365 Days of Stories – Day 2: How I Decided to Solve Traffic Congestion
When I resigned in April 2015 to venture into entrepreneurship, I had no idea what business I was going to start. But one thing was clear—I did not want to do a job anymore.
That, in itself, was a big discovery.
Sometimes, in life, we may not know what we want, but if we know what we don’t want, that’s enough to take the first step. Eliminate what’s not meant for you, and the right path will reveal itself.
During my 3-month notice period, I explored all kinds of business ideas—not just software but everything from: ✅ Kids’ daycare ✅ Interior decoration ✅ Software services
My thought process was simple: 🔹 Find a business that makes money 🔹 Choose something which I can do
One of the most tempting ideas was interior decoration.
A carpenter in my society, Aneesh, had transformed himself from being a factory worker to running a ₹5 Cr+ annual revenue business, handling interiors for over 100 apartments. With 20-40% profit margins, I thought, this is a goldmine!
But when I shared this idea with my wife and mother, they were completely against it.
Their logic? 🔸 Aneesh was a carpenter himself—he couldn’t be fooled by laborers, whereas I had no expertise in carpentry. 🔸 He hired workers from his village who lived with him, creating trust and loyalty—something I couldn’t replicate.
Similarly, they dismissed my daycare idea with a simple truth: “You can’t even take care of your own kids properly (which we manage). How will you take care of 50 other kids?”
Their point was clear—whatever business I choose, I need to know it inside out.
So, I decided to stick to software, since that’s what I knew best.
I started analyzing daily life challenges of middle class.
I looked at everything middle-class working professionals deal with: 🛒 Grocery shopping – already solved 🚖 Daily commuting – Hmm… 👶 Childcare & tuition – already solved
Then it hit me: 💡 We waste 2-3 hours every day in traffic just commuting to work!
🚦 Traffic is a huge problem—not just in Bangalore, but globally
I asked myself: 👉 Can this be solved with software? ✅ Yes!
Breaking Down the Problem
🔹 Why is there so much traffic? 👉 Because too many cars are on the road. 🔹 How much space do they take up? 👉 80% of the road is occupied by cars, while only 20% is used by buses and two-wheelers. 🔹 How can we reduce the number of cars? 👉 Carpooling!
Simple, right? But then, I asked the real question:
🤔 Why don’t people carpool? 1️⃣ Trust issues – People don’t feel safe sharing rides with strangers. 2️⃣ Inconvenience – No seamless way to coordinate carpools. 3️⃣ Privacy concerns – People like the comfort of their personal space.
But could these problems be solved?
✅ Yes!
So I made up my mind—I would solve traffic congestion.
What happened next? Stay tuned!
Have you ever taken a leap into the unknown without a clear plan?
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