Your Exit Strategy
1. I think the exit strategy that I plan to make is to sell my business in the future for a large return.
2. I chose this exit strategy because it's an app and technology is always evolving I feel that I will eventually will want to switch my career up and go a different route.
3. I don't think my exit strategy has really influenced any of my decisions throughout the entrepreneurship process mostly because I hadn't given it a lot of thought until now.
Friday, April 17, 2020
27A - Reading Reflection No.3
27A - Reading Reflection No.3
The book I chose to read was The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki
1. The general theme of this book is that social media is one of the things that determines your success or failure
2. This book enhanced my learning in ENT3003 by opening my eyes to other ways to use social media in a business aspect. It showed how beneficial it can be for a company.
3. An exercise for this class would be to create a social media platform and post for our business idea.
4. My biggest 'aha' moment in this book was the book in general. I just think it's so interesting how social media has become such a huge aspect in the business world and everyone's daily lives.
The book I chose to read was The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users by Guy Kawasaki
1. The general theme of this book is that social media is one of the things that determines your success or failure
2. This book enhanced my learning in ENT3003 by opening my eyes to other ways to use social media in a business aspect. It showed how beneficial it can be for a company.
3. An exercise for this class would be to create a social media platform and post for our business idea.
4. My biggest 'aha' moment in this book was the book in general. I just think it's so interesting how social media has become such a huge aspect in the business world and everyone's daily lives.
26A - Celebrating Failure
Celebrating Failure
1. I failed an exam in another class
2. I learned that the class definitely requires more of my attention and I need to study a lot more for my exams.
3. I don't necessarily view failure negatively. Of course, it's hard and it doesn't feel good, but I feel like failure can almost always teach you something new or push you to try harder next time. This class has helped to change my perspective on failure by showing me you can view failure as a learning moment. I'm probably more likely to take a risk now than I was a few months ago.
1. I failed an exam in another class
2. I learned that the class definitely requires more of my attention and I need to study a lot more for my exams.
3. I don't necessarily view failure negatively. Of course, it's hard and it doesn't feel good, but I feel like failure can almost always teach you something new or push you to try harder next time. This class has helped to change my perspective on failure by showing me you can view failure as a learning moment. I'm probably more likely to take a risk now than I was a few months ago.
Friday, April 10, 2020
25A - What's Next
All I need to do is find someone who can create the app for me.
The three customers agree this should be the next step.
I will have to promote it so that people know about it and can use it.
My market already has a radically different market. Any type of person can own a dog unless they don't like them.
My venture will apply to any person who has a dog.
The people I interviewed didn't have any feedback except that they would love to have a product like this.
My market isn't any different because I already knew it was radically different in general.
The three customers agree this should be the next step.
I will have to promote it so that people know about it and can use it.
My market already has a radically different market. Any type of person can own a dog unless they don't like them.
My venture will apply to any person who has a dog.
The people I interviewed didn't have any feedback except that they would love to have a product like this.
My market isn't any different because I already knew it was radically different in general.
24A - Venture Concept No. 1
My idea is actually fairly simple. I just need to create an app that notifies you when another dog is approaching. This way dog walkers don't have to stress about encountering other dogs.
23A - Your Venture's Unfair Advantage
My top resource is that most people don't realize the necessity of my idea unless they have a dog that is reactive to other dogs which minimizes my competition.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
22A - Elevator Pitch No. 3
2. All the feedback I received was pretty much the same. Choose a consistent location. However, inside my house during the current COVID-19 circumstances is less than ideal. There's too many people and constant interruptions. Outside is my only option at this time, but in different times I would agree with this feedback.
3. I had limited options to changing the location of my pitch. No place is really ideal at this time. I chose to still walk my dog because although it may be a little distracting it gives the reader a visualization and understanding of how hectic and stressful a walk can be with or without other dogs present which stresses the importance for my business idea.
21A - Reading Reflection No.2
How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams
1. The theme or argument of the book was looking at life's successes and failures from a different perspective.
2. The book connected with and enhanced what I'm learning in this class in numerous ways. I showed that success and entrepreneurship can be long, tedious paths. A lot of it is trial and error and learning from your mistakes to succeed in the future. You have to adapt to your situation or customers in order to excel.
3. If I had to design an exercise for this class I would have students describe what they consider success as and the general steps in order to succeed. Then, after reading the book, I'd have them describe how their perspectives changed.
4. The biggest surprise was probably when the offer talked about selfishness as a positive thing. Usually people would think of that as a negative thing, but he gave an interesting perspective to it.
1. The theme or argument of the book was looking at life's successes and failures from a different perspective.
2. The book connected with and enhanced what I'm learning in this class in numerous ways. I showed that success and entrepreneurship can be long, tedious paths. A lot of it is trial and error and learning from your mistakes to succeed in the future. You have to adapt to your situation or customers in order to excel.
3. If I had to design an exercise for this class I would have students describe what they consider success as and the general steps in order to succeed. Then, after reading the book, I'd have them describe how their perspectives changed.
4. The biggest surprise was probably when the offer talked about selfishness as a positive thing. Usually people would think of that as a negative thing, but he gave an interesting perspective to it.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
20A - Growing Your Social Capital
Domain Expert: My Childhood Friend
This person came to mind because he created an app a year ago. He would be very helpful in guiding me on how to create my own. I texted him and he said he'd help me with whatever questions I have.
Market Expert: My Neighbor
My dad actually helped me get in contact with this person. One of his friends is a manager at Chewy who sells pet supplies. This would be in the same market as my app that tracks other dogs. I emailed with him and he gave me some good insight on how to launch my app and to who.
Supplier: Tile Tracker Customer Service Rep
I had a hard time thinking of a supplier for my idea. I got feedback from a peer suggesting that I use Tile trackers with my app as a way for the app to know when a dog is approaching. I thought this was a really cool idea so I decided to see what would happen if I called the Tile Tracker customer service team. They had a lot of really helpful information for me and really liked my idea.
