Some of today’s most successful entrepreneurs and CEOs began their careers not in boardrooms or laboratories, but in hotel lobbies, restaurants, and kitchens. What they learned there – the discipline of service, the resilience under pressure, the art of creating memorable client experiences – often becomes a hidden advantage when building and scaling companies in entirely different sectors.
At Kylla, we are often asked what makes one founder stand out over another. Beyond the strength of an idea or the depth of a market, the character of leadership frequently tips the balance. Increasingly, evidence suggests that a background in hospitality – whether managing a five-star hotel, serving in a Michelin-star restaurant, or simply running shifts in a bustling café – can shape leaders who build more customer-centric, resilient, and ultimately successful companies.
Why Hospitality Matters in Leadership
Hospitality is one of the toughest training grounds for businesses. It demands emotional intelligence, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to deliver under pressure and perfection every time – qualities that translate seamlessly into entrepreneurship. Leaders who have served customers directly often carry these lessons into their ventures. Jeff Bezos, for example, credits his teenage service job with instilling a “do it right” mentality that became central to Amazon’s culture. Tony Xu, who washed dishes in his parents’ restaurant, built DoorDash around the needs of small restaurant owners, while Sheryl Palmer, now CEO of a leading homebuilding firm, recalls that her fast-food shifts taught her discipline, teamwork, and accountability – lessons she still applies in leading thousands of employees. Similarly, Airbnb’s transformation into a trusted hospitality brand was accelerated when hotelier Chip Conley joined as a mentor to its founders, embedding service standards that boosted guest satisfaction worldwide.
I know this first-hand. Before joining Kylla, I spent years in the hospitality sector myself, running a delicatessen and later a restaurant in Harpenden, England. Those experiences taught me the same lessons: that every customer interaction counts, creating order result out of chaos that teamwork under pressure is the foundation of great service, and that small details often make the biggest difference. These lessons have never left me, and I continue to draw on them in my work with entrepreneurs and investors today.
What the Data Suggests
Research consistently shows that companies which excel in customer experience outperform peers on revenue and loyalty. Start-ups led by founders with industry-relevant backgrounds also tend to achieve faster growth in the early stages. A founder who has lived the discipline of hospitality is more likely to prioritise retention, Net Promoter Score, and lifetime value – metrics that matter deeply to investors.
Of course, hospitality experience alone does not guarantee success. What distinguishes the strongest leaders is their ability to combine service ethos with adaptability, technical knowledge, and strategic execution. For investors, the signal is not merely that a founder once worked in hospitality, but that they have carried its lessons forward into their leadership style and company culture.
The Investor’s Lens
For an investment firm, this phenomenon offers a useful filter in due diligence. A hospitality background can be a positive indicator – particularly in consumer-facing or service-driven sectors – that a founder understands how to build loyalty, manage teams under stress, and differentiate through experience. The key is to test whether these qualities are visible in the company’s current performance: customer satisfaction scores, churn rates, retention metrics, or the cohesion of the leadership team.
At Kylla, our approach of Business Beyond Borders means we look beyond financial statements and business models. We look at people, their journeys, and the qualities that drive sustainable growth. Hospitality is one of those journeys that can transform a good idea into a great company – provided it is matched with the right strategy and resources.
As investors and advisors, we believe hospitality experience should not be overlooked. It often signals leaders who never lose sight of the client, who know that trust is earned in every interaction, and who understand that long-term value is built one satisfied customer at a time.
Investment Manager
Kylla Corporate Transactions
