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Lateral Sparks, the weekly quiz from YourStory, tests your domain knowledge, business acumen, and lateral thinking skills (see the previous edition here). In this 159th edition of the quiz, we present issues tackled by real-life entrepreneurs in their startup journeys.

What would you do if you were in their shoes? At the end of the quiz, you will find out what the entrepreneurs and innovators themselves actually did. Would you do things differently?

Check out YourStory’s Book Review section as well, with takeaways from over 355 titles on creativity and entrepreneurship, and our weekend PhotoSparks section on creativity in the arts.

Q1: Sustainability in fashion

The fashion industry is facing increasing pressure to adopt eco-friendly practices. What are some ways of developing environmentally sustainable products while creating market value?

Q2: e-Waste

The rapid pace of innovation in the electronics industry is creating large problems of waste generation due to the rapid obsolescence of products like smartphones. What’s an effective way of introducing sustainable practices here?

Q3: Recruitment practices

Traditional recruitment methods, which rely heavily on manual processes, struggle to keep up with the rapid changes and complexity of the job market. How can technology help here?

Q4: Healthcare disparities

There are severe healthcare disparities between urban and rural areas, particularly in emerging economies. How can technology improve healthcare access in remote areas, and what kinds of impact can be achieved?

Q5: Women at work

Many women professionals face challenges in growing their careers after maternity breaks. Flexible work options are few and far between. How can this gap be filled, and where is the entrepreneurial opportunity here?

Answers!

Congratulations on having come this far! But there’s more to come—answers to these five questions (below), as well as links to articles with more details on the entrepreneurs’ solutions. Happy reading, happy learning—and happy creating!

A1: Sustainability in fashion

Faborg, founded by Gowri Shankar, promotes natural farming practices and the utilisation of traditional fiber-yielding plants such as Calotropis. Also known as milkweed, its fibre is used to produce vegan wool as well as natural pest repellents.

“The textile industry is the third biggest polluter in the world right now,” Shankar says. Read more here about how this inspiring social enterprise has opened up domestic and international markets for its natural products.

A2: e-Waste

“As the push for sustainability becomes more prominent, refurbished phones are emerging as a pivotal solution to address manufacturing waste and e-waste and close the loop in tech consumption,” explains Yug Bhatia, Founder of ControlZ, a smartphone renewing startup.

Opting for refurbished devices also helps reduce the demand for raw materials like gold, copper, and cobalt. Read more here about how tech giants like Apple, Samsung and Google have introduced refurbishment, and why manufacturers need to prioritise modularity and repairability in their designs.

A3: Recruitment practices

AI-driven talent-matching platforms are transforming how companies hire and are setting new standards for efficiency, accuracy, and fairness in tech talent acquisition, according to Khushal Bakshi, Director – Talent Acquisition, Ascendion.

AI algorithms can gather and analyse data from multiple sources such as LinkedIn and GitHub, and create integrated profiles. Read more here about how AI-driven platforms can also combine video interviewing with predictive analytics to assess candidates at scale.

A4: Healthcare disparities

“Teleconsultations allow people in rural locations to communicate with doctors and specialists in urban areas without traveling, saving their time and money and ensuring timely medical advice and continuous care,” explains Gaurav Dubey, Founder of Livlong 365.

“Mobile health (mHealth) services play a significant role in narrowing the gap,” he adds. Read more here about the positive impacts of digitising health records and roping in AI-powered chatbots to provide real-time medical advice.

A5: Women at work

FlexiBees, started by Shreya Prakash, Rashmi Rammohan, and Deepa Swami, matches qualified women professionals to flexible work requirements. This helps them balance their professional and personal priorities.

It has provided talent to 800+ companies across the globe, giving jobs to 2,000+ women from India. Read more here about how it has benefited women across industries and functions, including sales, digital marketing, content, virtual assistance, and HR roles

YourStory 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).