Final Reflection (30A)

1) Wow. This semester feels as though it has been so long yet so short at the same time. It is crazy to think of how much I have learned and done throughout this semester and I would have never pictured this ending back in January. This class provided me with so many cool and challenging experiences and really pushed me to get out of my comfort zone as much as possible. I did things I never could imagine before, like contacting major business people and asking people for interviews on campus. I am not someone who likes to confront others and this was definitely a challenge but shaped my ideas of interviews completely as I really tried to make sure that I completed each and every interview. There were some not so fun moments as well, such as the dreaded elevator pitches, yet, after watching all three of these I am pretty proud of the obvious progress. 

2) For me personally, the most formative experiences were the ones that required us to reach out and rely on the feedback of others. This was something that terrified me yet throughout this semester I got more and more feedback and practice with this concept to the point where it doesn't even scare me anymore. Feedback is necessary and great especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. Even though I hated them, I will definitely remember the Elevator pitches the most vividly as I would get all dressed up just to stand in front of my dresser and rehearse way too many times, like an embarrassing number of times. The fact that I completed all three of these without trying to skimp out on any is really impressive to me considering I really hate being in front of the camera and it definitely gave me some anxiety but I did it and now feel a lot more comfortable with the process itself. 

3) I definitely see myself in a new light after this course as it really has made me look at the business process entirely different, I am not someone pursuing entrepreneurship which means prior to this I really didn't have a huge concept of all the work that goes into business models and this class really enlightened me. I have definitely improved my overall creativity and learned new skills from within this course, am I an entrepreneur? Who knows, but I am proud of the model I have created and the long process we all endured in order to make everything as precise and thought out as possible. I have definitely developed a more critical thinking mindset and an open one as well due to this class. 

4) I would recommend really thinking out your business idea early on because you are stuck with it for the entire semester, I would've thought a little longer about my initial concept had I known this. Also just encouraging them to put in their best effort and not half ass anything because it is really rewarding in the end rather than just not doing the assignments that are hard or might push you. In order to do your best in this course just complete the assignments and really do what you're told to do because it is the most rewarding way and you will have a completely new mindset by the end of this course if you do actually complete the assignments and think hard about them. This class is only as rewarding as you allow it to be so do your best!

Venture Concept #2 (29A)

GATORNAV

Opportunity: 

Running late for class, check the Rider app which says there will be a bus arriving in 10 minutes so you decide to grab some breakfast before heading out the door yet right as you step outside you hear the bus pull off and realize you should've skipped that breakfast. This is the oh too familiar cycle as the current bus system is so imprecise and tends to be wrong more often than not. With this, an opportunity is created, as there are thousands of students and staff who rely on the RTS system everyday. Geographically this market is pretty specific as it is for those who ride the bus to campus and therefore live within 20 miles of the University of Florida. Demographically they are on the young, poorer side as it is directed towards mostly college students. Currently, students are "satisfying" this need by either leaving their houses at a ridiculously early hour in order to make it on time or some students have given up on the bus systems entirely, relying on the new influx of scooters or taking their chances with UF parking. None of which are real solutions, making their loyalty pretty questionable as the alternatives are just as lacking as the bus system. This opportunity is huge with a pretty open window as there is no real competition in the field currently.

Innovation:

 In order to combat this opportunity, I will be creating a system of products and services. The product being a new navigational system that accounts not only for the route and exact location of each bus, but for traffic as well. This will be sold and implemented into every current RTS bus system and provided as a service for students who will be using the app paired to the navigational system allowing them to get to class on time. Not only will the app provide them with a precise location but it will give them the ability to rank the drivers who will now be held accountable in order to eliminate some of the current mishaps, such as cleanliness, safety, and overall attitude. The main source of income will be from the actual navigational system itself which would be sold for 40 dollars per bus, numbers based off current market, which will include the implementation fee and product itself. 

Venture Concept: 

This product will allow for so many more satisfied customers and ultimately improve the entire RTS system which is so unreliable now. Customers will want to switch to this new product as it is going to bring in better rankings and reviews and provide an overall higher quality service with no real costs to students. However, it might be hard to get the RTS director to want to start using this product but their current product is obviously not working as they are currently just using a paper system relying on where the buses "should" be at a certain time rather than any actual navigational system. With this new system, the company of RTS will be able to step into the future technologically and provide an overall better service. The competitors don't currently exist, even though there are other companies who create GPS systems, they are not currently targeting my exact market. Yet there are problems with RTS current system as the guessing of where a bus might be and then telling that to students as a reliable source is obviously not an ideal way to go about things. Prices are based off current markets and could be adjusted according to demand, however, packaging will play a pretty important role as each system will have to be individually packaged with a lot of caution as they are pieces of technology. The customer experience is what we are all about, however this will more so be a product of the app experience rather than the product itself. The business building itself will be more so like a factory and will not have any customer experience being taken into consideration really as it will be more so for manufacturing. There needs to be a group of IT individuals in order to get the navigational system to function properly, manufactures, app producers, managers, along with people who can pick up the phone and provide details to customers. 