Reflection: This was good practice for future networking events. Usually I would network in person vs. searching for specific people to network with. I couldn't really network in person because of COVID-19, but it wasn't too difficult to do everything electronically.
This person came to mind because he created an app a year ago. He would be very helpful in guiding me on how to create my own. I texted him and he said he'd help me with whatever questions I have.
Market Expert: My Neighbor
My dad actually helped me get in contact with this person. One of his friends is a manager at Chewy who sells pet supplies. This would be in the same market as my app that tracks other dogs. I emailed with him and he gave me some good insight on how to launch my app and to who.
Supplier: Tile Tracker Customer Service Rep
I had a hard time thinking of a supplier for my idea. I got feedback from a peer suggesting that I use Tile trackers with my app as a way for the app to know when a dog is approaching. I thought this was a really cool idea so I decided to see what would happen if I called the Tile Tracker customer service team. They had a lot of really helpful information for me and really liked my idea.
Reflection: This was good practice for future networking events. Usually I would network in person vs. searching for specific people to network with. I couldn't really network in person because of COVID-19, but it wasn't too difficult to do everything electronically.
19A - Idea Napkin No. 2
Idea Napkin
1. I am a senior at the University of Florida pursuing a Management degree. I work at Tijuana Flats and have a lot of experience with customer service and dealing with a wide variety of people. I am also a dog mom to a 100 lb. German Shepherd. My business concept is developing an app that will alert any person walking a dog of another approaching dog walker. I, personally, would use this in my every day life. I walk my dog multiple times a day and with her being so large and reactive to other approaching dogs this would be extremely beneficial to me and would make our walks a lot more enjoyable and stress free.
2. Other people who have dogs could also benefit from this app. If someone also has a reactive dog like me it would benefit them in the same way. It can even help people who have friendly dogs who want to avoid aggressive dogs. Maybe the app could even have a notification on it stating whether the approaching dog is friendly or not so if both dogs are friendly they can greet each other and be friends.
3. My business concept would apply to a very wide variety of demographics and psychographics. There is a very wide range of people who own dogs. It'll be people of all different ages, races, attitudes etc. with the ability to walk a dog.
4. People will pay money for this app because it will reduce stress in their every day lives. Everyone wants to be able to enjoy walking their dogs without worrying about running into other dog walkers who either have a reactive dog or who will set off your reactive dogs.
5. My idea is pretty unique. It's easy to access and will be user friendly. You won't have to go searching for it online or in a store. It will be an easy download.
I believe these five elements fit together pretty well. It reaches a wide variety of people and can apply to any kind of dog. There are a lot of people with dogs and I know first hand that many of these people have similar issues.
The feedback I got was really just my peers supporting my idea. One asked about the pricing which would just be a one time purchase of the app. Another person suggested doing a collab with the Tile location trackers which I thought was really cool. Other than thought I didn't have to make very many changes to my idea napkin.
1. I am a senior at the University of Florida pursuing a Management degree. I work at Tijuana Flats and have a lot of experience with customer service and dealing with a wide variety of people. I am also a dog mom to a 100 lb. German Shepherd. My business concept is developing an app that will alert any person walking a dog of another approaching dog walker. I, personally, would use this in my every day life. I walk my dog multiple times a day and with her being so large and reactive to other approaching dogs this would be extremely beneficial to me and would make our walks a lot more enjoyable and stress free.
2. Other people who have dogs could also benefit from this app. If someone also has a reactive dog like me it would benefit them in the same way. It can even help people who have friendly dogs who want to avoid aggressive dogs. Maybe the app could even have a notification on it stating whether the approaching dog is friendly or not so if both dogs are friendly they can greet each other and be friends.
3. My business concept would apply to a very wide variety of demographics and psychographics. There is a very wide range of people who own dogs. It'll be people of all different ages, races, attitudes etc. with the ability to walk a dog.
4. People will pay money for this app because it will reduce stress in their every day lives. Everyone wants to be able to enjoy walking their dogs without worrying about running into other dog walkers who either have a reactive dog or who will set off your reactive dogs.
5. My idea is pretty unique. It's easy to access and will be user friendly. You won't have to go searching for it online or in a store. It will be an easy download.
I believe these five elements fit together pretty well. It reaches a wide variety of people and can apply to any kind of dog. There are a lot of people with dogs and I know first hand that many of these people have similar issues.
The feedback I got was really just my peers supporting my idea. One asked about the pricing which would just be a one time purchase of the app. Another person suggested doing a collab with the Tile location trackers which I thought was really cool. Other than thought I didn't have to make very many changes to my idea napkin.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
18A - Create a Customer Avatar
18A - Customer Avatar
I found this assignment a little difficult just because my business idea has a very broad customer base. It's for anyone who has a dog, but the type of people who own dogs has an extremely large range. My customer would be a dog lover of any shape or size who struggles with running into other dog walkers when they're out in about. What I have in common with my customer is that I also have a dog and she is reactive to other dogs which makes it a struggle to walk her. So my app, warning me when dogs are approaching would be very helpful to me and my customers.
I found this assignment a little difficult just because my business idea has a very broad customer base. It's for anyone who has a dog, but the type of people who own dogs has an extremely large range. My customer would be a dog lover of any shape or size who struggles with running into other dog walkers when they're out in about. What I have in common with my customer is that I also have a dog and she is reactive to other dogs which makes it a struggle to walk her. So my app, warning me when dogs are approaching would be very helpful to me and my customers.
17A - Elevator Pitch No.2
Friday, March 13, 2020
16A - What's Your Secret Sauce?
16A - Your Secret Sauce
1. I have unique human capital because I think outside the box, I'm very persuasive, I have high emotional intelligence, I'm a people person and I'm motivated.
