Assignment 30A - Final Reflection

1.) Looking back through all of my assignments, I would have to say that the most formative experience I've had in the class by far would be the elevator pitches. I remember seeing it three times in the list of upcoming assignments and I remember really dreading it and really not looking forward to it. It taught me how to be more open on camera and how to communicate my ideas more coherently. The experience I think I'd still remember year's later, believe it or not, is the bug list. The serial-position effect makes it easier to remember items at the beginning and end of a list, and I surely don't think I'll be remembering this reflection. The most joyous experience I've had in this class was live-interviewing my ex-girlfriend, that was pretty fun. The experience I am most proud of myself for accomplishing would be my venture concept since it was very comprehensive and well thought out and I really believe that I included a lot of conclusive details in that post.

2.) Now, at the end of this course, I would definitely see myself as an entrepreneur. With the way the class was structured, I think it would be really difficult not to have further developed an entrepreneurial mindset. All the assignments and lectures were very relevant to the class itself and I really believe that it helped shape the way I think and view the immediate world around me.

3.) One recommendation to students going down this path in the future is to definitely take your bug list seriously and to take some serious time reflecting before you chose the one opportunity working on all semester. I feel that if your initial idea isn't as wholesome or complete, it would be very difficult to think of more things and advance with your idea further down the line. In order to best perform on this course, I would suggest that these students don't get caught behind and also not to get too comfortable since the class is structured very consistently with no upcoming exams! The most vital recommendation I have pertaining to this consistency is to set alarms every Thursday and Sunday night! I would recommend they stop procrastinating now to start fostering and developing this mindset.

4.)

Assignment 29A- Venture Concept No. 2 - Handy Man Sam's Parking Garages

Part 1:

Regardless of whether you guys have a car or not, I'm sure that the unfavorable parking conditions in the city of Gainesville have been realized to some extent (maybe not currently, of course). Since I drive lot in my day-to-day life, this is the opportunity I have chosen to take advantage of and improve. From year to year, the city of Gainesville is becoming a lot more populated as the University of Florida accepts more and more students. Naturally, the issue of parking is only going to get worse from here. On top of that, even as it currently stands, the city struggles a lot as it is trying to squeeze everyone into the smallest radius for football games. There are hundreds of thousands of people within a 3 mile radius which is actually ridiculous, especially considering how it's only going down from here. As such, my plan's core objective is to create parking while maximizing the most amount of space. Entailed in my operations plan are three major steps needed in order to create a solution in the city. Each of these are equally important, except the first two are standard for every construction operation in the field and the third step is a distinctive one that serves to set my idea apart from others.
         The first part of the plan is to scout out single-leveled parking lots in high-traffic areas that could use a more efficient and abundant parking system. The main component of the plan is to maximize the given space by simply building the single-leveled parking lot upwards, thereby converting a parking lot to a parking garage. This way, even in crowded areas where there isn't much space like midtown and on campus, a lot of spots can still be made available without actually taking up more street space.
          The second part of my plan would be to create partnerships with the city of Gainesville and the University of Florida to get permission for the construction of these parking garages as well as attain property rights to these single-leveled parking lots. Once this is done, then the immediate construction of the parking lot can begin. Obviously, this would be a very expensive endeavor, so I would of course have many serious investors lined up in exchange for a small amount of equity in my company.
         The third part of my plan is what will make my idea very different from the rest: parking sensors will be installed into each and every spot of my garage and with that technology in place, the number of available spots will be displayed on the outside of the parking building to avoid wasting people's time. This will be very convenient especially for those who commute to campus by car and have experience the nightmare of not being able to find a parking spot during a time crunch.
Furthermore, this data will be also be linked to this app that I will have created for use on cellular devices. This app will have the relative location of all of my parking garages and will pinpoint the closest parking garage available and will also allow you to see the amount of currently available spots in each of the garages. This will add a whole other level of convenience that will change the parking game in the city of Gainesville for good.
         At the moment, the only competitor I have would be the school (UF), neighborhood parking company's, as well as a few parking garage owners in the downtown area of the city. The reason my product/service would better serve the community and provide more opportunity for customers is due to the much higher level of convenience offered by my garages. With a much higher level of technology implemented in these garages, it would make much better use of the space. Furthermore, UF decals and neighborhood parking are extremely expensive so my rates would also be much better than theirs.
         With many of these parking garages around the city, people will never have to loop around the same block 20 times to find a spot. All garages will be interconnected and there will definitely be an attempt to spread out these projects throughout the city evenly. I personally I feel like an idea like this is very necessary considering the growing traffic in Gainesville by the year. The situation as it is now is currently so bad and I have personally never seen anywhere with parking as bad as in Gainesville. With a plan like this one that maximizes space and prioritizes convenience, I find it to be a big step forward in making Gainesville a parking-friendly place.

2. When looking back at the comments I've received on my first venture concept and on my "what's next" assignment, I got the general consensus from my peers that the opportunity I had envisioned was fairly well thought out and that all the details I had thought of went well together and would do a good job of serving the community. I also got some feedback from one of my peers that I should add a section mentioning my competitors and the benefits I have over them.

3. Based on the feedback I have received, my venture concept seems to be fairly coherent and well thought-out. As such, I've kept the foundation the same. Moreover, based on one of the peer reviews I have gotten, I decided it would be best to add in a section talking about the potential competitors I

will have in my industry. I have added a section within my concept addressing this.