Feedback Summary: 

I got amazing feedback on my last venture concept as everyone seemed to really love my idea and thought that I did a great job pulling everything together, so thank you to the people who left comments! No one really suggested any changes, it was mostly just a bunch of compliments but this can be just as helpful because I can see what people liked and hone in on that in order to improve which is exactly what I ended up doing. I changed my concept in order to add even more scenario-like parts in order to truly describe my customer and what they go through on the daily, along with the fact that I was trying to remain as cohesive as possible. This was not an easy task as it is hard not to try and suggest your solution as soon as possible but I made sure to keep distinct separation while making it flow. 

Exit Strategy (28A)

1) For my business endeavor I have decided to sell it to the University of Florida, hoping to get a pretty large return. 

2) I have selected this exit strategy, as I have no real intentions of running a business and especially not one in Gainesville, Florida considering I don't even plan on staying in Florida long-term. I want to go into the medical field and in order to fulfill that passion I cannot be tied to one spot with a big responsibility of running a business. In order to combat this, I would love to sell to the University of Florida as they are the ones most heavily benefitted and engulfed in the endeavor while being the most-likely people who could afford to buy me out. 

3) My exit strategy has definitely influenced my decision-making up to this point as I am not planning on staying within the company and knew that with certainty the entire time. Limiting my overall desire for growth, yet it didn't limit my plan to acquire resources as I definitely would still need to get the business in motion before selling it to get the biggest profit. 

Reading Reflection No. 3 (27A)

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

1) Within this book, Scott Adams introduces the book by saying it is supposed to be about him and his story of success from the point of view of his failures. Basically, how he succeeded through all his defeats and pushed on offering his audience the tips and ideas in order to succeed the same way he did. He uses pretty blunt phrases in order to grab his audiences attention such as his chapter titled, "Passion is Bullshit" in order to truly show how you have to throw out wishful thinking in order to truly succeed.

2) This book was actually perfect for this weeks assignment as we just had our assignment on failure and the need to embrace that failure in order to learn from it. Failure is a key way to success because it gives you opportunity to learn and change in order to eventually succeed. You cannot succeed without failure at some point.

3) This book has many different tips and hints as to why failure is necessary and how to deal with that failure so creating an assignment based on that would be one that asks students to create a list of failures, at least 10, and in response to these failures students would have to right how they overcame each of them along with how that helped them for something in the future, whether it did or didn't help them is okay but what did they learn from that experience. Reinforcing the ideals of the book along with pushing students to accept their failures and look at them in a new light.

4) I was really surprised at his overall bluntness and how frankly he put things, yet it was also really refreshing as it didn't feel like just some other motivational book full of nonsense but a true account from a person who has actually experienced what every entrepreneur will one day experience. It was so nice to hear how even when you feel like everything is going wrong that success could be just around the corner as long as you look for it and try to learn from your surroundings and those failures.

Celebrating Failure (26A)

During this time of quarantine, I have decided to start running. Which if you knew me you would think this was a complete joke considering I am a huge klutz and probably the worst runner you have ever seen. I have been working out my whole life sporadically doing weight training and different strength training, however, I have never really ran, for fun at least, and definitely not outside. However, as I moved back home I decided there was no way I could possible just sit at home all day with my four other siblings because I would literally go insane. So I started running. Tallahassee, Florida, where I am from, is known for its trees and nature so I decided I'd start this running endeavor on one of our many beautiful trails to make it a little more bearable. I ran for two weeks every day for about 3 miles. Now, another detail I forgot to left out, is the fact that I have asthma which paired with running for the first time is not a very good combo. Every single day I felt like I was going to die I felt like a failure every single day. Not to mention my body was definitely not helping as it does not like running whatsoever. I was pretty defeated and embarrassed as I could only make it for about 0.2 miles of straight running before having to stop and walk. I ended up spending majority of the time walking. Then, I got a really bad bruise on my leg and ended up having to go to the clinic in order to get it checked out only to be told that I had tore a muscle from overexertion, can you imagine. So I was off running for at least a week which made it even harder for me to want to push on, yet, I did and yesterday was my first day back running and it actually started to feel, good? I'm not sure where this will go but it definitely feels very rewarding afterwards and pushes me in a new way I never have been pushed before. I learned a lot from this experience as I learned you need to definitely ease into things before going full on as you end up burning out pretty quickly, along with the fact that you can end up injuring yourself. However, if you do it correctly it can be really rewarding.

