Lateral Sparks, the weekly quiz from YourStory, tests your domain knowledge, business acumen, and lateral thinking skills (see the previous edition here). In this 178th 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: Financial operations
Finance teams are under constant pressure to handle high transaction volumes and complexities. Manual consolidation of data and cash flow management can lead to inefficiencies and gaps in decision-making. How can this challenge be addressed?
Q2: From advocacy to activism
Communication about effective waste management, raising alarms about environmental pollution, and advocating reduction in garbage are key to better habitats. But communication is only the first step–what should sustainability advocates do next?
Q3: Resale of high-end products
High-end resale is finding a strong foothold among many consumers, driven by an appetite for authenticated pre-owned goods. However, trust and transparency remain a challenge for many consumers. How can this problem be addressed?
Q4: Nutrition and convenience
Healthy eating habits are desired by many consumers. However, they often face challenges in getting fresh fruits and vegetables at the right time or eat them in inadequate portions. Where is the entrepreneurial opportunity here?
Q5: Supply chain efficiency
Apparel sourcing can be a tricky operation, with a range of fluctuating market conditions. Global macro trends are also reshaping the apparel sourcing landscape. How can such supply chains be made more transparent, efficient and agile?
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: Financial operations
Founded in 2023 by Sourabh Nolkha and Ankit Narsaria, ZenStatement is an AI-powered cash flow management and financial analytics solution. It enables monitoring and forecasting of cash flows, as well as actionable business-finance insights through AI-powered natural language queries.
“Our platform seamlessly integrates with existing financial systems—payment gateways, bank accounts, ERP platforms, and sales channels—to automatically reconcile transactions and consolidate financial data,” Nolkha explains. Read more here about how the startup already handles 10 million transactions for its customers every month and has raised $1.62 million in seed funding.
A2: From advocacy to activism
Tamanna Sharma founded Earthling First as a sustainability consultancy to work on a range of environmental projects. It creates waste management models for businesses and organisations and combats plastic pollution in popular trekking destinations like Jalori Pass.
“Earthling First is kind of a philosophy. It means putting yourself as an earthling first and making all decisions accordingly,” Sharma explains. Read more here about its projects for waste management with Maruti Suzuki’s obstacle race, efficient disposal mechanisms for wedding functions, and Sustained Labs initiative for sustainability innovations.
A3: Resale of high-end products
Founded by Ackshay Jain and Devansh Jain, Culture Circle offers an authenticated collection of sneakers, streetwear, and luxury fashion. The product lineup includes handbags, sunglasses, jackets, and dresses.
The structured, reliable marketplace ensures authenticity with AI-powered verification and competitive pricing through its network of KYC-verified sellers. Read more here about how Culture Circle began as a weekend project at a Goa hackathon and has now delivered to over 50,000 customers and expanded into Tier II and Tier III cities.
A4: Nutrition and convenience
Tejashree Shah and her son Shashvat launched TANS (Tasty Accessible Nutritional Support) as a clean nutrition brand that offers sachet-sized vegan smoothies using freeze-drying technology. Each sachet is equivalent to 250 grams of fruits and vegetables, amounts to less than 75 calories, and is available at a discounted price of Rs 165.
It combines raw fruits, vegetables and greens in a single-serve sachet to offer many varieties of raw nutrition. Read more here about how TANS follows the ‘Five A Day’ concept—two servings of fruit, two servings of raw vegetables, and one serving of leafy greens, with variants like Health Refresher, Organ Cleanse, Energy Blast, Stress Buster, and Strength Restorer.
A5: Supply chain efficiency
Founded by Sharma and Tanuj Gangwani, the apparel sourcing platform Geniemode streamlines supply chains for global brands and retailers, ensuring transparency and efficiency. It works with 200+ global buyers and suppliers, providing trend-driven design intelligence and optimised manufacturing.
“Our investment in Geniemode is part of our active strategy to back leading new-age businesses that are disrupting large markets using technology,” explains investor Sridhar Sankararaman, MD of Multiples Alternate Asset Management. Read more here about how AI has powered the startup’s innovation and design capabilities for speed, flexibility, and responsible sourcing.
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).
