365 Days of Stories – Day 2: How I Decided to Solve Traffic Congestion

When I resigned in April 2015, I had no idea what business to start—only that I didn’t want a job. That, in itself, was a big discovery.

Sometimes, we may not know what we want, but if we know what we don’t want, that’s enough to take the first step.

Exploring Business Ideas

During my 3-month notice period, I explored all kinds of businesses:

✅ Kids' daycare

✅ Interior decoration

✅ Software services

One tempting idea was interior decoration.

A carpenter in my society, Aneesh, went from a factory worker to running a ₹5 Cr+ business, handling interiors for 100+ apartments with 20-40% profits.

It seemed like a goldmine—until my wife and mother pointed out:

🔹 Aneesh was a carpenter himself, so he couldn’t be fooled by laborers.

🔹 He hired workers from his village—creating trust and loyalty.

🔹 I had no expertise in carpentry, so managing labor would be a nightmare.

Similar logic ruled out daycare—"You can’t even take care of your own kids properly!"

Lesson? Pick a business where I know the work inside out.

So, I decided to stick to software.

Solving a Global Problem – Traffic

I analyzed middle-class life problems—grocery shopping, tuition, daily commute.

Then it hit me:

💡 We waste 2-3 hours daily in traffic!

🚦 Traffic congestion is a massive problem—not just in Bangalore but globally.

I asked myself:

👉 Can this be solved with software? Yes!

So I made up my mind—I would solve traffic congestion.

Breaking Down the Problem

🔹 Why so much traffic?

👉 Too many cars on the road.

🔹 How to reduce cars?

👉 Carpooling!

Simple, right? But then…

🤔 Why don’t people carpool?

1️⃣ Trust issues – Sharing rides with strangers.

2️⃣ Inconvenience – No seamless way to coordinate.

3️⃣ Privacy concerns – People prefer their personal space.

Could these be solved?

✅ Yes! If people trust Uber & Ola, why not carpooling with the right model?

Before my notice period ended, I had my first startup idea—solving traffic through carpooling.

What Do You Think?

Have you ever had a business idea that felt exciting but didn’t work out? Or one that seemed impossible but later became a big opportunity?

Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments! 👇

🚀 Follow my 365-day journey—one story every day.

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