30A Final Reflection

1) Read through your posts from this semester. Recall all of the experiences you've had a long the way -- the highs, the lows -- the fun moments, and the moments of drudgery, and even the moments of dread.

• After going through my posts from this semester, I realized that I went from dreading the assignments to having fun with and embracing them.

2) What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?

• The most formative experience(s) for me has to be conducting all the interviews that were required. This is what I am the most proud of myself for accomplishing as well. Growing up, I was shy and as I got older I found myself becoming increasingly introverted and reserved. However, because many of the assignments required three to five interviews, I had to step out of my comfort zone and actually speak with people I never met before. I believe that those experiences helped me a lot more than I anticipated and made me more confident in myself. What I learned from these experiences is something that I won't forget. The most joyous experience I had in this course was working on the "What's Your Secret Sauce?" assignment. It was great to hear what my closest friends thought about me and it honestly meant a lot to me. 

3) At the beginning of the semester, I mentioned that I wanted each of you to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Now, at the end, do you see yourself as an entrepreneur? Do you think you have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset?

• I don't necessarily see myself as an entrepreneur, but I do believe that I have gotten a lot closer to developing an entrepreneurial mindset. For example, I am willing to take more risks and I have learned to actively look for opportunities in my day-to-day life.

4) What is the one recommendation you would make to the students who are going to journey down this path in the future? What would you recommend they do to perform best in this course? What would you recommend they do to foster that mindset?

• One recommendation I have for students who are taking this course would be to treat the assignments as more than just busy work. There are valuable lessons and skills that can be learned through the many assignments in this course.

29A Venture Concept No. 2

1) Venture Concept

Opportunity:

• There are many college student, specifically at UF, who struggle with maintaining a healthy diet as well as a healthy lifestyle in general. Reasons for this unmet need could be that the individual is too busy to grocery shop and prepare nutritious meals, they simply lack the proper knowledge they need in order to lead a healthy lifestyle, or they are lazy. This particular market, or the market I would be targeting, could demographically defined as college students between the ages of 19-22 who are living on a college campus, specifically here at UF. Customers are currently satisfying their need by either buying simple microwaveable meals and other easily prepared foods, opting for other meal kit delivery plans, eating fast food, or doing a combination of this but still not eating enough/properly. I would say that this opportunity is big and the window has the potential to stay open for several years. 

Innovation:

• The product/service that I am offering is an app that provides customers healthy foods and dietary information. The app will consist of multiple menus that will provide 2-3 recipes of the customers choice, a delivery of pre-prepped grocery-fresh ingredients in the proper portions that pertain to the selected recipe(s) with related nutrition information, and an in-app health forum where individuals can go to gather healthy dietary information and advice on how to lead a healthy lifestyle. A subsection of the forum would even include tips on budgeting for groceries and either of the choices offered in the apps initial service.  Each menu will have the option of selecting 2 or 3 recipes for $25 or $35, respectively, that are provided weekly. Each menu has a large serving size (serves 2) and should last most of the week. 

Venture Concept:

• I believe that customers would switch over to a product/service like this because it would honestly be a better alternative to constantly spending money on fast food throughout the week (or whatever other crap college students blow their money on (-: ). This product/service has the potential to help individuals form healthy dietary habits and even help them obtain valuable health tips and facts. There are many competitors in this market, however, I have not heard of a a company in this market that specifically targets college students. 

Three Minor Elements

1) Social capital 

2) Fully prepped meal kits, addition of other recipes 

3) Expanding the business further

2) Provide a summary of the feedback you received from your previous venture concept description. You certainly want to include the student feedback, but you may also include the feedback you received from others during the "What's Next" exercise. You want to summarize all of the feedback, but be sure to place an emphasis on what people recommended you change about your idea. (In other words, don't just describe the positive feedback.)

• In all honesty, it was difficult for me to answer parts 2 and 3 to this assignment. This is mainly because I didn't receive any feedback for my last venture concept and the feedback I received for my "What's Next" assignment was overwhelmingly positive (thank you to those who commented on that).

3) Describe how you changed your venture concept, based on what you learned from the feedback.

•  Regardless of the fact that I did not receive feedback, I personally don't think I would change anything. However, I did add a section to the forum that offers budgeting advice (specifically for those who plan to buy extra groceries combined with either of the two service options) for those who may need it. 

27A Reading Reflection No. 3

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams 

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

• The general theme of the book is that failure is okay and should serve as a learning experience. Adams is basically talking about embracing failure and learning as much as you can from it. Adams also shares his own failures and what he learned from them. 

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

• The book connects with and enhances what we have learned in ENT 3003 because Pryor has mentioned that successful people have often failed in the past, but they learned from those failures and kept pushing forward. Failure is a part of being an entrepreneur and should be welcomed as a learning experience. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

• If I had to design an exercise for this class it would be one that focuses on learning how to embrace failure and using it to succeed. 

