The startup conundrum

I firmly believe that, for a stable, simple and strong process, which can easily reach people and be used by them, mobile or the digital version is the only way. For we have proof of more than half a century of  "manual" governance that has failed to live up to the expectation of empowering the masses. The real empowering people can only happen with knowledge about their rights and simpler processes to safeguard and utilize the same. What better way than making use of the current start-up boom alongside the push for digital drive and smarter cities.

With so many start-ups shooting up every single day, one would be tempted to wonder that the above thought process would become a reality pretty soon. But a quick look at the list of start-ups registered till date for this year at least throws a totally different picture. Of about 59 of them listed in http://trak.in/india-startup-funding-investment-2015/  retail shopping, paying utility bills and loans are the only areas which are targeted. Obviously success stories like snap deal, flip kart have clearly set the tone for other ideas mushrooming around the same concept. This post is not an attempt at ridiculing these attempts. Entrepreneurship at any level or domain should be respected and encouraged unabashedly. But with a whole ocean of areas lying untouched neither by digital options nor otherwise, it makes an even more better business opportunity to move away from the crowded retail and payment scape.

With several 100,000 cases pending in our courts, any solution towards fast tracking the legal system could prove to be a boon for everyone. Civil law structure, trapped in complex language which can be understood and handled only by lawyers of eminence, if it can be broken down into simple language and made easily available in app format, it could kick start turn around time in our legal system.
Saw an episode on a talk show on the plight of women workers in unorganized sectors. It was a tear jerker to say the least. As compared against the never satisfying amount of salary that the lucky few chase , it was startling and shameful at the same time as to how much each of those women earn and still manage to have an honest to god livelihood in the very own "it has become so costly nowadays" metro just like others. Surprisingly there are schemes and scores of benefits for the upliftment of such women work force which not so surprisingly even the social activist who was called upon as a chief guest was not completely aware of. If there is a mechanism, an app or call it whatever, by which these info can be at their finger tips, well..we dont have to raise our finger for their support. With that knowledge those iron ladies will take care of themselves.

Will there, ever be a start up, solely for the purpose of empowering people? Funding it will be the truest of angel funding and we can then really call ourselves grown-up from that point onwards.