This week’s Startup Spotlight highlights the winners of the RAP XVIII Pitch Night, AnswerThis! Ayush Garg, Founder & CEO and Ryan McCarroll, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) shared invaluable insights on what it takes to build a successful startup, highlighting the importance of passion, problem-solving, and the power of mentorship. From lessons learned through past failures to the creative strategies that shaped their growth, their advice offers aspiring entrepreneurs a roadmap for navigating the challenges of the startup world with determination and agility. Here’s a look into the experiences and inspirations that have fueled their success.

Q1: Could you tell us a little bit about your company?

AnswerThis is an AI research assistant designed to streamline the process of creating literature reviews, especially for PhD students and researchers. By tapping into a database of over 200 million research papers and the entire internet, AnswerThis generates comprehensive literature reviews with precise, line-by-line citations. Since launching about seven months ago, the platform has rapidly grown and now supports around 5,000 users.

Q2: What inspired you to start your own company?

Ayush Garg, Founder & CEO: My inspiration for AnswerThis came from watching my parents, both scientists, spend countless hours on literature reviews during their PhD studies. I saw firsthand how inefficient the process was—downloading papers, highlighting key points, and manually compiling reviews. It made me wonder if the process could be automated.

When LLMs (large language models) became powerful, I saw an opportunity, but noticed many researchers were hesitant to use them due to issues like hallucinations and inaccurate citations. That’s when I realized we could solve this problem by creating technology capable of processing millions of documents and providing precise, reliable citations. With the increasing flood of scientific publications, a tool like AnswerThis was clearly needed.

Ryan McCarroll, CMO: From an early age, I was drawn to the start-up world. At 16, I gained valuable experience in sales, working with solopreneurs who later achieved significant success. Although I couldn’t fully capitalize on those opportunities due to my age, the experience was crucial.

Meeting Ayush, the founder of AnswerThis, was a turning point. We connected over our shared passion for simplifying the research process and our enthusiasm for entrepreneurship. Our vision is to revolutionize how researchers work, focusing on the time-consuming task of creating literature reviews. Initially, we’re targeting PhD students, professors, and scientists, allowing us to hone our product in a familiar space before expanding into other industries that could benefit from fast, high-quality information synthesis.

Q3: What previous experiences influence your role today?

Ayush Garg, Founder & CEO: Key experiences that shaped my role at AnswerThis include working with Dr. Peter Murray-Rust from the University of Cambridge on automating literature reviews. Together, we developed pygetpapers and docanalysis, which attracted over 50,000 researchers and provided critical insights into research automation.

My engagement in research communities helped me understand evolving challenges, such as AI hallucinations, which sharpened my problem-solving skills. These experiences, combined with a lifelong passion for advancing science, drive my approach to making scientific research more efficient and accessible.

Ryan McCarroll, CMO: At 16, I worked with Alex Cormerra, a young entrepreneur from The Netherlands. Alex had developed an innovative system for Instagram, training individuals to become page managers and then connecting them with accounts boasting over 200,000 followers. This experience, from discovery to closing deals, sparked my ambition to sell my own solutions.

My entrepreneurial journey truly took off when I met Ayush. Together, we co-founded Deep Point Lab, initially offering a range of digital services. However, realizing the model was too time-consuming, we pivoted to focus on cold email sales, leveraging a proprietary system we had built. This shift boosted efficiency and profitability, and taught me the value of adaptability in business.

Q4: What are the biggest challenges you’ve encountered as a startup founder thus far, and how did you overcome them?

Ayush Garg, Founder & CEO: One of the biggest challenges we faced was a major bug in our system that led to a 30% drop in our monthly active user base. It was a tough moment that made me question whether we could recover. But instead of letting it hold us back, we used the setback as a chance to improve. We fixed the bug, doubled down on our efforts, and not only regained our user base but are now on track to exceed previous performance.

The key was staying customer-focused. We stay deeply connected to our users, actively listen to their feedback, and involve them in problem-solving. Our personal experiences, like my parents’ struggles with research, fuel our drive and help us persevere through obstacles. We combine data-driven decisions with emotional intelligence to continually improve and overcome challenges.

