Final Reflection

I think the most formative experience was being introduced to a new entrepreneurial mindset, something that I did not possess before starting this class. Yes, I had done entrepreneurial things, but I don't feel that I really looked at them from entrepreneurial point of view. Now that I've seen things from this new perspective, I think that I'll carry this with me for the rest of my career and it will affect the way I view business ideas and concepts in the future. In being honest, I don't think I had any moments in this class that could be considered "joyous," but in terms of accomplishments I'm proud of, I'm proud of the fact that I didn't give up or let my laziness prevent me from being successful in this class (for the most part).

Now that I've reached the end of the class, I honestly do believe that I have developed an entrepreneurial mindset. As I mentioned earlier, I also feel that developing this new entrepreneurial mindset is the greatest takeaway that I can think of from this class. I felt challenged by the assignments to think differently and to approach them in a way that I had never done before, and I think that it was a real learning experience.

For students taking this class in the future, I recommend coming in with a open mindset. I think that this type of mindset is the best to have when completing the assignments, especially because there will be times where students struggle to see the "point" of an assignment, and may end up not completing it as a result. I think that the open mindset will allow students to complete more assignments and to think more about the "grand scheme of things," and how the assignment may be contributing to a larger piece of the proverbial puzzle.

Reading Reflection No. 3

For this assignment, I read The Wright Brothers by David McCullough.

1. What surprised me most about this book about the Wright Brothers was the level of detail that went into detailing their personal lives and who Wilbur and Orville Wright were as people, and not just as inventors. To be honest, I knew virtually nothing about who Wilbur and Orville Wright were as people, and simply knew them as "the men who invented modern flight." The thing that I admired most about the Wright Brothers was that they, when all others doubted them, persevered and successfully became the first men to fly, a feat no one at the time thought was possible. I can't really think of any things that I'd say that I didn't admire about the Wright Brothers, primarily because they had few personal flaws that were mentioned in the book and there was nothing that stuck out to me as "bad." Considering the fact that no man had ever flown before the Wright Brothers invented the airplane, I think it's safe to say that they overcame adversity and did it in a big way because of the gravity of their accomplishments.

2. I noticed that the Wright Brothers were who they were as people because of their attitudes, work ethic, and the way they worked together as brothers to invent new things and accomplish their goals. I don't have a brother, so I don't know what it's like to have the same relationship as the what the Wright Brothers had, but I do know that they cared for each other deeply and each played to the other's personal strengths and weaknesses. Their relationship allowed them to work together to discover manned flight and become the iconic people we remember them as today.

3. The part I found to be the most confusing in the book was when the Wright Brothers, for a time, decided to not be on the planes they invented at the same time. I think that it may have been because of fear of crashing and becoming seriously injured or worse, but I think that it's hard to believe that they never flew together, even though it was *their* invention and should have been able to share in their accomplishment.

4. “What do you think air travel is like in the year 2016?”

I would ask this because I'm curious to see what the Wright Brothers would think about have far airplanes have come technology-wise in the last century. I would also ask this because I think regardless of what their answer may be, the reality in 2016 would blow them away, and it would be all thanks to them.

and

"Do you think that you would've still invented the airplane if you had gone to school for a higher education?

I would ask this because when I found out that the Wright Brothers both decided against going to college for different reasons, but were originally close to going, I wondered if they would've still tried to pursue inventing the airplane. In all likelihood, they probably would not have invented the airplane if they went their separate ways and pursued a college degree.

5. I think that the Wright Brothers greatly valued the concept of hard work, mainly because to invent the airplane, the Wright Brothers needed to work hard to invent a concept and working design of something that, at the time, was thought by the public to be impossible.

Venture Concept No. 2

1.

Opportunity 

For my venture concept, a social media consulting platform for B2B purposes, the entity that has the need (opportunity) in this instance are the businesses that currently feel that their social media status is not where they want it to be, and do not have the resources and/or experience to address said concerns internally. The nature of the need is essentially that these businesses desire to have a greater social media presence, and most likely feel that a strong social media presence results in stronger sales for their product line and/or services. The forces that currently drive the need for my venture concept are the ever-increasing presence of various social media platforms in our daily lives. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, etc. are constant reminders of just how connected our world truly is, and many companies realize this. Developing a strong social media presence is an effective, and sometimes necessary, aspect in successfully running a business today. This market cannot be defined demographically or geographically, as it is a need businesses around the world could potentially have, ranging from a small startup to a multinational corporation. Businesses are currently meeting this need if they are attempting to run a successful social media platform on their own accord, whether or not it is actually successful. I firmly believe that there is huge opportunity for my concept to succeed, as social media and an online presence will only become more important for businesses in the coming years. The "window of opportunity" closes when other companies specializing in social media consultation and services begin to saturate the market with their own products and services. As to when that may actually happen, no one can say for sure, including me. This is primarily because of the current state of our technology and the rapid advancement of the internet and social media. In the last decade alone, MySpace, a social media platform the dominated the world is 2006, has become a thing of of obscurity while Facebook, which at the time was not that popular, has become the largest social media platform in the world.

Innovation

In terms of innovation, my venture concept is incrementally innovative. My concept's services include direct consultation and solutions for businesses who desire to strengthen their social media presence, which in turn results in a stronger brand and stronger performance. Although many social media platforms exist, my concept will work with all of them, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, etc. to improve whatever it is that the company desires to improve on any or all of these platforms. Whether it be reshaping their brand image and style, or increasing the number of followers and "likes" on their posts, my concept will address these concerns. My concept operates on the revenue generated from consultation sessions and developed strategies which are then implemented and adjusted accordingly to be tailored to the specific needs of the clientele my concept works with. To elaborate on revenue, my concept makes money from charging either by the session (whether it be hour, day, or week) or a negotiated price up-front (similar to other consultation services). For example, if a business sought advice on how to increase their followers on Instagram, and what kind of posts garnered more "likes," a day's worth of consultation would cost 400 USD, or a week's worth priced at 1500 USD. Obviously, these prices would be subject to change and could vary greatly, considering the amount of possible services my concept has the potential to deliver to clients.

Venture Concept

My innovation will solve and/or address the opportunity I discussed earlier by providing a service to businesses which strengthens their social media presence on various platforms, allowing them to build their brand and generate more revenue for their respective goods and services. Businesses will purchase my concept's services when they fail to meet their own expectations or needs on their own (in terms of social media), and realize that they do not have the resources or the expertise required to achieve their desired results. These would be the main reasons businesses would purchase the service, and since they realize the need on their own, there will be little difficulty in convincing them to switch. Since our services deliver an intangible product, there would be little to no need for packaging or distribution, and location would not be a major factor. I think that my concept would first take the form of a startup, with a several key employees that previously worked in consultation and similar roles before joining the company. I think the business would be fairly straightforward until it grows into a larger company, and would not have designated roles until that time.

The three minor elements

I think the "unfair advantage" that my concept will have comes from the expertise and knowledge of the employees working for the company, sharing one vision and common attitudes and goals for the direction and purpose of the company. Honestly, the entire success of the company and concept rides on the notion and belief that my concept would actually have these people at its disposal, and would not be able to exist and thrive without them. But since this is for a class assignment, I have decided that it's not a concern since it's a hypothetical scenario. I think the thing that will make it hard to copy my company's success is its rapid development in getting to the market before anyone else and gaining a strong foothold on the clientele base. I think the next opportunity that my company would tackle is the B2A sector, where individual customers who desire social media consultation could work with our company's existing products and services to meet their individual needs. In five years, assuming this company launches, I want to be in a position where the company is successful, growing, netting a healthy profit, and expanding into new areas. I, personally, desire to be in a position where I am actively involved in other companies, along with this one, and continuing to innovate and come up with new ideas that will help improve businesses and the lives of the everyday consumer.

2.

The feedback students gave on Venture Concept No. 1 was nearly all-positive, and the commenters unanimously agreed that I had a good concept and that I had developed good ideas for the direction and purpose of the company. I received only a minor piece of constructive feedback, which stated that I should be careful when working with social media because it is a very powerful tool and changes faster than almost any other medium of communication in the world today.

