30A- Final Reflection

After looking back on all the assignments and peer reviews I have completed this semester, I have actually learned a lot more than I thought. The most formative experience of this class for me would be the elevator pitches. Recording myself and pitching a theoretical product definitely put me outside of my comfort zone. It also helped me realize that there is no reason to get so worked up and nervous about things such as this. We are all here to learn from our mistakes and become more familiar and make something out of the material we are taught.

From my very first post, I felt that I have an entrepreneurial mindset. After taking this course, I feel the same. I still look for ways to make money all the time and would be very interested in actually creating a business. This course has taught me that I am not ready for the big step in becoming a business owner, but has helped me with the basics of what it takes.

I would recommend to any future students to enjoy the course. Always watch the lectures. They aren't boring like most other courses and they contain a ton of valuable information (as well as Cupcake answers). This class is very easy if you are diligent and plan ahead for some of the larger assignments as well as the elevator pitches. I would also tell them to try and make the most of this course because it is very valuable for anyone who wants to become a future business owner.

29A- Venture Concept 2

The opportunity for my venture is based on the fact that people will be using nicotine for a long time despite any imposed laws on these products. My opportunity is that the products currently on the market are not safe for consumption and my goal is the provide a truly safe alternative to smoking. The potential customers are anyone who has used these products in the past and are seeking to a product that does not put their health at risk. This includes people who have made the switch from cigarettes to electronic cigarettes as well as those who have used these products in the past quite frequently. Demographically, this opportunity is quite wide ranging. This need is being satisfied by customers currently through products such as JUUL as well as others. These customers are quite loyal, but I believe they could be won over by the approval of my product. This window of opportunity should be open for a while, but there are a few things that could close this window quicker than most would think. These include new state laws and even nation wide bans as well as other products being sold.

The innovation I provide with my product is all to do with customer satisfaction and safety. There has been far too much about the negative effects of electronic cigarettes on the human body in the recent news. It should be of every users' concern. Depending on the cost of manufacturing and actually putting this theory into reality, I would try to make my product very affordable.

Like I have said before, my one unfair advantage is over the competition would be that my product is safer to consume than others. My next step for this venture is to keep talking to people who use these products and see what they like and dislike the most about the products and take their feedback into account. In five years, I would most likely still be in the beginning phases of the company. I would be finalizing the product with my team and getting them onto shelves, hopefully. I could see myself becoming heavily invested in this company as it is something that is very important to me and people's lives are at risk.

The feedback I received from my peers was very helpful and eye-opening. It helped a lot to see how others viewed my venture concept and what I can improve on. They told me how this electronic cigarette crisis is a really big issue right now and how a product like this would be great for the market as well as people's livelihood's. I did get some criticism on the difficulty of actually being able to produce this product which I completely understand. I am willing to put in many, many hours to accomplish this goal as well as bring together a team of people who are qualified for a challenge like this and dedicated to the cause.

28A- Your Exit Strategy

The exit strategy for a venture is one thing I never really thought of during this whole process. I have been so focused on the start-up for this product that I never really focused on the end goal and what I would do with the company after.

1. My strategy would be the build my business up to the best it can be, so I could get a lot of notice from potential buyers of the company and because I do want my business to be the best it can possibly be. I am not sure if I would want to sell the business though. It could make for a good retirement plan in the future and would probably be the best option though. I would not want to pass it down to my children. I want my children to be their own people and follow their own paths in life. After going through multiple exit strategies, I believe that staying with my business for a few decades and selling it for a large sum of money would be the best option.

2. I chose this particular strategy because I feel like it is the best option for me as a retirement plan. Also, it would be interesting to see what a new owner could do with my business and possibly revolutionize the product even further.

3. This exit strategy has kind of changed my point of view on my product concept. I never thought of my product as extremely long term, but you never know what can happen. This assignment has made me realize that perhaps I should really look into how to properly manage a business and how to build up and maintain a successful business for a lengthy period of time. It has also shown me how valuable particular people can be towards the success of a company. It pays to have good connections with the right people.

27A- Reading Reflection 3

For my third and final reading reflection for this class, I chose to read Grinding it Out: The Making of McDonald's, which is written by Ray Kroc, the founder of the most popular food chain in the world. Two things that surprised me about Ray Kroc was that he started out his career by selling paper cups and that he played piano at a bar the sold alcohol illegally. I admired Ray Kroc's perseverance and that he sacrificed so much for the McDonald's franchise. The thing I least admired about Ray Kroc was that he knowingly sold bad real estate for a while, even though he eventually decided to change his ways. He definitely endured much failure and adversity throughout his career especially when he had to overcome his past decisions such as selling bad real estate. He also had to work countless hours in order to make McDonald's what it is today. Ray Kroc had several competencies. These included his knack for being an amazing salesman. He was also obsessed with being a businessman and was very good at what he did. He was very efficient and hard working. One part of the book that was quite confusing to me was how Ray Kroc simply took over the McDonald's franchise and the McDonald's brothers were so satisfied with giving him such a big role within it. 2 questions I would ask Ray Kroc would be 1). How did you overcome the biggest issues that you faced during your time as an entrepreneur and 2). What were your feelings and emotions when you realized that you were in control of the largest fast food empire in the world? I feel like both these questions would help me understand how great entrepreneurs think. Ray Kroc most likely has a very strong opinion on hard work as he worked his butt off for many years trying to get his franchise to the top. The name of the book is Grinding it Out so I am sure he values hard work and dedication very much so.

26A- Celebrating Failure

I might just be speaking for myself, but I feel that failure, to some degree, has been experienced by almost every college student more than once. This past semester I experienced failure more than once. The most notable time being when I forgot to submit one of my larger assignments for my Macroeconomics class. It was one of the writing assignments and it was very important for me not to screw this one up. Instead of simply not doing well on the assignment, I got a 0 on it. This was quite a failure for me since it is very probable that this 0 will drop me a letter grade down. As punishment for this silly act, I ate a whole raw onion.

