The tech YouTuber who opened a coffee shop

Key takeaways

David Cogan, a successful YouTuber, shares insights about the challenges and joy of opening and running a coffee shop while maintaining a popular online presence.
Balancing content creation and entrepreneurship requires careful navigation, timely feedback, and the ability to learn from mistakes.
Keeping business ventures authentic and separate helps maintain their integrity, which David prioritizes in his life as both a YouTuber and a coffee shop owner.
The desire for personal creativity in business contrasts with the formulaic nature of content creation, highlighting the importance of finding joy in one’s work.

Summary

David Cogan's Dual Life: YouTube Creator and Coffee Shop Owner

The episode introduces David Cogan, a long-time YouTuber known as 'The Unlockr' who has recently ventured into the coffee business by opening 'Coffee Check' in Brooklyn. David describes how he balances his life between creating tech content on YouTube and managing his coffee shop, illustrating the challenges and joys of merging these two worlds. The discussion emphasizes the contrast between the fast-paced world of online content creation and the slower, more personal experience of running a coffee business.

The Evolution of Coffee Check and Content Creation

David discusses the organic evolution of his coffee-themed content on YouTube, which began unintentionally during the pandemic. His catchphrase 'coffee check' quickly resonated with his audience, and he shares how he navigates the potential for making coffee content more prominent on his channel while ensuring that the coffee shop exists independently of his YouTube fame. He conveys a desire to keep these facets of his life somewhat separate to maintain authenticity.

Navigating Challenges in Entrepreneurship and Content Creation

Throughout the conversation, David openly shares the struggles of entrepreneurship alongside content creation, particularly the potential for burnout when juggling both responsibilities. He talks about the intricate balance required to ensure that the pace of his YouTube videos doesn't overshadow the more thoughtful approach he wants for his coffee shop. David emphasizes learning from mistakes, the importance of feedback from his staff, and how the intricate processes of the coffee shop can be enjoyable and fulfilling.

Future Aspirations and Integrating Coffee with Content

As the conversation progresses, David expresses his hopes for the future, contemplating how to integrate coffee content into his YouTube channel without losing the authenticity of his coffee shop. He discusses the possibility of creating separate content focused on coffee that may or may not connect to his tech reviews, reiterating a commitment to maintain quality in both ventures.

Show notes

For the last eight months, David Cogen has been living a double life. By day: a YouTuber and creator, the face of the TheUnlockr channel, reviewing phones and testing ebikes and explaining how food smokers really work. By night and morning and every single other available in-between moment: a coffee shop entrepreneur, working to get a Brooklyn spot called Coffee Check up and running. In this episode, the second in the two-part miniseries that we’re calling How To Make It In The Future, Cogen tells the story of how a YouTuber becomes a coffee shop owner — and how to bring those two things together without ruining them both.
Further reading:

TheUnlockr on YouTube

David’s Coffee Check announcement

Coffee Check’s website

Another fun YouTuber story: Me, Myself, and iJustine

Email us at vergecast@theverge.com or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices