I often daydream at work about being a brewmeister or baker

[UNCjigga]

I have a decent job doing technical product marketing for large company. I have good salary & benefits, some decent perks, and I like the people I work with. However, lately I've been thinking about how things could've been if I worked on consumer goods vs. technology products.

I mean, I think I'd do a great job marketing cookies or (better yet) beer. Surely these things must be simpler than the products I work with, with fewer technical challenges? Will I have to take a new cookie through a stage-gate review process? If Labelling and Bottling don't like my beer recipe, will they have the same power to kill a project like Network and Device team kill mine? Of course I'm thinking the grass is greener on the other side. Brewmeisters and bakers have their own hurdles and challenges. But maybe they love their products so much that these challenges don't faze them?

The problem, as I see it, is that many technology companies don't have the same singular focus on the customer that most consumer goods companies have adopted. Procter & Gamble won't sell a new diaper if it has the side effect of killing babies, obviously, but technology companies routinely piss off their customers with similarly boneheaded decisions (see Sony and rootkits). Another problem is that the IT industry moves at such a breakneck pace, that those in the biz never develop any loyalty to their products. The Microsoft guy is working at Google next year. The Apple guy might be working at Microsoft. The Intel guy just joined AMD.

I know this thread is wandering, but that's the point of OT, right? I guess what I'm trying to say is I wish I had the same passion for my product as I might have if I made cookies or beer. Maybe I'm realizing that while technology is cool and all, it doesn't really make everyone happy like some other things do?

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: UNCjigga
Maybe I'm realizing that while technology is cool and all, it doesn't really make everyone happy like some other things do?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

FYI, just in case you aren't aware of it, Baking/cooking professionally, is hard work, and usually, long hours. If you are have a excellent work ethic, don't mind working hard physically and sweating, it can be a very fulfilling occupation.

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
FYI, just in case you aren't aware of it, Baking/cooking professionally, is hard work, and usually, long hours. If you are have a excellent work ethic, don't mind working hard physically and sweating, it can be a very fulfilling occupation.

But the chefs on FoodTV and Bravo make it look so easy!

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: UNCjigga

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
FYI, just in case you aren't aware of it, Baking/cooking professionally, is hard work, and usually, long hours. If you are have a excellent work ethic, don't mind working hard physically and sweating, it can be a very fulfilling occupation.

But the chefs on FoodTV and Bravo make it look so easy!

Sure, but it is easy work for long shifts of repetitive, tiring drudgery

 

[preslove]

Originally posted by: UNCjigga

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
FYI, just in case you aren't aware of it, Baking/cooking professionally, is hard work, and usually, long hours. If you are have a excellent work ethic, don't mind working hard physically and sweating, it can be a very fulfilling occupation.

But the chefs on FoodTV and Bravo make it look so easy!

Sure, but it is easy work for long shifts of repetitive, tiring drudgery

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: preslove


Sure, but it is easy work for long shifts of repetitive, tiring drudgery

Speaking of repetitive Line or short-order cook fits that description well enough, beyond those positions, I don't agree at all.

 

[Platypus]

sounds like you have yeast on the mind

 

[Gunslinger08]

Anyone who would rather work than get drunk and eat all day is not a prime candidate for welfare.

 

[theknight571]

Spent the last 14 years in tech support/project management/etc...

For a long time though I've thought that I'd like to run a diner or Coney Island type place.

Now that I've been laid off, I suppose I could make it happen... but I'm not sure I'm willing to take the risk at this point.

When I think about it though... i'd think I'd rather do that then go back to the Tech world.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: theknight571
Spent the last 14 years in tech support/project management/etc...

For a long time though I've thought that I'd like to run a diner or Coney Island type place.

Now that I've been laid off, I suppose I could make it happen... but I'm not sure I'm willing to take the risk at this point.

When I think about it though... i'd think I'd rather do that then go back to the Tech world.

If you've got the money, I've got the knowledge. Send me a pm.

 

[Dirigible]

Beer, cookies, etc. have low barriers to entry. Really hard to differentiate your product. Good luck getting patent protection on your product or using some other way to prevent others from doing what you do on the off chance you come up with something new. Thus, margins are slim, much work is required, it's tough to make a profit and easy to go out of business (with a restaurant particularly).