Assignment 28A - My Exit Strategy

1) Identify the exit strategy you plan to make. Do you intend to sell your business in the next 5 years for a large return? Do you intend to stay with the business for several decades and retire? Do you intend to protect the venture as a family business, and pass it down to your children?

I plan to use this business as a source of passive income so that my investment can eventually pay off. That being said, I plan to stay in the business for at least 2 decades since I don't think there can be anything that can serve as tough competition for my parking garages. After at least 2 decades, I plan to sell my parking garages.

2) Why have you selected this particular exit strategy?

The reason I selected this particular exit strategy is because I want to make a passive income for my investment since a parking garage is only something that will pay off over many years. Thus, after two decades, I am sure to make a sizable amount of profit to the point where I can then sell my garages and earn a lot of money from it. After two decades, I will be in my 40s so I feel as if that is a good time to cash out and start living my life to the fullest with all the money I have acquired.

3) How do you think your exit strategy has influenced the other decisions you've made in your concept? For instance, has it influenced how you have identified an opportunity? Has it influenced your growth intentions or how you plan to acquire and use resources?

Since I plan to keep my garages for at least 2 decades, it has influenced my decision to invest a lot into them and to equip them with the most advanced technology possible for a parking garage. The reason for this is because I want my investment to be as good as possible if I'm going to have it around for 20 years or so. It would likely make it an even more profitable source of passive income since I could charge a small extra premium for every person that parks for the convenience. 

Assignment 27A - Reading Reflection No. 3

In this exercise, I'd like you to select a book from the second half of the Official ENT 3003 Reading List and report on it. This part of the list focuses on books that cover, generally, entrepreneurship, business, and learning. I'd like you to address the following in your post:

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

The primary general theme of this book is that humanity has indulged in watching an increasing amount of television on their free time for the first decade of the 20th century. This trend, however, has changed as for the first time since the release of television there is now a decreasing amount of people who watch television yearly. This major change is described as a positive one by the author as more time is diverted into interactive media and online activities. In this day and age, this is seen as a much more productive use of time compared to simply watching television for leisure.  

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

This book is connected with the class in quite a few ways actually. Having made the switch to using less television in exchange for interactive media, we are improving our productivity through online activities. Entrepreneurship opportunities exist a lot more online than on television, such as the creation of Wikipedia and other online sights.

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

If I were to design an exercise for the class based on the book, I would have all student reflect on what interactive media sources they use or online activities that they engage in. Then, I would have them think of a list of ten benefits of this interactive media or ten ways in which it connects to entrepreneurship.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

The biggest 'aha' moment for me was when they brought up the fact that there is a general trend of decreasing television consumption in the world in exchange for a higher indulgence in interactive media. This is definitely something I learned that differed from my expection since I expected television consumption to be rather increasing over the years with all these new shows coming out.

Assignment 26A - Celebrating Failure

1) Tell us about a time this past semester that you failed -- whether in this class, or outside of this class. Don't spare any details! It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times this semester, and failed each time. 

Something I have tried several times this semester and have failed each time is learning to improve my juggling skills. I have tried to learn how to juggle 4 balls for the longest time but I just can't get the hang of it. I have been juggling 3 balls for a couple months now so I feel as if I'm ready to move on to the next move. I have been trying for around 3 weeks now to learn but have continuously failed. Yesterday, however, I was able to hit a 4 ball flash, which means I was able to juggle all four balls for one complete rotation. I still can't get it down again nor can I do it consistently in the least, but I will continue trying.

2) Tell us what you learned from it.  

I learned that even though I continued to fail for a very long period of time, I still eventually made progress by hitting a four ball flash. As cliche as it may sound, I learned to never give up.

3) Reflect, in general, on what you think about failure. Failure is hard, isn't it? It's embarrassing, sure, but it also means that we have to change something about ourselves. Talk about how you handle failure (emotionally, behaviorally). Finally, talk about how this class has changed your perspective on failure -- are you more likely to take a risk now than you were just a few months ago?

I feel like I handle failure very well. Recently I have adopted a new framework in which I believe that failure can only be a good thing and that it is inherently necessary in order to develop yourself as a person and build experiences. I have realized that the only way to get better at something, is in fact to fail at it, a lot. I further believe that this applies to many things in life, one of them being relationships. There's a reason why most people have multiple spouses in life; that is, they can learn from their past failed relationships that didn't work out in order to give them a better idea of what they truly want for future relationships. Everything is a learning experience so I have recently (the past year or so) been handling failure differently. I always try to reflect and learn something from all my fails, and even if I can't, I have learned to laugh it off and not to let it get to me. Sometimes things are more serious, of course, such as failing an exam or something of the sort. In this case, I have learned to simply learn from my mistakes and move on. Failure is part of being human. This class has taught me a lot about failure, primarily from my last reading reflection on How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, in which it taught me that in winning at something is just being happy of the outcome, regardless of whether you win or lose. It has taught me a very healthy mindset that you can and should still be happy regardless of how you perform at something. I would also definitely say that I am more likely to take a risk now than I was just a few months ago.

Assignment 25A - What's Next?

Existing Market:

Step 1: In all honesty, I have already thought of pretty much everything possible for a high-tech parking garage. If I were really working on differentiating my product and had to make a modification for the better, I might create a decal system that automatically charges car for their time spent in one of the parking garages to avoid wasting more time.