I learned that I need to be more attentive to when assignments are due, not just for macroeconomics, but for every class. It is very easy to get lazy and forget when things are due. I have now started to make a calendar for when all my quizzes and assignments are due in order to help me remember. I believe this will help me tremendously in all my classes.

Failure is something that all people experience, some more than others. Failure can range from minor inconveniences to gargantuan issues. I see failure as something that everyone needs to go through in order to become a overall stronger and better person. I handle failure as many people do. I mourn and get upset at myself usually. After a day or two, I realize that I need to be better and strive to form a strategy that prevents me from failing in a similar way again. This class has changed my perspective on failure though especially when it comes to business ventures. I now know that a huge percentage of business ventures initially fail and that it is normal. This class has definitely made me want to take more risks in my daily life. 

25A- What's Next

What's next for my venture is putting words into action and making this whole thing into reality. I believe products similar to mine could take a huge jump in production. My product could revolutionize this industry in terms of making sure the customer is happy and healthy. The people that I interviewed said that I should begin planning on who my target audience is and how to advertise to them properly. They also said that I need to make sure that my product is perfectly ready to be sold on shelves as a "healthy alternative" to adult smoking which I completely agree with.

For my venture, I would like to take my interviewees' opinions into consideration as they resemble my target customers. I need to keep reaching out to potential customers and relaying my message of my product's safety and how it can benefit these people's lives. I believe that my market is wide open as no one has been able to nail the formula for a healthy nicotine based product. What makes the most sense if for me to reach out to gas stations and convenience stores and tell them about my product.

A New Market- Identifying a radically different market from what I am currently targeting is quite difficult. My product seems to be directed towards one particular group of people and anything else would seem hard to pitch to. I assume a new demographic I could pitch to are those trying to completely ditch cigarettes or nicotine, but are struggling to. I would never seek to sell my products to those who have never consumed nicotine, but those who are struggling with coping with  giving up nicotine might be a demographic that needs my product. Those who cannot deal with giving up nicotine might be a demographic I have never even thought of. Customers like this are those who have tried to rid their lives of nicotine, but have noticed that their lives feel sort of empty without it. As I do not advise this lifestyle, there are many people who feel this way and I would hope they would want to fix it healthily and not do any detriment to their bodies.

This new market idea has really opened my eyes to how many people my product could actually help if executed properly. There is always a demographic that you are not thinking about. There is always a group of people that could be benefitted by your product that you simply do not realize or recognize. This new market is obviously not as attractive as the existing market as these are people who are trying to get over nicotine. But, nevertheless, it is a market that might have interested customers.

24A- Venture Concept

My opportunity is based on the fact that people will be using nicotine for a very long time regardless of the laws placed upon these products. This unmet opportunity is made up by mostly high school and college students who consume nicotine as well as those who are older and have made the switch from cigarettes to electronic cigarettes looking for a healthier lifestyle. Many people have been bamboozled by JUUL and other corporations that say that their products are truly the healthy alternative to adult smoking which has been proven to be not true at all. My goal is to create a product that promises to be that healthy alternative to adult smoking that so many people have been longing for. People have been using these non-safe products for far too long and it is time for these products to be put to rest.

My innovation is one that many people need in their lives right now. A nicotine based product that is truly harmless to their health would be a huge development in the industry. My product is a electronic cigarette that poses no health threats to the user. This would be absolutely huge for a product to be able to accomplish this and that is my goal. Too many of these large businesses do not care about their consumers and it shows through the recent news stories.

My new product will solve all the consumers' problems. They will still be able to enjoy their fix of nicotine while knowing that they are ensured safety while using my products. That is my main goal for this particular product. This goal is to give these people what they want while making sure they consume this type of product healthily. I believe that these potential customers would switch from their from the products they use now completely based off their health. This has proven to be a serious issue and if the products they are using now can affect their health negatively, then they should definitely switch to my product.

23A- My Venture's Unfair Advantage

1. Advertising- I feel like I have learned a lot about how to properly advertise a product and how to get your respected customers to buy your product. Advertising is very important in company's success.

2. Safety- I believe that my product is safer than other products like it and is a better choice for customers. Most products like it have been shown to have health concerns and are not safe to consume. My product will stand out in terms of safety.

3. Originality- My product is one that has been attempted to be made before but never truly successfully made. I believe that if my product is made successfully made, that it is completely original.

4. Entrepreneurship Class- This class has given me a special advantage and has taught me so much about how to be a smart entrepreneur. I have learned so many valuable tactics through this class that could help me in the future with this business venture.

5. Passion- I feel that one of my biggest advantages is my passion for this particular product. I believe that it could help so many people trying to rid themselves of these health problems. Unlike other corporations, I am concerned with the health of my customers.

6. Communication Skills- I have very good communication skills and feel like I could build strong relationships pretty easily. Good communication skills can lead to very valuable assets very quickly and can benefit your business very much.

7. Strong relationships with college students- My product in particular is one that could be consumed by college students in a very large amount. I feel that my friends who use similar products to mine could provide me with very useful feedback regarding my product. I could listen to their feedback and learn what they like about their particular products.

8. Knowledge on the topic- I have a pretty solid advanced knowledge on my product. I have experience with those who use it and how it should be advertised. I know what people like about this type of product and what they do not like. I feel like I have an advantage because I am the same age as the majority of those who wold use this product.

9. Knowledge with statistics- I can read statistics well and tell where my customers are coming from. I would know what percentage of my customers are from what demographics and age groups. Based off this, I would know how to alter and make my product better.

