Today, Aman sits down with NeetCode — the creator behind one of the most successful faceless education brands in tech, to unpack how he built a multi-million-dollar business without chasing ego, hype, or visibility.
They break down the psychology of scaling quietly, why simplicity beats feature-bloat in education products, and how NeetCode approached monetization, sponsorships, and growth differently from most creators. The conversation also explores staying faceless, living simply despite financial success, and why long-term leverage matters more than short-term attention.
This episode is for engineers, creators, and builders who want to turn expertise into a durable business — without burning out, selling out, or making themselves the product.
🎧 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
👉 Neetcode's YouTube: https://youtube.com/@neetcode?si=ZF6gMSZNfL5zDlex
👉 Follow Neetcode on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/navdeep-singh-3aaa14161/
👉 Neetcode's Website: https://neetcode.io
—
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:00 Building a Creator-Focused Education Business
03:06 Approached for Multi-Million Dollar Acquisition
06:10 Living Simple Despite Multi-Million Dollar Success
07:22 Enjoying Learning Over Retirement
07:55 Why He Doesn't Live Lavishly
09:35 The Levels of Wealth Explained
11:50 What Percent of Income He Saves
14:03 Fear of Returning to Poverty
16:00 The American Dream Still Exists
17:14 Why the US is Special
18:29 US Culture Creates More Entrepreneurs
20:23 NeetCode's Origin Story Year by Year
24:50 Alex Hormozi Giveaway
25:48 Competing with LeetCode Directly
27:48 Getting Screwed Over by Sponsors
29:07 The Value of Selling Courses
31:47 College is Overrated Compared to Courses
34:28 Education System is the Biggest Problem
36:11 Would He Recommend College Today
37:02 Why He Stayed Faceless
38:30 Getting Recognized in Public
41:31 Still Tells Family He Works at Google
43:00 How NeetCode Beat LeetCode
45:11 Network Effects and Market Dominance
47:00 250 Problems vs 4,000 Problems
48:13 The Power of Gamification
49:10 How to Decide What to Scale
50:42 Organic Growth vs Paid Marketing
55:20 Managing People is Hardest
59:03 Why He Codes Everything Himself
59:42 Advice for Engineers Starting Businesses
1:01:27 Outro
Today, Aman sits down with Myles — Chris Williamson’s speaking coach, to break down what real confidence actually looks like when you’re on stage, on camera, or in high-pressure conversations.
Myles explains why great speakers focus on conversation, not performance, how status and presence are communicated before you say a word, and why most people rely too heavily on slides as a comfort blanket. They unpack practical preparation frameworks, confidence under pressure, and the subtle habits that separate compelling speakers from forgettable ones.
This episode is for anyone who struggles with public speaking, overthinks how they come across, or wants to communicate with more clarity and authority — without trying to become someone they’re not.
🎧 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
👉 Follow Myles on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakwellcoaching?igsh=bnZyMTVianFieGg4
👉 Myle's Website: https://www.speak-well.co.uk/
—
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:22 Making It Conversational
04:26 Speak to One Person
08:44 The Status Game
12:14 Looking Confident While Terrified
13:34 Why It Felt Wrong
14:32 Losing Your Visual Comfort Blanket
18:13 No Slides in Sessions
19:12 Great vs Terrible Speakers
19:49 Preparation, Preparation, Preparation
21:09 Shy School Boy Story
24:07 Prep for Everyday People
26:35 Tactical Prep Exercises
29:01 Conversational Risk Taking
31:43 Be Bold, Be Boring
34:40 Alex Hormozi Giveaway
35:33 Biggest Speaking Myths
37:29 Winging It Fills Me With Fear
39:32 Why Public Speaking Terrifies
45:52 Speakers Myles Admires
46:56 Power of the Pause
48:48 Starting Without Filler Words
50:19 Fixing Filler Words
53:36 Where to Find Myles
54:05 Tension State Exercises
59:54 How Miles Created These Exercises
1:02:28 Daily Warmup Routine
1:03:57 Diction Exercises Begin
1:07:57 Daily Diction Routine
1:09:54 If You Can't Be Heard
1:12:14 Outro
Today, Aman sits down with Safwaan, the strategist behind Ali Abdaal, Daniel Priestley, and Ryan Deiss — to break down the systems and mental models powering the biggest creators on YouTube. Safwaan reveals why real breakthroughs take 400+ videos, the invisible teams behind people like Alex Hormozi, and why Average View Duration is the only algorithm that matters in 2025.