Step 2:
Interview 1: My first person interviewing said that they feel like we should add speed bumps around the corners of the parking garages to promote safety, especially on campus.
Interview 2: The second interviewee said that I would also need to add an elevator to my parking garages, which is a detail that I had not thought of since it would not improve parking itself but rather the convenience of parking. She also suggested that I promote this idea with fliers around campus and at apartment complexes.
Interview 3: My third person interviewing said that we might want to add cameras to the facilities. They also said that customers are probably gonna be looking for rates that are cheaper than the UF and neighborhood decals.

Step 3: In all honesty, there really isn't much that I could do to improve upon the opportunity itself. My interviews gave me some sort of feedback on things that I could add if I really wanted to make my garages advanced. In terms of the future, I plan to add the three things that my interviewees have suggested. These things would be mostly for safety, with the exception of the first idea that would also improve convenience.
         The main thing that I would do to grow my venture would be to add the automatic payment system in which people would attach a decal to their car that would automatically be scanned upon entering my garages. This system would auto-charge the card after every time someone comes in to park. This would be mainly in an effort to improve convenience since there are a lot of people going to school on a time crunch.

New Market

Step 1: If I were to pick a different market aside from college students, I would pick businesses in the downtown and midtown area who also have trouble finding reliable parking.

Step 2: I think that this venture concept would bring utility to this new market segment since it would provide them with a consistent and reliable way of finding parking that would be located near a lot of major businesses for added convenience.

Step 3:
Interview 1: This individual suggested I offer cheaper rates for employers buying parking for their company over a longer period of time.
Interview 2: My second interviewee suggested I advertise to all the nearby business in the downtown and midtown area that would be close by the hypothetical garage.

Step 4: What I learned from this new market is that I would be dealing with a completely different type of market in which my really advanced parking garage would not have much use for. These people would be coming in and leaving their cars in there for the majority of the day, which is not the idea I had in mind for my garage. Furthermore, people who are going to work would probably also be willing to pay less for parking so I would also not be able to charge as much.
         To be quite frank, I feel like this new market would not cut it and would likely not be successful in the long-run. I believe that the most profitable market segment by far in the city would be college students who commute to and off campus and popular areas via car. My parking garages are intended for high traffic areas in which people are coming in and out during all times of the day, which is exactly why college students are perfect: they're always busy.

Assignment 24A - Venture Concept No. 1: Handy Sam's Parking

         Regardless of whether you guys have a car or not, I'm sure that the unfavorable parking conditions in the city of Gainesville have been realized to some extent (maybe not currently, of course). Since I drive lot in my day-to-day life, this is the opportunity I have chosen to take advantage of and improve. From year to year, the city of Gainesville is becoming a lot more populated as the University of Florida accepts more and more students. Naturally, the issue of parking is only going to get worse from here. On top of that, even as it currently stands, the city struggles a lot as it is trying to squeeze everyone into the smallest radius for football games. There are hundreds of thousands of people within a 3 mile radius which is actually ridiculous, especially considering how it's only going down from here. As such, my plan's core objective is to create parking while maximizing the most amount of space. Entailed in my operations plan are three major steps needed in order to create a solution in the city. Each of these are equally important, except the first two are standard for every construction operation in the field and the third step is a distinctive one that serves to set my idea apart from others.
         The first part of the plan is to scout out single-leveled parking lots in high-traffic areas that could use a more efficient and abundant parking system. The main component of the plan is to maximize the given space by simply building the single-leveled parking lot upwards, thereby converting a parking lot to a parking garage. This way, even in crowded areas where there isn't much space like midtown and on campus, a lot of spots can still be made available without actually taking up more street space.
          The second part of my plan would be to create partnerships with the city of Gainesville and the University of Florida to get permission for the construction of these parking garages as well as attain property rights to these single-leveled parking lots. Once this is done, then the immediate construction of the parking lot can begin. Obviously, this would be a very expensive endeavor, so I would of course have many serious investors lined up in exchange for a small amount of equity in my company.
         The third part of my plan is what will make my idea very different from the rest: parking sensors will be installed into each and every spot of my garage and with that technology in place, the number of available spots will be displayed on the outside of the parking building to avoid wasting people's time. This will be very convenient especially for those who commute to campus by car and have experience the nightmare of not being able to find a parking spot during a time crunch.
Furthermore, this data will be also be linked to this app that I will have created for use on cellular devices. This app will have the relative location of all of my parking garages and will pinpoint the closest parking garage available and will also allow you to see the amount of currently available spots in each of the garages. This will add a whole other level of convenience that will change the parking game in the city of Gainsville for good.
         With many of these parking garages around the city, people will never have to loop around the same block 20 times to find a spot. All garages will be interconnected and there will definitely be an attempt to spread out these projects throughout the city evenly. I personally I feel like an idea like this is very necessary considering the growing traffic in Gainesville by the year. The situation as it is now is currently so bad and I have personally never seen anywhere with parking as bad as in Gainesville. With a plan like this one that maximizes space and prioritizes convenience, I find it to be a big step forward in making Gainesville a parking-friendly place.

