the coffee sucks so please figure out the coffee part

[Anna]

Hi Phil, my husband hated his job in 2023 and we decided he could quit for a while and come back.

After months of searching he wasn’t able to find anything I could tell he just wasn’t passionate about the work he was doing. Now hes pivoting to a new career path.

It will take a couple years to become his own boss but he already is happier.

Sounds like you and your family are in similar situations. Do it, it will be hard, you’ll question sometimes why you did it, but you can’t succeed unless you try

[Emily]

Just make sure you are truly done with cyber security.
It seems like a field that will maintain and probably increase its demand due to all the AI proliferation.

However, my guess is the specific strategies and skills needed will iterate quickly also because of AI.

I used to work as a career counselor in silicon valley and tech people who were out of their field for 6+ months found it more difficult to find a job because the hiring managers assumed skills were getting outdated.

So, if you know you are ready to leave that career behind, then feel free to dream big and go for it.

But if you enjoyed the work and would be interested in going back to the field in the future, then that’s what I recommend focusing on.

And if you need something temporarily now, maybe consult in the field or your own business providing cyber security to smaller companies who can’t hire their own person etc.

[Connie]

My husband has worked in the coffee industry for over 11+ years from barista to executive. It’s a lot harder than it looks and be mindful of the cost of importing coffee as the conversation of tariffs is in the midst.

It’s do-able but costs more than it may seem from the outside.

I’m not a parent but have baby sat and nanny’d quite often. Perhaps plan out what the goal of the coffee shop is, who would maintain it as you have a child on the way, and the area that you want to open it up at, is it for the right target audience?

Lots of things to consider when we’ve seen new coffee businesses start up and are unable to remain open.

Commercial real estate has gotten a bit out of hand (depending on where you’re located) I do think your IT experience and cybersecurity background could come in handy with coming up with a business concept or even including AI.

Less overhead, and probably can work for home.

We’ve scaled and opened 5+ shops in California, and multiple wholesale accounts across the country.

But we’ve also supplied coffee for smaller cafes who couldn’t make it work with the rising costs of cups, coffee, syrups, milk, labor, etc.

If you want to dive into the coffee space, highly recommend building out a coffee cart and working events. It’s become very popular for big companies and weddings (esp NA crowd).

Still a leap into that world, get an idea of what it’s like working events yourself, and what it’s like sourcing everything to pull it off.

A very mini version of a shop but gives you some experience. Many coffee shops start off as coffee carts or remain that way as it allows flexibility and no need to pay rent.

Hope this helps!

[Rebecka]

Congrats on the baby; that’s amazing. It sounds like you’re in a strong position to take a thoughtful risk, especially with your VA benefits covering essentials and a solid financial cushion.

Combining tech and coffee is a cool idea; something like a smart café or coworking space could really stand out.

Just keep in mind that the food and beverage world has a learning curve, so maybe start small (pop-up, coffee truck, or partner with a shop) to test the waters.

You could also lean into your strengths with a tech-focused biz; cybersecurity consulting, digital products, or a niche SaaS. You’ve got the right mindset.

Out of curiosity, is the coffee idea more about lifestyle or creating a community space?

[Doug]

I left a 21 year IT career in Q4 of 2021. I started my own auto repair shop from scratch. It took $100k+ to get it off the ground.

After 18 months my net worth rebounded and is back on track when I had the good paying IT job (middle management).

My guidance would be, if your going to make the jump to entrepreneurship, jump all in.

[Author]

Posts