"Bengaluru Is Exhausted": Startup Founder Shares 3 "Corporate Concerns" Shaking Up The City

NDTV

9 hours ago

A startup founder has triggered a discussion online after describing Bengaluru as a city grappling with a quiet but collective burnout. In his LinkedIn post, Karan Raghani shared his observation after spending ten days in the Silicon Valley of India. During his visit, he met with a diverse mix of professionals, including founders, marketers, techies, product managers and designers. Reflecting on his interactions, he wrote, "I've been in Bengaluru for the last 10 days. 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."
"Yes, the coffee's still strong, the startups are still pivoting, and the LinkedIn posts continue to thrive! But under all that hustle lies a deep, collective burnout. People are surviving on caffeine, wifi drops, and a distant dream of work-life balance," he added.
Further, Mr Raghani identified three major corporate concerts currently shaking up Bengaluru. First, dubbed "Marathahalli Bridge Syndrome", refers to the city's notorious traffic snarls. "People are spending more time here than in their own homes. As they say, to succeed in life, you must cross many bridges. Marathahalli Bridge is one of them. Twice a day," he remarked.
Second, Mr Raghani noted how Bengaluru's famously pleasant weather is influencing professional routines in surprising ways. "People are now blocking their calendars just to yawn and spread the nap mode. Saw someone blocked a slot for "out for a breezy walk" on their calendar," he wrote.
Third, the founder noted is the 6 am 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.
In his post, Mr Raghani also spoke about the government's decision to ban Rapido bike taxis. "For many of us, Rapido bike taxis were the Roman Empire, a constant saviour, a shortcut to freedom. But starting today, even that's been banned by the state government," he wrote.
Concluding his post, Raghani humorously wrote, "If you survived all three, you qualify for ESOPs in emotional damage."
The post has struck a chord with many professionals, both inside and outside the city.
Reacting to it, one user wrote, "A surprisingly accurate pulse on urban hustle culture-with humor that hits. Beyond the laughs, it really speaks to the work-life imbalance so many are quietly enduring. Thanks for sharing Karan."
"Reading your post, I was reminded of my burnout Karan! I would say it helps not to be reminded about it. Just bury it deep down," said another.
"Love this, Karan. Hoping that someday, we will be able to dig deep beneath that exhaustion, and reconnect with our old, green, slow, fan-less Bangalore filled with pink blossoms and palash trees, broad, lazy roads and lots of time on our hands....namma uru!!!!" commented a third user.