3.

Based off of the feedback given, I made no changes to my original venture concept because based off of the feedback, nothing needed to be changed or altered. The only real thing that I could change based off of what others told me is possibly the mindset and the attitude with how I treat new developments to social media and the repercussions that may come with it. Other than that, I don't really feel the need to change anything from the first iteration of the concept because I think it's pretty solid as it stands.

Making it Real

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzxFo9YaovTqQ0ZGNWgwQW5PS00/view?usp=sharing

My Exit Strategy

In terms of exit strategy for my venture concept, I think it all really depends on how well the company actually performs. If the company becomes wildly successful and expands into new markets and opportunities, I would be very open to staying with the company in order to help it grow and become even larger than it already would be. However,  I would seriously consider selling the company and/or leaving in order to pursue other ventures if the company didn't perform as well as I expected it to. Additionally, if I didn't like the direction that the company was headed in, I would probably leave to take advantage of other opportunities.

Since I haven't exactly picked one particular exit strategy, I'll elaborate more on my rationale for the potential strategies that I provided above. I think that when I'm able to work in the same mindset and have the same goals as the company I work for, I'm more successful because I actually want to make a difference in the workplace. However, if my heart and/or mind isn't in line with the ideals and objectives of the company, I think that my work is negatively affected, and hinders my performance. For these reasons, I can't say for sure whether I'd stay with my company or sell it in 5 years. What I can say with near-certainty is that I don't plan on the company becoming a "family business," but depending on how the company would actually play out, it's always a possibility.

I truly feel that my exit strategy didn't affect the development of my business concept in any major way. Before this assignment, I hadn't thought about what I would actually want to do with the company in the future. That may be bad planning/foresight on my part, but it's the truth and I'm not going to deny it. Looking back, I may have influenced the development of the concept unknowingly with thoughts about the future, but I don't think that the exit strategy played a major role.

Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity 

For my venture concept, a social media consulting platform for B2B purposes, the entity that has the need (opportunity) in this instance are the businesses that currently feel that their social media status is not where they want it to be, and do not have the resources and/or experience to address said concerns internally. The nature of the need is essentially that these businesses desire to have a greater social media presence, and most likely feel that a strong social media presence results in stronger sales for their product line and/or services. The forces that currently drive the need for my venture concept are the ever-increasing presence of various social media platforms in our daily lives. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, etc. are constant reminders of just how connected our world truly is, and many companies realize this. Developing a strong social media presence is an effective, and sometimes necessary, aspect in successfully running a business today. This market cannot be defined demographically or geographically, as it is a need businesses around the world could potentially have, ranging from a small startup to a multinational corporation. Businesses are currently meeting this need if they are attempting to run a successful social media platform on their own accord, whether or not it is actually successful. I firmly believe that there is huge opportunity for my concept to succeed, as social media and an online presence will only become more important for businesses in the coming years. The "window of opportunity" closes when other companies specializing in social media consultation and services begin to saturate the market with their own products and services. As to when that may actually happen, no one can say for sure, including me. This is primarily because of the current state of our technology and the rapid advancement of the internet and social media. In the last decade alone, MySpace, a social media platform the dominated the world is 2006, has become a thing of of obscurity while Facebook, which at the time was not that popular, has become the largest social media platform in the world.

Innovation

In terms of innovation, my venture concept is incrementally innovative. My concept's services include direct consultation and solutions for businesses who desire to strengthen their social media presence, which in turn results in a stronger brand and stronger performance. Although many social media platforms exist, my concept will work with all of them, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, etc. to improve whatever it is that the company desires to improve on any or all of these platforms. Whether it be reshaping their brand image and style, or increasing the number of followers and "likes" on their posts, my concept will address these concerns. My concept operates on the revenue generated from consultation sessions and developed strategies which are then implemented and adjusted accordingly to be tailored to the specific needs of the clientele my concept works with. To elaborate on revenue, my concept makes money from charging either by the session (whether it be hour, day, or week) or a negotiated price up-front (similar to other consultation services). For example, if a business sought advice on how to increase their followers on Instagram, and what kind of posts garnered more "likes," a day's worth of consultation would cost 400 USD, or a week's worth priced at 1500 USD. Obviously, these prices would be subject to change and could vary greatly, considering the amount of possible services my concept has the potential to deliver to clients.

Venture Concept

My innovation will solve and/or address the opportunity I discussed earlier by providing a service to businesses which strengthens their social media presence on various platforms, allowing them to build their brand and generate more revenue for their respective goods and services. Businesses will purchase my concept's services when they fail to meet their own expectations or needs on their own (in terms of social media), and realize that they do not have the resources or the expertise required to achieve their desired results. These would be the main reasons businesses would purchase the service, and since they realize the need on their own, there will be little difficulty in convincing them to switch. Since our services deliver an intangible product, there would be little to no need for packaging or distribution, and location would not be a major factor. I think that my concept would first take the form of a startup, with a several key employees that previously worked in consultation and similar roles before joining the company. I think the business would be fairly straightforward until it grows into a larger company, and would not have designated roles until that time.

The three minor elements

I think the "unfair advantage" that my concept will have comes from the expertise and knowledge of the employees working for the company, sharing one vision and common attitudes and goals for the direction and purpose of the company. Honestly, the entire success of the company and concept rides on the notion and belief that my concept would actually have these people at its disposal, and would not be able to exist and thrive without them. But since this is for a class assignment, I have decided that it's not a concern since it's a hypothetical scenario. I think the thing that will make it hard to copy my company's success is its rapid development in getting to the market before anyone else and gaining a strong foothold on the clientele base. I think the next opportunity that my company would tackle is the B2A sector, where individual customers who desire social media consultation could work with our company's existing products and services to meet their individual needs. In five years, assuming this company launches, I want to be in a position where the company is successful, growing, netting a healthy profit, and expanding into new areas. I, personally, desire to be in a position where I am actively involved in other companies, along with this one, and continuing to innovate and come up with new ideas that will help improve businesses and the lives of the everyday consumer.

Celebrating Failure

I failed a few times this past semester, in regard to this class specifically. Several of the assignments regarding interviews ended up not being completed, or not being completed to the fullest extent. I think the reason that I failed when attempting to complete these assignments ultimately boils down to the fact that I was very busy this summer, and I often did not take the time to plan to conduct interviews with random strangers on the street so that I could actually complete the assignment. I also think that the current area that I've been in for this summer, London, is not the location most conducive to conducting interviews with strangers for extended amounts of time. British people are often described as standoffish, and are not as readily willing to talk with a stranger, especially an American one. This combination of factors is what I believe led me to fail when attempting to complete these types of assignments.

Although I failed to complete several of the interview-based assignments, I still completed a couple of them and I learned a lot from the ones I actually did. Now that I have the opportunity to reflect on my failures, I learned that in the big picture for this class, missing a few assignments here and there aren't that big of a deal, especially when extra credit is factored in. However, I also know now that it is important to utilize time management skills when I'm assigned a lot of work in one week, and that completing them effectively and efficiently is a major key to success in this class.

I think that failure is a necessary and important part of learning and growing as a person. I used to think that failure was just a negative side-effect of improperly doing something, whether it be studying for a test, writing an essay, or losing a pickup game of soccer or football with friends. Now that I'm older, I view failure in a more positive light. Yes, I will admit that when I fail, I get disappointed and sometimes upset. However, I know that failure is learning what not to do in a situation, and it helps to make me smarter in my everyday life and the things that I do. I treat failure with respect and I know it's an important part of learning, but I still try to fail sparingly, as too much failure is a bad thing.