Assignment 23A - Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

List of resources for my venture:

1: Suppliers

a.) Valuable: very valuable as it is necessary for the construction of parking garages

b.) Rare: quite rare in Gainesville as there are not many construction companies

c.) Inimitable: not very inimitable as there are high entry costs to being a supplier

d.) Non-substitutable: no, suppliers for building materials are essential and irreplacable

2: Employees

a.) Valuable: very valuable, work could not be done without them

b.) Rare: not very rare, there are a lot of potential employees everywhere

c.) Inimitable: moderately inimitable since you can't always find qualified and efficient employees

d.) Non-substitutable: no, employees are necessary to run a business

3: Market Expert

a.) Valuable: very valuable as he would have a lot of influence on the operations

b.) Rare: not rare at all, there are many market experts all over the place

c.) Inimitable: not very inimitable since it takes a lot of time to get valuable experience

d.) Non-substitutable: no, market experts have undergone a very specific field

4: Phone Application

a.) Valuable: very valuable as it differentiates my idea from other similar parking ideas

b.) Rare: yes, it is gonna be custom-made and tailored specifically to my city

c.) Inimitable: very difficult to copy, there is a lot of labor and technology that goes into making an app as such

d.) Non-substitutable: no, an app is the only way to provide a level up in convenience in regards to parking

5: Insurance

a.) Valuable: very valuable as it would keep me from racking up some potentially financially-ruining liabilities

b.) Rare: not at all, there are plenty of insurances

c.) Inimitable: not very inimitable, it's difficult to copy the concept of insurance

d.) Non-substitutable: no, insurance is the only way to protect yourself against certain things

6: Property managers

a.) Valuable: very valuable as they would provide me a basis where I conduct my operations

b.) Rare: decently rare as there aren't too many big property managers for parking garages in Gainesville

c.) Inimitable: not inimitable, it is very difficult to copy property managers and acquire expensive property.

d.) Non-substitutable: no, property managers are a very specific group of people that cannot be substituted for anything else.

7: Parking sensing technology

a.) Valuable: very valuable as it serves as a backbone to my phone application

b.) Rare: not very rare, there are a lot of different ones on the market

c.) Inimitable: very inimitable, it is a very easily copied piece of equipment

d.) Non-substitutable: no, a parking sensor would be the only way to make my app work

8: Partnerships

a.) Valuable: very valuable as I would need these partnerships to build my garages in the city and school

b.) Rare: they are neither rare nor common since it really depends how many partnerships are created

c.) Inimitable: it is not inimitable at all since it's very hard to copy the terms of a contract and acquire the same deal

d.) Non-substitutable: no, partnerships are necessary for my garage to go up

9: Property rights

a.) Valuable: very valuable as they are necessary in order to own my garage

b.) Rare: yes they are not very easy to come across these days

c.) Inimitable: not inimitable since it's very hard to copy property rights

d.) Non-substitutable: no property rights are a thing of it's kind

10: Investors

a.) Valuable: very valuable as parking construction operations would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars

b.) Rare: not rare at all, investors are everywhere

c.) Inimitable: not inimitable since it's hard to copy investors without being one

d.) Non-substitutable: no, there are no other ways to fund this project without investors

Out of all of my resources, I would have to say that my phone application would probably be my top resource for a couple of different reasons. First off, it's the main thing that set's me a part from all other competitors. I feel like a business would not be very successful if it isn't differentiated by at least one big factor, and this is mine. Further, this would add an unbeatable level of convenience for anyone who has struggled with parking in the past. I feel like the idea of building parking garages wouldn't be complete without an app to go along with it. 

Assignment 22A - Elevator Pitch No. 3

Here's a link to my third elevator pitch! Hope you guys enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShfNH0_4mKs

2) A reflection on the feedback you received from your last pitch. 

I didn't get much feedback on my second elevator pitch, but maybe that's a good thing. The one little thing that did catch my eye is getting straight to the point and being more specific in describing my concept.

3) What did you change, based on the feedback?

In order to improve my third elevator pitch, I focused on getting right into the topic instead of beating around the bush somewhat towards the beginning. I also tried to expand a bit more on my concept. We'll see how I did based on this week's feedback!

Assignment 21A - Reading Reflection #2

For this second reading reflection, I actually picked up the book called How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, by Scott Adams. The reason I chose this book was simply due to the fact that I resonate with the title so I figured it'd be interesting to see my thoughts put out into words. I'm not good at many things but yet I still feel like a champ in most of the things I do, which is what I was reminded of upon reading the title of the book.

 1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
I found that the general theme of the book was that in reality, you really don't need to be good at something to enjoy it. From what I understood, enjoying something is considered winning because the same type of satisfaction can be derived whether or not you perform well on something. "Winning is only about feeling good and confident in yourself regardless of what happens to you. The book basically teaches you that if you take care of yourself, mindset, and well being, nothing can come in the way between an individual and their self-happiness.

 2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
I actually think that this book connected to this class extremely well since entrepreneurship is all about making it through failure and preserving despite not achieving a desired outcome right away. This book is all about being content and looking at the bright side of all your mistakes and shortcomings which really helps you learn about yourself, keep a positive mindset, and thus improve on yourself in the future. As such, I think this book really helps develop confidence and positivity within one's life, which is vital for building a business and entrepreneurship mindset.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
If I had to design one exercise based on this novel, I would instruct students to record themselves indulging in an activity that they're not very proficient in after they have read the novel. Then, after they attempt to do the activity and likely fail, I'd have them sit down and talk about how it made them felt. The underlying reason behind doing this would be to show people the there really isn't any harm in failing at things.  If they see themselves getting upset after failing and take the time to reflect on camera afterwards, I really believe a sense of self-reflection can teach them something important about themselves.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
Something that really surprised me from the novel was when the author talks about the positive sides to being selfish. I had always viewed it in a bad way, and of course pure selfishness can never be a good thing, but taking care of yourself and putting your well-being, mental health, and fitness above other things in your life is a big step towards self-love and being content under any circumstance. At the same time, once this balance is maintained, it is encouraged to still spend quality time with family and friends since you can't be giving to others if you yourself are not in a good place in life.

