The prelims of the Business and Technology Quiz held at IIM Ahmedabad Chaos 2020 - presented by Quiz Cetera. Questions on a range of topics including business history, business terms, markets, technology, the digital world, and many others.
5. 2. Which mythical creature?
In March 2019, the first American spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts since
the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011 was launched.
The demonstration flight involved a vehicle built by SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk.
A mythical creature completes the name of the craft: Crew ______.
The capsule is so named because apparently a launching rocket looks like the
creature doing something "in reverse".
6. 3. What did they resort to?
Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin had all proclaimed at some point in
history that they'd never sully their name by resorting to what some of their
competitors had started doing since the late 1990s.
However, as revenues starting braking around the turn of the century, all four
reconsidered their position, and eventually committed to it. Had they not, they'd
have foregone the billions that this decision ultimately got them, which prevented
the shutdown of their fast burning-out race car divisions.
7. 4. Which legislation?
In certain states of the US, following the enactment of a much-debated legislation,
sales of ice-cream rose by 3.1%, biscuits by 4.1%, and crisps by 5.3% almost
overnight. Sales of alcohol, on the other hand, depressed.
8. 5. Which company?
In the past, this company is known to have internally referred to its best customers
as "heavy users." These were the 20% of the customers who contributed to about
80% of the revenue. According to one estimate, a heavy user bought more than
1,000 units of the company's signature product every year.
9. 6. What triggered the sales spike?
In August 2019, sales of Vogmask, a fashionable high-end air-filtering mask, shot up
in anticipation of "playa lungs," which is an infection caused by the inhalation of
alkaline silica dust, soot, and smoke. Most of these were shipped to Nevada’s Black
Rock Desert area.
As opposed to simple cloth masks, Vogmask is designated by the F.D.A. as a N95
respirator. The designation certifies the mask’s ability to block at least 95 percent of
0.3-micron air particles under strict lab testing conditions.
As was expected, the sales plummeted again in the last week of the month.
10. 7. Who is the protagonist of the poem?
This is an excerpt from a poem by Brian Turner, who’s best known for his poetry
collection Phantom Noise?
---
You spoke in your sleep again tonight. / I was looking into some possible sleep apnea / products, but then was
startled to hear you say / I love you into the room, low and soft, as if / made of smoke. I realize it wasn’t meant
for me, / but it sounded as close as one might get to that.
And so I read your wife’s poetry collections,/ and I studied her gift-purchasing history, and / then I scrolled
through photographs / of the two of you, / kissing, hand in hand, the archaeology of your love / pieced
together in binary code
---
11. 8. What did he do?
In the middle of his address to the UN in September 2019, the President of El
Salvador, Nayib Bukele did something that he later said will be the only reason
people anywhere in the world would even think about listening to his speech.
13. 10. What does the article talk about?
Excerpt from a TIME article:
---
The assumption most people jump to is that the sound is produced by rollers delivering the ___ to
the collection slot. In fact, the sound is an entirely artificial addition to the process.
The noise is produced by a speaker and purely included in the ___ to reassure you that your ____
is on its way. Without the added noise, the ___ would be practically silent with its moving parts on
the other side of a brick wall.
---
Blanks are not same and not indicative. Just put funda.
14. *11. Which “blood fruit”?
Since the late 1990s, Mexican cartels in the state of Michoacán have been harassing,
kidnapping, extorting, and killing farmers of X as a way of making a quick buck,
beside their drug income.
Because of all this, they’ve been compared to Africa's notorious blood diamonds, and
dubbed ‘blood Xs'.
Mexico produces 45% of the world's X, and Michoacán produces the most X in
Mexico. The Michoacán X industry itself is worth $1.5 billion.
15. *12. Which investment firm?
Larry Fink, the founder and CEO of the investment firm _____, sends an annual letter
to the CEOs of the world's largest companies. In its 2020 edition, Fink revealed that
his firm will make investment decisions with environmental sustainability as a core
goal, exiting from investments that present high sustainability-related risks.