Elevator Pitch No. 3

I received good feedback on my last pitch, and I tried to implement it as best as I could in the third iteration. Most people said my second pitch was an improvement on the first, but that it included a lot of filler words that made it sound less concise and efficient than it could've been. Based off of that feedback, I tried to tailor my third pitch to incorporate these changes (less filler and more concise).

https://youtu.be/v9p1RcNbDv8

My Unfair Advantage

Here's a list of resources that my company already possesses (hypothetically):

1. A good understanding of the industry
V: Almost necessary for my type of business, and allows for greater chance of success
R: Not exactly the rarest advantage
I: Relatively easy to copy
N: I don't think that there's anything that could replace this advantage exactly

2. Organization and dedication to succeed
V: It's something that definitely helps in other areas of my life, so it will probably help here too
R: Not a very rare trait to possess
I: Not easy to copy, comes more from within
N: Another advantage which can't really be replaced

3. Extensive market
V: Can't be understated. Required for the company to succeed
R: Average, as there are many companies with poor markets to work with and others which have very lucrative ones
I: Can't be duplicated or copied
N: The market can't be replaced unless we're talking about another area of the market itself

4. Connections
V: Helps with establishing the company and conducting business, especially in the beginning
R: Not rare
I: Can be somewhat replaced through other mediums, but not as effectively
N: Can be substituted and is not necessary for success, although it helps greatly

5. Part of the generation that grew up with social media
V: Important for understanding the industry and the passion behind it
R: Not very rare, as there are many people my age
I: Knowledge isn't easily replaced by people from earlier generations
N:Not required but helps with success

6. People skills
V: Important for conducting almost any business
R: Not rare, but also not universal
I: Can't be replaced or copied
N: Can be substituted, especially if business occurs online, but it's still important to have

7. I understand the importance of the idea
V: Assures that I can express my ideas correctly and effectively
R: Somewhat rare as there aren't many with similar business ventures
I: Somewhat easy to copy, but not automatic
N: Not required, and can be learned

8. Knowledge of specific social media sites
V: Required for the business
R: Not rare
I: Easy to copy, but not easy to maximize benefits and usage
N: Can be substituted by other knowledge or very little knowledge

9. Access to financial resources
V: Essential for starting the company and making the right decisions
R: Not rare
I: Easy to copy, many investors looking to put money into startups
N: Not substitutable unless another source of income is made

10. Access to potential employees who know social media and marketing
V: Necessary to successfully work with clients and come up with new ways to improve and innovate
R: Not rare, but relatively difficult to find if not looking in the right place
I: Somewhat easy to copy
N: Substitutable and not necessary to start up the company

I would say that my most important advantage is how extensive the market is. The field for my concept will only grow in the coming months and years, and more and more companies will require an online presence in which they effectively communicate their product/service and their ideas with their target audiences.

Amazon Whisperer

Since my business concept primarily deals with services, this post will be a little bit trickier to explain but I'll try my best.

My business concept's primary revenue drivers are the services it would perform for various clients' social media presence, improving upon things such as number of followers, likes, page views, and market awareness. Clients pay for the services performed, and my concept makes money as a result. Other than that, there aren't really any other revenue drivers I can think of.

I think the next product that my customers want would be a service where they can manage all of their different social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) in one place, easily and effectively.

The next product/service enhances my existing concept because it allows my concept to go one step further, in that the company can interact and work with clients after the initial social media consultation is performed. It also fosters an environment for customer loyalty, as well as improving client perception of our company.

Since I can't really search for a similar service on Amazon, I'll discuss a hypothetical option for this exercise. My option is a product where one sees all of their current social media accounts on one page, complete with statistics and user information. Customers like this product because the product gives them the ability to manage all of their accounts from one central location, making things much easier. To improve the design/usability features of the product, I would include new features which increase user satisfaction and interaction, while minimizing and/or eliminating any features that interfere with these criteria. This product is a good addition to my concept's product line because it increases the amount of interaction between the company and potential clients, and creates an additional source of revenue.

Growing Your Social Capital

1. Stacy, Domain Expert

Stacy is the co-founder of a small company I've been interning with this summer, and she has several years experience in the field of social media and consulting for different businesses, including large banks such as Barclays. Stacy fills the domain expert slot because she currently owns a company dealing with social media and she used to work as a consultant for several other businesses in other areas of the business world. I found Stacy after I began my internship with her company, and I work with her very often so I was able to learn more about who she was and what she's done. There's no expectation, other than that I do my assigned tasks properly and on-time. Including Stacy in my network will allow me to meet more people in that area of the industry and potentially help me find employment in the future.

2. Delphine, Market Expert

Delphine also works for the small company I'm interning with this summer, and she has several years of experience working on social media aspects of various companies since graduating from university over a decade ago. Now she specializes in targeting companies in the industry that require her company's services the most. Delphine also works for the company I'm interning with, so I was able to talk to her about this assignment in-person after learning more about her. Since I am her co-worker, there was no expectation set for getting something in return. Delphine is very good at her job, and she will be very helpful in giving me advice about future endeavors when I leave the company at the end of the summer.

3. David, Supplier

David, too, works for the company I'm interning with this summer, and he specializes in contacting other companies to sell my company's services on a B2B level. David is a similar age to me, but from a completely different background and has much more technical experience than I do, at least as of right now. Since David works for the same company, like the others, no expectation was set, except for getting him a cup of coffee next time we're in the office. Having David in my network will be very helpful because he's gone through many of the same things that I have, and more, and I hope to learn a lot from him.

I think this experience will make my goals at future networking events become a little bit more clear and defined, versus just talking to as many people as I can, for no particular reason. I think that may be the main difference from events in the past, in that I simply didn't have well-defined goals previously.

Idea Napkin No. 2

1. This question is kind of hard to answer, but I'll try my best. I am going to be a fourth-year student studying Information Systems at the University of Florida. My talents include my perception, my ability to work with technology, my interpersonal skills, and that I'm a generalist. I have previous experience working in two part-time jobs in which I worked as part of a team to complete tasks and assignments. I have also worked in an internship in the technology industry in which I honed my skills in multimedia, app development, and data analysis. My aspirations include completing my Master's degree in ISOM and getting a job in the industry that I both enjoy and feel that I'm making an impact on those around me. Since my business concept deals with consulting too, I think that it would become my primary occupation and would be what I focus most on.

2. My business concept is essentially the same as it was last time I did the Idea Napkin assignment, although I have made some slight changes .My product/service is a social media consultation company, in which I will approach businesses who desire to have a social media presence in order to cater and market directly to their potential customers, but are unsure as to how exactly they would do that. I would meet these businesses' unmet need of wanting to better market their own product or services to consumers through data analysis and comprehension, an extension of experience I have obtained from my internship and my skills that I have developed as an ISOM major.

3.  I don't think that my customer base and target groups have changed much, either, primarily because I think I identified them correctly in the first place. I feel that my customers (in this case businesses) are those that are not large enough to have an internal marketing and data analysis department in which that can perform the tasks of my business idea in-house. I think that larger companies will already have these needs met because they will have the budget to afford hiring an internal team of strategists and analysts who can perform the same tasks my business can. I think that another similarity that my customers have is a strong desire to tailor their marketing strategies and market outreach to customers that will actually be receptive to their efforts, versus simply throwing things at the figurative wall and seeing what sticks. I hope that my business will be able to meet these unmet needs and lead to customers who are both happy and satisfied with my product/service, and have it lead to expansion and increased business with other similar companies.

4. This answer is also essentially unchanged from last time, because I feel that it still accurately reflects my thoughts. I think that customers (businesses) will actually care about my product/service because I offer something that they want and need, and they cannot do it themselves, or they're attempting to and failing to get the results that they desire. I think that by my business idea offering a must-have marketing and strategy consultation service for social media usage, I will create something that small and medium-sized business owners must have.

5. What sets my business idea from everyone else is that there is virtually no competition in my business' field yet, and I have a unique perspective on how social media works from my experience in the ISOM and technology fields, instead of just from a marketing perspective. I can take and use the numbers from data analysis to understand what truly caters and appeals to potential customers and what it takes to get said customers to pay attention to my clientele, which in this case are businesses.