10. Organization- I feel like I could make this dream into reality. I am quite focused and my organizational skills are strong. I could organize all the data I have gathered and put it to use. I could make sure that all my important contacts know all the useful information that they need to know.

My most important and useful advantage is most likely my certification of health. No other product has performed as well as I plan on my product working out and I believe that my honesty will also play a huge role in this process. All these other products have shown to be unhealthy and also distrustful. 

22A- Elevator Pitch 3

https://youtu.be/s15NZAtBXaE

Reflection- In the peer reviews for my last elevator pitch, I received some helpful feedback. The main issue with my last one is that it was too lengthy. I surpassed two minutes and I tried to shorten my pitch. I also needed to talk faster and have a better presence in front of the camera. I took all of the comments into mind when completing my third elevator pitch. I am having trouble with shortening the pitch as I do not know which information would be best to cut.

21A- Reading Reflection 2

The book I chose to reflect on this week was "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman. The main focus or general theme of the book was discussing the two parts of the brains that fight for control of your behaviors and actions. Also, the author speaks on the fact that our brains are lazy and do not allow for us to use our full intelligence. We must strive to utilize all of our brain power. One of the main connections from this book and ENT3003 is that the author speaks in depth about how we should all leave our emotions at home when making important financial decisions. Daniel seems to have a vast and advanced knowledge for entrepreneurship. One exercise I would assign for a class based on this book would be for the class to try and focus on what part of the brain they are using at certain times. I would give the class a list of list of "things to do" and their goal would to determine which part of the brain they are using at that time. My biggest surprise while reading this book was how scientific the author was. I did not expect a book based on entrepreneurship to be so havily science based. He explained how most of our business decisions are based on how our brain works and how different systems within our brain functions. Overall, it was a very interesting and helpful book that changes the way I view every decision I make from now on.

19A- Idea Napkin 2

1. My name is Michael Lombardo and I am a second year at the University of Florida. I am originally from the lovely state of Louisiana. I felt that coming here as an out of state student would  make it hard for me to meet people with similar ideals as me, but I adjusted quite nicely and have some great friends. I believe that one of my best qualities or skills are my social skills. I feel that I am easy to talk to and friendly. My aspirations include helping people make better purchases. I also feel that I have enough experience with similar products and I would know how to advertise my product as well as ensuring my customers' health.

2. Let's be honest. Nicotine is not going anywhere anytime soon. There is no harmless nicotine product in the market as of right now and that proves to be the unmet need for customers. People will keep using these products despite the negative health issues that can come with it. My goal is to discover and sell a product similar to these that are totally harmless. Of course,  this is easier said than done but this is my goal.

3. My demographic for this particular product happens to be anyone who uses any form of nicotine and is concerned with their health. This consists of mainly young adults, ranging from the ages of 17-25 mostly, as well as an older population who  made the switch from cigarettes to electronic cigarettes seeking less risk of their health.

4. The biggest reason these people should care enough to give me their hard earned money is to protect their own bodies. Those who cannot simply quite nicotine should have their health in mind. I will strive to promote better decisions and get the approval from the FDA. Although people might have their certain favorite brand, it is in their best interest to use my product.

5. What I have that nobody else has is dedication to helping people. These sellers do not seem to care about their customers at all, which is upsetting as their are health concerns with their products. Even a kingpin in this market, JUUL, lied and sneaked past the FDA with their "harmless alternative to adult smoking". They are clearly simply in it for the money. I also have experience with this market as I have used products like this in the past and have a ton of friends who still use them today.

I believe my business plan could become very successful given the right opportunity. I do believe that these elements fit together and could solve a huge unmet need for many people. The one element that does not align with the others well is how to create this perfect formula. It is obviously no simple task to create this, but it is definitely worth all the hard work to figure it out. Despite this, I believe my other elements are all simple and effective.

One main point I took away from my previous Idea Napkin is that vape bans are becoming more prevalent and being passed by more states. This simply does not seem like a problem to me as people in these states still are able to obtain and use these products quite easily. Also, if the bans become more widespread, I still do not see the usage of vapes going down very much honestly. People get around laws regulating alcohol and weed extremely easily and I do not see much of a difference in vaping products.

Another piece of feedback I received was how and where I would try to sell these. My main objective would to get them onto gas station shelves after I get approval from the FDA. After receiving approval, it should be relatively easy to get gas stations to purchase them from me if guaranteed to be harmless. Also, a word I should stop using for this potential product is healthy as it will not be good for you per say, but it will not be bad for you. 

17A- Elevator Pitch

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

Reflection: I showed my pitch to many of my friends to see what they thought about the idea as a whole. Many were intrigued but also understood how difficult this goal would be to obtain. One person told me that it would take years to get the perfect formula for this product to be 100% healthy. I was also told to speak more clearly and try to refrain from mumbling to which I took into account.

18A- Create a Customer Avatar

The Prototypical Customer


My customers would most likely be predominantly white males. They would be mostly between the ages of 17-25 as these are the ages that use electronic cigarettes the most. They like to feel young and invincible. The prototypical customer is in college and perhaps even takes part in Greek life. They keep up with the social media trends and they love drinking brewskies. They like to play intramural sports and watching Netflix with the boys. They are people who do not like feeling sober and they yearn for something extra.

I have a good bit in common with this customer avatar. I share many of the typical characteristics and hobbies as the customer. I like to play sports, watch Netlflix, etc. I have also used electronic cigarettes in the past, so this is not a coincidence. 

16A- Secret Sauce

1. Relatable- I feel like I can relate to the way other people think and act and that other can see what I am trying to get across.

2. Convincing- I believe that I have a very convincing personality which can help to persuade people to choose my products over others,

3. Outgoing- I can be outgoing and do things that other people would not

4. Witty- I think that people view me as funny, which gives me human capital in a sense

5. Brutally Honest- I am not afraid to share my opinions on topics. I will let you know the truth and am not scared to hurt any feelings.