The firm, he wrote, would also introduce new funds that shun fossil fuel-oriented
stocks, move more aggressively to vote against management teams that are not
making progress on sustainability, and press companies to disclose plans “for
operating under a scenario where the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global
warming to less than two degrees is fully realized.”
Currently, the firm has over $7 trillion under management.
16. *13. Which 4-word alliterative title?
Hetty Green was a shipping heiress who took the ferry to New York City from
Hoboken daily to make loans and investments. She stalked through lower
Manhattan in an ancient black alpaca gown, swirling cape, and a rusty veiled hat. By
the time of her death, Green was the richest woman in the world and the Guinness
Book of World Records called her the "World's Greatest Miser."
However, her most notorious title that continues to be referenced today in business
books, comes from her ominous dressing sense, uncanny ability to spot contrarian
investment trends, and her practice of swooping in everyday to the city from afar.
The title is also credited as a "partial inspiration" for a popular 2013 Hollywood
movie title.
17. *14. Which company?
A food discovery and delivery company pioneered an algorithm to determine
whether calls to restaurants resulted in orders, and charged restaurants based on a
range of factors, including the length of the call. But that formula was far from
perfect; restaurants reported paying hundreds of dollars in fees for calls in which
customers simply asked about a special or made a reservation. In early January
2020, facing immense pressure from regulators and restaurateurs, the company
promised to stop charging for calls that didn't end up in an order.
18. *15. Which company's ladder?
At _____, you start off in the Dot league. Though it looks simple, even the Dot is
difficult to achieve without daily practice. With experience, you are promoted to the
Heart league, which is where most employees plateau out. The talented few make it
to the Rosetta league and typically lead a team of Heart leaguers. Only the most
highly trained and experienced make it to the Tulip league.
19. *16. Fill either blank
An early January 2020 report shows that Chinese consumer prices have soared by
5% year-over-year in December 2019. This is the highest inflation since 2011. The
primary driver is _______: prices doubled during the year following an African
epidemic that was probably introduced to the country through imports. This mostly
single-driver inflation makes poetic sense, especially since it was the Chinese Year of
the _______.
20. *17. Which startup?
A January 2020 New York Times article predicts that this company could "fast fall
apart" and "blight the country’s startup landscape as a whole." The paper claims to
have spoken to 20 current and previous employees and combed through court
documents and financial filings.
It said the company's rise "was, at least in part, built on practices that raise questions
about the health of its business." Freebies to the police, padded listings, hidden fees,
and unethical onboarding of substandard vendors, were few reasons cited.
21. *18. Connect. Finite. Non-exhaustive.
Dragonfly Doji
Harami Cross
Hanging Man
Dark Cloud Cover
Evening Star
Falling Window
Spinning Top
Shaven Heads
Tweezer Tops
Three Black Crows
22. *19. What does TSMC make?
Unless you are in that business, or some allied trade, the letters TSMC probably
mean a lot less to you than the names of most of the other 29 of the world’s 30 most
valuable public companies. But Apple (the second most valuable on average over the
past six months, at $1Tn), Alibaba (seventh, $458Bn), Visa (9th, $380bn), Disney
(21st, $249Bn) and many of the others would be nowhere without the Taiwan _____
Manufacturing Company (26th, $228Bn).
Thanks to its world-shaping technology, founder Morris Chang acknowledged in
November 2019 that “as the world is no longer peaceful, TSMC is gaining vital
importance in geostrategic terms.”
23. *20. Which company? Which iconic product?
Following 9/11, this company took a serious revenue hit. The category that
accounted for 95% of their sales started bleeding out. Their most iconic product in
that category, which had become a ubiquitous corporate promotional item and a
standard gift for retirement, birthdays and graduation, was suddenly seen as
dangerous and added to the list of things you couldn't carry in your hand luggage.
Instead of starting a hate battle with the airlines, like several other manufacturers
did, the company chose to start making air travel-friendly products like passport
holders, wallets, watches, and even fragrances. This move doubled their revenues.
While it is still inadmissible in airplanes, their iconic product is still going strong,
bringing in almost as much as pre-9/11 times and accounting for 35% of their sales.
24. 21. What was the primary content on these sites?
