Today, Aman sits down with Ali Abdaal — YouTuber, entrepreneur, and former doctor — to break down the invisible gap between knowing what to do vs actually doing it. Aman shares how he walked away from a software engineering career to pursue entrepreneurship without a safety net — and how one Ali video completely rewired his path. We dive into the real reason people don’t start, the danger of “I’ll do it later,” and why consistency without results is where most people tap out.
Ali and Aman unpack the mindset of delusional self-belief, the difference between productive learning vs disguised procrastination, why people fear publishing, and how Aman kept going for 4 years before anything worked.
We also get into comfort creep, the trap of balanced life advice, making ROI from courses, and the moment when Aman finally had his “everything unlocked” year.
This episode is a blueprint for anyone who knows they could be doing more — but hasn’t taken the leap yet.
🎧 Listen to all episodes of Lift Off on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiftOffPod
Listen to our new podcast, @TheEntropyShow: https://youtu.be/MDJQXbXPngg?si=vQqITmNzy3fhfcV1
💌 Free weekly productivity insights/advice – https://amanmanazir.com/newsletter
📷 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amanmanazir/
🐦 Twitter – https://twitter.com/amanmanazir
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⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 He Left A SWE Career For THIS
02:39 The Childhood Advantage No One Talks About
06:59 One Ali Abdaal Video That Changed His Life
11:44 The Secret Mindset Behind Absurd Self-Belief
13:35 The Starving Artist Perception
14:43 The Skillshare Course No One Expected
17:25 The Truth About “Starting”
18:07 Why Most People Never Take Action
29:30 The Most Dangerous Lie: “I’ll Start Later”
39:28 How To Stop Overthinking & Finally Execute
44:21 The Flywheel That Made Content Make Money
46:45 4 Years Of No Results — Why Aman Kept Going
52:28 Killing The Inner Voice That Holds You Back
01:00:00 How To Know When To Restart
01:06:00 How To Stay Motivated When You’re Burnt Out
01:11:10 Why Aman Works 70 Hours Instead Of 40 (The Balance Myth)
01:13:21 When Work Starts Feeling Like A Video Game
01:20:47 The Year Everything Finally Clicked
01:25:31 Are Courses Scams? The Uncomfortable Truth
01:28:17 Why Top Performers Always Get ROI
01:33:58 Aman's First $20K Month — And It STILL Wasn’t Enough
01:35:04 The Comfort Creep That Makes You Soft
01:42:31 The Advice Every Beginner Needs To Hear
01:44:35 The Lift-Off Moment (Outro)
Today, I talk with Amy Wang — a former MIT business student who walked away from a $250,000 degree to build her own path. We dive into the real ROI of college, why most people get trapped in the corporate matrix, and how Amy replaced her MBA with entrepreneurship. She shares the mindset shifts that helped her break free from institutional thinking, build confidence in her ideas, and create a career on her own terms.
We also discuss the truth about college vs. business, why “safe” jobs can hold you back, and what it really takes to think independently in a world that rewards conformity. If you’re a student, aspiring entrepreneur, or anyone questioning the traditional path, this episode of Lift Off is a must-listen.
🎧 Listen to all episodes of Lift Off on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LiftOffPod
Listen to our new podcast, @TheEntropyShow: https://youtu.be/MDJQXbXPngg?si=vQqITmNzy3fhfcV1
I’m Aman Manazir, a career coach and software engineer. I interned at companies like Amazon, Shopify, and HP in college, and the day I graduated I landed a $168,000/year* full-time software engineering job. I help you make it as a computer science student & software engineer and get your dream job offer.
📄 Get my free resume template – https://www.amanmanazir.com/resume
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🐦 Twitter – https://twitter.com/amanmanazir
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⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 The $250k Decision: Why College is a SCAM (Unless You Know This)
05:00 My $250,000 "Light Bulb" Moment (I Saved 2 Years!)
08:41 Harvard Marketing Is Too Good (The Truth About College ROI)
14:00 Structure vs. Willpower: Why Most People Need College
25:01 The Comfort of Being Told What to Do (My Mental Health Struggle)
35:00 The BIGGEST Unlock: Why You MUST Outsource EVERYTHING
43:41 Convincing My Asian Parents I Wasn’t Throwing My Life Away
47:32 I Was Losing Money Every Month (The YouTuber Shame)
1:06:08 The Headline That Changed My Business: Spend Money, Save Time
1:20:39 I Tell People They're Bad & It's Their Fault (The Brutal Truth)
1:25:00 What's Next: Becoming the CEO of Your Own Life