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

• The biggest surprise to me was that Adams talks about how people shouldn't set goals but instead use systems. 

26A Celebrating Failure

1) Tell us about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class, or outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times this semester, and failed each time. 

• This past semester, I have failed several times. I failed the first exam in one of my classes and failed to manage my time wisely and keep a decent schedule.

2) Tell us what you learned from it.

•   I learned how to properly prepare for the exams in that particular class and I am continually trying to improve my time-management skills.

3) Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally). Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure -- are you more likely to take a risk now than you were just a few months ago?

• Failure is definitely hard and is often embarrassing but everyone should try their hardest to avoid sulking after a defeat. Always try avoid any form of self-sabotage. I handle failure by immediately analyzing my mistakes and figuring out what I need to change to have a better outcome the next time. I usually try to avoid sulking instead of figuring out how I need to improve. I tend to believe that there isn't enough time in the day to be upset and feel sorry for myself. In my honest opinion, that's just pathetic and extremely counterproductive. This class didn't change my perspective on failure, but I do believe that it encouraged me to take more risks.

28A Your Exit Strategy

1) Identify the exit strategy you plan to make. Do you intend to sell your business in the next 5 years for a large return? Do you intend to stay with the business for several decades and retire? Do you intend to protect the venture as a family business, and pass it down to your children?

• I intend to stay with the business and then retire.

2) Why have you selected this particular exit strategy?

• The reason behind starting the business in the first place is to help others form healthier habits, so I would like to stay with the business and help others do that for as long as I can.

3) How do you think your exit strategy has influenced the other decisions you've made in your concept? For instance, has it influenced how you have identified an opportunity? Has it influenced your growth intentions or how you plan to acquire and use resources?

• I don't think this exit strategy has influenced any of the decisions I have made in my concept. 

25A What's Next?

Existing Market

Step 1: The next step would be to not only provide recipes and the respective ingredients but fully prepped meal kits as well.

Step 2:

• Interview 1: This individual believes that because I already have intentions of extending services to people who are lazy/busy, it would be best to add this as soon as possible.
• Interview 2: This person said something similar to Interviewee 1.
• Interview 3: This interviewee stated that this might have to be the initial option.

Step 3: Through the Interviews I conducted, I learned that it might be best to start with fully prepped meal plans.

New Market

Step 1: Since my current market is here at UF, I believe that targeting another college campus, such as GSU (Georgia State University), would be appropriate especially because I know a lot of people on that campus.

Step 2: I believe my venture concept would create value for people in this market because it also consists of college students who have the exact same needs as the students here at UF (or anywhere else really).

Step 3:

• Interview 1: This interviewee (a close friend/GSU student) stated I would need to learn how to operate within a large city like Atlanta. 
• Interview 2: This interviewee (another close friend/GSU student) stated that they believe a product/service such as this one would be beneficial to plenty of students within the city because "there is a plethora of places students can go eat, constantly spend money, and gain no nutritional value."

Step 4: I learned that in order to succeed in this new market I would need to do proper research on hw to effectively and efficiently operate within a much larger environment. Although it would be difficult to adapt to this environment, the new market still appears to be as attractive as I initially thought. 

24A Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity:

• There are many college student, specifically at UF, who struggle with maintaining a healthy diet as well as a healthy lifestyle in general. Reasons for this unmet need could be that the individual is too busy to grocery shop and prepare nutritious meals, they simply lack the proper knowledge they need in order to lead a healthy lifestyle, or they are lazy. This particular market, or the market I would be targeting, could demographically defined as college students between the ages of 19-22 who are living on a college campus, specifically here at UF. Customers are currently satisfying their need by either buying simple microwaveable meals and other easily prepared foods, opting for other meal kit delivery plans, eating fast food, or doing a combination of this but still not eating enough/properly. I would say that this opportunity is big and the window has the potential to stay open for several years. 

Innovation:

• The product/service that I am offering is an app that provides customers healthy foods and dietary information. The app will consist of multiple menus that will provide 2-3 recipes of the customers choice, a delivery of pre-prepped grocery-fresh ingredients in the proper portions that pertain to the selected recipe(s) with related nutrition information, and an in-app health forum where individuals can go to gather healthy dietary information and advice on how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Each menu will have the option of selecting 2 or 3 recipes for $25 or $35, respectively, that are provided weekly. Each menu has a large serving size (serves 2) and should last most of the week.

Venture Concept:

• I believe that customers would switch over to a product/service like this because it would honestly be a better alternative to constantly spending money on fast food throughout the week (or whatever other crap college students blow their money on (-: ). This product/service has the potential to help individuals form healthy dietary habits and even help them obtain valuable health tips and facts. There are many competitors in this market, however, I have not heard of a a company in this market that specifically targets college students. 

Three Minor Elements

1) Social capital 

2) Fully prepped meal kits, addition of other recipes 

3) Expanding the business further

I was just winging this one tbh.

23A Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

1) Communication: I am able to communicate with others effectively and efficiently.

