Success comes in many shapes and forms, but only a few like Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and CEO of OYO Hotels & Homes, are able to recognize it even in its most famous disguise: failure. While most people would be quick to describe his life as a typical “rags-to-riches story,” Ritesh’s journey is more of an inspirational tale about a young Indian man who turned his biggest setbacks into one of his greatest successes. After all, it’s not every day that you hear of a billion-dollar empire being built out of affordable solutions – and even if you did, you wouldn’t expect to find a 20-something college dropout helming it. But this is perhaps what makes Ritesh’s story incredibly ‘rich’ with hope: it makes ordinary people believe in the extraordinary power of their dreams. Growing up in India Ritesh was born in the scenic town of Bissam Cuttack, in the state of Odisha, India. He comes from a family of small-time entrepreneurs who ran a modest business in Southern Orissa. At the age of eight,...