Interviews:

Samantha- Samantha said that I am rather easy to talk especially when she needs to vent. She also did mention that I am quite brutally in honest in most situations.

Chris- Chris is one of my best friends so naturally this was a hard interview to conduct. He mostly just said how goofy and ugly I am. He did say that I was a loyal friend and a fun person to hang out with.

Troy- Troy mentioned how I come up with the most off the wall ideas which could be viewed as human capital. This could translate to me being an innovator in a sense. He also mentioned that I can be friendly, mostly to those I am meeting for the first time.

Joey- Joey mentioned how I am extremely passionate towards the things I like. I am always ready to discuss sports or food deals in Gainesville.

Ali- Ali mentioned that I am really good with animals and that they seem to like me back. She also mentioned my dry sense of humor and that I am not afraid to voice my opinions.

Reflection:

I believe people see me in a different light than I do, but there are still some similarities. I feel like we should be the best judges of our own personalities, but other people's opinions can sometimes show that that is not completely true. I do believe that my interviewees know me well enough to have correct opinions on my human capital. I might change my list and put passionate (to some degree) on it.

15A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior 2

In order to conduct these interviews, I needed to find three people who fit into my segment. They had to be college students who have used or are still using electronic cigarettes. All three of my interviewees actually still use nicotine products. One of them, Stanley, says he has switched between multiple products. He usually gets the brand that his friends use. The other two interviewees said that price is the most important aspect to them. They do not want to spend a fortune. All three said that they buy from stores, usually gas stations, and never buy these products online. They also all said that they only pay with cash. My interviewees always think back on these purchases, wondering if the purchase was really worth it or not. It is rather hard to not regret purchases like these honestly. My interviewees frown upon their own decisions, but they simply cannot quit something that has been a part of their lives for upwards of 2-3 years. I believe this segment is full of people who feel bad after the purchase but simply cannot avoid said purchase.

14A- Halfway Reflection

1. To keep up with the requirements of this course, I have increased my time management skills a ton. I usually procrastinate a lot and this class as well as others have forced me to stay on top of everything.

2. There was one night in particular that I really felt like giving up. I had several assignments due in most of my classes and I was slightly overwhelmed with it all. I simply did not feel like completing the assignments for this course. What pulled me through was my overall interest for the course and the fact that I cannot afford to be lazy. I do not necessarily feel that I have recently developed a tenacious attitude or anything, but I am rather determined to better myself everyday. The main influence on my recent determination is that I am striving for better grades this semester.

3. 3 Tips:
a. Be prepared to think outside the box.
b. In order to develop a tenacious mindset, you must set your goals and be prepared to achieve them.
c. Never wait until the last minute to accomplish anything

13A- Reading Reflection

1. For my first reading reflection, I chose to read "Shoe Dog", the autobiography written by the founder of Nike, Phil Knight. Something that surprised me a lot was that Phil Knight admitted in his book to never being with a girl before. Something I admired a lot about Phil was that he knew his own passion and he decided to pursue it despite all of his friends and classmates who "greeted his passion and intensity with labored sighs and vacant stares". He did not let anyone's opinions get in the way of his goals. There really was not an obvious least admirable thing that Phil Knight portrayed in his book, but I would go with the fact that he seemed to feel bad about his appearance sometimes. Although there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Phil Knight's name before, none of it was discussed in his autobiography. Whenever Phil faced adversity it is evident that he simply pushed through and would not give up his dream.

2. Phil Knight had several competencies that helped him become as successful as he is today. One was his relentless attitude. He knew that he had to keep grinding in order to achieve his goals. Phil also took risks and was actually very brave. He never backed out of his endeavors it seemed. He was also very intelligent as you might expect.

3. One thing in his autobiography that was confusing to me was his list of all the regrets he had in his life. I would think that someone as successful as Phil Knight simply forgets about his mistakes and has little to no regrets. It's reassuring to see that billionaires still recognize the mistakes they have made and still feel regret for their past actions.

4. I would ask Phil Knight, simply out of curiosity,
     a. When was the exact moment that you realized that Nike was going to be huge?
     b. Who is your favorite athlete of all time?

5. Phil Knight definitely valued hard work and realized that he would never get anywhere without working hard. I do not think that he tried to cut any corners. I share the same opinion actually. Although I do not like to work hard for things, I know that in order to attain your goals you must work hard and strive for greatness. 

12A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior

Demographic: Teenage males who have previously used products containing nicotine

1. My first interviewee's name was Ben and he has been using nicotine products for about 2 and a half years and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. I told him about my opportunity idea and said he would be very interested in the product. I discussed need awareness with him and he said he has thought about how easy it would be if he did no have to worry about the health risks of the electronic cigarettes he uses. His need awareness occurs basically whenever the consequences of using nicotine is mentioned whether it be online or by his friends and parents. The first thing Ben did to find a solution to this problem was search Google for the definite health risks of using E-cigs. He told me he was online for two hours making sure he was not going to die. I think he did not mind what he saw online and that the statistics were in his favor due to the fact that he still vapes everyday.

2. My second interview was with a lad named Chris who switched over from JUUL to a device called Cuvie. He told me that he made the switch only because it was JUUL that was in the news for being a dangerous product. There are no actual claims that Cuvie is unsafe according to Chris, but what I have seen is that it is an extremely similar product to those that are receiving backlash. We discussed more and it is quite evident that Chris knows that his switch was not anything life changing and that he is still at risk. His unmet need is there whether he wants to admit it or not. He noticed his unmet need when he heard about the health risks of JUUL and the first thing he did was make the switch to Cuvie. He told me that he searched Google because of how much it concerned him and he found nothing about Cuvie. He did not consult with any friends or family either.