• V: Valuable because it is especially important when running a business and managing others.
• R: This is not rare because many people have strong communication skills and can further improve their skills.
• I: Not inimitable because anyone can improve their communication skills.
• N: Not substitutable.

2) Interpersonal Skills: I can build strong relationships with others. 

• V: Valuable because it is important when running a business and it would be necessary to build a relationship with customers to a certain extent. 
• R: I would not consider this rare because anyone can work on and improve these skills.
• I: Not inimitable.
• N: Not substitutable.

3) Social Capital: I know people who have knowledge of this industry. 

• V: They can provide valuable insights.
• R: Anyone can add people like this to their network. 
• I: This is not inimitable  
• N: This can be substitutable but would be take time (more networking). 

4) Social Capital: My brother owns a gym and has extensive knowledge on maintaining a healthy diet and making healthy choices in general. 

• V: This is valuable because he could help me push my business further by providing insights. 
• R: I would not say this is rare because anyone can find someone with this knowledge but it would depend on their willingness to help.
• I: This is not inimitable.
• N: In this case this is not substitutable. 

5) Written and oral proficiency in two languages: English and Spanish

• V: This is valuable because it would be advantageous since it would allow me to reach more people.
• R: This is not rare because plenty of people are bilingual.
• I: This is not inimitable.
• N: This is not substitutable. 

6) Social Capital: I know someone who could help me develop my product/service (app + features)

• V: Without this contact I could not start my business and would have to go back to the drawing board. 
• R: It is difficult to find people who will help with this task but I would not say it is particularly rare. 
• I: It would be hard to imitate the relationship I have with this person.
• N: This is not substitutable. 

7) Relationships with other entrepreneurs: My father and brother are both entrepreneurs and offer very helpful advice and information.

• V: The insights they offer are very valuable and can potentially help me improve my business. 
• R: Not rare because I could seek other entrepreneurs but I would not have the same relationships. 
• I: Not inimitable.
• N: Not substitutable. 

8) Creativity: I like to be creative wherever and whenever possible.

• V: This would be helpful in building, sustaining, and expanding my business. 
• R: Not rare because there are many creative individuals.
• I: Other people can be creative.
• N: This is not substitutable. 

9) Passion for the overall idea.

• V: This is valuable because there is no point in moving forward with an idea without passion for what you are going to do.
• R: This can be rare.
• I: This is inimitable.
• N: This is not substitutable. 

10) Determination

• V: I am determined to finish whatever task I have started.
• R: Not many people have my determination but it is not uncommon.
• I: This is inimitable. 
• N: This is not substitutable.

I believe that my top resource would be my social capital because all the people in my network would help me drive my idea further. 

22A Elevator Pitch No. 3

1) The pitch. Same as last time, 1- 1.5 minutes long. No Web cams. No sitting. Be dynamic! Upload the video to YouTube (as you do with all of your videos) and post the link.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vmit0Ori4w&feature=youtu.be

2) A reflection on the feedback you received from your last pitch. Describe what stood out to you as important, what feedback surprised you the most, what feedback you think was outright wrong or silly or amazing and insightful. 

• I didn't do the second elevator pitch so my feedback was very limited. Regardless, on my first pitch, I did receive two positive comments and and one of them offered very helpful feedback. One of the comments stated that I should use more my hands more when I speak. 

3) What did you change, based on the feedback?

Third time's the charm, as they say. I bet you find a few things different from the first time, including: (a) it's almost memorized, (b) you're far more comfortable in front of the camera, and (c) the pitch itself is better. If this is or isn't true for you, please include this in your reflection!

• Based on the feedback I got for the first pitch, I tried to use more hand gestures to avoid standing idly/awkwardly. Overall, however, I decided to keep the pitch the same.

21A Reading Reflection No. 2

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck 

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

• In general, the major theme or argument of the book is that there are two types of mindsets: the fixed- and growth- mindsets. A fixed-mindset is one that is unchanging and is typically found in individuals who easily become uncomfortable when facing challenges therefore hindering their personal growth. A growth-mindset is found in individuals who continually want to learn and improve. 

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

• I would say that this book perfectly aligns with what is taught and what is assigned in ENT3003. If you sat back and thought about all the assignments we have done, you could say that it has only helped foster a growth-mindset. Additionally, Professor Pryor has taught us the importance of being confident in our work, sharpening your skills and improving oneself (through feedback on assignments in this case), and to always look for opportunities. I believe that this is all directly related to a growth-mindset. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

• To be honest, I had some difficulty coming up with an assignment that fits this course. Mainly because I believe that all the assignments we have completed thus far are perfect for what the overall theme is in the book.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

• The biggest 'aha' moment I had that differed from what I was expecting was that children can be accidentally taught a fixed-mindset in school or in their home. 