Ryan McCarroll, CMO: Transitioning from B2B sales to marketing to researchers was a significant challenge. I had to quickly adapt my communication style to fit this more logical, detail-oriented audience. When we hit a two-month dip in user numbers, it was a wake-up call that we needed to pivot our strategy.

To overcome this, I shifted our focus from platforms like Instagram to academic spaces like ResearchGate and began directly reaching out to professors and scientists. This approach helped us tap into the research community and build more authentic connections. The experience taught me the importance of adaptability, and I continue to refine our strategy to meet the needs of our target audience.

Q5: Do you have any mentors or role models who have inspired you while you have been building your business?

Ayush Garg, Founder & CEO: I’ve been fortunate to have several mentors who have profoundly shaped my journey with AnswerThis. My parents, both researchers and educators, have been my greatest inspirations. My father instilled in me the belief that I could achieve anything I set my mind to, whether it’s a financial goal or making a meaningful impact. My mother, a scientist, provided invaluable practical feedback on the challenges researchers face, which has been instrumental in shaping AnswerThis.

Another key mentor has been Dr. Peter Murray-Rust. Our work together on projects like pygetpapers opened my eyes to inefficiencies in scientific research, particularly in manual literature reviews. His guidance pushed me to seek innovative solutions, helping shape the mission of AnswerThis to make research more efficient and accessible globally.

These mentors have not only shaped my personal ethos but have also fueled my passion for addressing global research challenges, especially for under-resourced regions like Southeast Asia. Their influence continues to drive me in our mission to revolutionize scientific research.

Ryan McCarroll, CMO: Alex Cormerra, my first mentor, taught me crucial sales strategies that still influence my approach today. Emily George has also been an invaluable advisor, providing ongoing insights that have refined my sales techniques.

I also draw inspiration from Airbnb’s founders, especially their resourcefulness during tough times. Their creativity, like selling election-themed cereal boxes to fund their business, and their hands-on approach to understanding users, resonate with me. Their attention to detail, like prioritizing high-quality photography, shows the power of truly connecting with customers—a principle I aim to follow in my own work.

Q6: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs and future startup founders based on your own experiences and lessons learned?

Ayush Garg, Founder & CEO: My advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: just start. Find a problem you’re truly passionate about solving and think long-term. Ask yourself how you want to impact the world in the next 20 to 30 years, then focus on solving that problem. For me, it’s the world of researchers. For you, it might be something entirely different—just make sure it’s a world you care deeply about.

Once you’ve identified your passion, take the first step. You’ll miss out on learning, growth, and feedback if you don’t begin. I’ve failed with three startups before AnswerThis, but those failures were essential learning experiences. Choose this path because you’re driven to fix a problem, not just to start a company. When you’re truly passionate, it stops feeling like work—it becomes your life. Entrepreneurship is challenging but incredibly rewarding, giving you the power to shape the world around you.

Ryan McCarroll, CMO: As a young entrepreneur, I know I still have much to learn, but I look forward to giving back to aspiring founders one day. My biggest lesson has been the importance of taking calculated risks. Acting swiftly on promising ideas has been key to AnswerThis’s rapid growth. While this approach might not fit every industry, waiting for absolute certainty would have slowed us down and given competitors an advantage.

I’ve also learned the value of flexibility. Startups have the unique ability to pivot quickly and make decisions efficiently. My advice to fellow founders is to embrace this agility early on. Don’t mimic the slow decision-making of large corporations. Make thoughtful decisions quickly, and take decisive action. This mindset has driven our growth and can be a powerful tool for other startups.

The journey of AnswerThis underscores a powerful message: transformative innovation often emerges from a complex path of dedication and insight. For anyone navigating their own entrepreneurial journey, the lessons from AnswerThis serve as both inspiration and a reminder that with passion, support, and resilience, remarkable advancements are within reach. To connect with AnswerThis visit their website, https://answerthis.io/ or connect with Ayush or Ryan via LinkedIn.

The RIoT Accelerator Program (RAP) supports startups developing innovative and emerging solutions in the technology landscape to advance their product, prepare for commercialization, and develop a robust business model. Ready to take your startup to the next level? Visit RIoT’s website to learn more about the RIoT Accelerator Program: https://riot.org/startup-accelerator/.