2. I recorded my interviews by writing them down due to technical difficulties. Out of the five people I interviewed they all said a variation of how I'm very in tune with peoples thoughts and feelings and that I can talk people into anything. Some other things that were said were I am a leader and I'm calm and logical in stressful situations.
3. I think how I see myself and how others see myself are pretty similar. I'm very self aware and know my strengths and weaknesses and others can see those too. I agreed with everything that my friends said about me and would keep my original list the same. The only thing I would change about the list would be to add leadership to it.
1. I have unique human capital because I think outside the box, I'm very persuasive, I have high emotional intelligence, I'm a people person and I'm motivated.
2. I recorded my interviews by writing them down due to technical difficulties. Out of the five people I interviewed they all said a variation of how I'm very in tune with peoples thoughts and feelings and that I can talk people into anything. Some other things that were said were I am a leader and I'm calm and logical in stressful situations.
3. I think how I see myself and how others see myself are pretty similar. I'm very self aware and know my strengths and weaknesses and others can see those too. I agreed with everything that my friends said about me and would keep my original list the same. The only thing I would change about the list would be to add leadership to it.
15A-Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2
15A - Buyer Behavior
Alternative Evaluation: In my interviews all three people said the main thing that matters is the price of the product and then the value. They all agreed that they would be okay with a product slightly lesser in quality if it meant they could save some money.
How/Where Do They Buy: Everyone said that they prefer to buy online as far as apps go like my idea. Some said that when they're buying clothes or something you'd typically try on they would prefer to buy in the store. All of them said they prefer to use their credit or debit cards when making purchases.
Post-Purchase Evaluation: The people I interviewed agreed that they determine if a purchase was a good idea based on how useful it is. If it's something they use in their daily lives they think it's a good purchase. If it's something that doesn't work well or do what they want it to do or just sits on a shelf they would consider that purchase a bad idea.
Report: Everyone I interviewed had a very similar mindset when it came to these questions. For the most part, the ideal purchase for them would be something cheap with decent quality that you can buy online with a credit or debit card and will be useful in their life.
Conclusions: This segment was very important in determining alternative evaluation, purchase decision and post-purchase evaluation.
Alternative Evaluation: In my interviews all three people said the main thing that matters is the price of the product and then the value. They all agreed that they would be okay with a product slightly lesser in quality if it meant they could save some money.
How/Where Do They Buy: Everyone said that they prefer to buy online as far as apps go like my idea. Some said that when they're buying clothes or something you'd typically try on they would prefer to buy in the store. All of them said they prefer to use their credit or debit cards when making purchases.
Post-Purchase Evaluation: The people I interviewed agreed that they determine if a purchase was a good idea based on how useful it is. If it's something they use in their daily lives they think it's a good purchase. If it's something that doesn't work well or do what they want it to do or just sits on a shelf they would consider that purchase a bad idea.
Report: Everyone I interviewed had a very similar mindset when it came to these questions. For the most part, the ideal purchase for them would be something cheap with decent quality that you can buy online with a credit or debit card and will be useful in their life.
Conclusions: This segment was very important in determining alternative evaluation, purchase decision and post-purchase evaluation.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
14A - Halfway Reflection
14A - Halfway Reflection
1. I always tried to read the assignments at the beginning of the week. Even if I didn't have time to do them at the time I would at least skim over them to get an idea of what is expected of me. This helped me to stay on top of the assignments because I knew what to expect and could think about it throughout the week.
2. I felt like giving up earlier this week when I had exams Monday and Tuesday. I started studying too late for them not realizing how much information was involved. I had to stay up until 5 in the morning every night for 3 nights and really push myself to get through as much material as I could. I was determined to get good grades on both of them and pushed through.
3. You must be very tenacious in this class. You need to be on top of the assignments and make sure to watch the lectures so you can be prepared for the cupcakes.
1. I always tried to read the assignments at the beginning of the week. Even if I didn't have time to do them at the time I would at least skim over them to get an idea of what is expected of me. This helped me to stay on top of the assignments because I knew what to expect and could think about it throughout the week.
2. I felt like giving up earlier this week when I had exams Monday and Tuesday. I started studying too late for them not realizing how much information was involved. I had to stay up until 5 in the morning every night for 3 nights and really push myself to get through as much material as I could. I was determined to get good grades on both of them and pushed through.
3. You must be very tenacious in this class. You need to be on top of the assignments and make sure to watch the lectures so you can be prepared for the cupcakes.
13A - Reading Reflection No.1
13A - Reading Reflection
1. The reading I chose was Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. I found the reading very interesting. The thing that surprised me the most about was Phil's odd personality. I always imagine successful business owners to have a more outgoing, talkative personality. I admired his perseverance and commitment to build his company. He never gave up even when the going was tough. I least admired that he outsourced jobs to China because the working conditions aren't that great. He experienced both adversity and failure throughout his career and he never gave up.
2. He always pushed on and never gave up.
3. Knight said that he warned his investors that it was likely his business idea would end in failure which is confusing because I don't know what investor would still choose to invest after hearing that.
4. One question I would ask him is why he doubted himself and he was still able to push forward. Another question would be if he ever came close to completely giving up and if he ever had any regrets during his experience.
5. I think his opinion of hard work was that if you work hard enough you'll eventually reach your dreams. I agree with this.
1. The reading I chose was Shoe Dog by Phil Knight. I found the reading very interesting. The thing that surprised me the most about was Phil's odd personality. I always imagine successful business owners to have a more outgoing, talkative personality. I admired his perseverance and commitment to build his company. He never gave up even when the going was tough. I least admired that he outsourced jobs to China because the working conditions aren't that great. He experienced both adversity and failure throughout his career and he never gave up.
2. He always pushed on and never gave up.
3. Knight said that he warned his investors that it was likely his business idea would end in failure which is confusing because I don't know what investor would still choose to invest after hearing that.
4. One question I would ask him is why he doubted himself and he was still able to push forward. Another question would be if he ever came close to completely giving up and if he ever had any regrets during his experience.
