Mangalore’s Business Scene Feels Isolated – Where’s the Community Love?

https://preview.redd.it/j3syf1kq6gle1.png?width=966&format=png&auto=webp&s=968ecae27e15f7b549dfc4cdddfe32be6d001074 Hey r/mangalore, long-time lurker here. As a Mangalorean creative (think design/architecture, but this applies to *any* biz), I’ve lived in multiple cities, One thing I miss? **Communities.** In other places, creatives/business folks met up regularly to share market updates, client red flags, legal tips, and just *help each other grow*. It wasn’t cutthroat—people collaborated, referred clients, and even teamed up for projects. Felt like we were all climbing the ladder *together*. But here? Feels… lonely. Everyone’s grinding in isolation. Worse, the competition turns toxic. If anyone quote 10K for a project, someone else swoops in at 9K. Clients exploit this race to the bottom, and we all lose. Same story with cafes—everyone rushes to open one, the market drowns in 6 months, and 90% shut down. Same with interiors, events, you name it. Zero collective strategy, just a scramble to undercut. Where’s the “community power”? Imagine if we shared: * **Local client red flags** (you know, the ones who ghost after 10 revisions). * **Pricing benchmarks** so we don’t devalue our work. * **Legal/financial hacks** (contracts, GST, etc. – stuff we all Google alone at 2 AM). * **Collaborations** instead of copy-paste businesses. I get it—trust is hard. We’re wired to see others as threats, not allies. But how many more cafes/boutiques/agencies have to die before we try something new? Communities aren’t charity; they’re survival tools. Anyone else feeling this? Designers, caterers, freelancers, startup folks—let’s chat. Maybe a WhatsApp group? Monthly meetup? Or just rant here. PS: Not here to blame. Just tired of seeing Mangalore’s potential get stuck in solo hustle mode. Let’s fix this. **TL;DR:** Mangalore’s business scene feels isolated + stuck in toxic competition. Other cities thrive on communities—why can’t we? Let’s talk.