20A Growing Your Social Capital

Domain Expert

• Razi Ghadia used to run a small-scale meal prep delivery service in which he and a couple of his peers prepped and delivered healthy meals to students who attended Georgia State University in Atlanta for an affordable price. Razi would fall under the domain expert slot because he has experience in the same industry I would be in. I am actually good friends with Razi (we went to the same high school) so I just contacted him through social media. I simply asked him if he would take a look at some of my blog posts, specifically the napkin idea and elevator pitch, and asked for his feedback on my business idea. He thought that my idea was great but he felt that it could be refined. There is no return expectation. Having Razi in my network would be beneficial because he has valuable insights in this particular industry. 

Market Expert 

• First off, here is some context. Coincidentally, in Monday's lecture, Dr. Pryor told another student (they had a similar business) that talking to a restaurant owner would meet this requirement so I decided to do just that. 
• Agostina Panizza is the owner of Panizza Bistro, a small Latin/Spanish/Italian restaurant in Miami. Agostina would be filling the market expert slot because she has experience in the food industry. I have actually eaten at this restaurant and met Agostina before through my older brother, Cesar, who happens to be very good friends with her so I was easily able to contact her. I asked Agostina if she would mind giving me feedback on my idea. She told me that she liked my idea and that if I want to succeed, I need to do the proper research. There is no return expectation. Having Agostina in my network would be beneficial because she has been in the food industry for many years and could potentially offer valuable advice. 

Supplier

• This particular slot was initially tricky to fill. There would be a several suppliers for different aspects of my business so it was difficult to piece all of that information together. Luckily, however, Dr. Pryor mentioned that people who have an app based business would have an app coder/developer as one of their suppliers so I just ran with this.
• Gabriel Mathews is a computer science major at GSU in Atlanta. Gabriel would be filling the supplier slot because he has the proper knowledge and skills necessary for app development. I have known Gabriel for years so I simply just called him. I asked Gabriel for feedback on my app based business. There is no return expectation. Including Gabriel in my network would be beneficial because he has the knowledge and skills that would help me drive my idea further. 

Reflection

• This experience definitely taught me the true importance of networking. Up until now I didn't necessarily have to network for any 'professional' reason so this was a new learning experience for me. To be honest, it was quite interesting and helpful. I was actually dreading this assignment but when I sat down to get it started I slowly started to realize that I already knew people who could fill the market expert, domain expert, and supplier slots. 

19A Idea Napkin No. 2

• I didn't actually get feedback so I just slightly changed my responses but they are basically the same as the last idea napkin. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated considering that some of the upcoming assignments will require more detail. 

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

• My name is Daniel Tobar Santos, I am 21 and I am currently a Business Admin (general studies) major. I am a talented cook, gamer (yes this can be a talent), and wrestler. However, these talents don't necessarily have a place in my opportunity. I am prideful in my communication/people, organization, and overall cognitive skills. If I were to start this business, I believe that helping others form healthier eating habits would be a fulfilling experience. I absolutely believe that it would positively impact my life. 

2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

• I am offering an app that provides customers (mainly college students) with healthier alternatives to what they regularly consume as well as valuable health advice. The app is subscription based and will be affordable for all college students in need of a service like this one. The app will provide customers with a variety of recipes to choose from, a delivery of already prepped grocery-fresh ingredients in the proper portions, related nutrition information, and an in-app health forum for individuals to go and gather healthy dietary information and advice. 

3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

• I am specifically offering my product/service to college students, mainly UF students, from the ages of 18-24 who live in a college town/campus, are too lazy or don't have the time to cook themselves a proper meal, or who are not knowledgeable about proper health habits. 

4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

• I believe customers would be willing to pay for the product/service simply because it could potentially help them form healthy eating habits so they can lead a healthier lifestyle. Additionally, my product/service could help make it easier for those who do not have the time to go grocery shopping, prep, and cook. 

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

• A couple core competencies would be excellent customer service and organization. Although there are plenty of similar companies in this particular industry, I believe that specifically servicing college students with unhealthy habits along with providing them with a platform where they can gather information and advice related to health is something that others may not have. 

In addition to these five elements, please spend a paragraph evaluating whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others. 

• I believe that these elements fit together. There are also certain aspects that may be out-of-joint with others. Like I stated in the first idea napkin, I myself am not a health nut or capable of software development. Having individuals with the particular skills and knowledge would help me drive this idea forward. 

For the "feedback memo" -- please summarize at least two main points that you took away from the feedback you received. Also, please describe how you incorporated the feedback into this idea napkin. 

• This is obviously difficult for me to answer because I did not get any feedback for Idea Napkin No. 1 (which is okay). I simply just revised my initial responses. Overall, however, there was not much of a change to my initial responses as I wasn't entirely sure of what to change or add.