5. I think his opinion of hard work was that if you work hard enough you'll eventually reach your dreams. I agree with this.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1
Figuring Out Buyer Behavior
The three people that I interviewed all had the same unmet need. When they're out walking their dog they would prefer to be made aware when another dog is approaching. They all have this need when they are walking in a populated area, usually around apartment complexes. All three people that I interviewed said that if they are walking their dog late at night this need isn't as prominent because not as many people are out and about. During the day, however, they run into other dog walkers often. They also all said that they haven't looked into solutions for this unmet need because they just assumed it was inevitable to cross paths with other dog walkers. Two of them said they have complained about it to friends and family. One of them has a problem with walking their reactive dog and the other has the problem of running into people with reactive dogs. Her dog actually was bitten by a dog while on their walk when they suddenly ran into another dog walker without warning. My business concept of making an app to alert dog walkers when another dog is approaching would be very beneficial for these people.
The three people that I interviewed all had the same unmet need. When they're out walking their dog they would prefer to be made aware when another dog is approaching. They all have this need when they are walking in a populated area, usually around apartment complexes. All three people that I interviewed said that if they are walking their dog late at night this need isn't as prominent because not as many people are out and about. During the day, however, they run into other dog walkers often. They also all said that they haven't looked into solutions for this unmet need because they just assumed it was inevitable to cross paths with other dog walkers. Two of them said they have complained about it to friends and family. One of them has a problem with walking their reactive dog and the other has the problem of running into people with reactive dogs. Her dog actually was bitten by a dog while on their walk when they suddenly ran into another dog walker without warning. My business concept of making an app to alert dog walkers when another dog is approaching would be very beneficial for these people.
11A - Idea Napkin No.1
Idea Napkin
1. I am a senior at the University of Florida pursuing a Management degree. I work at Tijuana Flats and have a lot of experience with customer service and dealing with a wide variety of people. I am also a dog mom to a 100 lb. German Shepherd. My business concept is developing an app that will alert any person walking a dog of another approaching dog walker. I, personally, would use this in my every day life. I walk my dog multiple times a day and with her being so large and reactive to other approaching dogs this would be extremely beneficial to me and would make our walks a lot more enjoyable and stress free.
2. Other people who have dogs could also benefit from this app. If someone also has a reactive dog like me it would benefit them in the same way. It can even help people who have friendly dogs who want to avoid aggressive dogs. Maybe the app could even have a notification on it stating whether the approaching dog is friendly or not so if both dogs are friendly they can greet each other and be friends.
3. My business concept would apply to a very wide variety of demographics and psychographics. There is a very wide range of people who own dogs. It'll be people of all different ages, races, attitudes etc. with the ability to walk a dog.
4. People will pay money for this app because it will reduce stress in their every day lives. Everyone wants to be able to enjoy walking their dogs without worrying about running into other dog walkers who either have a reactive dog or who will set off your reactive dogs.
5. My idea is pretty unique. It's easy to access and will be user friendly. You won't have to go searching for it online or in a store. It will be an easy download.
I believe these five elements fit together pretty well. It reaches a wide variety of people and can apply to any kind of dog. There are a lot of people with dogs and I know first hand that many of these people have similar issues.
1. I am a senior at the University of Florida pursuing a Management degree. I work at Tijuana Flats and have a lot of experience with customer service and dealing with a wide variety of people. I am also a dog mom to a 100 lb. German Shepherd. My business concept is developing an app that will alert any person walking a dog of another approaching dog walker. I, personally, would use this in my every day life. I walk my dog multiple times a day and with her being so large and reactive to other approaching dogs this would be extremely beneficial to me and would make our walks a lot more enjoyable and stress free.
2. Other people who have dogs could also benefit from this app. If someone also has a reactive dog like me it would benefit them in the same way. It can even help people who have friendly dogs who want to avoid aggressive dogs. Maybe the app could even have a notification on it stating whether the approaching dog is friendly or not so if both dogs are friendly they can greet each other and be friends.
3. My business concept would apply to a very wide variety of demographics and psychographics. There is a very wide range of people who own dogs. It'll be people of all different ages, races, attitudes etc. with the ability to walk a dog.
4. People will pay money for this app because it will reduce stress in their every day lives. Everyone wants to be able to enjoy walking their dogs without worrying about running into other dog walkers who either have a reactive dog or who will set off your reactive dogs.
5. My idea is pretty unique. It's easy to access and will be user friendly. You won't have to go searching for it online or in a store. It will be an easy download.
I believe these five elements fit together pretty well. It reaches a wide variety of people and can apply to any kind of dog. There are a lot of people with dogs and I know first hand that many of these people have similar issues.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
9A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
9A - Testing the Hypothesis
For my five interviews, I went to the dog park with my dog and was able to find a lot of people that had this unmet need. I selected five and asked them a handful of questions. Since we were at the dog park everyone's dogs are situationally reactive. They get along with other dogs at the park, but on a leash it's a whole other story. Two of them said that they live in pretty rural areas where they can walk their dogs and almost never see another dog so they don't run into problems usually. One of those two, however, said she brings her reactive dog to her boyfriend's apartment and runs into other dog walkers a lot more which is stressful and frustrating. The other three people live in populated areas with lots of dogs and definitely feel the need for a device that could give them a warning when another dog is in the vicinity. They all agreed it would take a lot of stress and anxiety out of their walks. Two of those people have very large dogs and said the main reason for this need is that their dog tries to drag them toward the other dog and not usually in a friendly way. They'll pull them into the street with no awareness of their surroundings and they feel unsafe. The third person out of those three has a smaller dog and she said that she mostly gets embarrassed by how her dog acts. It can't drag her, but it barks like crazy and she would just rather avoid the experience altogether.
