Surviving a 6-Hour Commute as a Dev

If you’ve ever traveled in a Mumbai local during peak hours, you already know the scene: sweaty crowds, no space to breathe, one hand gripping the overhead bar, and the other clutching your bag like it’s your lifeline.

Now imagine doing that for nearly 6 hours a day while trying to grow as a software developer. That’s been my life for a while. And honestly, it’s the biggest reason I’ve promised myself: I’m going to get filthy rich, no matter what it takes.

Because once you’ve lived the Mumbai local grind, you either break… or you build fire inside you.

The Daily Struggle

• Standing for 2–3 hours straight, squeezed between strangers.

• Sweat dripping, shoulders aching, headphones fighting the train noise.

• Watching people sleep on each other’s shoulders while I’m trying not to fall.

But here’s the funny thing: in the middle of this chaos, I found a system to turn it into an advantage.

Learning in the Rush

Instead of wasting those hours staring at the crowd, I filled my ears with podcasts, audiobooks, and tech talks.

• System design concepts while hanging from a bar handle.

• Mindset and finance lessons with strangers breathing down my neck.

• Startup ideas while shuffling my feet every few minutes in that rush.

By the time I reached office, I had already “attended class.”

Small Hacks That Saved Me

• Always carrying water + a light snack to survive the journey.

• Writing notes and blog drafts on my phone when I got a tiny bit of elbow space.

• On bad days, just zoning out with music and letting my mind breathe.

The Bigger Picture

Every drop of sweat, every minute wasted on those trains kept reminding me:

This isn’t permanent. This is training.

If I can survive this chaos and still build my career + side hustles, I can survive anything.

One day I’ll look back and laugh:

“I built my empire starting from the second-class compartment of a Mumbai local.”

Final Word

If you’re stuck with a crazy commute, don’t just suffer it. Use it.

Turn those hours into fuel for your goals.

Because while everyone else is just trying to survive, you can quietly be building the life that makes all this temporary pain worth it.