30A – Final Reflection

1.There were many moments of dread, because I could find the right people for certain assignments, or they were taking too long to answer back. I did enjoy making the connections with people and reading others feedback and their ideas.

2. I will definitely remember reading the books, they were actually interesting, unlike many books we would be assigned during high school or other classes.

3. I do think myself as more of an entrepreneur. Of course that there are things that I would still need to hone in, but I do think that the fundamentals for this mindset are there and ready.

4. I would definitely try and finish the assignments earlier in the week, or at least read the assignments and then have it mulling over in your head until you get a great idea on where to go from there. I would recommend being very open to criticism and also to new ideas that you may not be in your comfort zone.

27A – Reading Reflection No. 3

I read The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users, Guy Kawasaki

1)  The general theme or argument of the book was to teach how to have your company use social media to get in touch with your consumers. This book teaches you how to navigate many of the big social media outlets like Facebook, the now extinct Google hangouts, and others.

2) The book really showed how to get to your market audience and how to use social media to retain them by showing them that you are on the ball when it comes to have easy to use and modern ways to let them connect with your company.

3) I would definitely design an exercise involving creating a fake social media account for our companies or services and classmates try to get hold of us through that by doing the peer reviews of the exercise through there instead of through these blogs.

4) I was surprised that they weren't just saying things like this is what we think would be smart to do, they were stating their experiences they have had while using social media for themselves or for jobs they have had. I found that interesting because its not a how to book, but a retelling of what they found out. I also found it interesting that once you have really created pages that you plan on using, you can check them by going into an incognito window and check out the page to see how it looks and feels.

26A – Celebrating Failure

* I have failed multiple times this semester to wake up to my alarm when i have wanted to go do something important, like grocery shopping or laundry. I would set the alarm the morning before, and then end up staying up late for whatever reason, then wake up to the alarm, then look at my phone for like ten minutes and then fall back asleep, until like noon-ish.

*I learned that I should really try not to stay up super late, at least not all the time, because it is bound to happen again and it messes with my sleep schedule.

*Failure is very difficult, because it can bring you down and it can be hard to recover from it if it really hits you hard. But with the books that I have read here in class and seeing what exactly needs to be done to use failure to your advantage and learn from it. I wouldn't say I am more likely to risk now, I am just more aware about what I can expect if I fail at something.

23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

* I have a contact in the same industry who can help me find suppliers
Valuable: very valuable as I can get started on finding companies that can build me parts to get.
Rare: It is not very rare
Imitable: There are probably many companies who have steadfast suppliers.

* I have a friend who can help science things up for the product
Valuable: it is not valuable, but useful to help figure out the kinks in the science part of it.
Rare: It is not that rare.
Imitable: Theres always companies that have their own science people to help them.

* I have experience with serving and communicating with customers
Valuable: Very valuable, as not everyone can deal with or communicate their thoughts to consumers correctly.
Rare: it is not that rare
Imitable: Theres most likely a whole department for people that are able to do this for large companies.

* I know people close to me who would be in the market for the item.
Valuable: It is valuable to have some people who would be able to rep the product and initially buy it.
Rare: It is not rare
Imitable: Theres a large chance most people that know the companies will use the product if it applies to them.

* This idea for the product
Valuable: it is very valuable because getting a head start can help the company grow enough to where main competitors are.
Rare: it can be rare
Imitable: It can be imitable, but I would have some time

*Having people who want to save the earth
Valuable: it is valuable because having people spread the word to people in my market is important
Rare: it is uncommon
Imitable: I mean it can be copied if similar products were made with less waste.

