Brothers Scott Lee, 29, and Troy Lee, 31, left their finance careers to open a hawker stall called New Horse Noodles in Singapore’s Chinatown Complex Food Centre. Their story shows how a seemingly attractive side‑business can turn out to be far more demanding than expected.

The pair invested around S$20,000 of their own savings to start the stall, according to 8days. Before the switch, Scott earned between S$5,000 and S$10,000 a month as a fintech product manager, while Troy worked as a trader.

They ended up working 15 to 16 hours each day and said the lifestyle was not what they wanted. Scott also said their parents did not support the decision to start the business.

Despite receiving a 4.8‑star rating from more than 160 Google reviewers, the stall closed after only five months, the brothers announced in a video. The closure highlights how even positive customer feedback cannot always offset the pressures of long hours and personal dissatisfaction.

In short, the brothers’ experience shows that heavy personal investment, grueling work schedules, lack of family support, and an unwanted lifestyle can quickly outweigh the appeal of leaving a stable finance job. Their story warns anyone considering a similar leap to weigh these factors carefully.