Failure, is tough. I am someone who doesn't handle failure well. I have to succeed in order to feel satisfied and it is very hard to feel like I can't do something. It is extremely hard, especially when you feel like you are doing all you can in order to succeed. It is definitely embarrassing and can lead to you wanting to take the easy route of giving up, yet, once you finally get it right there is nothing more rewarding. Failure creates a need for change and gets people to start thinking outside of the box in order to succeed, sure it sucks but it is a great tool as well. I think this class has definitely showed us how to welcome failure and to learn from mistakes in order to improve, leading me to definitely have a better understanding of failure itself. I am definitely more likely to take a risk academically and even with my interviewing processes than I was in the beginning of this semester.

What's Next? (25A)

Existing Market

What's Next? My first step is getting approval from the RTS company in order to implement my product into their buses because without this approval the venture is pretty much unfeasible. 

Sadly, this whole social distancing thing doesn't allow for interviews but I believe after explaining my situation and endeavor they would agree that creating that connection would be the most important first step.

After getting this approval, there would be so many more steps that are necessary. I would have to get space in order to start a factory along with a team of employees in order to start the business going, after that I would need to create the first test run of products and produce a test run of the products to make sure it is efficient. There would need to be a team of engineers assembled in order to create the app which would then have to be paired and tested as well. After the testing phase is complete we would need to implement it in every bus and then release the app on the market getting the transportation systems at UF to send out an email about its arrival on the market to get more awareness. 

As we progressed and got approval from the market we would further our endeavor by spreading into different fields of transportation starting with a rental car service in order to help students who don't have cars. Spreading our reach along with providing a new source of revenue as the buses would mostly be a one time fee with the exception of repairs and services needed on the devices. 

New Market

My current market is very poor college students, in the future I would want to reach more into the locals pockets as they are middle class and a completely different market altogether. My venture concept will benefit them as well due to the increased use of RTS systems during all those cherished game days, this service will help them in there time of need as well giving them a opportunity to get those perfect seats at the next gator game. Corona stinks doesn't it, no interviews were taken in the making of this post. However, in order to make adaptations and further reach this new market, I would need to do more advertising than just on campus and pull on their heart strings by using the beloved football team in order to get them to care. 

This market is a tricky one considering they are less affected by the overall need and will be harder to make aware of the need in general. However, Gainesville is a huge college town and there is a high influx of locals on campus during football season which means I would have the perfect opportunity to make them aware of the situation and how necessary the changes I am trying to implement actually are. After getting them to be more aware it should be pretty easy to get them to become invested as there is such a sense of Gator pride within the city of Gainesville and most people have experienced the RTS system at one point or another. 

It is definitely not as attractive as my current market, other than the fact that they have money, because it is hard to sell to people who are unaware of the need. However, it is definitely a surprise that they would still be willing to pay considering usually people are selfish. My main assumption is that they will be willing to pay even though they are not affected on the daily and without those interviews I'm not really sure how this would play out. 

Venture Concept (24A)

GATORNAV
Opportunity

You wake up and are running late for class, check the rider app and see a bus is coming in ten minutes so you have time to grab that quick breakfast and head out the door. Although, as you are walking out the door, you hear the familiar sounds of the RTS bus pulling off from the bus stop, guess you should have skipped breakfast after all. This is an oh too familiar concept, as students are tricked by the lagging app and lack of real tracking devices within the bus system, meaning the estimates are left up to just that, estimates. This unmet need is due to the lack of technology implemented within the buses they are still going off of "how long a route SHOULD take" which leaves too much room for error as it does not take into consideration crashes or general traffic. Both students and staff suffer from this problem as they are left to having to either wake up extremely early in order to have a chance to make it to their destinations, use other modes of transportations, or just rely on the current system in place that is causing all the issues which seems to be the most popular option. The market is young, students who rely on the bus in order to get to and from school, most likely the off-campus students who have their reasons for relying on the RTS system. Geographically they would have to be within twenty miles of campus as that is where most off-campus housing can be found along with the most frequent bus routes, demographically they are broke, young college students who are overworked and stressed as it is. This opportunity is huge as no one is currently doing anything to meet the need even though after doing all my research it is a huge unsatisfied opportunity. The window is pretty open as of now considering there are no current plans in motion and people are just accepting the current solution of having to move around their schedule in order to make it work with the inconvenient bus system.

Innovation

GatorNav is a business created in order to combat this opportunity, I have decided to create a navigational system that would be placed within the RTS systems, upon approval, and ultimately paired with an app designed to push bus drivers who will be criticized based on their performance and give students more control over their transportation. This will need to go through several different people and relies on their approval considering I don't plan on competing against RTS and would like to use their existing resources in order to avoid competition altogether. I would be creating the navigational systems charging roughly 50 dollars per bus, number determined based off current navigational systems used within cars so it could vary. This would then be supported through the app which would bring money back into the company as the bus drivers receive different benefits and rewards for overall cleanliness, timeliness, and safety. I will be selling the navigational systems, however, the RTS would be offering the app in order to help give students a sense of control and bring money back into their company. 