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Originally posted by: Dirigible
Beer, cookies, etc. have low barriers to entry. Really hard to differentiate your product. Good luck getting patent protection on your product or using some other way to prevent others from doing what you do on the off chance you come up with something new. Thus, margins are slim, much work is required, it's tough to make a profit and easy to go out of business (with a restaurant particularly).

You're right but, for the wrong reasons. Cost of equipment, location and, skilled staffing creates a high barrier to entry. The product is easy to differentiate once you get a customer to try your product because the product is as much a service as it is a food item. Patent protection is not needed because the combination of a specific type of restaurant and it's service differentiates the customer base.

That said, there is no more risky business to get into than the restaurant business. Those of us who work in the industry, do so for the non monetary part of the paycheck. Service, satisfaction and, providing a human face on an uncaring business world are the top reasons for myself. That and the certain knowledge, that while I am capable of doing a investment/tech industry related job, they are not capable of doing mine.

 

[theknight571]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: theknight571
Spent the last 14 years in tech support/project management/etc...

For a long time though I've thought that I'd like to run a diner or Coney Island type place.

Now that I've been laid off, I suppose I could make it happen... but I'm not sure I'm willing to take the risk at this point.

When I think about it though... i'd think I'd rather do that then go back to the Tech world.

If you've got the money, I've got the knowledge. Send me a pm.

I appreciate the offer.

Unfortunately I don't have the money... and given my current financial situation I doubt I could borrow it.

 

[Dirigible]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer

Originally posted by: Dirigible
Beer, cookies, etc. have low barriers to entry. Really hard to differentiate your product. Good luck getting patent protection on your product or using some other way to prevent others from doing what you do on the off chance you come up with something new. Thus, margins are slim, much work is required, it's tough to make a profit and easy to go out of business (with a restaurant particularly).

You're right but, for the wrong reasons. Cost of equipment, location and, skilled staffing creates a high barrier to entry. The product is easy to differentiate once you get a customer to try your product because the product is as much a service as it is a food item. Patent protection is not needed because the combination of a specific type of restaurant and it's service differentiates the customer base.

That said, there is no more risky business to get into than the restaurant business. Those of us who work in the industry, do so for the non monetary part of the paycheck. Service, satisfaction and, providing a human face on an uncaring business world are the top reasons for myself. That and the certain knowledge, that while I am capable of doing a investment/tech industry related job, they are not capable of doing mine.

I partially disagree but please give me facts/arguments to prove me wrong and teach me sumpin'. And you are right. I am not capable of doing your job. My hat is off to you!

I was talking about just making beer or cookies, and not really opening a restaurant. That wasn't clear in my post. I'll address 'em both below.

I'll address the beer/cookies first. The barrier to entry is low. Can be done on the cheap if you rent kitchen space by the hour. If you're starting small, it can require very few people. I could be wrong here, but if you want to jump in somewhat bigger and buy equipment, rent your own private space, etc. I think you could still do it for under a million bucks - that counts as a small capital outlay in my book (good to define what is a small capital outlay ) and not much of a barrier to entry. Your post seems to admit that differentiating a product as a product without service attached is tricky (correct me if I'm wrong). Since this paragraph is just concerned with the product, there is no service, no "experience" involved like a restaurant would have, and thus much harder to differentiate a the product. Same for location. So I still think there are few barriers to entry for just making a food product and it'd be hard to differentiate and make $$. People do it from time to time, but it seems to be more about marketing than the food itself.

On to the restaurant. Again, I bet you could do it for a million or under unless you're going high-end. Small barrier to entry. Finding skilled people does appear to be somewhat difficult, from my observation of a restaurant that opened around the corner and its growing pains. Still, there are lots of industries that require skilled people, so I rate this in the middle. Location - I don't know what you mean by this so won't touch it and will take your word for it. Service, ambience, food, overall experience can definitely set a restaurant apart. So I pretty much agree with you on your characterization of restaurant biz. Perhaps we're just apart on the monetary startup costs - maybe you have numbers that'll change my mind.

Do restaurants have a high rate of failure just in the beginning? Or do they have a scary period, then if they survive the first tough times they have a good chance of keeping trucking?

I'm enjoying this thread. I've had friends start a bike shop, and several tech startups, but no one has yet started a restaurant/bakery/brewery thingy. Friends' parents own restaurants, but I haven't seen a peer start one up.

Finally, about how much money were you referring to in your post to theknight571? I'm curious.

Thanks!