Bengaluru, often hailed as the Silicon Valley of India, is no stranger to national headlines—be it language politics, viral workplace antics, or its ceaseless startup hustle. Now, a candid LinkedIn post from a visiting entrepreneur has captured the attention of professionals and netizens alike, describing the city as grappling with a quiet but collective burnout.
Startup founder Karan Raghani recently spent ten days in Bengaluru, meeting with a diverse mix of professionals including founders, marketers, techies, product managers, and designers. Reflecting on these interactions in a LinkedIn post, Raghani 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.”
He added, “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.”
Raghani, known for his commentary on professional life, also identified what he called the three major corporate concerns currently shaking up Bengaluru.
The first, dubbed “Marathahalli Bridge Syndrome,” refers to the notorious traffic congestion that has become a daily ordeal for many. “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.
Secondly, he noted how Bengaluru’s famously breezy weather is influencing professional routines in surprising ways. “Someone had blocked a calendar slot titled ‘out for a breezy walk’,” he wrote, referencing the city’s temperate climate that sometimes prompts impromptu midday strolls and naps.
The final concern—both amusing and brutally familiar to residents—centres on the struggle of finding an auto-rickshaw after 6 pm. Raghani quipped, “Auto drivers here are unofficial life coaches – teaching you rejection, negotiation, and detachment. Do you say Indiranagar? They vanish like your weekend plans. You say, ‘Whitefield?’ They say ‘MINUS’ like Poo.”
Raghani also touched on a recent regulatory decision that has further impacted commuters. Referring to the government’s decision to ban Rapido bike taxis, he wrote, “But starting today, even that’s been banned by the state government,” lamenting the loss of what he called his “shortcut to freedom.”
The post has struck a chord with professionals both inside and outside the tech capital, with many sharing similar sentiments about the city’s overstretched infrastructure and lifestyle pressures.
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