Venture

This innovation will address the current need through multiple different ways, allowing for a better experience for customers, students, staff, and locals, by giving them a more precise measurement and a overall increased sense of control while improving the RTS ratings and giving their workers a new standard for success. Customers would be willing to switch from using apps such as Rider to this new app because of the increase in efficiency without costing them any additional costs. The RTS system is already apart of tuition and would not cause the customers any additional costs. However, it might be difficult to get the RTS to switch to using my navigational system rather than the ancient paper system currently in place, yet with the promise of overall improvement and an increase in funding from UF transportations, already agreed upon after talking to the director, they would have no real reason not to switch. The competitors are not any direct bus system, however, there are lots of alternatives to riding the bus. Such as, driving your car and battling it out for a parking spot, riding a scooter, or even walking to classes. However, the people choosing these alternatives are not within my current market range as they have already determined the buses to be too unreliable and not worth the hassle my current market is all the people still choosing the bus every morning. Packaging plays a role when it comes to the navigation system which will also need to be distributed. This will all need to be manufactured in a factory in order to make sure the products are efficiently being sold. This would need to be organized in a factory type setting with few workers being used to make sure the machines are running smoothly, along with the fact that I will need suppliers in order to construct the device and a team of engineers to create the app and pair each device with the app. 

What's Next?

The most unique thing this business will have is the student support as there is a huge demand for this need and the students are willing to switch with no cost to them along with the various ties I will have to make in order to get the business up and running. With these ties and connections my business will be unmatchable as there will be a sense of customer loyalty along with the fact that no competition in currently in existence. After getting this put in place I would like to use my new connections to start making a rental car service in order to further my reach within the transportation system allowing students to use an app to exchange cars with each other and ultimately give out of state students a chance at liberty. However, this still has lots of kinks and would need to be researched further. If this was launched and successful in five years I would want to be overseeing the venture from a distance as my main goal is not within this venture but within the medical field, I would like to put in place a manager who would relay information to me. This venture would allow me to go through medical school with a sense of peace as I have something to support that goal.

Unfair Advantage (23A)

Resources:

• Transportation Systems Connection (after emailing back and forth about my business venture)

VRIN: This is a valuable resource because it means I have a foot in the door and a potential  ally in the future. Yes, others could have this same connection considering how easily I found his email however that does not diminish his ability to provide me with help and advice. However, this is not substitutable because he can provide me with a unique set of data that I would not otherwise not have access to.

• Navigational tracking system which is not being offered currently 

VRIN: This is something that no other company has come up with and offered to the current sellers as I have done thorough research and have found no substitutes. 

• UF student connections

VRIN: This is one of my more valuable assets as no one can possibly have the same connections I have made over the various fields of people I have met due to the IA program. It is not substitutable as it is a source of social capital I have built for myself. 

• App designers who could connect my an app with my device

VRIN: There are various app designers that I could higher so it is not the best resource however I have knowledge due to these resources and would be less likely to be overcharged and know exactly what it is I am looking for.

• My current position as UF student 

VRIN: The fact that I am a UF student is not particularly interesting but due to the market that RTS is providing for I am there perfect customer and would be able to provide them with the unique insight they are looking for. 

• Email connections with the current RTS bus director

VRIN: I have reached out and formed a connection with the exact person that I would be looking to work with in the future and have already received his insight giving me a unique connection with person I am going to need the most. This is definitely necessary and can’t be substituted as he is the head person who makes all decisions.

• Support from UF student and faculty 

VRIN: Not very unique but I was running out of ideas, this is however something that can be useful in order to help with marketing.

• My position as a student assistant within the fiscal department at UF allowing me to have a better understanding of pricing and more connections with faculty. 

VRIN: This is unique because I know for a fact I am the only student assistant and get to see head on the money that UF puts into things and know their budget for a project like this. This is definitely not substitutable.

• Research position giving me even more capital 

VRIN: This has given me more capital which will help me in many different aspects as I proceed. Not only the connections but the action of doing research has made me more prepared in researching for this endeavor. 

• Connections with engineers 

VRIN: Through IA I have met several different engineers and been in contact with various companies that would be useful in manufacturing process. This gives me an insight into the overall pricing and time that it would take in order to get this product functioning. 

• Providing supply for a need that is in high demand 

VRIN: This is a need that is in high demand yet has no current solutions which makes it unique and as of right now, rare.

My top resource currently is my position as a current UF student, this might not seem like a lot however I provide a direct example of my customer and with that have formed several connections throughout my years at the University giving me a unique desirable perspective that is within these bus systems market.

Elevator Pitch No. 3 (22A)

1) https://youtu.be/rofmX6F_FQ8

2) For the most part I received good feedback just as for the second elevator pitch because like I said before everyone is just so nice even if they might be hiding their true disgust. So I bounced off some of the tips Pryor gave in his videos and kept with my same catchy phrases and overall attitude. When I came up with phrases it honestly was super easy to do considering GPS can be rhymed with a lot and took me like two seconds to come up with but everyone that has given me feedback has liked them a lot saying they helped me to stand out which shocked me but I made sure to continue doing so.

