Quote of the Day by Ritesh Agarwal: 'Building culture as part of your team is extremely important'

"Building culture as part of your team is extremely important,” a quote by Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO.

Culture is not one massive company-wide initiative; it is shaped by individual teams through small habits, inside jokes, 1:1 meetings, and how managers react under pressure.

Who is Ritesh Agarwal?

Ritesh Agarwal (born November 16, 1993) is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of OYO, one of the world’s largest hospitality and hotel-booking platforms.

He founded OYO in 2013 with the aim of transforming the fragmented budget-hotel sector by helping hotels improve their operations, branding, technology and customer experience.

Agarwal became one of India’s youngest entrepreneurs to build a major technology company. Under his leadership, OYO expanded from a small hotel network in India into an international hospitality business with a presence across multiple countries. The company has worked with hotels, homes and other accommodation providers through its technology-driven platform.

When was this quote said by Ritesh Agarwal?

Ritesh Agarwal first emphasised this philosophy during an interview in February 2020 while discussing OYO's rapid expansion into a hospitality unicorn.

He highlighted that a company's brand ultimately reflects its internal culture, purpose, and identity, noting that it is never too early for a startup team to start thinking about it.

What does this quote mean?

Ritesh Agarwal's quote means that long-term business success depends more on how your team works together than on the strategy you build.

A company cannot scale or survive tough times purely on a great product; it requires a foundational culture rooted in shared goals, mutual trust, and strong daily habits. When leaders prioritise building this culture within their teams, they create a loyal, aligned workforce capable of executing complex strategies and adapting to rapid growth or sudden challenges.