'Bengaluru is burnt out': Startup founder reflects on city's hustle culture in viral post
In a witty yet painfully relatable post that has gone viral, startup founder described Bengaluru's mounting startup fatigue and commuter chaos, saying, 'Bengaluru is burnt out.'
Karan Raghani's post, a blend of satire, observation, and affection, captures the exhaustion many working professionals in the tech capital have been quietly feeling.
'I've been in Bengaluru for the last 10 days,' Raghani wrote. 'Met founders, marketers, techies, product folks, designers, and one guy who quit his job to become a full-time meme page admin (my ultimate professional goal). And there's something no one's saying out loud. The city is exhausted.'
(Also Read: Bengaluru residents rework DK Shivakumar's cycling pic: 'Add potholes, garbage and stray dogs too')
Despite Bengaluru's reputation for pleasant weather and a vibrant startup scene, Raghani's reflections point to what he calls a 'deep, collective burnout' plaguing the city's workforce.
'People are surviving on caffeine, wifi drops, and a distant dream of work-life balance,' he observed.
Based on informal surveys and conversations, Raghani identified the top three issues shaking up Bengaluru's corporate life:
Marathahalli bridge syndrome: A metaphor for the city's notorious traffic snarls. 'People are spending more time here than in their own homes,' he wrote, adding, 'To succeed in life, you must cross many bridges. Marathahalli is one of them. Twice a day.'
Calendar fatigue: Bengaluru's famously breezy weather is apparently causing professionals to schedule nap breaks. Raghani noted how someone had blocked a calendar slot for 'out for a breezy walk.'
The 6 pm auto crisis: 'Auto drivers here are unofficial life coaches, teaching you rejection, negotiation, and detachment,' he wrote. Calling it the 'most brutal' challenge, he joked that asking for a ride to Indiranagar or Whitefield often results in vanishing drivers or the infamous 'MINUS' reply.
Adding to this mix is the recent ban on Rapido bike taxis, which Raghani compared to the fall of an empire. 'Rapido was the Roman Empire, a constant saviour, a shortcut to freedom. But starting today, even that's been banned,' he lamented.
Concluding on a humorous note, Raghani wrote, 'If you survived all three, you qualify for ESOPs in emotional damage.'
(Also Read: Mexican man in Bengaluru pays ₹4 lakh rent for villa on the outskirts, internet stunned: 'My head is spinning')
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