Inside the Boundary:
Who is in - People with reactive dogs
What the need is - Need a way to avoid other dogs when on walks
Why the need exists - Exists because people who walk their reactive dogs really struggle when the cross paths with other dog walkers and their dog tries to go lunging, pulling and barking at the other dog. This is very frustrating and can create anxiety for the dog walker.
Outside the Boundary:
Who is not - People who don't live near other people with dogs.
What the need is not - Their dog isn't reactive or it doesn't bother them that they are and maybe their dog is small enough that it doesn't affect them very much.
Alternative explanations - Some people who have reactive dogs don't live near other people with dogs and don't run into this problem on a daily basis. If they were to go to a more populated area they might have it, but it's not common enough for them to worry about it. Also, if someone has a very small reactive dog, their dog pulling and going crazy when they see another dog may not be a big deal compared to someone who has a large dog that is harder to control.
For my five interviews, I went to the dog park with my dog and was able to find a lot of people that had this unmet need. I selected five and asked them a handful of questions. Since we were at the dog park everyone's dogs are situationally reactive. They get along with other dogs at the park, but on a leash it's a whole other story. Two of them said that they live in pretty rural areas where they can walk their dogs and almost never see another dog so they don't run into problems usually. One of those two, however, said she brings her reactive dog to her boyfriend's apartment and runs into other dog walkers a lot more which is stressful and frustrating. The other three people live in populated areas with lots of dogs and definitely feel the need for a device that could give them a warning when another dog is in the vicinity. They all agreed it would take a lot of stress and anxiety out of their walks. Two of those people have very large dogs and said the main reason for this need is that their dog tries to drag them toward the other dog and not usually in a friendly way. They'll pull them into the street with no awareness of their surroundings and they feel unsafe. The third person out of those three has a smaller dog and she said that she mostly gets embarrassed by how her dog acts. It can't drag her, but it barks like crazy and she would just rather avoid the experience altogether.
Inside the Boundary:
Who is in - People with reactive dogs
What the need is - Need a way to avoid other dogs when on walks
Why the need exists - Exists because people who walk their reactive dogs really struggle when the cross paths with other dog walkers and their dog tries to go lunging, pulling and barking at the other dog. This is very frustrating and can create anxiety for the dog walker.
Outside the Boundary:
Who is not - People who don't live near other people with dogs.
What the need is not - Their dog isn't reactive or it doesn't bother them that they are and maybe their dog is small enough that it doesn't affect them very much.
Alternative explanations - Some people who have reactive dogs don't live near other people with dogs and don't run into this problem on a daily basis. If they were to go to a more populated area they might have it, but it's not common enough for them to worry about it. Also, if someone has a very small reactive dog, their dog pulling and going crazy when they see another dog may not be a big deal compared to someone who has a large dog that is harder to control.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
6A - Identifying Opportunites in Economic & Regulatory Trends
6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends
Economic
1. Global Warming & Climate Change (article: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-overview/)
I believe this information on climate change will open up business for eco-friendly products. The prototypical customer would be any environmentally friendly person and the opportunity will be easy to exploit because it is already partially underway.
2. Interest Rates (article: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4321246-q4-gdp-underscores-why-interest-rates-are-low-now-add-coronavirus)
I believe this information on lower interest rates opens up the opportunity for people to make bigger purchases. The prototypical customer would be anyone who's been waiting for the appropriate time to make a big purchase and it would be relatively easy to exploit because why wait for the interest rates to increase.
Regulatory
3. Restrictions on Vaping (article: https://vaping.org/press-release/major-changes-fda-vaping-regulations-announced/)
I believe this information leads to an opportunity because a huge reason why vaping has become so widespread is because it started as a trend. If we can find a safer alternative that seems similar maybe this can replace the vaping trend. The prototypical customer would be anyone who vapes, especially if it's just socially. This opportunity might be hard to exploit because someone would have to come up with a trend that would catch and take off like vaping did. Vaping does have the upper hand though because it's actually addicting.
4. Legalization of Weed (article: https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Marijuana_Legalization_
Initiative_(2022))
I believe this information leads to a huge opportunity. If weed eventually get legalized recreationally in Florida so many job opportunities will open up. You can open up stores and create products for marijuana use. The prototypical customer would be anyone who smokes weed. This would be very easy to exploit because it is already taking place in other locations.
Why I see these as opportunities:
1. I'm someone who is environmentally friendly so this is something I pay attention to.
2. It always hurts me when I make a big purchase and it's so much more because of the interest rates.
3. I have watched first hand the trend and later addiction of vaping skyrocket.
4. I've been to Colorado and seen how many opportunities it has created there.
Economic
1. Global Warming & Climate Change (article: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-warming-overview/)
I believe this information on climate change will open up business for eco-friendly products. The prototypical customer would be any environmentally friendly person and the opportunity will be easy to exploit because it is already partially underway.
2. Interest Rates (article: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4321246-q4-gdp-underscores-why-interest-rates-are-low-now-add-coronavirus)
I believe this information on lower interest rates opens up the opportunity for people to make bigger purchases. The prototypical customer would be anyone who's been waiting for the appropriate time to make a big purchase and it would be relatively easy to exploit because why wait for the interest rates to increase.
Regulatory
3. Restrictions on Vaping (article: https://vaping.org/press-release/major-changes-fda-vaping-regulations-announced/)
I believe this information leads to an opportunity because a huge reason why vaping has become so widespread is because it started as a trend. If we can find a safer alternative that seems similar maybe this can replace the vaping trend. The prototypical customer would be anyone who vapes, especially if it's just socially. This opportunity might be hard to exploit because someone would have to come up with a trend that would catch and take off like vaping did. Vaping does have the upper hand though because it's actually addicting.
4. Legalization of Weed (article: https://ballotpedia.org/Florida_Marijuana_Legalization_
Initiative_(2022))
I believe this information leads to a huge opportunity. If weed eventually get legalized recreationally in Florida so many job opportunities will open up. You can open up stores and create products for marijuana use. The prototypical customer would be anyone who smokes weed. This would be very easy to exploit because it is already taking place in other locations.