*My perseverance
Valuable: Someone who wants to be successful need to be able to persist through all problems
 Rare: It can be, compare to people who give up easily
Imitable: This can be copied

*Being able to competitively price items
Valuable: It is valuable to be able to price things correctly
Rare: it can be rare to not find products that are competitively price
Imitable: Prices can always be copied

*I have many people who have diabetes and are interested in the product
Valuable: It is valuable to have people looking for better options
Rare: It can be rare to personally know or find people willing to buy your product
Imitable: It can be copied if you hype people well enough

* I have many medical professionals who think that this is a very plausible
Valuable: It is valuable because I can possibly
Rare: It is not very rare to have other successful people think that your item is interesting
Imitable: It can be copied

My top resource would probably be the uniqueness of the product. Be able to surprise the market with a good product is a double-edge blade. I can surprise the big companies that control the diabetes market, but also releasing it without much hype can also hurt the growth of the product.

I would hopefully be able to get many people to see how this product can help the planet and people.

21A – Reading Reflection No. 2

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

1) The general theme of the book is that you can turn failures into springboards to successes later on in life. The book also gives ideas and suggestions on how to better your life and get your life together.

2) This book definitely connected with the elevator pitches. Since we are able to correct them with feedback that we receive. With the feedback, we can use the mistakes we have made and make it better. It also connects that not all business ventures result in making a bunch of money or become successful.

3) The exercise would include knowing what priorities are important to you in your life. It would also include finding out what qualities you have to offer to employers.

4) I was really surprised that he had bounced around so many business ventures throughout his life. I think its very interesting that he was able to get better jobs just by being bad at his job and giving his higher ups advise. Another thing that surprised me was that he mentioned that you should try to be a bit selfish.

20A – Growing Your Social Capital

1.) One person most be a domain expert in your industry: I met this person who works in a chemistry lab in a large pharmaceutical company. I met hime through a friend of a family friend, so it was really just a matter of texting him for information and possible ways he could help. He was very happy to be able to give me help, he isn't really expecting anything in return. This inclusion could help me make sure I can get the best combination of chemicals and active agents into the reusable tips that I can use.

2.) One person must be an expert on your market: I have a personal friend who actually has a significant other and a family with a Diabetes, so this friend has a lot of experience in the market on how everyday lives could be made easier and less intense on their pockets. They are a telecommunication major, who really knows her way around a conversation and the market. She is a fellow classmate of mine a few semester's ago, and we just kind of talked it over and I managed to get a few interviews with people she knew with Diabetes. She really didnt expect anything in return, other than being able to be helpful in making a good product that can actually change lives. Including this person into my network can help get feedback many times faster than trying to wrangle people with surveys on the street or through mass emails, making getting more improvements out faster.


3.) One person must be an important supplier to your industry: I managed to get an interview with a manager at a supply facility at Arthrex. He was super nice and was glad that someone was interested in how the supplying of medical equipment. I met him through a friend of my mother who works under him. I basically just emailed him and we ended up getting coffee somewhere. He was super knowledge about with how his item( heart monitors) was assembled and tested. He seemed very interested in my product, though I personally didnt really enjoy him or his company. I do think he might want something in return, such a some equity or free stuff if this ever takes off. Including this person into the group allows for me to try and get prices for what people are paying versus what I can price things at.


Reflect: I think that connecting people who are networked with possible competitors is very important and to network with those people who are competitors as well. It was very different as I needed to feed them more information than I would usually try and give at say a normal social setting. I also cant just walk away  from them and never see them again as easily as it would be in a public event.

19A – Idea Napkin No. 2

1.) I have some contracts here and there who can help me explain some things and possible help me bring my idea into fruition.

2.) Offering an alternative to people who are tired of paying for testing strips for diabetes testing and don't want to pay for expensive constant monitors, while saving the planet. A reusable strip for testing blood sugar that can be sanitized and used again.With this new strip you be able to get accurate. It would be shaped like the thermometers that children stick in their mouths or under the arm. The strip itself would be able to be removed. The meter would be able to read the normal things a glucose meter would be able to read, along with whether the blood-glucose level is fine or not.

3.) Diabetics from any age group, who can prick themselves and would like an alternative to using paper strips or those with continuous glucose monitors who want to save some money and extra doctor's visits.