18A Create a Customer Avatar

My customer avatar is between the ages of 19 and 22 who attends the University of Florida and lives on campus. He enjoys going out on Friday nights, watching movies with friends, and playing video games during his free time. He drives a black recent model sedan for long commutes and has a scooter for commuting around campus. This individual regularly attends classes throughout the week and typically spends a majority of his time at the library so that he can work on keeping up with his heavy workload. When he is not busy watching lectures or keeping up with his assignments, he is working a part-time retail job. Most of the time he is eating out or ordering food from delivery apps because he feels that he can't find the time to cook a nutritious meal he'll like or even go grocery shopping. When he finally does go grocery shopping, he is likely to buy foods like microwavable meals, an assortment of snacks, or anything that is easily prepared.

I believe that I have a lot in common with this customer. Additionally, I believe that this is not coincidental because I based my ideas on the personal experiences of others and of myself. 

16A What's Your Secret Sauce?

Five ways I think I have human capital

1. Reliability- I genuinely believe that anyone can rely on me in just about any situation. 
2. Organization- I keep an organized schedule so I can stay on top of anything I have to get done. 
3. Communication- I can be very social and good at conversation. I vocalize any thoughts or feelings I have.
4. Creativity- I may not be an artist but I highly value creativity. 
5. Hardworking- I keep working towards any goal/complete any task with max effort.

https://soundcloud.com/daniel-tobar-404244965/sets/16a-whats-your-secret-sauce

• G.P. - This person said that I take a direct and honest approach to everyday tasks. 
• C.M. - This person said that I was organized and productive. This aligns with what I stated above. 
• D.S. - This person said that I was reliable, responsive, present on time, and that I will always be there when needed. I would say that I wholeheartedly agree with his entire statement. I always try to be there when needed. 
• D.Z. This person said that I was creative. Like I stated above, I greatly value creativity. 
• J.L. - This person also said I was organized. 

Reflection

After interviewing all my friends who know me best, I realized that there aren't really any differences in how we all view myself. I believe this is the case because I try to be completely open about who I am. I try to be as transparent as possible so it doesn't surprise me that there are similarities in how I view myself and how everyone views me. 

15A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

The segment I chose was college students living on campus at UF. In each interview I learned that the two most important factors are price and quality. All three interviewees liked my business idea and shared similar thoughts on the solution I presented to them. They all believed that it is a great idea to specifically target college students but in order to succeed within this segment, my product/service would have to provide great quality for a fair price. However, they were focused more on price than overall quality considering that they are college students and the average college student tends to be in a tight financial situation. After I had spoken to each interviewee, I came to the conclusion that my segment would conduct transactions online (through a subscription via card or venmo/cashapp/etc.) since part of what I would be providing is meant to be shipped. I realized that, for my customers within this segment, the factors that would matter the most when thinking back on the 'rightness' of their purchase would be: great quality, fair price, if they feel that my product/service is helping them better themselves so that they can lead a healthy lifestyle.

Conclusion
After all three interviews, I came to the conclusion that the people within this segment make their decisions based on quality, price, online/convenient purchasing, and whether they believe it is the best option for them considering their current situation.

14A Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

• I learned to watch the lectures as they come out so that I don't fall behind as well as how to manage my time better.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

• There have been several instances throughout past semesters where I wanted to drop out but that's just college. Clearly that won't happen and I haven't given up on anything so far. That is obviously because I want to get my degree and graduate with a good gpa.

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

• Watch all your lectures as they come out
• Start as early as you can on assignments 
• Well before a due date, sacrifice an hour or even just 20-30 minutes a day to do any assigned readings

13A Reading Reflection No. 1

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

1) You read about an entrepreneur:

• What surprised you the most? Although I already knew a little about the waffle iron, reading about how such a random piece of cookware contributed to the creation of one of their most famous shoes in the words of Phil Knight was surprising. 

• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire? I greatly admired his adaptability, tenacity, and determination.

• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? I found it strange that he expressed his intimate interest for a student.

• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it? Knight faced a lot of adversity but failure didn't seem like an option for him. He always looked for a solution for whatever problem he or his company faced. He encountered many issues with his suppliers in Japan which he ultimately switched from to Taiwan. Other times when he faced adversity or failure, he borrowed money form his parents, hired new people, or created new products. 

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? Knight was motivated and he wasn't afraid to compete with the other companies in the industry. He demonstrated that he had a real passion for what he was doing. 

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. The parts dealing with his issues with Japan and having to travel back and forth.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

• Out of all of the shoes Nike has released, which pair would you say is your personal favorite?
• Why: This would be very interesting to know coming from Phil Knight.
• What are your thoughts on the impact Nike has had on "streetwear" culture?
• I buy and wear a lot of streetwear and I almost always have to have a pair of Nike's on so the answer to this would be interesting to me.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? I think Knight undoubtedly valued hard work. Without all the hard work knight and his employees put forth, the business would not have succeeded as much as it has.

12A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

The segment that I chose was college students living on campus at UF.

Interviews
For this set of interviews, I went to campus and tried to target individuals at fast food joints with the assumption that they fit my criteria; lack of proper dietary knowledge/eating habits (uncertainty in what they should be eating or what nutrients need to be delivered to the body on a daily basis) or too lazy/busy to grocery shop and cook a decent meal. It took me several attempts but I was able to find three individuals who ended up having the problem I have explained thus far.

