Beyond the Big Idea

Most founder stories start with a Eureka moment—or that is what entrepreneurship folklore would have you believe.

- Ritesh Agarwal

Ideas act as primary catalysts for every business, but the reality is far more complex. Often, the dawn of a start-up is a culmination of a drawn-out process where thoughts and concepts undergo constant evolution. This early phase isn't glamorous: it is about being the first salesperson, the first customer service representative and in my case even the first housekeeper.

A decade-old story I often tell up-and-coming founders is how I ended up pouring buckets of water into an empty tanker for an irate guest at one of Oyo's earliest hotels, all the while trying to impress an investor over the phone who was keen on pouring in a million dollars into our fledgling business. At that embryonic stage, your business demands superhuman dedication that will need you to juggle multiple roles without losing sight of growth.

Comfort in Chaos

Early-stage founders often ask me about work-life balance. The truth? There is very little, at least to begin with. But there needs to be a work-life balance, which is knowing the aspects of business that deserve finite energy and time. One of the biggest lessons I learned during that period was to be comfortable with chaos.