4.) Throughout a year, a diabetic can spend quite a bit of money for quality blood sugar test strips, so this change can reduce the amount of strips they could use throughout their life, as diabetes is a lifetime challenge. This will also help the planet, as the used strips can not be recycled due to the bio hazard, so they will end up going to a landfill.

5.) It has never been done before and it will definitely spice up the market that these big blood-glucose testing strip companies have had for a while. Even though curve for entering a market would be quite steep, it would be possible to with some work to get an edge on the market while to try to come up with a similar product.

I do think that most of the elements that I have available fit together, other than the part with what I can bring to the table. I do think that with some networking and such I could build some more reliable and useful connections to really tie everything together and possibly make it easier to get such a product to market.

The main point that was made from feedback was to go into depth a bit more about the product. The feedback also included some good ideas to add to the design of the product.

18A – Create a Customer Avatar

What do you have in common with the customer avatar?

I have many things in common with these avatars. Since Diabetes is always something that can not be seen on the outside, anyone can have it. Since it can really only be caused by either diet and exercise or sometimes during pregnancy. I chose to do both a male and female as it can affect both of them. The customer does end up being a somewhat younger person, as they tend to be more interested in both saving money and saving the environment from the large amount of used blood test strips they could be purchasing and using throughout a year. 

 If you have anything in common with the avatar, do you think that is a coincidence? 
I do think it is a coincidence. 

Why?
People don't have to be either my age or gender, or be interested in saving money or the planet to have diabetes. But they have to have the same interests in saving money and the environment to have something in common with me. 

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1)
Person 1:  If they had to pick an alternative, they said that they would definitely roll with something more expensive meters or even have a pump, just because the cheaper meters are inaccurate and it makes them feel a bit as if they are just guessing at the sugar levels. Seeing some sample prices for the expensive meters and the pumps, would be willing to finance the purchase, though of course it would have to be talked over with a physician and a spouse, in their case. They understand that they don't really sell these options reliable outside of physicians directly selling them or through the companies who make the items themselves. Things that would put this person off of purchasing the alternatives, would be if the purchase ends up not being as effective as initially thought. Seeing that the price is definitely an issue, quality and effectiveness are big factors for this person.

Person 2: This person likes the futuristic look of the finger scanning alternative. They don't really like needles or pricks, so their current pump doesn't really bother them. This person would love to be able to purchase most things online or through Amazon, so that they maybe get to their house as fast as possible, even if they had to get a finance for it. This person would seriously reconsider a purchase like this if the item was not up to par with getting their blood sugar levels accurate.

Person 3: The alternative this person had considered grabbing was the pump, just because the less stuff they have to carry with them, the better. They really like the small profile of just putting the monitor into a pocket and just being ready to go, with maybe some things to either raise or lower blood sugar. For this person convenience and effectiveness are key to seeing if it is worth the price. They would most definitely seek out reviews from other users before choosing a product. They wouldn't mind paying an increased price for it or paying in cash if it would make their life easier.


3) I had each person choose from 4 options to test their blood sugar levels throughout a day. They could choose from an expensive constant pump that's attached to their side, a very cheap blood sugar meter you can just buy off the shelf (with the cheapest test strips available as well), an expensive prescribed meter that has prescribed test strips as well that must be filled at a pharmacy, or a device that can measure blood sugar by just scanning finger under a really bright light(very futuristic looking).

4)Out of the options given to them, their choice may influence the availability for where their performed options are able to be acquired, and many times, how they could actually pay for the alternative. They do seem to want the convenience of buying online and being able to see it in stores as well for physical reference.

5) The people I spoke with seemed to really want the purchase to actually change the way they are living with Diabetes. If the purchase ends up being too much of a hassle or it is too expensive for what it is worth, they would consider that a bad purchase.