• Interview 1: The first interviewee, 22, said that they believe their need becomes the most salient the moment they wake up for classes and at random points throughout the day. They stated that since they wake up early enough to catch a bus and rush to class and considering that they have a busy schedule (classes, activities, hw) throughout the day, they rarely find the time to go grocery shopping for healthy ingredients and to cook a decent meal at home. As soon as they realize that they won't have the time to do so, they stated that they just go to whichever restaurant is closest to them. 

• Interview 2: This interviewee, 19, stated that even though they have a pretty flexible schedule they are simply too lazy to cook and lack the proper dietary/nutritional knowledge as well. They wish to further enhance their dietary knowledge. They said that their need becomes the most salient when they get hungry but don't want to cook. They also stated that their solution is buying frozen foods (both healthy and unhealthy) or settling for the nearest fast food restaurant. Often times they even google a plethora dietary information as well as recipes but decide not to follow through with the grocery shopping and cooking. Often times they seek the advice of their "fit" friends.

• Interview 3: This interviewee stated that their need becomes the most salient on the way to classes, after classes when they go straight to work, and after work when they have to sit down and do hw if they have any. Their solution is to heat up anything frozen or to go to any of their preferred restaurants.

Conclusion

Based on what I learned, many college students seemingly don't have the time to go grocery shopping and cook themselves something nourishing or they are uncertain of what to eat and what to stay away from. For many of these individuals, delivering the proper nutrients to their body isn't at the top of their list but there are some who want to change that in whichever way possible. 

11A Idea Napkin No. 1

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

• My name is Daniel, I am 21 and I am a transfer student and Business Admin major who is currently deciding on a minor. Even though I am always learning and looking to add more talents to my list, I do have several talents that I currently take pride in. I am currently a talented cook, gamer, and folkstyle wrestler. I am prideful in my communication/people skills as well as my overall cognitive skills, thanks to my many years of gaming. Additionally, I am skillful with select industrialized cleaning equipment and I have some experience in the industrialized cleaning industry due to a brief stint working as a contractor alongside my father, but I don't wish to utilize those skills or experiences any further. As for aspirations, I hope to someday have my own business (not this) like my father and brother who respectively own their own company and gym. If I were to start this business, I believe that it would be a fulfilling experience helping people form healthier eating habits. Especially considering that I used to struggle with the specific need I have explained. I truly believe that it would impact my life in a very positive way.

2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs).

• The product/service that I am offering is an app that provides customers healthy foods and dietary information. The app will provide recipes of the customers choice, a delivery of grocery-fresh ingredients in the proper portions that pertain to the selected recipe(s) with related nutrition information, and an in-app health forum where individuals can go to gather healthy dietary information and advice.

3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

• I am offering my product/service to college students, specifically UF students, from ages 18-24 who live in a college town/campus, are too lazy or don't have the time to cook themselves a proper meal, or who simply lack the proper dietary knowledge/skills.

4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service.

• Customers would be willing to pay for the product/service because it could potentially help them acquire relevant information as well as help them form better eating habits so that they can lead a healthier lifestyle. It may even make it easier for those who don't have the time to go to the grocery store, prep, and cook all at once. 

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

• One of my core competencies would be excellent customer service. I believe that specifically servicing college students with unhealthy dietary habits as well as providing them with a platform where they can seek valuable information pertaining to dietary health sets me apart from others. Even though there are existing services similar to mine, I don't believe that there is a business that also includes a health based forum along with the services I have explained thus far. 

In addition to these five elements, please spend a paragraph evaluating whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others.

• So far, I believe that these elements fit together but there are aspects that are out-of-joint with others. For example, I am no health guru or software developing genius. Having someone who has substantial knowledge related to dietary health as well as someone who knows their way around software development would help me get this off the ground. 

10A Elevator Pitch No.1

This is hilarious. Also, please excuse my unkempt beard. It has been a long two weeks.

In all honesty, I still wasn't sure about the solution to my opportunity or this pitch. This idea probably doesn't even make sense

https://youtu.be/aCt28SzPWgc

9A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: After all the interviews I have conducted, I was able to form a clear idea of who is and who is not within the boundaries of the market I intend to target. The people who who are in the boundaries are college students living in college towns, though it is possible to find individuals with the need who aren't college students or students who aren't necessarily in a "college town." The people who fall outside of the market would be individuals who lead a healthy lifestyle or those with a deeply rooted issue such as eating disorders. However, for my interviews I specifically targeted students who were physically fit. I did so because I believed they would surely fall outside of the boundaries and because individuals with deeply rooted issues would need to seek an actual doctor not dietary advice from a regular person, app, or website.
All five of my interviewees regularly go to the gym. Four out of the five actually focus on their diet and meal prep while the other eats frozen meals that are delivered to their home.