Why I see these as opportunities:
1. I'm someone who is environmentally friendly so this is something I pay attention to.
2. It always hurts me when I make a big purchase and it's so much more because of the interest rates.
3. I have watched first hand the trend and later addiction of vaping skyrocket.
4. I've been to Colorado and seen how many opportunities it has created there.
8A - Solving the Problem
8A - Solving the Problem
I touched on the solution to my problem in my last post. The problem I identified was dog walkers with reactive dogs running into other dog walkers and having to deal with that situation. When you have a reactive dog that means they see another dog and they begin barking, lunging and pulling toward the dog and usually not in a friendly way. Gainesville is a very populated area and many people have dogs so it's almost impossible not to run into other dogs when you're on a walk. My opportunity is creating an app that alerts a dog walker when another dog walker is approaching. This way they can avoid the situation and avoid the anxiety and frustration that comes with it.
I touched on the solution to my problem in my last post. The problem I identified was dog walkers with reactive dogs running into other dog walkers and having to deal with that situation. When you have a reactive dog that means they see another dog and they begin barking, lunging and pulling toward the dog and usually not in a friendly way. Gainesville is a very populated area and many people have dogs so it's almost impossible not to run into other dogs when you're on a walk. My opportunity is creating an app that alerts a dog walker when another dog walker is approaching. This way they can avoid the situation and avoid the anxiety and frustration that comes with it.
7A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1
7A - Testing the Hypothesis
1. The opportunity I would like to pursue is creating an app to notify dog walkers who have reactive dogs of other people or dogs in the area.
2. The who would be anyone that has a dog that negatively reacts to other people or dogs, the what would be the other people or dogs, and the why would be because people with reactive dogs often have anxiety when approaching other dog walkers and have a hard time controlling their dogs. Their walks would be a lot more manageable and enjoyable if they didn't run into other dogs every couple minutes.
3. There aren't really any boundaries for creating an app to alert dog walkers of other nearby dog walkers. This could only benefit those people.
4. I had to interview some random people because not too many of my friends have dogs, let alone reactive ones. Three of the people I interviewed have reactive dogs and said they would love to have something that would notify them when another dog is approaching. They all agreed it makes them very anxious when running into other dogs because theirs goes crazy and some times it's hard to control them. The other two people I interviewed have dogs, but they are friendly toward other dogs. However, they said they wouldn't mind having an app like this too because they feel bad when they come across a reactive dog and have to watch the owner struggle.
1. The opportunity I would like to pursue is creating an app to notify dog walkers who have reactive dogs of other people or dogs in the area.
2. The who would be anyone that has a dog that negatively reacts to other people or dogs, the what would be the other people or dogs, and the why would be because people with reactive dogs often have anxiety when approaching other dog walkers and have a hard time controlling their dogs. Their walks would be a lot more manageable and enjoyable if they didn't run into other dogs every couple minutes.
3. There aren't really any boundaries for creating an app to alert dog walkers of other nearby dog walkers. This could only benefit those people.
4. I had to interview some random people because not too many of my friends have dogs, let alone reactive ones. Three of the people I interviewed have reactive dogs and said they would love to have something that would notify them when another dog is approaching. They all agreed it makes them very anxious when running into other dogs because theirs goes crazy and some times it's hard to control them. The other two people I interviewed have dogs, but they are friendly toward other dogs. However, they said they wouldn't mind having an app like this too because they feel bad when they come across a reactive dog and have to watch the owner struggle.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
5A - Identifying Local Opportunites
5A - Identifying Local Opportunities
1. UF Health monitors rumors of coronavirus spreading to Gainesville
https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-health-monitors-rumors-of-coronavirus-spreading-to-gainesville/article_69a9b1a0-426c-11ea-86b2-87354e5a2a4e.html
The story is about the possibility of the coronavirus being in Gainesville. The problem is that as of right now it's just a rumor and no one has actually been diagnosed with the coronavirus yet. The Gainesville community has the problem of unnecessary fear of catching the coronavirus at this time.
2. Future of Gainesville Lucky's Market remains unclear
https://www.alligator.org/news/future-of-gainesville-lucky-s-market-remains-unclear/article_158d3cc4-426f-11ea-9004-cffc3a103c6e.html
The article is about Aldi's Discount Grocers potentially purchasing Lucky's Market in Gainesville. Lucky's is a popular store that will be missed by many. All locals who frequent Lucky's will be affected by this problem.
3. Local vape shops lose profits due to recent tobacco law
https://www.alligator.org/news/local-vape-shops-lose-profits-due-to-recent-tobacco-law/article_6033000a-42d4-11ea-bd9f-4f3ed2b963e4.html
The article is about the law changing the legal age to buy tobacco and electronic cigarette products from 18 to 21. This causes vape shops to lose a lot of business. One store reported that 30% of their customers were between the ages of 18 and 21.
4. Lack of parking causing problems for students at apartment complex near UF
https://mycbs4.com/news/local/students-complain-about-lack-of-parking-at-apartment-complex
This article is about the issues students face with finding parking near Varsity House apartments. It also touches on the fact that this isn't a problem just in that area, but all around UF. All students face issues with trying to find parking on campus and off.
5. Gainesville ranks among top cities in country for cases of STDS
https://www.alligator.org/news/gainesville-ranks-among-top-cities-in-country-for-cases-of/article_a9329c42-3ce5-11ea-8273-ab9d4cbb9e51.html
The article is about Gainesville being in the top 50 cities for cases of STDs. This of course is a problem especially in a college town. This can potentially affect any sexually active person in Gainesville who isn't using protection. It could be true that this number has risen because people are putting more emphasis on getting regularly checked for STDs.