6)The people with whom I talked to enjoyed either the option of something different due to either phobias or dislike of initial product they are using. Some of them wanted some very cool looking products, while others just wanted something worth the price they are paying. None of the people minded whether they could buy the product, just that the product had a good build quality and was trusted by many to be a good a choice. As for payment options, they were all open to financing options.

7) People in this segment are looking for reliable, quality-looking products that can be widely available to most people in both payment options and in ways to be purchased, as well as different enough to change a lifestyle they currently live with.

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

1.) people who like to watch their blood sugar, want to save money, want to save the planet, with both types of diabetes.
2.) Person 1: Using strips is super cumbersome. I don't know why they cost so much with a prescription. They are also so annoying to get at the pharmacy. I do think if a reusable one would work better, but I can see it being useful and being less expensive, which would be nice.

Person2. I do like to be with more money, so less strips to buy would be refreshing.  I do like how this technology can help advance the products that are able to help diabetics. I do think that strips can be expensive, though my insurance pays for most of it. So this should be interesting to see if you see this through.

Person3: I personally use the continual insulin device, so its attached to my body most of the time. This is very different then using strips, but its still very expensive to change the sensors and they are a pain in the butt to carry around than using strips. I can see just carry a single device being very convenient and i don't mind pricking myself instead of the constant tube sticking out of me.

3.) Students who have diabetes could benefit from this so they don't have to be super poor when buying strips. Many people are always very environment conscience. This could be the difference that they need to feel like they really are doing a difference in the world.
4.)They start googling about similar items, but they don't seem to want to buy those continuous devices with the tubes and then the other ones are very inaccurate.
5.) From what I have learned in the interview, the need they have is to save money from these accurate, but expensive strips. The other need they have is to see not use that many small pieces of paper to just to bleed onto them and they just get thrown away.
6.) I would decide that people need to be old enough to know that money can be tight sometimes and that this illness is for life and that if the recycle aspect doesn't help, then there wouldn't be too much of a market for my item, other than to make them less expensive and give people more choice than what is available online and in store.

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

1.) I have some contracts here and there who can help me explain some things and possible help me bring my idea into fruition.
2.) Offering an alternative to people who are tired of paying for testing strips for diabetes testing and don't want to pay for expensive constant monitors, while saving the planet. A reusable strip for testing blood sugar that can be sanitized and used again.
3.) Diabetics from any age group, who can prick themselves and would like an alternative to using paper strips.
4.) Throughout a year, a diabetic can spend quite a bit of money for quality blood sugar testing strips, so this change can reduce the amount of strips they could use throughout their life, as diabetes is a lifetime challenge.
5.) It has never been done before and it will definitely spice up the market that these big testing strip companies have had for a while.

I think that some of these aspects, such as the market and the idea are stronger than what i have to bring to the idea.  I do think that with the correct way of creating the idea and how to release it, it can blossom into something great.

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Inside the boundary:

1.  Who is in: Large and small companies and the education system
2. What the need is: To appeal to younger audiences to bring them to use those companies or do better in school.
3. Why the need exists: Many companies end up making a fool of themselves for trying to relate to younger generations and schools could use the help to try and make school more engaging.

Outside the boundary:

1. Who is Not: Children and nursing homes
2. What the need is not: Its different than just being hip and trending, its more of being able to see what makes these younger generations tick, and what will make them more willing to do business or be engaged with the entity.
3. Alternative explanations: Being a teenager or child makes them the purpose of the service so that they may ask their parents for money or to buy them things. Or if its in schools, its for them to enjoy whatever subject they are studying because it matches what going on in their lives or entertainment and lifestyle.

As I went down to the age group my idea was trying to help get information from, I saw that we didn't need the idea because the age group had the service they were looking for in themselves and the internet. I also went to the other extreme and asked people who were very old and found out that even though some of them were still young at heart, they didn't really care too much about teenagers did unless it personally helped them in the little time they had left in this world.

8A – Solving The Problem

1) Companies are trying to relate to Generation Z and younger generations because as they are getting older, they are becoming more involved with society, and therefore the culture and social norms they come with become more prevalent.

