Anu

I write, I eat, I sleep

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

To pull off an event of this scale - thousands of security forces, volunteers, sevaks and more have spent countless hours to ensure that this is a wonderful experience for everyone.

They are the silent heroes who made us all welcome Ram Lalla with joy and happiness in our hearts.

A heartfelt thanks to all of them for their selfless service.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Shortly the gates will open and we will all enter the temple. It's an architectural marvel to see the temple up close and artisans all over the country have contributed to building this structure from the ground up.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

The gates are open! We're standing inside the temple grounds getting our first up-close look. The energy here is infectious- this is truly a historic moment! Chants and prayers can be heard as devotees stream in.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Kickstarting this holy week with a visit to the Puri Jagannath Temple. Next stop is Ayodhya. I will be sharing more updates along the way. Jai Jagannath.

[Anu @anu_pd]

@help_delhivery DMed all the details

[Anu @anu_pd]

@delhivery I had a home pick up of scheduled 3 days ago. The parcel is still not been picked up, I cannot get a customer exec online on the phone or on chat. If I do get them on chat, I get the exact same reply from them that they are trying to sort this ASAP.

[Anu @anu_pd]

@delhivery This package needs to be shipped urgently and now I am stuck, charges have been deducted but the package is still lying with me.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

In my early years at OYO, I had the privilege of donning various hats - from managing the front desk to doing housekeeping and overseeing customer service. These experiences taught me a valuable lesson: in the consumer business, it's essential to stay grounded. Instead of having a high-level view from 10,000 feet, I learned that success comes from having an on-ground perspective to meet and exceed our customers' expectations.

Throughout the years, no matter where I travel across the country, my top priority has been to connect with as many of our patrons and customers as possible. There is no bigger satisfaction than knowing that we've helped our patrons improve their revenues and hearing stories about our customers memorable experiences.

The feedback we receive from all of you has been invaluable, and it has shown us the many areas we can improve upon. That's why we are launching the new Spotless Stay program, which involves our officers conducting daily hygiene audits on-site, and working closely with our partner hotels to elevate cleanliness standards. We're starting with over 3000+ audits soon and aiming to scale it to 6000+ by October. Millions of customers place their trust in us every day, and it's our responsibility to live up to that trust in every possible way.

I strongly believe that a brand's success lies in the love it receives from its customers. It's the customers who make a brand, not the other way around. Therefore, I am personally taking charge of this initiative and actively participating in the audits we have planned for the coming months.

So proud of our team for working hard towards this and making our customer experience better every day! A candid from the recent hotel audit we conducted👇🏻

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

The only way for a start-up or an entrepreneur to achieve big goals in the long term is to keep making small improvements daily. Everyday actions compound in the long run. 

My recent chat with @AnchorTanwi on why I am so bullish on Indian entrepreneurs and how our startups will create big global brands in the times to come. 👇🏻

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

People often ask me if I missed attending college and receiving a formal education. My answer has always been a resounding YES.

The college experience is unmatched - it prepares you for the 'real-world', both personally and professionally.

But for me, The Thiel fellowship was that big adventure. The learnings, the experiences, and the people I met here, all in one way or the other - led to the eventual genesis of OYO.

Recently, a few of us (Thiel Fellows) got together to celebrate 13 years of the fellowship and got a chance to reminisce & reflect on our experiences. Happy to share four key lessons from my journey, when it all started:

1/ Thinking big:
When I was starting out, I had no background or knowledge to break into the hospitality industry. At the Thiel Fellowship, there were teenagers with no background, experience or resources - yet they had ambitions to build something with a global reach.

I was always told here, that you need to think big while starting out but be practical in your execution.

2/ Naivety is good but don't be naive all the time:
As an entrepreneur, people doubt your ability to make a mark if you have no experience in the industry while starting out. This burden of expectations often pulls down entrepreneurs like an anchor.

It's good to have some level of naivety when building something of your own, but you can't be too naive as well. Knowledge is power. Understanding/learning about your industry is really important if you want to create a difference.

3/ Value of talent:
Having the right kind of people around you while starting off is important. When I was managing properties alone, I could only get only 2 properties on board in 6 months. But when I made my first hire, we scaled to 20 properties in the first 6 months.

Identifying and aligning your first set of employees with your vision will set the path for the future.

4/Non-linear thinking:
One of the questions we get asked during the fellowship is - What would you do if capital wasn't a problem? How would you change the world? For an 18-year-old, one would never encounter these questions at school. For those in the fellowship - it forced us to think harder about the problem we were looking to solve.

