Software Engineer Quits $250k Job to Open Matcha Shop
Michelle Yeung trades a high-paying tech career for entrepreneurship in New York City.
1From Tech to Tea
Michelle Yeung, a 29-year-old software engineer, resigned from a high-paying tech role to open Matcha House in Manhattan. Despite earning 250,000 dollars annually, she felt disconnected from her work. She chose to pursue a more meaningful path by launching a specialized matcha business in the Lower East Side.
2Early Financial Motivations
Growing up in a cramped San Francisco basement with her family, Yeung was shaped by early experiences with poverty. Her childhood goal was to achieve financial stability and wealth. After graduating from the University of Washington in 2019, she quickly secured a lucrative tech position that fulfilled her initial financial ambitions.
3Strategic Career Transition
Yeung spent 2023 aggressively saving money by cutting non-essential expenses like travel and streaming subscriptions. She even worked early morning shifts at Starbucks to learn the industry while maintaining her engineering job. This dual-track approach allowed her to build a financial cushion of over 200,000 dollars before finally resigning.
4The Entrepreneurial Leap
After traveling to Japan in 2024 to study matcha preparation, Yeung officially launched her business in July 2025. She invested 150,000 dollars of her own savings into the venture. The opening phase was physically demanding, requiring 12-hour workdays and significant help from friends to overcome unexpected infrastructure issues like flooding.
5Drastic Lifestyle Changes
To sustain her new venture, Yeung significantly reduced her personal spending. She moved out of her 3,300-dollar-a-month Manhattan apartment to live with a roommate. Her annual salary dropped by 87 percent, as she now pays herself approximately 33,000 dollars, prioritizing business reinvestment and employee wages over personal luxury.
6Operational Business Model
Matcha House currently employs ten part-time staff members to manage daily operations. Yeung keeps the menu limited to maintain low inventory costs and reduce operational complexity. By focusing on a niche product, the business is on track to become profitable by 2026, allowing her to gradually recover her initial investment.
7Redefining Success Metrics
Yeung no longer measures her success through high salary brackets or corporate titles. She finds fulfillment in the physical act of building a business and creating a product she is passionate about. Her daily life is now centered on operational challenges rather than the abstract nature of software engineering tasks.
8Future Outlook
One year into her journey, Yeung remains focused on long-term sustainability rather than immediate wealth. She views the survival of the business through its first year as a major milestone. Her transition highlights a growing trend of professionals prioritizing personal purpose and autonomy over traditional corporate career paths and stability.
Original article: Today.it — Software Engineer Quits $250k Job to Open Matcha Shop