Overall I really liked this book a lot and connected with it on a different level. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to work on and improve themselves mentally while also learning to develop a positive mindset about life!

Assignment 20A - Growing Your Social Capital

Individual #1: Gilbert

Who are they and what's their background? 

Gilbert owns a construction company that builds apartments and homes up from scratch. They have owned the company for around 15 years now and has been in the industry for around 20 years. His primary location for conducting business is in Miami, Florida.

Which slot is this individual filling?

This individual, Gilbert, is filling up the spot as the domain expert in my industry.

How I found and contacted the person

Gilbert is one of my dad's good friends that helped him build our past homes. I haven't met him since I was a baby but my dad told me about him once I mentioned my assignment. He gave me his phone number and I proceeded to contact him about filling up the domain expert slot in my industry.

The nature of exchange I have with this person

The nature of exchange I have with this person is pretty one sided: Gilbert is simply doing me a favor by helping me out and providing me with information about the industry.

How will including this person enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity?

This person will be essential to my operation as he will lay the foundation for my parking garages and will know all about the contracts, property laws, and things as such that goes into play with the construction of large structures.

Individual #2:

Who are they and what's their background?

The second individual I have chosen to join my force is Chance, a parking garage owner in South Beach, Miami.  

Which slot is this individual filling?

This individual will be filling up the spot of the expert on my market.

How I found and contacted the person

I found this person by doing a little of research about parking garages in my area and stumbled across him on the internet.

The nature of exchange I have with this person

After briefly talking to the guy and having a friendly conversation with him, he seemed willing to help me out just for the sake of it. I asked if there is anything I can do in return and he said that he's just looking to help.

How will including this person enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity?

Since this person has all the knowledge and experience needed to raise a parking garage, he serves as a valuable asset and can really help me know the ins and outs of building garages such as the structural design, materials to be used, and tips for maintenance.

Individual #3:

Who are they and what's their background?

The third individual is a contractor and buildings material supplier named Miron who has been in the industry for almost 10 years.

Which slot is this individual filling?

This individual is filling the slot of an important supplier to my industry.

How I found and contacted the person

I actually found this individual through my market expert Chance, as he was in charge of providing the materials needed to build up the Chance's South Beach parking garage. I was given his number and contacted him with a phone call.

The nature of exchange I have with this person

Just like with Chance, Miron seemed enthusiastic about my idea and just wanted to help. Thus the exchange was pretty one-sided: he helped me out of kindness.

How will including this person enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity?

Having Miron on my team will significantly enhance my ability to exploit the opportunity as he will be the main supplier that provides all the essentials I would need to construct a parking garage. Without these materials, it wouldn't be possible to solve the unmet need of limited parking in the city of Gainesville.

Reflection:

I really feel like this experience shaped the way I would participate in any future networking events. First and foremost, it taught me how to speak to people of a higher up position and who's help I need. I feel like the communication there is a key aspect of getting a long with people and social networking. It also taught me that everyone is connected in some way or another. As such, I was able to meet Miron from my market expert, Chance. I feel like this experience taught me that networking means branching out and making new connections with different people. I have never really networked like this in the past since I've never considered a legitimate business so my networking experience does differ from that in the past.

Assignment 19A - Idea Napkin No2

Who I am

I am a second year finance major with an economics minor at the University of Florida. I have a lot a skills when it comes to the market as I've been into trading  stocks, securities and cryptocurrencies since I was 13. I eventually aspire to lead a hedge fund, in Wall Street preferably. If not, I wouldn't mind owning a small time business and living comfortably. At the end of the day, I would just like to be my own boss. Regarding this business concept, I only see it playing a role in my life to the extent in that it will be my primary source of income.

What I am offering to customers

The problem I am trying to address is the very limited parking that is available in Gainesville. In order to tackle this issue, I am offering to buy out single-leveled parking lots in active areas throughout the city, then proceed to build them upwards into multi-leveled garaged. Afterwards, I would set up a subscription system in which people have access to all the parking garages all around the city for a low monthly price compared to other decals. My garages would be technically innovative and would track the amount of spots at any given time during the day. All of these garages would be linked and shown on an app to offer customers parking at any given moment. This would solve the parking problem in Gainesville and allow residents to quickly find convenient parking.


Who am I offering it to

My business concept is tailored towards people who live in Gainesville, own a car, and yet have trouble finding parking. Naturally, the concept is geared mainly to college students since campus is the tightest area when it comes to parking yet there other people might still find it handy in certain busy areas.

Why do they care?

My target group would most definitely care about my service since there are always gonna be times when they have trouble finding parking and sometimes, the only thing that will be available would be my garage so they would inevitably be drawn towards it. This would especially be the case during football game day where a lot of people visit from out of town, if that's still a thing in the upcoming year.

My core competencies 

What sets my business idea apart from anything else like is it is that my business would implement the most advanced and technologically efficient way to find parking at a moments notice. What makes it most unique is an app that will be linked to my parking system which displays all current available spots in nearby garages, in order to provide customers with the best experience and to help them find a spot as soon as possible.