3) I didn't change too much but I could feel my confidence rise with this one. To put things into perspective, on the first elevator pitch I made probably 30 videos whereas in this one I made two and the first one was only stopped because of mishaps with my six year old sister not respecting privacy during this COVID 19 struggle. However, I knew what I wanted to say and had it memorized and even though I only made one full video it was ten times better than my first one that took thirty attempts, which goes to show that practice goes a long way.

Reading Reflection No. 2 (21A)

“The Art Of Social Media: Power Tips For Power Users"

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

Within this book the author, Guy Kawasaki, offers roughly 120 tips on how to use social media in order to improve your business giving the ins and outs of social media. He discusses the power of social media and goes into detail about little things such as, your avatar, how a post should be made and what should be in that post, along with discussing what you should definitely avoid while using social media.

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

I thought this book tied in nicely as we are talking about reaching your customers and within my business plan especially, considering my market is college students, social media will play a huge factor in that process. Reaching out and getting more awareness for your business is never a bad thing and can be a really useful tool in todays society. It ties into the various marketing methods we have talked through in this class really well.

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

For this book, I would encourage students to make a fake account or at least a poster that mirrors a social media platform account and follow some of Kawasaki's tips in making the perfect post. I think this assignment would be perfect considering it takes the book and applies it in the way it was intended to be used, I looked at this book as a guide in order to use social media to its full capacity. 

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?

This sounds pretty blah but really the thing I liked the most was his discussion of how to post and what should be included within the posts itself in order to keep a professional yet effective business account. I thought this was really cool considering I have seen so many different ads for various companies but never really thought of what goes into making those posts and how there is a person who literally is the "social media" person at most businesses. My mom actually told me once I was reading this that she used this book within her current business in order to build a social media feel for her account. 

Growing Your Social Capital (20A)

Domain Expert: 1) Scott Fox and they are the director of Transportation and Parking Services at the University of Florida. Which means they know about all the different alternatives for the RTS system and what running a good transportation system looks like specifically at the University of Florida. 

2) They served as my domain expert as they are someone who knows exactly how the transportation system is at the University of Florida.

3) It was really easy to find him actually, I just googled "transportation system in Gainesville, Fl" then the official site of the Transportation and Parking Services popped up and I went to the contact section and they had a whole page on their director along with his contact information so I sent him an email. 

4) I asked him for information on the alternative options along with a description of who actually pays for these things to be available for students as they are for the most part free. I am expecting them to email me back with the answers to my numerous concerns and questions but who knows if he will especially considering I probably looked crazy with all the questions I asked. 

5) This could be someone with multiple connections and a desire to improve the situation for the students at the University which is someone I definitely want in my back pocket when trying to go into this market. We both have the same goal which means he is someone who should be willing to help improve the current solutions. 

Market Expert: 1) I reached out to Collin Austin from New Scooters 4 Less as he is selling to the same market that I would be looking to get into. He is the owner of New Scooters 4 Less which is an alternative that is on the rise currently within my market. 

2) I am using him in order to fill the Market expert slot as he is selling to the same market and really caters to his market of broke college kids well which I was shown through the interview Pryor did on him within our videos for this semester. 

3) I searched for the New Scooters 4 Less and went to their contact page where they actually have a section for you to send them questions so I sent my questions and concerns through this platform because I figured that would be more efficient during this current COVID-19 situation. 

4) I asked them about how to advertise to college students and for tips when it comes to getting this tough markets attention and even pitched my business idea to him, with a little shoutout to the class and the University in order to get his attention. I expect a response and from the video, he seems pretty nice and willing to help entrepreneurs. 

5) Including him in my network would be smart because it allows me to get a better understanding of the market and the struggles that might come with starting up a business reliant on this market. Along with a better understanding of the alternatives that are currently in place.

Supplier:


1) I contacted Jesus Gomez the director of RTS who is the man I would potentially be selling to in order to use the busses that are under his surveillance. 

2) I am using him in order to fulfill the supplier position as he would be the one to agree on allowing me to implement new navigational systems into his busses. 

3) I searched up the RTS system within Gainesville and found their contact information in the page which led me to the director Jesus Gomez who I then emailed in order to reach out to him. 

4) I asked him what he thought of my idea and about the general prices that it would take in order to get them implemented if I did actually go through with it. I am hoping he comes back with some responses that are helpful and doesn't get offended I tried to tread lightly because I didn't want to offend him in anyway. 

5) I think this would be a good person to have in my network considering for this endeavor to work he is a key role that I would need to work with in the future.