I still feel that this accurately reflects how I feel about the question as to whether or not they fit together. I believe that the elements of my post actually fit together quite well. I think that I might have a weak area in that my product/service may not necessarily be the only one of its kind, and that I might have to figure out a stronger way to distinguish myself from other competitors. I feel that this concept goes together nicely with my experience and skills, and I think that it's a service that's only going to grow larger and larger as time goes on. The presence of social media in our lives as consumers grows everyday, and more and more companies are realizing this every day. With my idea, I hope to capitalize on said growth.

Feedback Memo: Since I didn't really get a lot of feedback on my first post, there was really much to add to what I had already written for the first post. Going back and re-reading much of what I said before, I still feel the same way about many of the questions that are being asked now, which also happened to be similar questions from beforehand. I made some minor changes, but for the most part I answered things similarly to the first post.

Reading Reflection No. 2

The book I decided to read for the second assignment was "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" by Scott Adams.

1. The general idea/theme of the book was that it was a compilation of life tips and pragmatic lessons learned by the author, Scott Adams, throughout his career.

2. The book actually related to the class in a lot of ways, but mainly because being a successful entrepreneur in today's world requires many different abilities and skills that not everyone would think of, especially at first. The tips and lessons within the book address of lot of the necessary elements of what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur, and I found them especially helpful since I'm in this class.

3. Write down the top 5 things that you think matter most in becoming successful, and why. Next, list the top 5 biggest things you think matter most in hindering success, and why. I think this exercise will help students learn more about what it takes to actually be a successful entrepreneur, and correct any misconceptions they may have.

4. The biggest thing that surprised me was that the book suggested that it was more beneficial to society when one is selfish, versus being "stupid" or "a burden." While I understand the point the book is making, I didn't realize that there may actually be some truth to that notion and that one may have a bigger positive impact on society when being selfish rather than overly generous.

Elevator Pitch No. 2

I didn't really get a lot of feedback on my previous pitch, seeing as I only got one comment on it. The only criticism was that it was hard to hear me speak, so I tried to talk louder for this pitch. I also discussed my business concept in greater detail this time.

https://youtu.be/4br6-3YYlB4

My Secret Sauce

1.

I think I have several different qualities that make me unique, but it's kind of difficult to think of just what exactly those may be, but I'll do my best to list them.

I feel that the first thing that makes me different is my perception. I think that I am very perceptive of my environment and my surroundings, and I'm always paying attention to details and the little things to a greater degree than most others do.

The second is that I'm personable, and I truly make an effort to get to know the people around me and learn more about them, because I find that I become happier and more productive in my everyday life when I can actually hold conversations with the people I know, whether it be at work, at home, or at school.

The third would be my desire to learn more about the world around me. I am constantly seeking out new experiences and information to learn about the world I live in, ranging from learning more about history and art, to trying new foods and traveling the world.

The fourth would be my ability to reason, respect, and empathize with others. I think that this is a trait that many people could work on, and I make a conscious effort every day to treat others the way I want to be treated. Sometimes I slip up, but this is something that I truly care about applying in my every day life.

The fifth that I'd like to talk about is my ability to learn from my mistakes and my desire for self-improvement. I make mistakes, and I make them often, but I'm always trying to improve myself by learning from them and applying these lessons in future situations.

2.

The first person I interviewed was my best friend, Hunter. He stated that the things that make me different are that he considers me a smart guy with a really wide-range of interests. He highlighted that I'm interested in many of the same things as him, and that we were good friends because of it.

The second was my mother. Her response was that I have a unique sense of humor, and that I'm always doing my best to better myself every day, and that I constantly do my best to be a good person.

The third was my father. He told me that I've always had a desire to learn more about the world, and that I'm a good problem-solver, especially when it comes to conflicts between people.

The fourth was my sister. My sister told me that what makes me different is that my interests and tastes in things such as music and pop culture are very different from what people might expect.

The final person was another one of my friends, Corey. He said that what makes me different is my attitude, and that I'm always the one to lighten the mood when we hang out, and that I'm a good listener when he has a problem that he wants to talk about with me.

3.

I think that the differences between what people said about me and what I thought of myself, at least in terms of strengths or what makes me different, were relatively similar. Although I talked more about my interests in Part 1, many of those I talked to discussed how I impact those around me. I think that the only thing I would change from the first part would be to add a section about how others perceived my impact on them personally, and summarize that into a cohesive statement that I could add to the list.

My Customer's Avatar

I think that my typical customer would fall in the 25-40 age range. They would probably be interested in technology, business, current events, and social media. Since they are most likely small-business owners, I think that they are probably pretty thrifty when it comes to spending money, and probably do not have live the most exorbitant lifestyles. I also feel that they are family-oriented, and have a strong desire to make an impact in their desired field because they want to promote their brand image even more than their current resources allow them to.

Some things that I find in common with my customer's avatar are that I, too, am very interested in technology, business, current events, and social media. I don't really fall into the age range category and I don't have a family of my own, so I'm different in that regard. However, I also would like to make an impact on the world in my future career and I hope that I will be able to successfully do this someday.

I do have some things in common with my customer's avatar. I don't think it's a coincidence because I feel that the idea I have proposed for a business has, at least in some respects, been a reflection and representative of what I'm interested in and would like to see improve in today's business world. I think that it's important to work with a concept one can stand behind in order to drive work ethic and promote success in the workplace. Because of this, I'm glad to share some similarities with my customer's avatar.

Portmanwho? - "Loanership"

1. For this assignment, the portmanteau that I came up with was "loanership." I came up with this after finally receiving back my Playstation 3 game console (PS3) from one of my friends, who had had the device on his shelf after borrowing it for such a long period of time that he basically owned it, even though it was still being "loaned" to him.

2. After coming up with "loanership," I decided to define it as something that refers to a situation where someone has loaned or borrowed something from someone else for an extended period of time, and now essentially owns said item, even though it's still technically being borrowed.

3. In order to get exposure to my new word, I decided to tell my friends and family about the story about recently receiving back my PS3 from my friend after such a long period of him loaning it from me. I dropped "loanership" in each of these conversations, at first with no explanation and then if they asked about it, I would explain afterward. In most of the conversations that I have had, they have asked me, at least at first after saying the word, what I meant by that. There were no initial laughs in any of these conversations, unfortunately, but after explaining what loanership meant, I was able to get a few chuckles here and there. In other conversations, I would attempt to use the word when someone was discussing borrowing something from someone else, saying things along the lines of "Watch out, you don't want this to turn into loanership," or "Man, that sure does sound like they're beginning loanership of your (blank)." Yeah, these conversations ended up being kind of awkward after using a word no one had heard of before, but that's okay because it was all for the assignment.

Halfway Reflection

1. The behaviors that I have developed/used to keep up with this course are that I make sure that I pay attention to the due dates of the assignments, take a look at what they entail beforehand, and ensure that I have enough time set aside in order to be able to sufficiently complete them. I find that all of these actions have become essential in actually completely said assignments.

2. One moment where I felt like "giving up" was whenI realized that one of the past assignments required me to go out and interview strangers. I didn't think that I would have the time to do it, and I wasn't motivated to actually go out and ask people about something completely random for the class, primarily because I thought that no one would care and no one would be willing to talk to me. However, I was able to successfully complete the assignment and I'm glad I did because it allowed me to talk more about my business concept with those who might've been interested in what I had to offer. In certain situations, I find that I have a tenacious attitude and others, not so much. I think that this class has helped me in areas where my tenacity has been lacking, and I'm glad it has.