Compatibility of elements 

In all honesty, I feel like all the components of my idea fit really well together. My concept tackles the parking opportunity in the best way by offering more affordable and convenient parking in the busiest parts of the city. It's also so very different from all other parking systems around it which makes me think it might be a game changes. The technological aspect, financial aspect, and logical aspect all add up fairly well and I feel like the idea would fare well in the city of Gainesville.

Feedback memo

Unfortunately, I did not receive any feedback on my first idea napkin so I didn't really have anything in mind to improve. I feel like one main critique I would've gotten is to bem ore expansive about my idea and how it will actually provide the means to better parking and I have made sure to be more specific about that in this post.

Assignment 18 - Create a Customer Avatar

My protypical customer is a student who lives in Gainesville and who commutes to campus and all around the city on the daily. They tend to drive a blue 2015 mustang GT and is always zooming from place to place, and thus requires a more efficient and reliable means of parking.

This image depicts how he typically looks on an average day:


My customer loves to drag race and game on his free time. He also enjoys trading stocks and such of the sort. He's always hanging out with friends and he's always out and about. He doesn't have any children since he's around 21. His favorite color is blue. Although, I should note, that he doesn't like to read, but instead rather watches anime like Naruto and One Piece. His favorite politician is Bernie Sanders. He always feels great and radiates positive energy from a day to day basis.

What I have in common with this avatar:
I also feel very free and open to doing a lot of things. I, too, am always out and about and hanging out with people. Most importantly, though, what I have in common with it is that I have a very important need of improved and reliable parking. I don't think that it's a coincidence that I have a lot in common with it since I myself am the creator of it.

Assignment 17A - Elevator Pitch No. 2

Here's the link to my second elevator pitch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoomI7KsCyE

Hope you guys enjoy!

A reflection from the feedback I received from last pitch

On my last pitch I got a lot of feedback saying that I did indeed acknowledge the problem of parking, but I didn't really delve into the details of my solution. After re-watching my first elevator pitch, I too was able to see this and noticed what they were talking about: I was just beating around the bush.

What did I change?

On this second elevator pitch, the big difference that I worked on was being brief on the introduction, and trying to provide a more thorough explanation of the process I would work on to take advantage of the opportunity that exists in the city. I explained in more detail the parking system I had envisioned and believe that although I still think there is some room for improvement, it's still a step up from my first pitch.

Assignment 16A - What's Your Secret Sauce?

1.) I'm always cracking jokes about the most random stuff and possess the ability to make people laugh. 

2.) I am very easy to talk to and personable. People can come to me if they're having problems and I make sure to keep a keen ear out for what they have to say and try to help as best I can.
3.) I am very socially outgoing and am good at starting and holding conversations. I'm able to talk and have nice and meaningful conversation with just about anyone.

4.) I am very creative in terms of conceptual and abstract thinking. I love solving riddles and playing brain games that challenge my brain since I firmly believe you have got to keep the brain very active daily.

5.) My expansive knowledge about the stock market could be considered human capital. I am very proficient at analyzing trends using a wide array of indicators as well as technical analysis.

Interview 1: My first interview was with my roommate Kevin that I have known since high school. He says that what makes me very different is how outgoing I am and how I can talk to literally anyone with confidence.

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/user-513397407/interview-1-kevin

Interview 2: My second interview was with my other roommate's girlfriend, Kassandra, who I've known for a bit over a year now. She says that what makes me different is how much of a peoples person I am, how comfortable I am with people, and how naturally smart I am

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/user-513397407/interview-2-kassandra

Interview 3: My third interview was with my ex-girlfriend, who surprisingly didn't have too many good things to say. She states that one of the things that makes me different is the way I carry myself, how I can talk to literally anything and be entertained.

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/user-513397407/interview-3-kathleen

Interview 4: My third interview was with one of my fraternity pledge-brothers, Marcos. He states that what makes me different is that I am resourceful and relatable, and that it is very easy to get along with me.

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/user-513397407/interview-4-marcos

Interview 5: My fifth interview was with another one of my close pledge-brothers. When asked what makes me different, he states that I always do what I want contrary to the norm such as the way I carry myself and dress.

Soundcloud link: https://soundcloud.com/user-513397407/interview-5-jordan                                                                                                                                                                

Reflecting on the differences: Based on the five different interviews I conducted, it seems as if people feel the same way about me as I do about myself. Each and every interview at list hit one point that was on my list if not more. The only difference was in my fourth interview, in which Marcos states that I am very relatable and resourceful, which is not a way I've really felt about myself before. Going back to my list in the first part of this assignment, I still would not change anything about my list since I feel like it reflects five key points that sets me apart from other people and that they are all equally true and important. 

Assignment 15A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

The people whom I've interviewed all fall under the segment of college kids who live around campus and have trouble finding parking.

Interview 1: The first individual I interviewed was my roommate, who is a junior at UF and commutes to campus by car. When I asked him about the most important aspects regarding parking in the city, he said that it has to be affordable, widely available, and reliable. He pointed out that the alternative UF decal and nearby neighborhood decals can come at a hefty cost and are often not reliable, although they are widely available. He claims that it is rare to find parking that is quick and easy, and also relatively affordable. When these conditions are met, his opportunity is considered satisfied. He only believes that paying for parking somewhere would only be a bad purchase if he did not find a convenient spot.