3. My third and final interview was with Ohee whose dad owns multiple gas stations. Naturally, he started using JUUL and uses the products quite frequently to this day. He became aware of his unmet need like everybody else did when news broke that JUUL was unsafe and poses a threat to all users of their products. He even told me that his father took all JUUL products out of his stores. After Ohee became aware of his need, he actually consulted with his dad to my surprise.

In these interviews, I learned that most of my demographic is unsure of the safety of any of the nicotine products they have been using in the past. Also, the majority of their need awarenesses' occurred when they read the news on the dangers of electronic cigarettes. I also learned that my opportunity still stands especially within this particular demographic.

11A- Idea Napkin

1. You- My name is Michael Lombardo and I am a second year at the University of Florida. I have very few useful skills but people have said before that I am a very convincing person. As someone who has used nicotine before and also who has many friends who still use electronic cigarettes, I know people will do almost anything for their fix of nicotine as sad as that sounds. My main goal is for this product to hopefully end up saving people's lives in the long run or at least give them a healthier option with little to no health risks. 

2. What are you Offering to Customers?- My product is an alternative to any and all consumption methods of nicotine. Recently, it was discovered that the supposedly harmless electronic cigarettes were actually causing major health causes in many teens and even ended up killing several people. As we all know cigarettes contain black tar in them that can cause cancer. Dip, or chew, can cause cavities, receding gums, and teeth staining. I actually have a friend who had to get a tooth pulled due to his consumption of dip. The point of me saying all this is that there is no harmless way of consuming nicotine as of right now.

3. Who are you Offering it To?- I am offering this product to basically anyone who is looking for a better alternative, but my main demographic would be teenagers and other young adults who have used these products before as well as those who previously smoked cigarettes.

4. Why do they Care?- I sort of already answered this question in #2, but customers should hopefully care about their health. If proven healthy by the FDA, I believe that customers would flock to this product. I say this due to the fact that it was recently exposed that JUUL never received an appropriate FDA order for the company to claim that their product was "much safer than cigarettes". 

5. What are your Core Competencies?- I think what sets me apart from others is simply my experience with nicotine as well as finding people to sell to. It would be quite easy to find customers for my product on a college campus. I also have several friends who are really into lab work and could become great connections looking into the future.

I believe that my product would sell in the market, but I do realize that some aspects of my business concept are still quite weak and have gaps in them. For one, there might not be any way of making nicotine completely healthy. It might be impossible for all we know, but I feel that it is a problem worth observing and examining more. Another issue is that I really have no clear advantages over any competitors.

9A- Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Who: After five more interviews, I discovered that some people and businesses fall outside the boundary even though the opportunity could benefit them in the long run. The people that fall outside of the boundary are those who are simply not interested in the alternative product whether it be that they want to stop vaping completely or if they do not care about the health risks and continue to use their usual products. The businesses that fall outside the boundary are those who have already put out their seemingly harmless products.

What: I think that my need differs from others in that even though it does not solve the entire problem with the vaping culture in our society, it will save lives in the long run. With something as prevalent as vaping in our society, a change needs to be made for the better. Interviewee #4 shed some light on the issue and I could not have agreed more with what he said. He told me how he believed that vaping will be part of our society for a very long time and that even if these devices are banned, people will find a way around it like they do with so many other things.

Why: Those outside the boundary are those who do not feel the need to commit to this product for whatever reason. They might feel that the products they use or the products they sell are not actually all that harmful. Others might not be interested in the existence of nicotine at all. The people and businesses inside the boundary are those willing to trust this new product and also know the importance and longevity a product like this can sustain.

Inside the Boundary:
-Who is In: Those interested in a safer alternative to cigarettes/electronic cigarettes
- What the Need is: The need for a safer way to consume nicotine
-Why the Need Exists: Nicotine/Vaping is something that will not diminish quickly whatsoever and people are being harmed by these products and an alternative must be made

Outside the Boundary:
-Who is Not: Businesses who believe they already have found the solution to vaping or people who are not interested in this market.
-What the Need is Not: This need does not fulfill or satisfy the solution to end vaping or nicotine consumption. It simply reduces the risk of it.
-Alternative Explanations:  N/A

8A- Solving the Problem

The opportunity I selected was the consumption of nicotine mainly through the usage of electronic cigarettes. The issue at hand is that these companies claim that their products are harmless when in fact they can cause serious health issues and even death.

A product that could solve this problem indefinitely would be a electronic cigarette of some type that is 100% harmless. Companies such as JUUL saw an opportunity with how harmful cigarette smoking is and all of the extreme health risks people take just to get their nicotine fix. They took that opportunity and made their seemingly harmless product whose tagline is "The Alternative to Adult Smoking". Now that JUUL has been proven harmful, there is an opportunity to fix this problem yet again. I think that a proven harmless alternative to these products would save many lives and keep these consumers happy.

7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

A completely harmless alternative to electronic cigarettes

• Opportunity 
• Teenagers as well as those looking for a harmless alternative to cigarette smoking have turned to electronic cigarettes such as JUUL for their daily nicotine cravings, but the seemingly harmless products have been recently found out to be not as harmless as the producers are claiming. There is definitely an opportunity for the creation of a harmless way to consume nicotine. Some might think that there is an opportunity for a similar product that includes no nicotine at all, but from personal experiences in both my hometown and the Gainesville community, I believe that there is not a feasible alternative that does not include nicotine. 
• The Who- Mainly teenagers who use these products
• The What- They are victims of the electronic cigarette epidemic and liable to illness and physical harm
• The Why- The seemingly harmless way to consume nicotine is a convincing and inviting advertisement ploy that actually lures in customers. 
• Testing the Who
• Teenagers as well as anyone who uses products with nicotine.
• Testing the What
• The electronic cigarettes are an extremely popular product and is used recreationally by many teens. Recent news has shed some light on the dangers of these products and has really put the whole "vaping" thing into perspective. 
• Testing the Why
• Why people use electronic cigarettes is quite an easy question to answer. People smoke cigarettes as a form of stress relief, so when a product comes along claiming that it gives people the same stress relief as a cigarette and also claims to be completely harmless, people are going to buy it. 