What: The need starts to differ form another need when it it becomes a deeply rooted problem. While students who lack the dietary knowledge or who are simply lazy can completely benefit from my solution, those who have real eating disorders may only find it helpful to a certain extent, if not at all.

Why: The underlying cause of the outsiders need would absolutely be different if he/she was suffering from a serious disorder.


Inside the Boundary

Who is in: College students who are are too busy, who lack the proper skills and/or dietary knowledge, and who want to better themselves in all dietary aspects in general. 

What the Need Is: College students are not feeding themselves properly and are denying their bodies of the nutrients they require.

Why the Need Exists: The need exists for several reasons. 1) College students are are often times too overwhelmed with course work and everyday life that they don't have the time or patience to cook a healthy meal, 2) lack of healthy dietary knowledge thus leading them to settle for unhealthy choices (fast food), etc.


Outside the Boundary

 Who is Not: People leading a healthy lifestyle in general; individuals with a serious disorder

What the Need Is Not: Feeding themselves properly and delivering the proper nutrients to the body in order to stay healthy; seeking dietary advice from a source other than a doctor (individuals with disorders.

8A Solving the Problem

Problem: College students are not feeding themselves properly and are denying their body of the nutrients it requires because of a variety of reasons.

Solution: Unfortunately I couldn't really figure out a solution that would generate cash flow. However, I did think of a solution that ultimately solves the need in this instance. I thought of creating some sort of health related online forum, specifically one that mainly consists of dietary information, where students of a specific college or university can go and exchange valuable information on how to better themselves in terms of proper eating habits. It would need to be specific to a school because I believe it would generate a better sense of community among fellow peers and so that no one feels uncomfortable. The forum would consist of multiple subsections that focus on one specific dietary aspect.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

7A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1)
The opportunity I have chosen to pursue is that college students are not feeding themselves properly and are denying their bodies of much needed nutrients due to many factors, both external and internal.
2)
The who: Anyone, mainly college students, who lack proper eating habits.
The what: Many college students develop poor eating habits once they enter college and continue to make poor decisions related to their health. This can ultimately cause exhaustion, stress, depression etc.
The Why: Some people lack the proper habits and aren't necessarily educated enough on the specifics of making healthy choices, such what foods to eat and what foods to avoid.
3)
There are plenty of students who enter college lacking the proper knowledge on how to deliver the right nutrients the body needs. This is attributable to a variety of reasons. It can be the uncertainty of what they should eat, lack of skills, or simply not having the time to cook a decent and healthy meal.
4)
After interviewing 5 students here at UF, I found out that there are many students who share this issue. For the most part, the interviewees currently have or have had problems making healthy dietary choices, or even healthy choices in general. All 5 interviewees even went on to share that they have friends at this university, as well as others, who have a difficult time acquiring the proper eating habits they need in order to attain the nutrients they need to stay healthy and energized. There were differences in their reasoning behind why they had an issue. One interviewee said they could not find the time to cook for themselves and would resort to buying low quality food, while another said they were simply too lazy. My last interviewee claimed that they cook every now and then, but ultimately did not have the specific knowledge and know-how when it came to proper health choices. 2 out of the 5 have some kind of meal meal plan either at the school or through an online subscription.

6A Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic Trends:
1) Survey suggests baby boomers aren't retiring

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2019/03/01/baby-boomers-parting-gift-workforce-one-last-mess/?noredirect=on
• I believe there is an opportunity that could benefit new workers and baby boomers searching for part-time jobs. Baby boomers who are at the age of retirement are looking to transfer over to part-time jobs instead of retiring. Whether its retiring or switching over to a part-time job, as baby boomers exit the workforce they leave a gap of knowledge/experience. 
• Any company that employs a high number of baby boomers who are expected to retire soon. 
• This could be moderately easy to exploit. As the article suggests, many companies are already offering these baby boomers part-time jobs. Perhaps the part-time jobs offered could have some sort of structure that allows baby boomers to pass on knowledge and insights to new workers. Essentially acting as mentors.  

2) Increase in natural disasters as a result of climate change

• https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666
• An opportunity exists here which would require everyones efforts. The issue of climate change worsens and there are still many people who would rather avoid it than to do their part. 
• The prototypical customer would be non-profit organizations, relief groups, and everyone else.
• This opportunity could be difficult to exploit because it would take the efforts of much of the worlds population.
• Having spent a majority of my life in a place that sees plenty of tropical storms, I was able to quickly see the opportunity. 

Regulatory Trends:
3) Smoking regulations

• https://www.boston25news.com/news/boston-cracks-down-on-vaping-with-changes-to-tobacco-nicotine-regulations/987771870
• There is an opportunity present as officials discuss how they plan to tackle this ongoing issue as it turns into a national crisis.  
• The prototypical customer would be verified adult-only vendors.
• This opportunity would be very easy to exploit as there is research that shows the negative effects of vaping and regulating where you can purchase the cartridges and restricting the sale of fruit flavors, there will be a decrease in teen usage. 
• I saw the opportunity because I know and have met many people who indulge themselves with vaping products and rather ignore the consequences that come with using harmful products.