3. The three tips that I would offer students who take the class in future semesters would be to:

(1) Make sure to have the assignments complete on-time, as they are given in advance and are relatively straight-forward in what they ask for.
(2) If you can't do an assignment, for whatever reason, make sure to back it up with extra credit as there are many opportunities for it.
(3) Try to look at the assignments from an entrepreneurial mindset if you're struggling to see the end goal of said assignment, because it helps with the motivation to actually complete it.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1 (Need Awareness and Information Search)

After interviewing my three candidates, all of which came from the small-business owner segment, I came to the conclusion that they all have similar needs. Each voiced similar opinions on why they desired a stronger social media presence for their businesses, and what they were hoping to achieve through using my business concept. In regard to need awareness and information search, all were aware of their need for a social media consultation service and they had researched, at one point or another how to possibly remedy the situation they were currently faced with. I was glad to learn that these owners went through the same reasoning and thought-process as to why they decided that they needed to use the service, and this experience has only encouraged me in finding out more about what business owners need and desire from my business concept.

https://soundcloud.com/connor-harding-1/interview-1/s-WIELU
https://soundcloud.com/connor-harding-1/interview-2/s-oZHJd
https://soundcloud.com/connor-harding-1/interview-3/s-uTYVb

Week 7 - Reading Reflection No. 1

For this assignment, I read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

1. What surprised me most about this book is that until reading it, I didn't know all that much about the distant past in the life of Steve Jobs. As a long-time Apple fan, I was some pretty sad when I first heard when died some five years ago, mainly because he affected both my life and countless others around the world through his passion for making the world a better place through technology, and it's what I admired most about him. I never knew that after being fired from Apple, he attempted to 'come back' into the industry with his NeXT computer, and that it ultimately failed and was considered a total flop. What I found out about him, that I ended up not really liking, was the suggestion that he was actually not a very nice guy. He treated those around him poorly, and was a very demanding boss to work for that often yelled and threw tantrums if he didn't get his way. I understand why he was like this, in that it mainly stemmed from his desire to have complete creative control over Apple's products, and that it had to be 'perfect' in his eyes. Steve Jobs definitely encountered adversity and failure in that the company he started, Apple, eventually voted him out after he proved to be too much of a problem for the board of directors and the CEO, and his previously-mentioned failure in the form of the NeXT computer.

2. I noticed that Steve Jobs was a visionary. A true big-picture guy, with an entrepreneurial mindset from the very beginning, and it allowed him to elevate his products and services to heights because he was excellent at knowing exactly what customers wanted, and how to create a product that would cater to these needs. In addition, he was very good at picking and choosing what ideas and concepts worked (or how they should work), and those that did not. Although he had some misfires earlier in his career, by the time he reached his prime when debuting the iPhone in 2007, he had perfected his craft.

3. The most confusing part of the reading for me, at least, was his attitudes toward his ex-lover and her daughter (which turned out to actually be his). Jobs refused to acknowledge the daughter as his own, and didn't want to pay child support to the mother for some reason that I'm still not entirely clear on. Eventually, he changed his attitudes on this, but as to why he acted like this in the first place, I'm really not quite sure.

4. “If you could live Another 200 Years, what would you want to accomplish?”

I would ask this because I'm curious to see just what exactly Steve Jobs would try to accomplish if he actually could live that long, because I think the answer would truly be fascinating and if I had to guess, would probably involve space exploration.

and

"Why did you, despite all of the urging not to and with all your available capital, decide not to undergo preventative measures to cure your cancer earlier?"

I would ask this because when I found out that Jobs decided to first attempt to cure his treatable form of cancer with homeopathic remedies (none of which helped and actually made the situation worse), I thought that it was completely idiotic and I would like to hear his actual rationale for why he decided to do this. Especially since he'd probably still be alive today if he decided to take the traditional medical route.

5. I think that Jobs greatly valued the concept of hard work, mainly because he was a very demanding person to work with and he only wanted the best people working on developing his products and services, and that those who were not hard-working didn't make the cut, in his eyes.

Idea Napkin No. 1

1. My name is Connor Harding and I'm going to be a senior ISOM student at the University of Florida. Some of my talents include my attention to detail, my ability to read and comprehend things quickly, and my ability to draw and paint. I have previous experience working in two part-time jobs in which I worked as part of a team to complete tasks and assignments. I have also worked in an internship in the technology industry in which I honed my skills in multimedia, app development, and data analysis. My aspirations include completing my Masters degree in ISOM and getting a job in the industry that I both enjoy and feel that I'm making an impact on those around me. I see this business as playing a role in my life because I feel that it would become my full-time job if it were to take off and it would work directly with what I have already and what I will learn with my ISOM degree.

2. My product/service is a social media consultation company, in which I will approach businesses who desire to have a social media presence in order to cater and market directly to their potential customers, but are unsure as to how exactly they would do that. I would meet these businesses' unmet need of wanting to better market their own product or services to consumers through data analysis and comprehension, an extension of experience I have obtained from my internship and my skills that I have developed as an ISOM major.

3. I feel that my customers (in this case businesses) are those that are not large enough to have an internal marketing and data analysis department in which that can perform the tasks of my business idea in-house. I think that larger companies will already have these needs met because they will have the budget to afford hiring an internal team of strategists and analysts who can perform the same tasks my business can. I think that another similarity that my customers have is a strong desire to tailor their marketing strategies and market outreach to customers that will actually be receptive to their efforts, versus simply throwing things at the figurative wall and seeing what sticks. I hope that my business will be able to meet these unmet needs and lead to customers who are both happy and satisfied with my product/service, and have it lead to expansion and increased business with other similar companies.

4. I think that customers (businesses) will actually care about my product/service because I offer something that they want and need, and they cannot do it themselves, or they're attempting to and failing to get the results that they desire. I think that by my business idea offering a must-have marketing and strategy consultation service for social media usage, I will create something that small and medium-sized business owners must have.

5. What sets my business idea from everyone else is that there is virtually no competition in my business' field yet, and I have a unique perspective on how social media works from my experience in the ISOM and technology fields, instead of just from a marketing perspective. I can take and use the numbers from data analysis to understand what truly caters and appeals to potential customers and what it takes to get said customers to pay attention to my clientele, which in this case are businesses.

I believe that the elements of my post actually fit together quite well. I think that I might have a weak area in that my product/service may not necessarily be the only one of its kind, and that I might have to figure out a stronger way to distinguish myself from other competitors. I feel that this concept goes together nicely with my experience and skills, and I think that it's a service that's only going to grow larger and larger as time goes on. The presence of social media in our lives as consumers grows everyday, and more and more companies are realizing this every day. With my idea, I hope to capitalize on said growth.

Tweaking the Innovation

Here's my product service mix for my company idea: Virtual-reality rental lounge business.

Revenue Drivers:

• Items
• Services

Headset Rentals

• Physical Lounge Area - Furnish our building (lounge) with comfortable furniture geared towards relaxation and comfort for those sitting for long periods of time.
• Variety - Offer several different types of VR headset to rent, and charge customers based off of type of headset and duration of session in lounge.
• Selection - Allow customers to use VR headset for several different purposes, such as watching TV, movies, or playing games.

Games and Peripherals

• Sales - Carry and supply retail versions of headsets for customer purchase and sale of peripherals for lower cost than other suppliers, as well as copies of the games used in the VR headset rentals.
• Try-before-you-buy - Allow customers to demo products and allow for selection based off of their personal preferences.
• Incentive - Provide top-of-the-line equipment and areas that can only be used feasibly in the lounge setting.

Food and Refreshments

• Supply and Demand - Customers to the lounge are intended to stay for long periods of time, so providing food and refreshments will create an additional revenue stream.
• Quality - Ensure that products offered are of high quality and encourage customers to become repeat-purchasers in the future.

Starting up this kind of business, a VR lounge, I feel would be a very interesting and unique opportunity to capitalize on in today's market. VR is up-and-coming currently, but I strongly feel that VR will be one of the "next big things" to hit the market, as evidenced by its already-positive response from early adopters and those who have tried the technology, myself included. The possibilities for this kind of business are boundless, and I think it's an interesting concept to think about.

Elevator Pitch No. 1

For my first elevator pitch, I decided to talk about myself and who I am as a person and what I can bring to a company. I feel that having the ability to pitch yourself to a company during something such as Career Showcase can make or break one's chances of actually getting an interview with said company. Personally, I prefer having a more natural conversation with recruiters because I find elevator pitches to be very artificial and doesn't really show who one is as a person.

https://youtu.be/ir2wCgHeOkg

My Solution

1. My solution for the first opportunity from my previous post would be, for the oil companies looking to get back into production now that oil is over $50 per barrel once more, to create a new, more economically efficient way to produce oil that would yield similar profits to those when oil was close to $100 a barrel just a few short years ago. This could include creating a drill that would be faster, more energy efficient, and cheaper to produce, for example.

