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.