They also explore Safwaan’s unconventional path into entrepreneurship — from selling Xboxes for chickens and running a cable business at 13, to losing £10K in Forex before finding his lane in YouTube strategy.
This episode is for anyone who wants to understand how elite creators grow, how to build a powerful network, and how to create content that lasts.
🎧 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
—
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:55 YouTube Manager Behind Ali Abdaal
01:09 Why YouTube Success Takes 400+ Videos
02:06 How Top Entrepreneurs Approach YouTube Differently
03:10 The Invisible Teams Behind Alex Hormozi
05:51 The 20-Person Team You Don't See
06:23 Key Roles: Editors, Strategists, Designers
08:46 What Made Ali, Ryan & Daniel Stand Out
10:05 How to Build an Elite Network
12:07 Treating Airport Terminals Like Bus Stops
15:56 Organizing Events Creates Exponential Growth
16:33 Learning Bias to Action From Ali
17:08 Working For Ali: Boss to Friend
21:56 Why Ali Abdaal Employees All Leave
23:05 Entrepreneurial Teams vs Long-Term Retention
24:53 Creative Disagreements With Ali Abdaal
27:15 Testing Thumbnails With Data Not Opinion
28:43 Business Needs vs Influencer Desires
29:52 Selling Xbox for Chickens at Age 11
34:20 Building a Cable Business at 13
36:42 Making Tens of Thousands as a Teenager
38:55 The £10K Forex Trading Loss
41:36 Should You Work for Entrepreneurs First?
44:02 Starting the YouTube Agency
47:42 Why Agency Model Actually Works
49:48 What Really Works on YouTube Today
49:56 Average View Duration Over Everything
51:29 Why Retention Editing Is Overhyped
52:38 How to Write Hooks Sentence by Sentence
54:15 What Separates Channels That Last
56:19 Why You Must Keep Reinventing Yourself
57:44 Ryan Deiss Going All-In on YouTube
58:51 Build Authority Offline or Online First?
1:00:13 Financial Freedom Playbook for Your 20s
1:01:46 Outro
Today, Aman sits down with Kelly He Sun, ex-BCG consultant turned creator — to unpack what it really takes to walk away from a $300k job at 25 and build a life on your own terms. Kelly breaks down why consulting stopped making sense, how she handled the financial fear of quitting, and the exact systems she used to match her BCG income within a year.
Aman and Kelly dive into the trap of staying in a “stable” job you’ve outgrown, the hidden cost of waiting for the perfect moment, and why creator success has nothing to do with follower count. Kelly shares the behind-the-scenes of UGC, how she started posting with no audience, and what caused her sudden breakout.
This episode is for anyone who knows they’re capable of more but hasn’t made the leap yet. It’s a roadmap for rebuilding your identity, betting on yourself, and starting before you feel ready.
🎧 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
—
⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:11 Why Consulting Was Never the Plan
03:02 Why Do People Even Do Consulting?
04:44 Why She Stayed Six Years Instead
07:34 Do You Regret Not Quitting Earlier?
09:21 The Financial Reality of Quitting
11:17 What Was Your BCG Salary?
13:06 Why Leave a $300k Job?
17:18 Should You Quit Early or Stay?
21:23 When She Actually Started Her Instagram
24:36 What to Post as a New Creator
26:37 When the Traction Started Coming
29:34 What is UGC and How It Works
31:31 Why Brands Pay for UGC Content
33:17 UGC Rates and Revenue Breakdown
34:59 Monthly Income Breakdown by Source
36:32 Matching Her Consulting Salary in 12 Months
38:27 Why She Succeeded So Fast
41:31 Can Anyone Replicate This Success?
42:34 Is Being a Creator Easier Than Consulting?
44:44 The Follower Count Myth Destroyed
46:04 Exact Revenue Math with 30k Followers
48:38 Multiple Income Streams Strategy
50:08 Final Advice for Burnt Out Consultants
54:36 Outro
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
—
⏱️ 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
🧠 Get my free LeetCode Roadmap – https://www.amanmanazir.com/leetcode
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📕 All my free Notion templates – https://www.amanmanazir.com/notion
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📷 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amanmanazir/
🐦 Twitter – https://twitter.com/amanmanazir
—
⏱️ 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