I realized I hated computer engineering, so I joined my father in the food business. We fight every day, but I don't regret it.

"I've always loved cooking with my mother and watching cooking videos. It took me three painful years studying computer engineering and one corporate internship to decide hawker life was the way to go. My parents wanted me to learn something traditional and study engineering or become a doctor. So I thought, "I like playing computer games, so let's pursue computer engineering." I didn't think much about it, and I didn't do much research."

"When the course started, I hated it. I didn't get coding at all. Examinations were hard for me, and I just suffered through them. The point where I really felt like this wasn't the right path for me was when I got caught cheating during an exam. I managed to lie to the examiner and pretend I wasn't cheating. But that made me realize something: If I have to resort to cheating, this is really not what I want to do."

Ethan Tan studied computer engineering but discovered he disliked coding and academic exams, and felt disconnected after resorting to cheating during an exam. A corporate internship at Accenture reinforced his sense that office work was monotonous and unfulfilling. After graduating and completing national service, he joined his father's seafood hawker stall, learning hawker operations and later gaining restaurant experience at The American Club. He developed a stronger father–son relationship through shared work. He now runs his own prawn noodle stall and aspires to expand to multiple outlets, combining culinary passion with entrepreneurial goals.

Read at Business Insider