In late November 2019, the moderator of three highly trafficked websites posted a
message titled “R.I.P.” It offered a convoluted explanation for why they were left with
no choice but to close.
The unnamed moderator thanked over 100,000 “brothers” who had visited and
contributed to the sites before their demise, blaming an “increasingly intolerant
world” that did not allow children to “fully express themselves.”
25. 22. Fill in the blanks
At the Daimler Annual meeting in May 2019, one shareholder captured the general
concern among people present there. “Don’t replace the ________ ____ with a Chinese
dragon,” implored Deka Investment, a big asset manager, referring to the purchase in
2018 by Geely, a Chinese firm which also owns Sweden’s Volvo, of a 9.7% stake in
the German car giant.
Specific. Blanks are indicative.
26. 23. What am I talking about?
John Ramsay's designer products are all the rage among the really rich. Richard
Branson has one, so does Roman Abramovich. Ray Dalio has two. In David
Attenborough’s _Great Barrier Reef_ you see him using one of these. Even Vladimir
Putin trusts him. Ramsay was part of a mission in the Pacific in 2005.
"When the super-rich get bored of their yachts, they ask John Ramsay to build them
the executive toy du jour. It's all about being a middle-aged man in
aeronautical-grade aluminium," says radio critic Catherine Nixey.
27. 24. Give X and/or Y
In 1977 John Collins, a navy officer stationed in Hawaii, was discussing an
often-debated subject with his wife, Judy: who are the fittest - swimmers, cyclists or
runners? This discussion gave rise to X in February 1978.
The corporation that owns X revealed in an SEC filing ahead of its IPO that they pay
royalties to company Y, as part of a trademark conflict settlement agreement.
Though spelled slightly differently, Y had registered its trademark in 1963.
28. 25. What am I talking about?
Seemingly out of nowhere, civilians started driving onto Canadian military bases at
odd hours and wandering onto government property in July 2016. In one instance, a
woman was found on a military base as three children with her climbed on tanks.
These incidents led to several public warnings from the Canadian military, a lawsuit
against a San Francisco company, and several frivolous arrests for "acting
suspiciously."
31. Survivorship Bias
Wald pointed out that these were
the bullet-holes on the planes that
came back safely. Meaning, they
should reinforce the parts where
there are no holes.
32. 2. Which mythical creature?
In March 2019, the first American spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts since
the retirement of the space shuttles in 2011 was launched.
The demonstration flight involved a vehicle built by SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk.
A mythical creature completes the name of the craft: Crew ______.
The capsule is so named because apparently a launching rocket looks like the
creature doing something "in reverse".
34. 3. What did they resort to?
Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin had all proclaimed at some point in
history that they'd never sully their name by resorting to what some of their
competitors had started doing since the late 1990s.
However, as revenues starting braking around the turn of the century, all four
reconsidered their position, and eventually committed to it. Had they not, they'd
have foregone the billions that this decision ultimately got them, which prevented
the shutdown of their fast burning-out race car divisions.
36. 4. Which legislation?
In certain states of the US, following the enactment of a much-debated legislation,
sales of ice-cream rose by 3.1%, biscuits by 4.1%, and crisps by 5.3% almost
overnight. Sales of alcohol, on the other hand, depressed.
38. 5. Which company?
In the past, this company is known to have internally referred to its best customers
as "heavy users." These were the 20% of the customers who contributed to about
80% of the revenue. According to one estimate, a heavy user bought more than
1,000 units of the company's signature product every year.
40. 6. What triggered the sales spike?
In August 2019, sales of Vogmask, a fashionable high-end air-filtering mask, shot up
in anticipation of "playa lungs," which is an infection caused by the inhalation of
alkaline silica dust, soot, and smoke. Most of these were shipped to Nevada’s Black
Rock Desert area.
As opposed to simple cloth masks, Vogmask is designated by the F.D.A. as a N95
respirator. The designation certifies the mask’s ability to block at least 95 percent of
0.3-micron air particles under strict lab testing conditions.
As was expected, the sales plummeted again in the last week of the month.
42. 7. Who is the protagonist of the poem?