1. UF Health monitors rumors of coronavirus spreading to Gainesville
https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-health-monitors-rumors-of-coronavirus-spreading-to-gainesville/article_69a9b1a0-426c-11ea-86b2-87354e5a2a4e.html
The story is about the possibility of the coronavirus being in Gainesville. The problem is that as of right now it's just a rumor and no one has actually been diagnosed with the coronavirus yet. The Gainesville community has the problem of unnecessary fear of catching the coronavirus at this time.
2. Future of Gainesville Lucky's Market remains unclear
https://www.alligator.org/news/future-of-gainesville-lucky-s-market-remains-unclear/article_158d3cc4-426f-11ea-9004-cffc3a103c6e.html
The article is about Aldi's Discount Grocers potentially purchasing Lucky's Market in Gainesville. Lucky's is a popular store that will be missed by many. All locals who frequent Lucky's will be affected by this problem.
3. Local vape shops lose profits due to recent tobacco law
https://www.alligator.org/news/local-vape-shops-lose-profits-due-to-recent-tobacco-law/article_6033000a-42d4-11ea-bd9f-4f3ed2b963e4.html
The article is about the law changing the legal age to buy tobacco and electronic cigarette products from 18 to 21. This causes vape shops to lose a lot of business. One store reported that 30% of their customers were between the ages of 18 and 21.
4. Lack of parking causing problems for students at apartment complex near UF
https://mycbs4.com/news/local/students-complain-about-lack-of-parking-at-apartment-complex
This article is about the issues students face with finding parking near Varsity House apartments. It also touches on the fact that this isn't a problem just in that area, but all around UF. All students face issues with trying to find parking on campus and off.
5. Gainesville ranks among top cities in country for cases of STDS
https://www.alligator.org/news/gainesville-ranks-among-top-cities-in-country-for-cases-of/article_a9329c42-3ce5-11ea-8273-ab9d4cbb9e51.html
The article is about Gainesville being in the top 50 cities for cases of STDs. This of course is a problem especially in a college town. This can potentially affect any sexually active person in Gainesville who isn't using protection. It could be true that this number has risen because people are putting more emphasis on getting regularly checked for STDs.
4A - Forming an Opportunity Belief
4A - Forming an Opportunity Belief: A Twist on Opportunity Identification
1. Everyone goes to advising at least once, but usually many more times, during their college career. Usually students go during drop/add week to fix their schedules or ask any questions they have, but with so many people trying to go at the same time they end up waiting hours for a 5 minute meeting.
2. Students need to have access to advising without having to wait multiple hours. This has been a problem for me since I started at UF. They will have more advisors working during these specific times throughout the year, but I still feel that it needs to be expanded even more. Some things are very time sensitive, like being able to choose certain classes before they fill up, and the wait times for advising can negatively impact some students. I am 100% sure this opportunity exists.
Iteration No. 1:
The first prototypical customer I interviewed was my roommate Brittany. She is a Health Science major and takes classes that are in very high demand. These classes can fill up very quickly and if she isn't sure about what she needs to take and needs to see an advisor she says that she needs to do it the semester before because she can't risk waiting for advising once her registration is open. On multiple occasions she said she wasn't able to get the class she wanted because she wasn't able to get into advising before they filled up. She agrees that increasing the number of advisors would be a good solution to this.
Iteration No 2:
The next prototypical customer I interviewed was my friend Sam. His experience with advising is actually very different from mine and Brittany's. His major is Construction Management and because there's so few people pursuing that degree he doesn't have a problem with waiting for advising. This is because there is an appropriate student to advisor ratio unlike the ratio for Business students and Health Science students.
Iteration No 3:
The final prototypical customer I interviewed was my sister. She is actually a student at USF, but I wanted to see if students at other schools have similar experiences with advising. She said that she also has to wait a long time to see an advisor during high volume times. However, when she went to Pasco Hernando State College she didn't run into this problem as much. My sister said that something that USF does is when they sign up for advising they can access the number of people who are in front of them. This gives them the opportunity to go get stuff done and not have to worry about missing their spot in line.
Reflection:
I learned that the majority of people experience this opportunity, but not everyone. Different people also experience it differently. I really loved the idea of being able to see what number you are in line. This gives you the ability to go and get stuff done during your wait time. Whenever I go to advising at the Business college I have no idea when I'm up next and have to sit there for a couple hours waiting because I'm too scared to leave and miss my turn.
Summarize:
Generally, I think the opportunity is still there. It's just more apparent in certain places. Colleges and Universities that have a lot of students and not enough advisors are where you see longer wait times. I think entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback situationally. In this case I think a good compromise would be giving students access to what number they are in line if maybe they aren't able to hire enough advisors for these high volume times.
1. Everyone goes to advising at least once, but usually many more times, during their college career. Usually students go during drop/add week to fix their schedules or ask any questions they have, but with so many people trying to go at the same time they end up waiting hours for a 5 minute meeting.
2. Students need to have access to advising without having to wait multiple hours. This has been a problem for me since I started at UF. They will have more advisors working during these specific times throughout the year, but I still feel that it needs to be expanded even more. Some things are very time sensitive, like being able to choose certain classes before they fill up, and the wait times for advising can negatively impact some students. I am 100% sure this opportunity exists.
Iteration No. 1:
The first prototypical customer I interviewed was my roommate Brittany. She is a Health Science major and takes classes that are in very high demand. These classes can fill up very quickly and if she isn't sure about what she needs to take and needs to see an advisor she says that she needs to do it the semester before because she can't risk waiting for advising once her registration is open. On multiple occasions she said she wasn't able to get the class she wanted because she wasn't able to get into advising before they filled up. She agrees that increasing the number of advisors would be a good solution to this.
Iteration No 2:
The next prototypical customer I interviewed was my friend Sam. His experience with advising is actually very different from mine and Brittany's. His major is Construction Management and because there's so few people pursuing that degree he doesn't have a problem with waiting for advising. This is because there is an appropriate student to advisor ratio unlike the ratio for Business students and Health Science students.
