When Dishant Pritamani opened his first bar, The Daily in Bandra at age 28, he thought success was measured in packed houses and high sales. Thirteen years later, leading over 500 people across The Daily, Tsuki, The Second House and Café Lento, he realised he had been chasing the wrong thing.The real breakthrough came when he stopped managing people like resources and started leading them like a community. In this talk, Dishant shares the unconventional practices that transformed his company culture: trusting employees instead of policing them, teaching wealth creation beyond a paycheck, celebrating effort as much as excellence, breaking class barriers and helping people evolve not just as professionals—but as people.Through candid stories of trust, resilience, and belonging, Dishant shows that true leadership isn’t about control, metrics, or perfection. The real measure of success is not what you build, but who you build. Dishant Pritamani entered hospitality not with a hotel management degree but with instinct, curiosity, and a determination to create spaces that feel alive. In 2013, he launched The Daily Bar & Kitchen in Mumbai, an urban classic that evolved from neighbourhood bar to cultural fixture, proving a venue can have a heartbeat. Since then, his portfolio has grown across India with deeply personal, purpose-driven destinations: The Daily All Day in Pune, blending everyday dining with easy-drinking cocktails; Tsuki in Koregaon Park, a rooftop rainforest serving elevated Pan-Asian cuisine; Goa’s The Second House, India’s first AI-imagined venue infused with art, music, and storytelling (awarded the top 50 restaurants in the country in just its first year of operations).In North Goa, Cafe Lento (known for it’s sourdough sandwiches, bakes and specialty coffee) invites stillness, encouraging guests to slow down, disconnect, and let nature lead. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx