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.
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Friday, October 25, 2019
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.
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.
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.
Friday, October 18, 2019
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.
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.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
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
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
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
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.
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.
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.
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