Reflect: 

I think this experience made me more aware of how easy it is to reach out and ask, they might not respond but it is really easy to reach out to the people that obviously have more knowledge than I do. This was a more useful experience than my networking experiences in the past because it is going to the source directly and causing me to reach out to people who would be of more help to me than just family friends. 

Napkin Notes Pt. 2

1) You. 

I am not special as of right now let's be honest. I am a college student at the University of Florida with basically no social capital, unless family friends count. However, I am someone who has a unique experience unlike any other and that can help me with my future pursuits. I am stubborn, hard working, and determined to make my goals happen. I am talented in very random things to be honest, I used to play a lot of different musical instruments and have played a lot of various sports none of which will really help me with my current endeavor but I have made lots of connections through those. In the future I want to be a PA and would like to work in the trauma department which means I will be analyzing and coming up with new ideas on the daily along with a desire to help others. If I were to start this business it would definitely have to be a side focus as it is not my main goal, however, I would put someone in charge in order to maintain both aspirations. 

2) What are you offering to customers?

I am offering students a new and improved transportation system in order to help them get to school on time along with offering the bus systems an opportunity for improvement and growth. I want to introduce a new navigational system within the current buses and pair that system with the already existing apps in order to maximize overall efficiency. 

3) Who are you offering it to?

I am offering this to the bus RTS system in order to fund the product however my customer really is the students who have the demand yet can't pay for it. Students ride the bus every day due to many different reasons whether that's overpriced alternatives or just the fact that they might not have cars. I believe my customer is someone who rides the bus out of obligation yet hates the overall experience. They are all people who are frustrated with the current situation that is the RTS system. 

4) Why do they care? 

The RTS organization would pay for this because it would improve overall ratings and also force their drivers to be more safe and allow them to get better reviews, improving their reputation and cash inflow as the ratings would have value behind them in order to make bus drivers want to drive more safely. Creating a reward system that costs them no money. 

5) What are your core competencies? 

After this semester, I have talked to several different people and got feedback on this idea with much appreciation for the concept. People see the value due to the fact that no alternatives have relieved the current need as no one wants to fix the bus system considering they know most people have no other option regardless of the quality of the bus system. This makes my system unique and appealing to both parties involved.

I believe these elements coincide with each other as they are all dependent on the other. You need to know who you are selling too and how you are going to make sure they care enough to purchase the product and that your product is actually meeting the need of those people. I think my product would due this of course there are somethings that are going to be difficult as I will have to convince the RTS people to care about the needs of others which as of right now is my biggest task. 

In my last napkin idea I only had one comment but they basically praised me for being honest about my lack of diversity at this point in my life and I continued that same pattern as it is very valid considering I am still so young with very few life experiences under my belt. However, they also complimented my idea and talked about their own negative experience with this same system I am trying to fix which goes to show my need even further. 

Customer Avatar 18A

The dreaded college student:

Even though Pryor has said multiple times the college student is the worst segment I am going against that for whatever reason. My customer is someone who studies hard but knows how to relax whenever she/he wants to. They are a biology major just working towards their degree in order to go to Medical School in what feels like a very distant future. They stay up all night studying during the week but let loose on Saturday nights in order to keep sane. They like rom coms but would absolutely never admit it. You might catch them at the gym but probably not because they honestly just don't have the time, or at least that's what they are telling themself. They have a bunch of friends but of course they are all STEM majors too because they just have to surround themselves with people who are equally as miserable in their current workload. Not to mention the fact that they have a part time job, on campus of course because who has the time to commute. Working towards something that seems so impossible with their hectic schedule of all 8 am classes and never ending days that go long into the night in order to just keep up. They ride the bus in order to get to and from school and are one of those people that stays on their phone the entire time in order to make it a little more bearable. They are more left minded but don' tell their parents cause man that would be awkward, let's just say the rents definitely keep that TRUMP sign posted in the front yard year round and are proud of it.

This is someone I can for sure relate to as I have a huge workload with both work and school and tend to have extremely long days with an overwhelming amount of work. I also rely on the bus in order to get to and from school everyday which is a pain but still better than paying for a parking ticket that half the time just results in thirty minutes of circling, praying someone will leave. I think the fact that we are in the same age range and university we are bound to have a few things in common so I am not shocked to find I am pretty similar to the avatar I have created.

Elevator Pitch #2 (17A)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrZFIK7Ktn8&feature=youtu.be

2) Reflection:

I received really nice feedback last time even though I wasn't very confident in my overall pitch, everyone was super nice to me and stated that my catch phrases and overall enthusiasm for the topic made it more memorable and exciting to watch so I reused my catch phrases in order to try and recreate that scene. However, I didn't receive many critiques I think that is probably due to the fact that people obviously don't want to hurt your feelings but I relied on using the good feedback in order to make sure at least that part was consistent.

3) Changes?

