Techie ditched coding to become a barista despite never drinking coffee. Now his engineer friends envy him, even with a lower paycheck

Nian Yang-yi, 34, set out to become a computer engineer, drawn to programming for its solitary, screen-focused work. But a sports accident in college that caused retinal detachment forced him to reconsider his future. To protect his eyes, he decided to take a temporary detour from coding, landing a job at a café — despite never drinking coffee.

At first, Nian resisted trying coffee, but encouragement from his coworkers led him to take a sip. “It felt like coding: Could I make this more precise, more efficient? Could I describe what I tasted so others could understand?” he told Business Insider. That curiosity grew into a decade-long journey as a barista, where he honed sensory skills and developed a deep appreciation for the craft.

Coffee Beyond the Cup
Nian’s career evolved when he joined a coffee trading firm as a quality control specialist, moving from brewing drinks to evaluating beans and studying market trends. While his salary initially decreased, the move expanded his understanding of the coffee supply chain and earned him the Arabica Q Grader certification, a globally recognized credential in coffee quality.

Coffee did more than shape Nian’s career. It transformed his social skills, helping him overcome his aversion to human interaction. Volunteering at a nonprofit café in a military village, he connected with elderly patrons, listening to stories spanning Taiwan’s martial law and colonial eras. “Coffee gives people a chance to gather and share their stories,” he said.

Passion Over Paycheck
Though some of his engineering friends envy his career choice, Nian acknowledges the trade-offs: his income is lower than peers in tech, and he lives frugally with his family while investing in coffee courses and side hustles. Yet he remains committed to the industry that brings him fulfillment.

“Some people choose high-paying jobs and fund hobbies with their salary. Others, like me, turn their passion into work,” Nian reflected. “If I could start over, my choice probably wouldn’t change — it would still be coffee.”