Lateral Sparks, the weekly quiz from YourStory, tests your domain knowledge, business acumen, and lateral thinking skills (see the previous edition here). In this 137th 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.
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Q1: Online education
There is a plethora of offerings in the online education sector these days. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of misinformation and even profiteering by some companies in this space. What’s an effective way of making the right choice, and where is the entrepreneurial opportunity here?
Q2: Ocean waste
The rise of plastic waste in the sea is an issue of grave concern. Can the removal of such waste be made financially viable as well? How would this work?
Q3: Urban healthcare
Under-served communities in urban areas face challenges in awareness about chronic diseases and preventive healthcare. How can such issues be tackled at scale?
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Q4: Brand experiences
Storytelling coupled with data analytics can help put together effective marketing experiences for customers. What’s another crucial enabler of making such experiences truly memorable and impactful?
Q5: Ecommerce logistics
The ‘last mile’ of ecommerce delivery from warehouse to customer doorstep accounts for significant amounts of carbon emissions and pollution. What’s an environmentally-friendly way of reducing such pollution?
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: Online education
Rohit Gupta founded College Vidya in 2019 to compare online education offerings across over 30 factors such as authentic reviews, fee structures, faculty, and placement partners. This ‘Amazon of online education’ now spans 500+ accredited courses and 100+ online universities/edtech platforms.
It offers transparency, extensive choice, and detailed insights, empowering users in their decision-making process. Read more here about how the platform has over 500 experienced counsellors, and uses AI-powered tools to personalise the search based on course preference, budget, and time commitments.
A2: Ocean waste
Divya Hegde founded Baeru, an ocean waste recovery startup, to empower women in rural communities in coastal Karnataka to turn waste into eco-friendly upcycled products, thus contributing to a circular economy.
The plastic waste that fishermen bring back from the ocean is cleaned and segregated by women from fishing communities, generating additional income for them. Read more here about the award-winning startup’s partnership with the Karnataka government and the Udupi Zilla Parishad.
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A3: Urban healthcare
Launched by Rani and Priya Desai in 2022, Bengaluru-based Anahat Clinic helps improve access to primary and preventive healthcare for the urban poor. The mother-daughter duo’s clinic counsels patients suffering from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and hypertension.
The clinic’s nutritionist conducts workshops that help patients reduce salt, sugar, and oil in their diets. Read more here about how the clinic has won a grant of Rs 10 lakh at the SVP (Social Ventures Partners) India Fast Pitch 2024.
A4: Brand experiences
“In tandem with data, design takes centre stage in shaping brand experiences. Design serves as a creative engine driving the approach,” explains Shajesh Menon, Founder and CEO, Younion. This integration of data, design, and events is particularly effective in crafting memorable brand experiences.
“The design ethos revolves around constructing immersive visual narratives that captivate audiences, ensuring each element tells a cohesive and compelling story,” Menon adds. Read more here about how AI-driven personalisation and immersive virtual reality experiences enable such marketing excellence.
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A5: Ecommerce logistics
“Major ecommerce players are forging groundbreaking partnerships with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to overhaul their delivery operations and prioritise sustainability on a massive scale,” observes Rohan Shravan, Founder and CEO of Tresa Motors.
This helps slash emissions while also alleviating noise and air pollution in residential neighbourhoods. Read more here about how cutting-edge routing software integrated into these electric delivery vehicles enables intelligent logistics optimisation as well.
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).
![Read more about the article [Funding alert] Edtech startup ApplyBoard raises $300M at a valuation of $3.2B](https://blog.digitalsevaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Funding-1587044486257-300x150.png)