I didn't change much as I stuck to the same cheesy catch phrases but I went into more depth overall on how the need would be met and why there was a need for it in the first place on this one than in the previous one and discussed how the business plan would work along with the removal of the part where I introduced myself because what Pryor says goes.

I got the SAUCE (16A)

1. What's the secret sauce that Skyler contains?
I hate assignments like these because honestly I am just a college kid trying to figure out everything just like the rest of you but here is a list that makes me cringe very hard of things I think are unique about myself:

• I have traveled a lot and talked to people all over the world which I think has given me a greater perspective on life and a more open mindset.
• I have three younger sisters giving me an insight into the mindset of the younger generation (look out they are gonna be something) which has given me more responsibilities than most.
• I am teachable and by that I mean that I am always ready to learn and know that someone (most) will always know more than me so I love learning from those around me. 
• I am very reliable as many people have leaned on me in their time of needs if I make a promise I will definitely fulfill it.
• I like to help others and will sometimes jeopardize myself at the sake of helping those around me.  

2. Interviews: 

• #1- I called and interviewed my mom who talked about my determination and bluntness along with my ability to overcome adversity. She described me as someone who won't sugar coat things but not because I am trying to be mean but because I genuinely want the best for others.
• #2- I interviewed my six year old sister who was by far my favorite interview because lets just face it she's adorable and it was cute to hear how all the little things I do for her make her feel loved by me, it also showed my compassionate and patient side. 
• #3- I interviewed my best friend who described me as a people person who gets along with others, someone who tells it like it is but is always there when needed. 
• #4- I interviewed my grandmother who discussed my faith and how that has impacted me along with the different ideals that have been installed within me due to that faith.
• #5- I interviewed my big brother who talked about how I am always smiling and trying to remain happy even when hit by adversity he also discussed 

Soundclound link: https://soundcloud.com/you/tracks

3.  Reflection: 

Everyone is more critical of themselves than others and I think this will be prevalent within every student. I focused more on my drive and desire to succeed yet my friends and family all said extremely kind things about me that they have experienced from me one time or another. I do feel they are true as I try to be someone who is there for others and try to keep it real I like to people please but my facial expressions make that pretty hard at times. I think there are differences due to the fact that I know how I want to portray myself but that's not always consistent with how I actually come across, I don't think of myself as someone who has overcome a lot even though I have because I am just trying to focus on the future for the most part. I would not change what I wrote because I still feel those things are valid even after the sweet interviews. 

Buyer Behavior No. 2 (15A)

1) In my segment, I chose people who ride on bus route 38 and ended up interviewing three different people as they were on their usual tracks to either work or school. This time I did the same, however, I put a little structure into it. I decided to just pick three different people who were riding in the morning time instead of interviewing people at various times of the day in order to get a more precise segment at the busiest time of day. 

2) There are two alternatives, ride the bus and just hope the app is precise on timing or buy a parking pass. However, this segment is obviously one that excludes those who decide to just forego the bus altogether. I asked people, why not just buy a parking pass? What makes the bus still a better option for you? To which they responded mostly with the outrageous prices of the parking pass and the struggle that ensues when trying to park making the bus still a more feasible option. Price seemed to be a pretty large factor in this choosing considering the bus is a free option and the parking pass is roughly 160 for the year. Quality is less of a concern because even though the buses and the system in general is low quality they prefer it over the more expensive option. When I asked, "What are the most important factors in a good system of transportation?" One person responded by saying speed, cleanliness, and safety were the main three factors. 

3) With my segment of people they are more likely to buy any goods online rather than in store due to the relative ease online shopping provides for newer generations and in order to purchase the alternative of the parking pass it is a lot easier to go online then having to go wait in a line at a office. However, when asking about my specific service being offered they would be more likely to finance this through school funding rather than paying for it in cash upfront this would be something that most students wouldn't want to pay for which is why they are not the main customer just the ones who have the highest need. The purchase decision would involve the school and the App Store who would create profit based off of uses, along with the bus system who would be the ones implementing an actual product.

4) What matters most with the alternative of the parking pass purchase is that those students will actually be able to find a spot relatively close to those classes which is very rare. The thing that matters most to them seems to be the amount of use they would be able to get out of that large investment. If it isn't a 20 minute walk to class and a struggle to find a parking spot in all designated lots then they would be more likely to say it was a good purchase yet this seems to rarely be the case with this alternative that also needs to be reconsidered. 

5) Interview #1: With a student from the College of Dentistry who I have seen on the route a few times. 

We discussed the different faults of the current bus system while going through their reasoning while still choosing to ride the faulty bus instead of just driving, biking, or buying a scooter. He said that it was more convenient for him because they aren't allowed to park at UF Health as students so he would have to pay for parking on top of the gas and everything else that comes along with driving and walking just isn't an option because it is too far. 