Interview 1: For my first interview, I chose one of my classmates from Spanish class. He has never used electronic cigarettes or any form of nicotine consumption for that matter. He is aware of the the false marketing for electronic cigarettes and seems to be quite upset with it. He views this whole issue as fraudulent and deceiving. He said he would like to see a harmless alternative even though it would not affect him personally. He would like for this whole electronic cigarette issue to just not be a thing altogether. I figured that he meant he wanted nicotine to be outlawed entirely. 

Interview 2: I interviewed a kid who I saw walking in the Reitz Union. His name is Kyle and he confessed to previously being a JUUL user. He said that he never really noticed any differences in his physical and mental health while using these products, but was scared of the recent news like many others and has stopped using electronic cigarettes. He says it has not been as hard as he thought to get off nicotine and is happy with his decision. I followed this up by asking if he would ever think about purchasing a 100% harmless way of "vaping" if such a thing were ever invented. He said it would be enticing, but he would try to refrain from using. 

Interview 3: My next interviewee was a girl named Alyssa who I had a class with last year. She has also never used any nicotine products and is kind of indifferent to the situation as a whole. She frowned upon the whole false advertising similarly to my first interviewee, but she says people can do what they want since they are only harming their own bodies. I mentioned the opportunity at hand and she said that even though she would never use such a product that she believed that many others would. 

Interview 4: I decided to interview an adult so I had some variety in the age demographics. I did not want to bother any of the professors or faculty here at the University so I chose instead to call one of my mom's friends, who I am somewhat close to also. This proved to be one of my worst ideas ever as I received a 35 minute rant from Debra. By the way, her name is Debra. Debra is very against the idea of electronic cigarettes and has definitely been doing her research on the topic. She reminded me of all the health issues that these teenagers are already showing signs of due to inhaling nicotine. I think it is safe to say that Debra could never be convinced of a harmless alternative product. 

Interview 5: For my last interview, I chose this kid from across the hall in my dorm named Connor. He told me straight up that he occasionally purchases and uses these disposable electronic cigarettes called "Stigs". He has heard all the news and was initially scared by it, but eventually brushed it off as fake news. He still knows of the health risks though so I mentioned the opportunity of a harmless alternative and he said he would be a willing customer. 

Summary: After completing these interviews, I have found out that the opportunity is definitely there, but it might not be quite as big as initially envisioned. I believe that the opportunity is still there because some people simply cannot give up nicotine and if there is a way to make that 100% harmless, people would be interested. The way I see it is that people find their way around dozens of alcohol and drug related laws, and a law banning nicotine consumption would be no different. I see that the best opportunity would be to develop a harmless method that can eventually even save lives.  

6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Regulatory Trends:

Electronic cigarette epidemic, causing serious health issues


https://time.com/5680988/juul-vaping-health-crisis/

-There is definitely an opportunity here because electronic cigarettes such as JUUL are very prevalent in today's society especially in teenagers. There is also an opportunity due to the fact that these products are dangerous and can ultimately lead to shortened life spans and other health risks. If a harmless product could be manufactured and sold and was scientifically proven to be safe, the opportunity is huge.

-The prototypical customer would be anyone who has recently used electronic cigarettes
 or someone who is trying to quit smoking. A large business could also be very interested in this opportunity.

-I feel that this opportunity could possibly be easy to exploit if it was made sure to be 100% harmless and still effective.

-I thought of this opportunity because it is such a big deal in our society today especially due to the recent news of how harmful these products can be. If someone could actually make this product, I believe it would be extremely successful and save more lives than most people would think.

College athletes getting paid, laws soon to be passed in multiple states

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/california-sets-clash-ncaa-passing-bill-allowing-college-athletes-get-n1052886

-I do not agree with this law in a way, but I see a way that this law could be used for the better. There has been a lot of talk about whether college athletes should be able to sign endorsement deals or if the colleges they play at should just straight up pay them. In my honest opinion, I think that straight up paying college athletes is absolutely idiotic as they already have full scholarships to the universities they attend including several other benefits. I also think that if they are able to sign endorsement deals and outsiders will pay them, then that's completely fine. The opportunity I see is for this money from the university to go to perhaps scholarships for "regular" students who are struggling to pay for tuition.

- The most likely customers are any students who meet any certain requirements set for these scholarships and are struggling with tuition.

-I think that this opportunity should be easy to exploit as it seems like a huge problem that could be easily fixed, but would probably never be seen through.

-I saw this opportunity again due to the chatter about these new laws in recent news and due to personal experience with tuition especially as an out-of-state student.


Economic Trends

Climate change is sparking opportunity, especially for small businesses

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2016/01/13/climate-change-is-a-threat---and-an-opportunity---for-the-private-sector

-Climate change should be one of the scariest things for all humans because it is looming and is a huge problem. There are countless opportunities for businesses to help the environment and slow down global warming. Companies can find opportunities in things as simple as solar panels and eco-friendly construction.

-Large corporations would be the prototypical customer

-This opportunity might be difficult to exploit because these companies might be spending more money than they would like to even if they are helping the environment

-Climate change is basically the go-to issue for our economy with endless opportunities to think of

Baby Boomers are not Retiring

https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666

-The simple fact that the generation known as the baby boomers are not retiring is effecting our generation in a negative way. The Baby Boomers are not delaying retirement for their own enjoyment though; the recession has forced this delay. The opportunity is one that has been forced upon this generation, but it is one of technological advancements and new ways of thinking.