This is an excerpt from a poem by Brian Turner, who’s best known for his poetry
collection Phantom Noise?
---
You spoke in your sleep again tonight. / I was looking into some possible sleep apnea / products, but then was
startled to hear you say / I love you into the room, low and soft, as if / made of smoke. I realize it wasn’t meant
for me, / but it sounded as close as one might get to that.
And so I read your wife’s poetry collections,/ and I studied her gift-purchasing history, and / then I scrolled
through photographs / of the two of you, / kissing, hand in hand, the archaeology of your love / pieced
together in binary code
---
44. 8. What did he do?
In the middle of his address to the UN in September 2019, the President of El
Salvador, Nayib Bukele did something that he later said will be the only reason
people anywhere in the world would even think about listening to his speech.
48. 10. What does the article talk about?
Excerpt from a TIME article:
---
The assumption most people jump to is that the sound is produced by rollers delivering the ___ to
the collection slot. In fact, the sound is an entirely artificial addition to the process.
The noise is produced by a speaker and purely included in the ___ to reassure you that your ____
is on its way. Without the added noise, the ___ would be practically silent with its moving parts on
the other side of a brick wall.
---
Blanks are not same and not indicative. Just put funda.
50. *11. Which “blood fruit”?
Since the late 1990s, Mexican cartels in the state of Michoacán have been harassing,
kidnapping, extorting, and killing farmers of X as a way of making a quick buck,
beside their drug income.
Because of all this, they’ve been compared to Africa's notorious blood diamonds, and
dubbed ‘blood Xs'.
Mexico produces 45% of the world's X, and Michoacán produces the most X in
Mexico. The Michoacán X industry itself is worth $1.5 billion.
52. *12. Which investment firm?
Larry Fink, the founder and CEO of the investment firm _____, sends an annual letter
to the CEOs of the world's largest companies. In its 2020 edition, Fink revealed that
his firm will make investment decisions with environmental sustainability as a core
goal, exiting from investments that present high sustainability-related risks.
The firm, he wrote, would also introduce new funds that shun fossil fuel-oriented
stocks, move more aggressively to vote against management teams that are not
making progress on sustainability, and press companies to disclose plans “for
operating under a scenario where the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global
warming to less than two degrees is fully realized.”
Currently, the firm has over $7 trillion under management.
54. *13. Which 4-word alliterative title?
Hetty Green was a shipping heiress who took the ferry to New York City from
Hoboken daily to make loans and investments. She stalked through lower
Manhattan in an ancient black alpaca gown, swirling cape, and a rusty veiled hat. By
the time of her death, Green was the richest woman in the world and the Guinness
Book of World Records called her the "World's Greatest Miser."
However, her most notorious title that continues to be referenced today in business
books, comes from her ominous dressing sense, uncanny ability to spot contrarian
investment trends, and her practice of swooping in everyday to the city from afar.
The title is also credited as a "partial inspiration" for a popular 2013 Hollywood
movie title.
56. *14. Which company?
A food discovery and delivery company pioneered an algorithm to determine
whether calls to restaurants resulted in orders, and charged restaurants based on a
range of factors, including the length of the call. But that formula was far from
perfect; restaurants reported paying hundreds of dollars in fees for calls in which
customers simply asked about a special or made a reservation. In early January
2020, facing immense pressure from regulators and restaurateurs, the company
promised to stop charging for calls that didn't end up in an order.
58. *15. Which company's ladder?
At _____, you start off in the Dot league. Though it looks simple, even the Dot is
difficult to achieve without daily practice. With experience, you are promoted to the
Heart league, which is where most employees plateau out. The talented few make it
to the Rosetta league and typically lead a team of Heart leaguers. Only the most
highly trained and experienced make it to the Tulip league.
60. *16. Fill either blank
An early January 2020 report shows that Chinese consumer prices have soared by
5% year-over-year in December 2019. This is the highest inflation since 2011. The
primary driver is _______: prices doubled during the year following an African
epidemic that was probably introduced to the country through imports. This mostly
single-driver inflation makes poetic sense, especially since it was the Chinese Year of
the _______.
62. *17. Which startup?