2. My solution for the second opportunity would be for entrepreneurs and/or existing companies to create a new product or lifestyle set that would be specifically tailored towards millennials, focused on delivering a product that would be affordable enough for them to afford it while also maximizing appeal and allowing millennials to comfortably live on their own. This could include pre-made houses that defy that the traditional notion of pre-made houses, and could include modern furniture, appliances, and goods that specifically appeal to millennials.

3. My solution for the third opportunity would be for a major retailer, or retailers, to announce a policy that they charge for plastic bags before legislation forces them to. I believe that it would lead to stronger brand perception and appeal and better impact on the environment as a whole, as well as set precedence for other companies to follow suit. This could entail creating a reward service where, when customers bring in their own bags in order to transport their recently purchased goods, they receive a percentage off of their total sale price.

4. My solution for the fourth opportunity would be for the competing airbag companies that rival Takata, to deliver a higher quality airbag to those automakers that were affected by the recent recall of over 12 million airbags. This would lead to new contracts as the supplier of airbags for many of the automakers that were affected and allow the companies that capitalized on this opportunity to innovate and prosper. This could include creating a new, safer airbag that would address all of the issues that were found within the Takata airbag that had to be recalled.

Looking for Opportunity

Economic Trend Opportunities

1.

A recent increase in oil prices has pushed the price of one barrel to over $50 once more.

a. I found this opportunity through a web article that I found, located at the following link:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/50-oil-pose-major-threat-consumers-economy-39409315

b.  The information presented in this source leads me to believe that an opportunity exists because oil prices are on the rise once more, and oil drilling in the U.S. is becoming more profitable than it was earlier this year and last year, meaning that more companies can begin to ramp up their oil production.

c. The prototypical customer would be the companies that are involved in the oil industry in the U.S. already, as well as those companies and people who are looking to stake their claim in the oil industry.

d. I think that this opportunity will be a simple one to exploit if the company already has the infrastructure in place to restart operations that were shutdown before the oil price collapse, and relatively difficult for those companies that are looking to enter the industry from scratch.

I saw this opportunity primarily because I believe that the U.S. should become energy independent, and although I'd prefer it be via renewable energy sources, doing it through traditional oil production also works, at least for now.

2.

Due to the effects of the Great Recession and other factors in the U.S., we are now faced with an economic trend in which the most popular living arrangement for people ages 18-34 is living with their parents.

a. I found this opportunity through a web article that I found, located at the following link:

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/goodbye-empty-nest-millennials-staying-longer-with-parents

b. The information presented in this source leads me to believe that an opportunity exists because millennials are not spending as much money on things such as house, appliances, furniture, and other goods that generations had.

c. The prototypical customer in this instance would be the companies that cater to the millennials themselves, who, because of the recent state of the economy, haven't been able to do many of the same things their parents and grandparents did. If companies could find a way to specifically market more affordable housing options and goods to millennials, I believe that there is a lot of room to achieve success.

d. I think that this opportunity would be difficult for companies geared towards millennials to exploit because I think that their opportunity presents itself in such a way that it's easier said than done to achieve, and cutting costs in order to appeal to an entire generation is no easy task.

I saw this opportunity because when reading the article, it really hit home for me and I found it to be very relatable because I, myself, am a millennial. I've always had the concern in the back of my head that I wouldn't be able to find a well-paying job after college and would have to move back in with my parents while trying to find a job that would allow me to move out on my own.

Regulatory Change Trends

3.

This trend is about a recent addition to a proposal by the State Senate in Massachusetts that entails banning plastic bags from all major recent retailers in the state, and charging 10 cents per bag in cases where customers still want to use them.

a. I found this opportunity through a web article that I found, located at the following link:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/05/27/plastic-bag-ban-massachusetts-shopping-stores-paper/

b. The information presented in this source leads me to believe that an opportunity exists because I think it would be a step in the right direction towards protecting the environment and doing away with wasteful use of plastic bags that could drastically reduce the impact we leave on the environment if it were implemented across the country,

c. The prototypical customer in this instance would be the companies and retailers that are affected by this regulatory change, which could add to revenue through charging for use of plastic bags, as well as lead to better brand image and benefits from reducing impact on the environment.

d. I think that this would be a relatively simple opportunity to exploit in that it would be very easy, logistically, to implement this change. However, the possible public outcry could be very serious and damaging to any companies that decide to implement this change sooner rather than later.

I saw this opportunity because during my time traveling to different countries around the world, particularly in Europe, many companies in these countries have already implemented these changes, and I feel that it would be a great idea. It would reduce impact on the environment and promote stronger recycling habits, as well as boost brand perception.

4.

This trend is about the recent regulatory announcement by Takata, an airbag manufacturing company, that over 12 million airbags, within cars from 8 different automakers, need to be replaced because they have been deemed unsafe and need to be replaced.

a. I found this opportunity through a web article that I found, located at the following link:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/8-automakers-recall-over-12m-vehicles-for-takata-air-bags/

b. The information presented in this source leads me to believe that an opportunity exists because when Takata supplied these faulty airbags, it presented an opportunity for other airbag manufacturers to take business away from Takata after they displayed their defective product and allowed it to affect so many different customers.

c. The prototypical customer in this instance would be the companies that compete with Takata for supplier rights to airbags that are used in the cars of several different automakers. I feel that many of the automakers will be weary of working with Takata again in the future because this issue has affected so many vehicles across different brands and types of car.

d. I think that this would be a simple opportunity to exploit for these competing airbag manufacturers, primarily because it would entail displaying how and why automakers should use their airbags over Takata's proven-to-be-defective ones.

I saw this opportunity because my father recently received a letter from his car's automaker indicating that he, in fact, had a Takata airbag installed in his car and it needed to be replaced. I think that safety should be a priority in these matters, and when companies like Takata cut corners to increase profitability, I find it deeply concerning.

Forming An Opportunity Belief

1. I have a belief that an opportunity exists within the Heavener School of Business on UF's main campus. That opportunity is to replace the existing cafe/eatery, known as Rising Roll, with another similar, proven to be successful competitor. I feel that this opportunity exists because from both personal experience, as well as the experiences that I've heard about from other business students, the vast majority would prefer Rising Roll to replaced by something else. Many have cited that they wished that Rising Roll was replaced by a similar restaurant like Panera Bread, or simply installing another Starbucks location on campus. Every time I walk into Heavener to go to class or to study and happen to glance inside Rising Roll, it is almost never busy and hardly ever has any customers inside of it. I truly feel that a new business in that location would be much more successful and would better serve the students in the business school.

2. The students and staff of the business school and the surrounding area have the need which is presented in this situation, because their desire for a close, easy-to-access place to get coffee and lighter food fare isn't being fulfilled by Rising Roll in its current state. This need has existed since shortly after Heavener Hall opened, and many quickly began to realize that Rising Roll was not as good as initially thought.

Iteration 1:

3. Prototypical Customer - Craig S.

4. Q1: Have you ever been to Rising Roll in Heavener Hall?

I first spoke with Craig about this potential opportunity by asking him if he had ever been to Rising Roll before. Craig told me that he had only been there once or twice.

Q2: What was your experience like?

He said he had an 'okay' experience, but stated that he had heard bad things about their coffee from others.

Q3: Would you rather have something else instead of Rising Roll in Heavener, like Starbucks or Panera Bread?

He said yes, and stated he would probably go there several times a week if that were the case, because he would much prefer almost anything to Rising Roll.

Q4: How often do you feel that there is the need for a replacement for Rising Roll?

Craig stated that he only felt the need when in or around Heavener, but noted that that was quite often in his case.

Q5: Since you indicated you don't go to Rising Roll, but would go there if it was replaced, what're you doing to fulfill your unmet need?

Craig stated that he usually ended up bringing coffee from home, or going towards midtown to go to the closest Dunkin' Donuts, since its his favorite coffee chain brand.

