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Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YS, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week (see the previous post here). Share these 30 gems and insights from the week of July 5-11 with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights. See also our special compilation of quotes related to India’s coronavirus responses here.

Don’t let anyone tell you what you are capable of. You are your own master, and as long as you have an unwavering belief in your ability and calibre, nothing should stop you. – Sushruthi Krishna, Saaki

A brand that can make its audience feel joy, excited, respected etc., has a better chance of being desired. Such brands align with emotions beyond functional attributes. – Ashwini Deshpande, Elephant

You are what you envision. You should continue to invest in yourself and your knowledge base. – Lady-Omega Naa Adei Hammond, Ampersand Technologies

Humanity at its core is great, human beings actually like helping each other for most parts. – Taru Kapoor, Tinder

When women come together, they all become stronger. This is especially true for women in low-income households. – Katherine Hay, Gates Foundation

Leading an inclusive culture with authenticity can only help to bridge all stereotypes, including the gender divide. It is important to encourage discussions at the workplace. – Rachel Ler, Commvault

The teacher in a classroom is the biggest lever that fundamentally makes a difference to the child’s learning. – Anju Saigal, CEQUE

Companies need to allocate learning and training budgets that not only develop employees’ essential skills, but also their social and emotional skills such as adaptability and resilience. – Manish Bhatnagar, SKF India

There are many capacities that fall between the capabilities of donor and partner organisations that more specialised entities can build. – Rohini Nilekani

India has no dearth of good ideas; the challenge is to identify promising innovators, help them develop their ideas further, and give them a platform for presenting their ideas to potential investors. – Jeyandran Venugopal, Flipkart

2020-2030 is going to be the decade for subscription commerce. – Ajith Mohan Karimpana, Furlenco

2020s is the decade of startups. – Akhil Handa, Bank of Baroda

There are many sustainable fashion brands in the industry, which make contemporary silhouettes in traditional Indian fabrics, but very few operate at a price point that makes them acceptable to the masses. – Komal Kaur and Stanley George, Bohemian Dream

The commercial bottled wine and beer industry are up for disruption, as consumer palates are changing. Brands need to reinvent their product portfolio to keep pace with it. – Deepak Poduval, Rockclimber

The [artisanal chocolates] segment is relatively new and there is a lot of potential for the market to grow in the future. – Mohit Bhagchandani, 7Ink Brews

India generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, of which 40 percent remains uncollected and ends up choking drains, rivers, piling up landfills, etc. – Harini Sivakumar, Earth Rhythm

Recyclable products may appear to be expensive initially, but in the long term, they are more cost-efficient. They also tend to last much longer. – Shikha Kumar, Nino Bambino

We as a global society will probably have costs due to lost biodiversity, for example, which are not directly reflected in the GDP. – Wilfried Rickels, Kiel Institute for the World Economy

Many don’t provide proper nutrition to saplings in the earlier days. Just watering is not enough; your plant needs food, which affects growth and health. – Vinayak Garg, Lazy Gardener

In a world of easy access to information, always check the source of any information. If you do not require a therapeutic diet, always turn to ancient wisdom and simply eat three balanced meals without snacking in between. – Deepa Kannan, PFNR

Every individual has a different fitness goal and path. It is extremely personal. – Dolan Acharya, Fittr

The story behind the art is sometimes as much, if not more, important that the tangible rendition of that process. It gives you so much more context to the struggles of the time, its historical relevance, and the thought behind the work. – Arjun Guleria, The Art Appreciation Society

Jazz inspires creativity and freedom. – Nisa Addina, BJF 2021

Jazz is a fine balance between brilliance and endless creativity on the road to creating a masterpiece. – Eugene Clifford Suboh, O-Ha Soul Band

A startup’s culture gets formed in the first nine to 12 months of its existence and is hard to change. It is imperative to be deliberative and conscious about your culture. – Amit Somani, Prime Venture Partners

Keep inventing, and don’t despair when at first the idea looks crazy. Remember to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It remains Day 1. – Jeff Bezos, Amazon

One of the biggest challenges an early-stage entrepreneur faces is the tedious and time-consuming process behind raising capital. We believe innovation needs to be at the core of why and how founders interact with investors. – Sudhir Sethi, Chiratae Sonic

Money is essentially a fuel but it’s not the vehicle or driver. If you have extra fuel, you can drive at an accelerated pace. – Kushal Nahata, FarEye

YS has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).