Interview #2: A third year ecology student who was on their way to the first class of the day

Discussed similar details as the first interview to which she agreed that for her the bus was still the best option yet still caused her issues on multiple occasions. Not to mention the fact that she also has work that this sometimes interferes with as well. We even discussed her potential ideas as to what could be done to help the matter but she came up with the alternative of carpooling that I had not thought of before. 

Interview #3: A freshman business student who actually utilizes one of the alternatives

We started discussing the different alternatives as I did with the other two and he actually mentioned how he has a parking pass but it is too hard to park in the morning with far too many spots so he will ride the bus to school and then in one of his gaps go back home to get his car so he can also stay late into the night while studying. This shows the need so perfectly, this man is having to go through all these extra hoops just to get to class. I experienced this same thing over summer how I had to go back just to get my car because busses don't run late, so we talked about that. I also discussed the outrageous costs and what he thought should be done in order to fix this issue.

6) The alternates are not very good as of now and will provide little competition as they are currently causing a lot of issues themselves. Purchase decision is a hard one because a lot of people aren't willing to spend money and this would need to be something that is free to students which means I would have to make someone care about the needs of others or at least be aware of those needs. Post-purchases of these passes seems to be regret and annoyance with this system as it has failed them again and again. This segment of people is hard because they are cheap with large demands.

Halfway There....(14A)

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

This course has kept me on my toes that's for sure. I have had to really pay attention during lectures and maker sure to keep good notes in order to have a chance on the cupcakes and have made sure to look at the assignments ahead of hand because you can't do any of them last minute especially ones like the elevator pitch or the book reflection that I am sure many are scrambling to do last minute. 

2) 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?

Throughout my product I have had lots of times where I have wanted to completely give up on the opportunity altogether because of the mixed feedback and just doubts throughout this process entirely. Yet, the good feedback has been able to pull me through the obvious need and desire for a new system has made me want to actually work hard through these assignments. I have definitely developed a tenacious attitude over this course and my other courses as I have had to not procrastinate and always be on the watch for what is coming up with no desire to take a bad grade. I think just my desire to do well I told myself at the beginning of this semester I wanted all A's and I am really striving to get that goal which has really helped me push through. 

3) 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'
?

• Stay ahead. It's going to be difficult but when you want the A you gotta do everything to get the A and honestly it will become more than a grade for you over time. 

• Treat these assignments like a real business plan and take them seriously it will help develop your mindset in the real world and other classes. 

• Start a journal of potential ideas in order to always keep your ideas flowing and help you build a new outlook on opportunities in your surroundings. 

THE IRON MAN (13A)

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, Ashlee Vance


What was the most surprising thing? 

Wow. What wasn't surprising? I mean honestly before reading this I new Elon Musk was an amazing entrepreneur but I didn't know the full extent of his greatness. He took on two projects that were so amazing yet defying the current standard with almost no money. That's what I found the most impressing is that while he was being stricken down in one area he was excelling at the other until they both took off and he became the person he is today.


What did you most admire? 

I loved his ambition being explained throughout as he was in the depths and almost had to choose one project over the other yet he pushed through and came up with two amazing ideas sticking to his initial goal of alleviating dependency on oil. I admired how he didn't give up. 


What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

It's hard to not admire Elon Musk I mean he is an amazing example of what entrepreneurship is all about. However, he still receives a lot of hate and one of the things I personally least admire about him is he seems to have a very selective customer of which I am definitely outside of considering I couldn't afford a Tesla with even 100 of my paychecks but he is working on a more cost efficient version. 

Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Elon Musk definitely encountered adversity and failure as discussed in the book, which showed how he was days away from choosing between the Tesla and Space X yet due to PayPal giving him some liquidity and then a huge contract with the government to fund Space X, he was able to proceed with both inventions in 2008. 

What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

He really didn't possess anything outside of the ordinary other than a dream and a huge ambition in order to make that happen. He was depicted as the average man throughout and the key differentiating factor was his desire to succeed he knew he had amazing ideas and found the right people to make those ideas come about. However, he was also said to have this "worldview" that no other entrepreneur has had as he seemingly didn't care about the money but more so improving the world around him.

Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

I was confused when the topic of fighting rules took place there's a quote in the book that says, 

"If the rules are such that you can't make progress, you have to start fighting the rules"-Ashlee Vance

which seems all fine and dandy but is one of those things that is easier said than done. It is hard to fight rules when you don't have a huge name like Elon Musk to support those declarations. It was almost as if it was made to look easy at some points throughout the book.

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

I would ask: 

• Do you regret not just focusing all of your time and money on one product in order to make sure it was the best version it could be?

• What would you do differently during your startup process? 

For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I think he had to have a pretty good relationship with hard work he didn't seem to be afraid of it and honestly strived under pressure and high stress. I think he is one of those people that like to work and he saw that at his contribution to society which has been a pretty huge one if I do say so myself. I definitely share that opinion as I know you can't get anything worthwhile without having to work for it and have tried to have the same approach when it comes to school.