-The opportunity is one for mostly the new generation or people who have trouble finding jobs due to Baby Boomers delayed retirement.

-This opportunity should be easy to exploit as it has really already begun and they are used to having to think outside the box and struggling to find jobs.

-This problem is one that many people have experienced and is a problem that we will soon face when we begin our journey into the "real world".

5A- Identifying Local Opportunites

Identifying Local Opportunities 

1. "Biker caught stealing plants from Satchel's Pizza"

     https://www.alligator.org/news/planting-evidence-biker-caught-stealing-plants-from-satchel-s-pizza/article_f8110938-d5c1-11e9-b240-63c79cc54825.html

Apparently Satchel's Pizza has had an ongoing issue with people stealing their plants. This biker was caught on video stealing three plants outside of the pizza joint. The owner of the restaurant claims that more than 20 of his plants have been stolen in the last month and that he has no room for the plants inside the restaurant.  

Problem: The owner of the pizza restaurant cannot protect his plants from being stolen. 

People: Only the owner of the restaurant and his family are really impacted by this problem 

2. "Potholes plague Gainesville" 

https://www.alligator.org/news/potholes-plague-gainesville/article_b3876c2a-7e66-11e8-b4c0-f70fe6c32992.html

Potholes located on the streets of Gainesville are costing people up to $300 bucks in damage. One man said it is like playing Mario Kart trying to dodge all the potholes. These potholes are mostly due to the large amount of rain. 

Problem: Potholes can cause car accidents and cost people money or even injure people. 

People: Anyone who drives on or around campus is affected by these potholes. 

3. "Low pay for bus drivers leads to a shortage"

https://www.alligator.org/news/low-pay-for-bus-drivers-leads-to-a-shortage-forced/article_396bcbe8-4455-11e8-a5d8-bb463d51b494.html

Many of the RTS bus drivers have been forced to work overtime as over 20 drivers have quit for various reasons this fall. Many drivers see it as unfair as they are not getting increased pay at this time. They feel as if they should be making more especially with the lack of drivers and longer hours. 

Problem: RTS bus drivers are forced to work longer hours due to many drivers quitting. They lose time to hang out with their families and simply relax. 

People: It mostly affects the bus drivers and their families. \

4. "The aftermath of Hurricane Michael"

https://www.alligator.org/news/the-aftermath-of-hurricane-michael/article_64abab3a-cdde-11e8-ad85-23c7ca80b72b.html

Like Hurricane Dorian, Michael created quite a bit of chaos. It proved to be a very devastating storm. UF closed along with 9 other Florida universities. The storm brought the community together as people were almost excited to donate and help others. 

Problem: The hurricane caused destruction and injuries. 

People: The hurricane affected students, faculty, and anyone in or around the Gainesville area. 

5. "RedCoach incident raises questions on bus companies' protocols"

 https://www.alligator.org/news/redcoach-incident-raises-questions-on-bus-companies-protocols/article_b80285f8-1de2-11e8-8408-4f4292e84f22.html

Halle Berliant was taking a RedCoach, a popular bus company, to the Tampa airport as she noticed that they had already passed the exit for Tampa a while ago. She was hesitant to ask the driver at first. She eventually found the courage to ask the driver and she asked to be let off the bus. She would then take an Uber back to the airport. The operations manager of RedCoach spoke about how important the customers' safety is to them. 

Problem: Bus driver should never have let her off the bus and should have been more alert in the first place. 

People: With countless students using these bus companies, many of them are relying on these drivers to get them from Point A to Point B. 

4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

Forming an Opportunity Belief

Step 1: I have a belief that people have a need for chargers with stronger and more protective exteriors. 

Step 2: The unmet need is having a charger (Iphone, laptop, speaker, etc) that lasts for a long time and does not break or rip easily. I hear people constantly complaining, including me, about their chargers breaking within less than a year of owning it. This particular problem has existed for a while and has even become a meme since it is a problem that is so easy to relate to for most people. From my own personal experience, I believe that people are simply treating their chargers with caution and attempting to not bend the chargers in any way. 

Step 3: Connor, 19-year old male who owns various chargers, also is a huge baseball fan 

Step 4: Have you ever broken a charger? - Yes, more than once

            How long have you had this problem? - Ever since I have had a phone 

            Do you notice this problem all the time or only sometimes? - Only when my cord rips

            How are you currently dealing with this issue? - I usually just purchase a new charger when                one begins to rip

            How satisfied are you with this solution? - Honestly not very satisfied at all. 

Step 3: Yuki, a 21-year old foreign exchange student from Beijing. Fun Fact: We met at Wendy's

Step 4: Have you ever broken your charger? -  I believe so, yes

            How long have you had this problem? - I really would not consider it a problem, but I think I  had a phone charger break about two years ago

            Do you notice this problem all the time or only sometimes? - Well so far only once

            How are you currently dealing with this issue? - I bought a new charger

            How satisfied were you with this solution? - I would rather not have to buy another one, but this solution is fine

Step 3: Troy, 19-year old male from Homestead. Wants to become a sports agent

Step 4: Have you ever broken your charger? - Yes, many times. 

            How long have you had this problem? - As long as I've had a phone

            Do you notice this problem all the time or only sometimes? - My charger is currently ripped right now actually, but I usually only notice it when the charger is in fact ripped. 

            How are you currently dealing with this issue? - I put a small piece of duct tape over the tear. 