Once again, I got a chance to relive these lessons and memories. I was so humbled to be in the company of people who have redefined how the world operates. From @zoink Co-founder of Figma to @VitalikButerin who founded Ethereum, to many more who I continue to take inspiration from, thank you all!

From Rayagada to Palo Alto and back to Gurgaon, it has been one amazing journey!

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

While we often talk about the contribution of Indian Americans to the tech industry, we often miss talking about the massive role of the Patel community from Gujarat in developing the tourism and hospitality sector.

Fun fact - As per The Washington post, more than 40% of the motels in the US are owned by Indian Americans and 70% of them are Gujaratis. Of those Gujarati's, three-quarters are named Patel! 🤯 Their incredible success far predates the tech industry’s rise.

On my trip to Philadelphia, I had the incredible opportunity to meet some of our patrons here - Amit Patel, Anilbhai Patel, Peter Bhaidaswala and Raj Bhalla during the week of ‘#GujaratSthapanaDivas’. I learned so much more about their stories of growth, perseverance, and success over the years. The motel industry here not only provides jobs to millions every year but the tight-knit communities formed around the same have revitalised the economic prospects of their cities. 

I am so inspired by their Gujarati entrepreneurial spirit and have many such stories to share in the coming days.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Not all heroes wear capes. 

Neither does our patron, Aditya; but he is a hero in more ways than one!

Eight years ago, his family noticed that many people in India come to visit the famous Ajmer Sharif Dargah during the month of Ramadan. However, some of these pilgrims end up staying on the streets because they cannot afford / find a room. This is when Aditya's father decided that they want to provide free accommodation to the pilgrims visiting Ajmer. 

Since 2016, Aditya has been running his property (Hotel Vaibhav) for free for pilgrims, during the month of Ramadan. He believes in the philosophy of "Serving free, but serving well", and therefore ensures that the pilgrims staying in his property are treated with the utmost care and comfort.  

Aditya's story is especially inspiring because of his journey to this point. After graduating in 2020 from BSE Institute, he got a job at Blackrock as an investment associate in Mumbai. However, during the lockdown, he returned home and learned about his family's offline hospitality business. He realized that they were paying large upfront commissions to auto unions, and decided to shift the business online with OYO.

His story reminds us that we all have the power to make a difference in the world, no matter how small our actions may seem. His initiative has touched the lives of countless people, and I'm sure it will continue to do so for years to come! 

My family was so heartened to hear your story, Aditya. They have always encouraged me to do community service and it is something that has always been very close to their heart.

Kudos to you @adzgoyal and your family. We better get you a cape!

[Deepa Malik PLY @DeepaAthlete]

1/ Entrepreneurship is a lot like sports - it demands taking risks and having faith in oneself.  Recently, during one of my interactions with OYOpreneurs, I was introduced to the story of a remarkable OYO patron, Dr. Surabhi Choudhary.

[Vaibhav Singh @singh_vaibbhav]

आज हमारे द्वीप समूह में एक अनोखा नजारा दिखा जहां हमारे मुस्लिम भाईयों ने एक जुट हो कर शोभा यात्रा के भक्तों को पानी पिलाया। ये दृश्य हमारे एकता को दर्शता है। मीडिया सिर्फ नेगेटिव दिखा रहा था सोचा आप को राम नवमी का कुच पॉज़िटिव भी दिखा दू! @VKAbdulAziz1 ! ANDAMAN NICOBAR KI EKTA !

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

1/ For an industry that accounts for 7% of India’s economy, women entrepreneurs in the travel sector are rare & at OYO we are passionate about changing that. This Women's Day & in the coming days, I will share the stories of a few female patrons, who inspire us.

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

This tribute to honour the valiant Indian heroes will inspire generations to come and remind them of the supreme sacrifices they made for India. 👏🏻  
Such a beautiful gesture!

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Fun stat alert! 👋🏼

The average reading speed of most adults is around 200 to 250 wpm, or just over 4.5 words per second.

You know what that means, though? By the time you read this tweet, over 218 people checked into an OYO globally. 🤯 #CheckIn2023

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

The D-Day is here!

Currently with OYOpreneurs at the office to ensure that we are able to smoothly handle the traffic on our app. The buzz is unbelievable!

Will be sharing live updates with you all today. Stay tuned! #CheckIn2023

[Ritesh Agarwal @riteshagar]

Scenes from our office on the last Friday night of 2022! Prepping for the biggest weekend of the year.

#CheckIn2023

[Gurudutt Biswal @gurudutt_biswal]

Shoutout to all social media managers prepping for the new year's. It's gonna be a long day ahead tomorrow. 🔥🚀