2) A solution could be a counseling service to older and larger companies to get info from younger people to see top trends with younger people and how to appeal to them. The service would have many informants from different age groups and genders, to see how different trends are affected between all the groups. This information could help marketing teams to build commercials and products for more people.  These companies can hire a consultant for a fee and they will help the companies figure out how to incorporate the info into their business.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1) How CEOs' companies are trying - to attract 'Generation Z'
 This article is about companies explaining why it's important to try and gain interest from younger generations and some of the CEOs give some examples on how they might do so.

2)
The Who: Companies of any size in the U.S
The What: The companies are finding it difficult to appeal to younger generations
The Why: As younger generations are getting old enough to begin contributing to society, companies need to try and appeal to them to join them for work or sell their services and products.

3) Will creating a service to give companies information to evolve their goods and services help them appeal to younger generations.

4)Questions: How do you think that companies are out of touch with younger generations?
                     Why should younger generations choose these older companies instead of creating their own or using colleague made companies?
                     In what ways could large CEOs improve their goods and services to appeal to all generations?
                    Who else do you think would benefit from information on the younger demographics?

* I can see some companies try too hard to please teenagers and sometimes it is very embarrassing to see. Younger generations should not pick these older companies, some of them are really taking over and we cant have that. The new small companies need help to grow.  If these larger CEOs want to make themselves better and more appealing, they can start not being so cringe with new trends. I think elderly people should benefit from this information because sometimes they think that they can just use any modern trends and they really just shouldn't, because they don't understand it fully.

* There are many companies are very much out of touch with younger generations with social norms, like the Gillette commercial recently. The younger companies should appeal more to us, and it's good to use help others of our age groups succeed and challenge those moguls. CEOs from larger companies should really try to stop being so power and money hungry. I think that most people would benefit with this information to not be so harsh on younger people for doing certain things.

* I don't think that they are out of touch, many companies seem that they know what trends are happening. Younger generations should choose older and bigger companies to get reliable products and services. CEOs should hire younger people. With that change, most companies should start seeing much differences in how they communicate with their customers. Lots of adults are really getting many of these teen terms.

* Companies do not need to be in touch with younger generations, its gets to be too much and they should get in their lane. Older companies have more experience and they end up being more successful because they have proven strategies; if it's not broke, don't fix it.  Large CEOs may need to lower prices but thats about it. I mean trends change almost daily, some info wouldn't hold for long.

* Large companies should not try to get in touch, it gets messy real quick. Young people should be able to pick whatever company makes a better product and service. CEOs should consult with younger people, but take the info lightly. Other people that benefit from this would be the government, because they really don't understand us.

5A – Identifying Local Opportunities

1)New cruise ships need thousands of workers. Here's how companies fill those jobs

*https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0121%21January%2B21&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/171176097785D630

* The cruise line industry has been growing a lot these days. The story also states how many cruise lines are recruiting crew members for their ships and how they may differ from each other.

*The problem in this story is the need to hire a lot of people and need to train them as well.

*The different cruise lines have the problem of filling these jobs with competent new hires

2)How CEOs' companies are trying - to attract 'Generation Z'

* https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0121%21January%2B21&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1711A81A68EB6B08

* Experts in the healthcare industry are trying to figure out Gen. Z and how they enjoy getting their information and services both in and out of healthcare.

*The problem in this story is the need to know how our younger generations function in everyday life and in terms of their healthcare.

* CEOs and other experts have this problem of understanding younger generations.

3)Kidney transplant program hit a wall - Too few patients, staffing issues doomed institute

* https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ANDNB%21Naples%2BDaily%2BNews%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0122%21January%2B22&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1711BDAC87668418

* Southwest Florida attempted to open a organ transplant program again, but with many issue that were brought up, such as staff conflict and service quality, they had to shut down the program.

* The problem in this story is that now Tampa is the closest place to attempt to get a transplant for certain organs in Southwest Florida.