Iteration No 3:
The final prototypical customer I interviewed was my sister. She is actually a student at USF, but I wanted to see if students at other schools have similar experiences with advising. She said that she also has to wait a long time to see an advisor during high volume times. However, when she went to Pasco Hernando State College she didn't run into this problem as much. My sister said that something that USF does is when they sign up for advising they can access the number of people who are in front of them. This gives them the opportunity to go get stuff done and not have to worry about missing their spot in line.
Reflection:
I learned that the majority of people experience this opportunity, but not everyone. Different people also experience it differently. I really loved the idea of being able to see what number you are in line. This gives you the ability to go and get stuff done during your wait time. Whenever I go to advising at the Business college I have no idea when I'm up next and have to sit there for a couple hours waiting because I'm too scared to leave and miss my turn.
Summarize:
Generally, I think the opportunity is still there. It's just more apparent in certain places. Colleges and Universities that have a lot of students and not enough advisors are where you see longer wait times. I think entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback situationally. In this case I think a good compromise would be giving students access to what number they are in line if maybe they aren't able to hire enough advisors for these high volume times.
3A - Your Entrepreneurship Story
3A - Your Entrepreneurship Story
A time in my life when I was exposed to entrepreneurship was when I entered a contest in middle school. For the contest we had to come up with an invention and a plan for the business that would surround it. We had to estimate how much money we would need to get the business up and running and start making products. It was similar to a young persons Shark Tank. I was in the top three and had to present my invention and business idea to a panel at MOSI. My invention was a rack that goes inside of a cooler so that when you open it the rack pops up and separates everything inside from the ice and freezing water to avoid sticking your hands in there to fish for what you're looking for. I really felt like an entrepreneur during this time. It was a really good experience for me.
This experience was actually what made this class spark my interest. In middle school I really wasn't knowledgeable in the business world and was basically winging it during the contest. I think it would be really cool to learn the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and in this class I hope to learn about and actually have an understanding of everything it entails.
A time in my life when I was exposed to entrepreneurship was when I entered a contest in middle school. For the contest we had to come up with an invention and a plan for the business that would surround it. We had to estimate how much money we would need to get the business up and running and start making products. It was similar to a young persons Shark Tank. I was in the top three and had to present my invention and business idea to a panel at MOSI. My invention was a rack that goes inside of a cooler so that when you open it the rack pops up and separates everything inside from the ice and freezing water to avoid sticking your hands in there to fish for what you're looking for. I really felt like an entrepreneur during this time. It was a really good experience for me.
This experience was actually what made this class spark my interest. In middle school I really wasn't knowledgeable in the business world and was basically winging it during the contest. I think it would be really cool to learn the ins and outs of entrepreneurship and in this class I hope to learn about and actually have an understanding of everything it entails.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Assignment 2A - Bug List
Assignment 2A - Bug List
1. People who come into the restaurant I work at minutes before we close.
1. People who come into the restaurant I work at minutes before we close.
- Why it exists: Some people can't make it there any earlier and they need food. Or they don't realize it's bothersome to come in right before closing because it keeps the closer from being able to start their work so that they can get out of there asap.
- Why it exists: Some people aren't good parkers or they don't realize how close they are on the other side. Or the person parked next to them is close to the line and is forcing them to also park close to the line.
- Why it exists: Some people think that since their dog is friendly it's not a problem, but fail to think about whether the other dog is friendly and just make an assumption because they aren't used to an unfriendly dog.
- Why it exists: Some people get really drunk and can't control themselves and then don't remember they did it so forget to let anyone know.
- Why it exists: Once a bar hits their capacity it becomes one in one out and only one person can go in as one person leaves which makes waiting in line take a lot longer.
- Why it exists: It probably would hinder the flow of vehicle traffic having crosswalks so close together.
- Why it exists: People just assume that cars are paying attention and are being cautious of them I believe because there is so much foot traffic near campus.
- Why it exists: There aren't enough waiters working to handle anymore tables so they can't seat parties even if there are available tables.
- Why it exists: It's right next to campus and is very convenient for students to get on the way home so they get very busy resulting in the line to get extremely long.
- Why it exists: They have to make money somehow. They can't just make an app for you to use and not make you pay for using it.
- Why it exists: The wheels are too small and easily get stuck in one place.
- Why it exists: The jar the candle is in is too deep and not wide enough for you to fit your hand in it to light it
- Why it exists: Usually too many people are showering at once.
- Why it exists: When necklaces are put in a bag together they're going to knot if they're all on top of each other.
- Why it exists: Employees don't always pay attention and can accidentally make something incorrectly.
- Why it exists: The office in my apartment complex doesn't have a good system for organizing packages and they also don't have enough employees. It takes a long time and multiple people to sort through the packages and put them in our mailbox.
- Why it exists: Professors don't check to make sure their exams don't fall on the same day as a different professors exams. They stick to their own schedule and can't be expected to work around students other classes.
- Why it exists: When their is a lot of people leaving or coming from The Standard, usually during passing periods for class, almost all of the buttons get pushed in the elevator. So if you live on one of the top floors you end up having to stop on every floor on the way up or down.
- Why it exists: Chipotle doesn't give you the drink at check out so unless you go out of your way to make sure they have the drink you want then it's hard to know.
- Why it exists: Some people don't realize the left lane is the passing lane and they just drive casually whereever they want. This can also happen if the driver isn't paying attention.
Reflection: I didn't find this assignment as difficult as I expected it to be. I usually don't have a very good memory and I did it in one sitting so I was concerned I was going to have a hard time with it. However, I guess there are a lot of things that "bug" me that stick in my head. Some of them I had to really sit and think about why it exists. That was interesting to me because that's not something most people ever think about. They just acknowledge that it bothers them and then they move on. When thinking about why some of these things exist I felt like it was prompting me to think of a solution.
Monday, January 13, 2020
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