A January 2020 New York Times article predicts that this company could "fast fall
apart" and "blight the country’s startup landscape as a whole." The paper claims to
have spoken to 20 current and previous employees and combed through court
documents and financial filings.
It said the company's rise "was, at least in part, built on practices that raise questions
about the health of its business." Freebies to the police, padded listings, hidden fees,
and unethical onboarding of substandard vendors, were few reasons cited.
64. *18. Connect. Finite. Non-exhaustive.
Dragonfly Doji
Harami Cross
Hanging Man
Dark Cloud Cover
Evening Star
Falling Window
Spinning Top
Shaven Heads
Tweezer Tops
Three Black Crows
66. *19. What does TSMC make?
Unless you are in that business, or some allied trade, the letters TSMC probably
mean a lot less to you than the names of most of the other 29 of the world’s 30 most
valuable public companies. But Apple (the second most valuable on average over the
past six months, at $1Tn), Alibaba (seventh, $458Bn), Visa (9th, $380bn), Disney
(21st, $249Bn) and many of the others would be nowhere without the Taiwan _____
Manufacturing Company (26th, $228Bn).
Thanks to its world-shaping technology, founder Morris Chang acknowledged in
November 2019 that “as the world is no longer peaceful, TSMC is gaining vital
importance in geostrategic terms.”
68. *20. Which company? Which iconic product?
Following 9/11, this company took a serious revenue hit. The category that
accounted for 95% of their sales started bleeding out. Their most iconic product in
that category, which had become a ubiquitous corporate promotional item and a
standard gift for retirement, birthdays and graduation, was suddenly seen as
dangerous and added to the list of things you couldn't carry in your hand luggage.
Instead of starting a hate battle with the airlines, like several other manufacturers
did, the company chose to start making air travel-friendly products like passport
holders, wallets, watches, and even fragrances. This move doubled their revenues.
While it is still inadmissible in airplanes, their iconic product is still going strong,
bringing in almost as much as pre-9/11 times and accounting for 35% of their sales.
70. 21. What was the primary content on these sites?
In late November 2019, the moderator of three highly trafficked websites posted a
message titled “R.I.P.” It offered a convoluted explanation for why they were left with
no choice but to close.
The unnamed moderator thanked over 100,000 “brothers” who had visited and
contributed to the sites before their demise, blaming an “increasingly intolerant
world” that did not allow children to “fully express themselves.”
72. 22. Fill in the blanks
At the Daimler Annual meeting in May 2019, one shareholder captured the general
concern among people present there. “Don’t replace the ________ ____ with a Chinese
dragon,” implored Deka Investment, a big asset manager, referring to the purchase in
2018 by Geely, a Chinese firm which also owns Sweden’s Volvo, of a 9.7% stake in
the German car giant.
Specific. Blanks are indicative.
74. 23. What am I talking about?
John Ramsay's designer products are all the rage among the really rich. Richard
Branson has one, so does Roman Abramovich. Ray Dalio has two. In David
Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef you see him using one of these. Even Vladimir
Putin trusts him. Ramsay was part of a mission in the Pacific in 2005.
"When the super-rich get bored of their yachts, they ask John Ramsay to build them
the executive toy du jour. It's all about being a middle-aged man in
aeronautical-grade aluminium," says radio critic Catherine Nixey.
76. 24. Give X and/or Y
In 1977 John Collins, a navy officer stationed in Hawaii, was discussing an
often-debated subject with his wife, Judy: who are the fittest - swimmers, cyclists or
runners? This discussion gave rise to X in February 1978.
The corporation that owns X revealed in an SEC filing ahead of its IPO that they pay
royalties to company Y, as part of a trademark conflict settlement agreement.
Though spelled slightly differently, Y had registered its trademark in 1963.
78. 25. What am I talking about?
Seemingly out of nowhere, civilians started driving onto Canadian military bases at
odd hours and wandering onto government property in July 2016. In one instance, a
woman was found on a military base as three children with her climbed on tanks.
These incidents led to several public warnings from the Canadian military, a lawsuit
against a San Francisco company, and several frivolous arrests for "acting
suspiciously."