* People in need of transplants have the problem of a closer chance of getting a transplant.

4) Worker dies in Bonita construction site accident

* https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ANDNB%21Naples%2BDaily%2BNews%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/171265B2804847E8

* In Bonita, there was an accident at a construction site involving a dump truck and a man died.

* The problem in this story is that there may have not been enough precautions put in place at the construction site for this to not to happen.

* The people who work in construction and those who provide the safety guidelines.

5)Recalls of romaine, Goldfish are tip of the contamination iceberg

*https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3ANDNB%21Naples%2BDaily%2BNews%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0122%21January%2B22&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1711BDAC3638D430

* There has been an increasing amount of disease outbreaks in foods. People are discussing the reasons why this is happening .

* The problem is the lack of food contamination regulations put in play

* The government has the problem of not place correct safety regulation.

3A – Your Entrepreneurship Story

During my winter break a  couple years ago, while i was working at this bakery and wine shop combo (weird idea but it works really well) This lady who was a waitress from the owner's restaurant next door, who also own the bakery I was working at, asks the owner if she could sell the little crafts that she makes here at the bakery. The owner agrees and she sets up this little Christmas tree structure and hangs these mice made out of wine corks and nails. They are super cute and she actually sells quite a bit of them. People start asking for different kinds of animals and outfits. Many tourists also stop by and buy some and to show them off. The waitress saw the opportunity with the amount of wine corks she got at her job, and created a small side business for her to create some extra cash.

2A Bug List

1) The Bugs

1* The long "driveway" from my apartment to the street is super dark at night
2* There arent too many markets near the hospital for students to buy from
3* Metro Diner on Sundays is always packed
4* Many apartments dont come with utilities included
5* Starbucks is very overpriced with even their simplest items
6* Some microwaves have the most annoying finishing sounds
7*There is way too many people at the gym.
8*There is too much traffic on Archer Road.
9* There isnt enough movie theaters around town.
10* Maintenance takes too long to come and complete complaints
11*The caps on water and electricity are a bit too low
12* There isnt a way to check if you are close to pass the utility caps
13*Healthy foods are too expensive
14*The walk to campus is a little too long
15* There isnt enough recycling bins in my apartment complex
16* Not enough places open 24/7
17*Bathtubs are too small for bigger people
18* Taxes take a lot of money out of paychecks
19* It is too hot to be northern Florida
20* It is very hard to get the smell of cigarettes or pets out of carpets

2) Why the bugs exist

1* There are no lights or illumination along the road
2* City planning was done differently for this area
3* There isnt enough Metro Diners around the area
4* It may be difficult or overly expensive to get an agreement with utility companies
5* Starbucks corporate people think that a brand being well known makes them special enough to raise prices
6* It exists to not let people forget that their food is done in the microwave
7* Everyone is still doing their New Year's Resolutions about getting fit.
8* It is a main road with a lot of businesses and houses on it
9*  I guess college students just dont have enough time to go to the movies
10* There isnt enough maintenance people that are hired or they are too lazy or have too many orders
11* To be able to charge people for using up too much when they say that utlilities are included
12* Possibly because it would be rather hard to keep track of this constantly
13* It takes longer to prepare and to grow
14* because real estate is very expensive
15* There may not be the correct facilities or regulations in place to ease this process
16* Businesses may not be profitable after a certain time
17* Larger bathtubs may not fit in the bathrooms
18* Taxes are needed to help pay for other things
19* Global warming is making this happen
20* Carpet is just a very clingy material to work with and to live with.

3) Reflection
I found that after the initial ten or so bugs, it became quite hard to notice inconveniences in everyday life, because we are already used to them or we have learned to overcome them. Once you get into like the second or third week of doing the same things, you get blinders over your eyes in seeing what happens differently in the world around you. Some of the bugs i had came from just following my roommate around his classes for a day. I noticed quite a few things that would bug me, but that he just took as normal.

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