            How satisfied are you with this solution? - It works rather well for a while, but I have gone through many chargers despite using tape 

Reflection: After conducting these interviews and also talking to friends about the issue, 

I realize that many people do struggle with chargers ripping. I definitely believe that the opportunity stands. While Yuki did not seem to have much of a problem with her chargers, Troy and Connor would most likely purchase chargers with a stronger and more protective exterior as it would save them money in the future. Like Troy, I too have used tape as an attempt to fix a broken cord, but to no avail. I always ending up having to purchase a new one. 

Summary: I definitely think that the opportunity is still there, but the amount of customers might be a little bit smaller than I initially thought. Not every person has that much of an issue with chargers and some people are more delicate with their appliances than others and never need to buy new ones. The new opportunity, while perhaps being smaller than before, is much more accurate. Entrepreneurs should definitely adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback. These are the people they are trying to sell to, so they should definitely see what the customers have to say. Unless sales are absolutely booming, an entrepreneur should always be ready to adapt. 

3A- My Entrepreneurship Story

My Entrepreneurship Story

Entrepreneurship has always been a part of my life whether I knew it or not. As a kid, I would always try to make money. At the age of 12, I wanted a way to make money over the summer. A lemonade stand would have sufficed and made me a good amount of money, but I wanted something bigger. My sister and I went to the local Wal-mart and noticed a BOGO for 12-packs of soda. To make a long story short, we set up a soda stand that had 9 different beverage options. We decided to sell each can for 50 cents. This turned out to be a good decision because business was popping. Customers were attracted to the insane deals and would usually end up paying a dollar because they had no change. Also, customers would often tip (I was a good looking 12 year old). I set up this stand around 25 times that summer and was definitely the best decision my 12 year old mind could ever come up with. I ended that summer with a $600 profit (no lie) and very satisfied customers. 

I decided to take ENT3003 because I am very interested in entrepreneurship and I am not opposed to becoming a business owner in the future. As someone who loves making money, I want to learn how to use my money wisely and strategically especially when it comes to starting up a business. I hope this course teaches me when to take risks and when to not take risks and how to make the most of any financial situation. 

2A- Bug List

1. Food that comes out cold at a nice restaurant
Why it Exists: This fine establishment might be quite busy as it is a popular place to eat, therefore it might take the waiters a while to bring all the customers their food and the chefs also have to prepare a large amount of food which is also time consuming.

2. When I am walking to my class at Heavener Hall and it starts raining
Why it Exists: Rain is of natural causes and keeps the environment from being extremely dry and keeps vegetation alive. It is kind of dumb to be mad at rain.

3. Biting my tongue while chewing food
Why it Exists: Sometimes we eat too fast and and slip up and bite our tongues causing a somewhat painful experience.

4. Sweating while walking to class even in the morning
Why it Exists: Sweating is actually supposed to cool down your body and help with the hot temperatures.

5. Traffic in Gainesville literally all the time
Why it Exists: Traffic is a very common thing that almost everyone has to deal with and Gainesville is a college town with a very large amount of people driving to different places in town.

6. Waiting in line for an hour at Space Mountain at Disney World
Why it Exists: Disney World is an extremely popular and magical place and tons of people want to ride one of the most exciting rides the park has to offer.

7. When one of your favorite artists drops a horrible album
Why it Exists: Sometimes talented artists try to make a new style of music popular or take a risk and it does not pay off and they make an album that proves to be a disappointment (Chance the Rapper).

8. Getting stung by a bee
Why it Exists: Although bees can give off a pretty painful sting, they are one of the most productive creatures on Earth and we might not even survive without them. Wasps are completely useless though.

9. Little kids who still "dab"
Why it Exists: The "dab" was a very popular and trendy dance move that went out of style a while ago, but some younger kids do not know that.

10. The fact that no NBA team will put Carmelo Anthony on a roster
Why it Exists: Carmelo is definitely in the latter half of his career and is not playing his best basketball. Having said this, he can still be very productive for any NBA team off the bench. Teams are not confident in Carmelo at this stage in his career though and are hesitant to sign him.

11. Getting left on read (Texting, Snapchat, Tinder, etc.)
Why it Exists: Some people are simply too busy or not interested enough to answer a message. People have lives outside of messaging you back.

12. Construction going on outside my dorm at 6:00 AM.
Why it Exists: I live on campus and construction is constantly going on, but it is for the betterment of our campus and to make our college experiences better.

13. Warm water fountains
Why it Exists: Some older water fountains cannot produce cold enough water.

14. Constant commercials on platforms such as Hulu
Why it Exists: Platforms such as Hulu use advertisements in order to make more money for the company and keep the platform running and also to improve and add on to the collection of shows and movies.

15. Walking behind slow people on the way to class
Why it Exists: Everyone walks at a different pace and some people might not be in a hurry to get to class.

16. People ball hogging in pick up basketball
Why it Exists: Some basketball players really like to showcase their skills and they feel as if they are in the NBA, even while playing at a gym with amateurs.

17. People with bad breath
Why it Exists: Sometimes people are in a rush and forget to brush their teeth or pop in a mint in their mouths. It happens to almost everyone at some point or another.

18. Florida State and UCF football fans
Why it Exists: Both of these college fanbases support their football teams for obvious reasons since they go to those schools despite their teams not being very good.

19. People that think that baseball is America's sport
Why it Exists: Despite the progression of the popularity of football and basketball in America's culture today, some people still feel that baseball is America's sport. Baseball is a beloved sport by many despite the popularity of other sports.

20. Getting sick at the beginning of a semester
Why it Exists: There are a numerous ways of getting sick especially while getting used to living on your own. Health is a very important thing during your first semester of college. Bacteria and viruses can affect your semester negatively very easily.


Reflection: This list was quite easy to make because many things bug me. I think that everyone can think of many things that annoy them if they simply go through a normal day and note these things. I did not find this assignment too difficult.

My Very First Blog

I am the Dog with a Blog.