5. I learned that several students have spread their negative experiences at Rising Roll around and that it had an impact on a student's decision on whether or not to continuing to go there in the future. This is important because public perception has almost certainly had a negative experience on Rising Roll's success.

Iteration 2:

3. Prototypical Customer - Amanda M.

4. Q1: Have you ever been to Rising Roll in Heavener Hall?

Like with Craig, I first spoke with Amanda about this potential opportunity by asking her if she had ever been to Rising Roll before. Amanda stated that she had in fact been there before, but has since stopped going altogether because of a recent negative experience she had with the coffee at Rising Roll.

Q2: What was your experience like?

She told me that she ordered a regular cafe mocha, and instead of what she ordered, she received an artificial, bitter-tasting substitute for cafe mocha that was both cold and unpleasant to drink. She said that after that incident, she wouldn't waste her money there again.

Q3: Would you rather have something else instead of Rising Roll in Heavener, like Starbucks or Panera Bread?

She was adamant about how happy she would be if Rising Roll were replaced, because she enjoys going to Starbucks on a regular basis and noted that it would be nice to have another Starbucks so close to her classes in Heavener Hall.

Q4: How often do you feel that there is the need for a replacement for Rising Roll?

Amanda said she feels that need almost everyday, because she's often on campus for other activities outside of class but told me that she often finds herself near Heavener, wishing that there was a place where she could go to get good coffee within the building.

Q5: What're you doing to deal with the issue that there's not a place for you to go around Heavener?

She said that she usually goes to the Starbucks at Library West, but that the line there is usually pretty long whenever she goes so she decides to get a coffee drink from the vending machine instead most days.

5. From Amanda I learned that someone has had a legitimately bad experience with Rising Roll, and has become dissatisfied with the cafe for good reason. It's important to learn this because it indicates it's more than just word-of-mouth that's hurting the reputation of Rising Roll and leading so many students to wish for it to be replaced.

Iteration 3:

3. Prototypical Customer - Alex B.

4. Q1: Have you ever been to Rising Roll in Heavener Hall?

Alex stated that he had never been to Rising Roll, and didn't really know all that much about it aside from the fact that he knew it served some kind of food.

Q2: Since you've never been, have you heard anything about it from anyone else? What was their experience like?

He said that he hadn't really heard much from his friends about it, but indicated that he never thinks of Rising Roll as a place to go when he wants to get food or coffee, because there are better locations close by that he already knows and likes.

Q3: Would you rather have something else instead of Rising Roll in Heavener, like Starbucks or Panera Bread?

Alex said it wasn't really that big of deal to him, mainly because he's not a big coffee drinker and didn't think that a place like another Starbucks would be appealing to him. He did note that he liked Panera Bread, so that it might be cool to have one inside Heavener.

Q4: How often do you feel that there is the need for a replacement for Rising Roll?

He said hardly at all, because he's never been there and never felt the desire to go there before, so there was little to no impact on him.

Q5: What're you doing to deal with the issue that there's not a place for you to go around Heavener?

He said that when he rarely feels the need for something close to get food or a small snack, he usually just eats something he brought with him from home or walks to closest restaurant to Heavener, which is Chipotle.

5. From Alex, I learned that not all Heavener students really know about Rising Roll, or have been there before. I feel that this means that there's probably a huge, potentially untapped market that UF could capitalize on in order to better serve the students in the business school.


7. After speaking with the people I interviewed, I still think that the opportunity is there for a replacement for Rising Roll. The amount of people interviewed was small, but none of my interactions boded well for Rising Roll. The opinions seemed to be neutral to negative, and I feel that a replacement would fare much better. I think, if anything, my opportunity is more accurate than before, because it confirmed many of my suspicions about how Rising Roll performed and was perceived as a company. I think that entrepreneurs should adjust their opportunities after getting customer feedback, to a certain extent. I think that they should be able to recognize when to make necessary changes but also realize that not every criticism is valid and that "sticking to your guns" on an issue can be very important.

Identifying Local Opportunities

1. "BOLTS CHAIR THEFT SUSPECT ON HOT SEAT"

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CF35700B4BBD28?p=AWNB

This story is about a man who recently had his Tampa Bay Lightning chair stolen from his front porch in the middle of the night. Fortunately, he had a surveillance camera watching the scene and was able to get video of the person who stole his chair. The person in the video was wearing a Tampa Bay Lightning jersey while committing the act, and has yet to be caught. The problem in this story is that the man had his expensive chair stolen by a fellow Lightning fan, and the suspect has yet to be caught. The man who owned the chair in this story is the one who had the problem.

2. "Students sent home for flag shirts on Haitian Flag Day"

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CFF47A59146518?p=AWNB

This article is about a group of students that were sent home for wearing shirts with the Haitian national flag on them during school. It was Haitian National Flag Day, which commemorates the day that Haiti gained its independence, and is an important holiday for many Haitians. The school code of conduct dictated that they were not allowed to wear Haitian, or any other flags, aside from those specifically listed. The problem in this article is that the students were not allowed to celebrate their heritage in the form of wearing a t-shirt at school, as well as the school's code of conduct seeming very backward. The students at the school are the people with the problem in this situation, and an easy remedy would be to change the school's code of conduct.

3. "Seminole schools, teachers reach a tentative pay deal"

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CF728BF840D160?p=AWNB

This article was about the Seminole county school district and the teachers union reaching a new agreement for higher wages, which will go into effect in time for the start for the new school year. The teachers union was upset about their pay and wanted to negotiate for new, higher wages and were able to successfully resolve the issue after much debate and discussion. The people who had the problem in this article were the members of the teachers union and their problem was that they felt that they were not being paid enough for their work.

4. "Red snapper won't have open season this year Federal regulators say species has been overfished; anglers disagree"

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CFEA5AEC370BC8?p=AWNB

This article is about the fishing season coming up, and the recent announcement that Red Snapper, a popular sport fish, will not have an open season this year, a measure being made in order to protect the already-low levels of the fish in recent years. Local anglers and companies are upset with this act because it affects their industries, as well as their hobbies and what they can and can't serve in their restaurants and homes. The people with the problem in this story are those that depend on the fish as a source of income, and the fishermen and restaurant owners who cannot catch their own fish during the upcoming year.

5. "Wildlife advocates concerned for pelicans that get fish carcasses stuck in throats"

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15CEC8FDB52894E0?p=AWNB

This article is about the recent trend among fishermen that throw their filleted fish remains to the pelicans in the bay area, causing the pelicans to get the filleted fish stuck in their throats and ultimately die a slow, painful death. Wildlife advocates are making many efforts in order to curtail this issue by trying to inform fishermen of the effects of their actions. The people who have the problem in this story are the wildlife advocates who are trying to prevent harm to the pelicans and other wildlife that may be affected by this issue.

Bug List

My bug list is as follows:

1. One of the first things that comes to mind that bugs me is that many of UF's business courses are entirely online (including this one). It makes sense that ENT 3003 is online, and I'm only take it while studying abroad because it *is* online. However, other classes, like Economics, Stats, Accounting, Management, and Marketing all have online lecture, meaning that there's no real need to go to class in-person. I feel that this takes away from the college experience in some ways, despite its benefits.

I think this bug exists primarily because there are simply too many students to accommodate in a normal classroom setting, and having the lectures offered online is an efficient alternative, even though it creates a disconnect between the students, the professors, and the campus.

2. Another is Frontier Communications, the company that recently acquired Verizon's cable and internet business across the US. This change affected my family dramatically when, for the first time since we moved to Florida, we experienced an internet outage that lasted for several days, and wasn't resolved smoothly or easily.

This probably happened because Frontier is still working out kinks in the system since the switch from Verizon to their company, but I also believe that Frontier's sheer incompetency may have been an additional factor in causing the outage that affected several metropolitan areas across the nation.

3. My laptop can hardly hold a charge anymore, and if I'm to use it for any extended period of time, I have to always bring my charger with me. The laptop usually dies with a few hours of usage without it.