Interview 2: My second interview was with my neighbor who also commutes to school by car daily. When asked to pick out of all the available parking alternatives such as the UF decal, Neighborhood parking, or paid parking garage, he claimed that he prefers garage parking simply due to the fact that he is almost guaranteed to find a spot. In contract, the single-floored parking lots for UF decals fill up very rapidly throughout the day and often stay full, forcing people to park even farther away from their destination. He explained that if he were to pick out the most important thing for parking it would have to be reliability since he is always on a time schedule when trying to make it to his classes. When asked what helps him determine if his purchase was a good idea, he says that as long as he is parked close to where he needs to get, then the purchase is a good idea.

Interview 3: The third interview I conducted was with my friend Sean who also drives around the city in a car and has trouble finding parking in many areas such as UF campus, midtown, and downtown. I asked him what matters the most to him when it comes to parking, and he claims that he is satisfied as long as its cheap and easily accessible. He states that alternatives such as university decals and neighborhood parking are just too hard to find and they're not available when he needs them the most. He seemed to be a firm believer that the city needs to improve the parking situation and that he would even be willing to pay more if consistent and reliable parking was provided. For him, as long as he is able to find parking close to where he needs to go, he is satisfied.

Conclusions: After conducting these three interviews,  a general trend that I've realized is that people are actually willing to spend money if it means having a reliable means of parking. As such, the most important factors when it comes to parking is reliability, and consistency. A plausible reason for this, especially on campus, is that people are on a time crunch and need to find parking within a certain span of time to avoid being late. For all of these interviews, post purchase behaviors indicated that as long as a convenient spot was acquired, the customer is satisfied.

Assignment 14A - Halfway Reflection.

1.) The behaviors that I have used to keep up with the requirements of the course are predominately perseverance and self-discipline. There have been very busy weeks so far in the semester where I had three assignments due for the course and yet I persevered and did them with the slightest available time. I have also been very self-disciplined in that I always force myself to do assignments a bit ahead of time, which helps in term of productivity and producing my best quality work.

2.) One time where I felt like giving up was just about two weeks ago when I had to submit an elevator pitch the next day. I had so much going on that day including an exam, my brothers birthday, and a 6 hour work shift. I had planned to go to Orlando to surprise my brother too, but everything was very tight on time. What made me pull through is the thought of being free of all my stress. I just wanted to be able to do what I wanted to do without having to worry about all my work. So instead of stressing, I sat down, and for 5 hours straight I focused and got every bit of work out of the away. Immediately after, I hopped in my car and drove to Orlando to give my brother the best birthday surprise. I feel like that moment showed me how capable I was of producing work when I am really compelled to and have a sense of intrinsic motivation to do so.



3.) If I were to give three tips to an incoming student to foster skills that support tenacity and developing a tenacious mindset, they would be the following:

a.) Always read your what your assignments entail earlier in the week, because sometimes you might have a lot more than you realize, like this week where I had to read an entire biography for an assignment.
b.) Start your assignments ahead of time, since it's much easier to lay out your thoughts ahead of time.
c.) Keep up with your lectures, as it will make the assignments and concepts in the class much easier, and since it will save you a lot of time (and possibly your grade) when it comes to cupcakes.

Assignment 13A - Reading Reflection #1

1.)
a.) One of the things that surprised me the most was that even though the brothers had come up with one of the most advanced gliders of the time, both the U.S. army and the public media wrote off the idea and didn't believe in mankind's ability to fly. 
b.) What I admired most about the entrepreneurs is how both of their intelligence complemented each other perfectly. Wilbur, on one hand, was very conceptual and had a brilliant mind, while on the other hand, Orville was very deft and mechanical. I feel like it was very admirable how they both put their own unique skills to work to develop one of mankind's most advanced flying machines.
c.) The one thing I admired least about these entrepreneurs is that they gave up on focusing their marketing and developmental efforts in the U.S. and instead moved their flying operation to France. I feel like they should have aimed to improve their machine in a place where no one believed it was possible just so they can prove everyone wrong. Aside from that, most of their life story and story of success is admirable.
d.) As stated above, like most entrepreneurs, the Wright brothers faced adversity in the U.S. where the media disregarded their invention as anything important, as most people did not believe they were capable of flying. The brothers persevered nonetheless and continued to believe in their creation-in-progress. They later moved their operation to France where the idea was more widely embraced.

2.) The competencies that the entrepreneurs exhibited is that they were both had very different talents. Orville was excellent with his hands and putting things together. He was like an engineer at heart. On the contrary, Wilbur was not very good with his hands but he was considered a genius who had very abstract and conceptual thoughts. He was considered above his time in that aspect which ultimately served as a key factor in their creation of their flying machines. Another competency that they exhibited is the sharp determination and will to never give up, even in the face of the adversity that they faced in the United States with both the government and public sector.

3.) One thing that I was really confused about in the reading was how they got into a patent war just based on the fact that the "controlling mechanism" was similar to a previously made failed aircraft concept. The Wright Brother's invention of the motorized plane was the most advanced design of a flying machine at the time and no one had an aircraft with nearly the same result. I was quite perplexed as to how they still managed to get into a patent trade war even when that was the case.

4.) If I were able to ask questions to these bright entrepreneurs, they would be:

1.)  Was there ever a time when you wanted to give up, and if so, what made you persevere through those times?  This is a big question for entrepreneurs and I would find it very interesting to find out what made them almost give up and how they got through it. This usually tells a beautiful story.

2.) The second question I would ask is how they both got into flying and what fascinated them the most about aeronautics to the fact that they made it their mission. The reason I would ask this would be to gain some insight as to the root of their passion.

