Rainbow Quiz - Week # 68

Trying to revive my now defunct Rainbow Quiz. This quiz is inspired from a book that I just finished reading - 100 Great Businesses and the Minds behind them".

Take a stab.

What am I talking about?

1. Mr.X, while studying economics at Yale, wrote a paper about the growing number of uses for computers (This was way back in the 60’s). He reckoned that as people become more reliant on computers, repairing them in a timely manner will be critical for the manufacturers. Legend has it that he received a “C” grade for the paper. Which company am I talking about (that was born out of this idea) and who is Mr.X?

2. While working in Asia, Mr. X came across caffeine filled drinks with foul taste that were sold in small vials at exorbitant prices (primarily as a cure for Flu, impotency). He set about finding a formula that he could take back to Europe. He found the answer in Krating Daeng (a Thai drink). He licensed it from the founders and gave a sporty makeover to the health drink. What am I talking about?

3. “Across Asia on the Cheap” was first printed in 1970’s and enjoyed modest success. Not many realized then that the publisher would become a cult brand that would forever change an industry. Which brand am I talking about?

4. An entrepreneurial streak pulsed through Mr.X since an early age. At 5, he was selling matches to family members and at 17, he was selling pencils in the neighborhood. The pencil selling was successful that X decided to change it to a mail order business by including other merchandise such as soaps, seeds and stockings. He decided to coin a name for the company with an acronym that stood for the first letters of his first name, last name, farm name and village name. Who is X and what company am I talking about?

5. In 1930 Japanese scientist Dr. Shirota discovered a strain of bacteria that was both good for the human intestine and tough enough to survive the digestive process. What sweet, skim milk based drink, named after “yoghurt” in Esperanto, emerged due to this invention?

6. Fashion retailing isn’t known for shy, retiring types. Yet this Spanish billionaire has created one of the largest fashion retailing empire in the world, though he has rarely granted interviews or been photographed. He believes advertising to be “pointless distraction” and the company spends less than 0.5% of its revenues on advertising. Who is this maverick, reclusive billionaire and which company am I talking about?

7. What started in 1979 as “Graphics Group” as part of Lucasfilm? Amongst other things, the group tried selling high-end graphics computers which were a disastrous failure. The company eventually stumbled into film-making after making a few successful commercials. In the fickle world of filmdom, the company till date has never produced a flop. Which company am I talking about?