4) Regulators worry about Facebook's potential digital currency

• https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/heres-why-regulators-are-so-worried-about-facebooks-digital-currency.html
• Lawmakers are worried about Facebook's recent announcement that they are looking to introduce a cryptocurrency of their own, the Libra Coin. Assuming Facebook succeeds, it is possible that it could compete with currencies like the dollar. I believe the opportunity that exists is investing in the cryptocurrency if Facebook were to introduce it.
• The prototypical customer would be any Facebook user and anyone interested in the cryptocurrency.
• It would be difficult to exploit because Facebook is currently still working on the currency and has yet to implement the change.

5A Local Opportunities

I.
Title: 'We've had enough.': Students organize protest on Fraternity Drive
Link: https://www.alligator.org/news/we-ve-had-enough-students-organize-protest-on-fraternity-drive/article_699fab64-d107-11e9-b2c2-b38c5b626004.html
Story: Across UF campus there are Blue Light Emergency Phones. Also known as blue lights, the easy to spot emergency phones are exactly what the name implies, phones that allow students to call University Police in case of an emergency. Sadly on Fraternity Row this doesn't seem to be the case. This lead to a group of students and fellow activists to call on UF officials to make a change.
Problem: Lack of blue lights on Fraternity Row could be a dangerous in case of an emergency.
Who has the problem: Anyone who lives on or goes to Fraternity Row.

II.
Title: Alachua County Jail hacker outsmarted system "just to prove" he could
Link:https://www.alligator.org/news/alachua-county-jail-hacker-outsmarted-system-just-to-prove-he/article_bfd17294-d5dd-11e9-83af-5379a6d2d3d5.html
Story: Justin Lee Williams is supposedly a skilled hacker. He was arrested in 2015 and taken to the Alachua County Jail. In his time at the jail, Williams impersonated an officer and attempted to fake taxes in a strange attempt to escape. Several years later he used his skills to help another inmate escape. He does so using the jails systems.
Problem: Facilities such as jails need to have strong firewalls and staff members that are skilled with computers.
Who has the problem: Alachua County Jail and any other facility who may face a similar issue.

III.
Title: Florida teen blames collapsed lung on vaping
Link:https://www.orlandosentinel.com/health/os-ne-florida-teen-blames-collapsed-lung-on-vaping-20190819-6kxys3qndrb7vf4outobh374rq-story.html
Story: A Florida teen suffered a severe lung collapse which he described as feeling like he was having a heart attack. Chance Ammirata, 18, told reporters that his collapsed lung was caused by vaping.
Problem: The teen suffered a collapsed lung because of his vaping habits. Vaping can be detrimental to a persons health and can have severe outcomes.
Who has the problem: Anyone who is a consumer of e-cigarettes or anything related to.

IV.
Title: 13 Orlando restaurants shut down for roaches, rodents, sewage backup
Link:https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bz-restaurant-inspections-august-20190911-mczyqabhszbzff4nqs5a6bjxau-story.html
Story: 13 restaurants (Little Saigon, Popeyes, etc) located in Orlando have all been temporarily closed for health code violations after state inspections.
Problem: Health code violations
Who has the problem: Restaurants that don't keep the establishment up to code which in turn could                                           affect an employees or customers health.

V.
Title: City Commission repeals plastic ban, raises GRU rates
Link:https://www.alligator.org/news/city-commission-repeals-plastic-ban-raises-gru-rates/article_cbb76770-d5e3-11e9-9a5e-2fe54a48b3cd.html
Story: Here in Gainesville, the city commission came to a unanimous decision to repeal a ban on single-use plastic and styrofoam containers. 
Problem: The city commission decided against environmental regulations because of certain complications.
Who has the problem: The people of Gainesville and the environment in general.

3A Your Entrepreneurship Story

Personally, I consider myself a person with entrepreneurial aspirations. While I don’t necessarily have a full-fledged plan, those aspirations are there. This is because of the entrepreneurial exposure throughout my life. It wasn’t the mandatory assemblies in my early academic career or even special events or workshops that made an impression. The exposure to entrepreneurship came from family. Back In El Salvador when I was a child, both sides of my family owned small bakeries. As interesting as that actually was, I was much too young to be genuinely interested in the field of entrepreneurship, but now I continually ask my mother and father questions about what those experiences were like for both them and their parents. Nowadays, my father has his own company as a contractor working directly with the city of Miami and my brother owns a CrossFit gym in Brickell. Needless to say that the exposure has been there and as my entrepreneurial interest increases, so does the knowledge I gain from picking their brains about entrepreneurship and what it means to them.  

            I enrolled in the ENT3003 course mainly because I’m required to take it but I hope to gain valuable information that will help further down the road

Gym:If you love CrossFit then check them out!