I think this bug exists because our battery technology may not be as good as our developments in other areas of technology yet, and it could also be due to "planned obsolescence", in that companies intentionally make their products worse and worse over time, in order to encourage people to buy new products, which allows the company to make more profit.

4. The bus routes that service my apartment complex, 38 and 34, are often too crowded and slow to get to campus and it results in trips that can last over 40 minutes, and that negatively impacts my schedule on every day I have class.

I think this is mainly due to the huge population of students that use these routes, and possibly poor planning and scheduling on the part of the RTS service, which should have enough buses running the route that this doesn't happen.

5. I'm 21 years old and many of my friends still have yet to turn 21, meaning that I can get into bars and clubs in Gainesville and beyond that they cannot, and it severely limits the amount of options we have when we go out.

This is due to many bars and clubs not letting people in under 21, but on a larger scale, the federal drinking age limit, which is 21. I believe that 21 is an arbitrary age that is unnecessary and causes more trouble than its worth, especially when you look at other countries and see that the age limit is much younger and they have much less alcohol-related problems among their population.

6. School acceptance standards for transfer students. I recently had a friend, with an exceptional work ethic and solid grades, attempt to transfer to UF. He had all of the credentials to be accepted as a transfer, or so I thought. He was denied admission and now his options for the future are more limited than before. 

This is probably due to the acceptance standards set by the school to which students apply, but I believe that the standards for transfer students should be different, especially for those who excel in their time before transferring to another institution.

7. Our standards of healthcare and healthcare coverage in US, specifically the exorbitant costs associated with any form of medical treatment. I recently had a friend who needed to take an ambulance after a rough night out, and while he ended up being fine, he was still charged over $500 for the ride in the ambulance. If something was seriously wrong, the costs would've been even higher, and I think that the fact that healthcare companies profit off of those who need medical attention is truly unfortunate.

This probably happens because, at the end of the day, the primary concern for most companies is profit, and medical care and services have become one of the most profitable industries to work in.

8. The insane amount of school loyalty and pride that I see among some members of our student body, as well as others. I often see people that I know let their school loyalties get in the way of their friendships, especially during football season, and can turn from simple school pride into elitism and ill-will towards people, just because of where they go to school.

I think that this happens because many students think its okay to judge someone based off of where they went to school, and make assumptions based off of that knowledge. I think that, at the end of the day, we're all students and we're all just trying to improve ourselves, learn more, and secure a brighter future after college.

9. Tipping in United States versus other countries around the world makes the US system look arbitrary and strange, and I personally think it doesn't make a lot of sense. An example is that in the UK, tipping is very casual and not nearly as much percentage of a service as it is in the US, and it not something that is frowned upon when someone doesn't tip.

It's hard to think of the reason for why tipping happens the way it does in the US, but a reason could be that the minimum wage is purposely lower for those who work in tip-oriented positions, and this could be because a cultural belief among Americans that those in service positions deserve to be rewarded based on how much effort they put in.

10. Air travel, while it's allowed people travel faster than ever before, has turned into a hassle that many people, myself included. While I know that I'm very fortunate to be able to travel, I wish that the experience of flying itself was better because it seems like most airline companies, like the medical companies I mentioned earlier, are primarily concerned with profits, and not their customers. A recent flight I was on appeared to offer many different services and goods to make the flight more enjoyable, but nearly all of them came with hidden, subversive fees that seemed like they were designed to trick their customers into spending more money that they actually intended.

This probably happens for the same reasons that the medical companies have, in that nearly all companies are primarily concerned with profit in today's world, and that the customers come second after the money that is made.

// Many of the things that I've talked about so far are broad sweeping bugs that annoy me, so now I'll talk more about the little things that can be annoying "bugs" to me.

11. Often I put my headphones in my pocket, trying to keep them wrapped up in a neat way so that they don't get tangled, but almost every time I take them out to use them, they end up being a nest of wires that take a decent amount of time to untangle and get into working order. 

This probably happens because they're constantly shifting around in my pocket while I'm not using them, and end up becoming tangled without me even realizing that it's happened. Maybe I should change the way I store my headphones.

12. Another small thing that annoys me is when I do a small gesture for someone and they don't say "thank you." If I'm going out of my way to do something for you, especially something that I wouldn't normally do already, the least someone can do is say that. When someone doesn't say "thank you", it makes me think that person is ungrateful and rude.

This probably happens because some people are probably blissfully unaware of their mistakes and what irks others, and also because some people are actually ungrateful and rude, with the former probably accounting for the majority of the reasoning.

13. When I'm browsing the internet, I click on something on when the page loads, and instead it moves and I click on an ad instead, resulting in redirecting me to a new page that I have absolutely no interest.

Honestly, this one probably happens because that's what internet ads are meant to do, to be seen and clicked on in order to advertise and attract new customers. The thing is, I'm generally not interested in anything advertised on websites with these intrusive ads.

14. People who aren't aware of the concept of personal space is another thing that I would consider to be a "bug", and I believe it's a big one with some people. Personal space is very important to most of us, and when someone invades that personal space, it provokes feelings of discomfort, and possibly resentment and/or anger.

This is probably caused by people who don't think before they act, and/or people who have little regard for the concerns and needs of others. It honestly could be attributed to either ignorance or malevolence, in most cases.

15. When people decide to stop walking in the middle of the street, or in an airport or train station. I recently experienced a family who completely stopped in the middle of the airport and blocked an entire section of the walkway, and it was something that really annoyed the people around them, including me.

Again, I think this is because some people are truly unaware as to the consequences of their actions, and may or may not care what those consequences are, even if they are aware.

16. People who drive terribly and/or don't obey common traffic rules. I experience people every time I drive that don't use turn signals, or don't wait their turn at stop signs, or something else that could be considered rude to the average driver. 

I think this is because Americans, for the most part, value their time over anyone else's, and that mentality is reflected strongly in our driving habits and how we act on the road.

17. Another bar-related annoying "bug" is that when I'm at a crowded bar trying to get a drink, and there are people just sitting at the bar with the drinks they already got and taking up space that someone could use in order to get their drinks.

Like I've mentioned many times before, this is something that I think can be attributed to either ignorance or malice on the part of the people sitting at the bar, but probably mainly due to someone being unaware of their actions and their effects.

18. When people are late to a meeting or something that we've scheduled to do at a certain time, and don't let me know ahead of time. It's not that big of a deal if someone lets me know they'll be late beforehand, but when the time goes by and they haven't showed up yet, it feels to me like they don't value my time, or at least not as much as theirs.

This happens mainly with people who don't know how to manage their time properly, and it affects everyone around them when they don't keep to commitments they've made.

19. People who text and/or talk during movies. When I go to pay to see a movie, I don't want to have a bright screen or hear someone's conversation that distracts me and takes away the focus from what I came to see in the first place, the movie. If you're going to come to the movie just to talk or be on your phone, then why did you come in the first place?  

Another malice/ignorance type of cause for this "bug". I think that most people who do this kind of thing in a movie theater don't realize how truly distracting and annoying it can be to those around them, especially if they've never experienced themselves before.

20. People who constantly litter and seem to have no regard for the environment. Just the other day I watched a woman walk down the street, finish eating a bag of chips, and just drop the bag on the ground as she kept walking. Now, more than ever before, has there been an emphasis on protecting the environment and practicing habits that are considered to be "green". While it may not be an issue with immediate effects, sooner or later it'll catch up to us, and we'll regret it if we continue to do these kind of things.

I think this happens because the people who do it have little concern for the well-being of the environment and taking care of it, and it's something that I find to be very annoying because it instantly gives me a negative impression of that person when I see it happen.

When writing this "bug list", I found it somewhat difficult to come up with things that I considered "bugs" in my everyday life. I don't really think about these things too often, and it presented itself in the form of me initially struggling to come with additional things I could write about. My strategy consisted of first writing about "bugs" that I would consider to be more 'big picture' issues, and things that many people are currently faced with. For the second half, I wrote more about small things that I find to be "bugs" in my everyday life, and are things that are relatively inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Once I was able to focus my thoughts into different categories, it made the assignment easier in that I was able to come up with more things to write about.