5.) I think that these entrepreneurs viewed hard work as the number one most important factor in their success. I believe that they view hard work as something that is necessary for entrepreneurs since it takes a lot of effort to bring an idea to life, and they were living proof of that.  They were both geniuses and were likely way ahead of their time in terms of intellect, but the only way to make any use of that ingenuity is through hard work to product results. I would definitely agree with their stance since I am a wholehearted believe that hard work pays off and I'd say that their creation wouldn't have come to be if it wasn't for all the countless hours they put into making it, testing it, then improving it.

Assignment 12A - Figuring Out Buying Behavior No. 1

Picking a segment

The segment I chose for this assignment is college kids that commute around the campus and the city of Gainesville by car and have trouble finding parking.

Interview 1

My first interview was with a student living off campus and who relies on their car to commute to campus everyday. She tells me that although she has a green leveled decal, parking is nonetheless a major inconvenience for her and has made her late to class countless times. I asked her what she thought the main reason for this parking struggle is and she told me that she believes that the issue is inevitable and stems from the 50,000 students that attend the university. She went on to tell me that she only gets the need when she's traveling anywhere near campus and around midtown area. This interviewee also told me that when she has the need as is in a rush or time crunch, the first thing she does is check the bus app or order an Uber.

Interview 2

The second interview I conducted was with a resident in my apartment complex who attends UF and commutes by car to and from campus every day. Rather than just having issues on campus, she states that the parking in her residential community is even worse and that she has to walk just under 10 minutes to get to her car everyday. Then, she tells me, she has to drive to campus, where it's even worse. Even after parking it takes her 10 minutes of walking to get to class. This resident most definitely has my need. She tells me that in order to cope with this issue, she wakes up 30-45 minutes before she should have to in order to accommodate for the parking. Sometimes, she says, she'll even take the bus as it's sometimes faster and saves her from having to walk to and from her car in between classes.

Interview 3

My third interview was with a second-year student living on campus whose main method of transportation is his car. He tells me about how much trouble it is to have a car and how much he wishes he had gotten a scooter instead. He works a part-time job off campus and he explained how annoying it was for him to run to and from his car everyday. He claims that his car is parked a good 10 minutes away from his dorm and how the parking is so limited there that he sometimes has to find parking elsewhere. Furthermore, he doesn't even consider driving his car to his classes since finding parking would make him late. This student most definitely has my need and he tells me that the first thing he does when he becomes aware of the need is look into SNAP transportation or the bus app to see if he's able to save time that way.

After conducting these interviews, it really showed how much of an issue parking is for people with cars, whether or not you live on campus. Each and every person I interviewed expressed a deep frustration when I brought up the issue and it serves as a reflection of how big this issue is for my segment of choice. The inadequate parking system in Gainesville has resulted in countless of students being late to class, people having to look for alternate methods of transportation, and overall has caused a general hassle to people commuting via car.  It further demonstrates the extent of the need and how valuable of an opportunity exists in the city regarding parking.

Assignment 11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

Who I Am

I am a second year finance major with an economics minor. For as long as could remember, my favorite hobby has been trading stocks, securities and cryptocurrencies and thus, have a lot of experience doing so. I aspire to make a comfortable living being the boss out of my own business. If I were to start my business idea to improve the parking situation in Gainesville, I believe it would have a major impact on my life. The business idea is very solid and would be much needed in the region, and I would fully expect it to generate a significant amount of revenue that would help me live comfortably. The only setback would be the large sum of contributed capital that would have to be invested in the business which I am not financially prepared for.

What I am offering to customers

The service I would be offering to those in Gainesville is convenient parking in locations that are tight on spots and that have a large influx of vehicles. The idea would be to buy out single leveled parking lots in busy areas, build them upwards, and charge a minimal fee for parking year round or offer a subscription to the various parking garages around the city for an especially low monthly price. These garages would be advanced and would track the amount of spots available at a given moment in time. The garages would also be interconnected and displayed on an app to provide customers with the nearest available parking spot at a moments notice. This would help people in need of parking to quickly find an available spot nearby.

Who am I offering it to

My service would be ideally offered to anyone who owns a car in Gainesville and who has trouble finding parking. This would apply to mostly students who live off campus but customers would vary in age and demographics.

Why do they care

The people I am offering my service to would care about using my service since there are gonna be times where they're not gonna be able to find any parking spots near them and the only thing available would be my garage so they would inevitably be attracted to the nearest parking. This would be especially pertinent during game-day weekends where no one is able to find parking.

My core competencies

What makes my business idea so different from all related concepts is the fact that my business is taking parking to the next level and is offering the most technologically efficient and advanced way to find quick, easy, and convenient parking in a city where parking is a luxury! All available parking garages would be available on my app and since it tracks the amount of free spots in each garage, it would be so simple to locate a spot nearby. Meanwhile, the alternative is manually driving around the busy city with unlimited parking restrictions just to try to find a spot.

Compatibility of elements

To be quite frank, I never really thought this idea was viable and as good as it was until I just pieced together all the elements at once just now for this assignment. I feel like my idea is actually so different from anything else around and it would offer a different parking experience for people living or even visiting the city from out of town. All the components fit with each other so well and I don't feel like there are any aspects that are especially out of joint with the others. The only set back for the idea would be the large start-up cost to construct the parking garages but aside from that, I feel as if everything is well planned out and everything fits together nicely.

Assignment 10A - Elevator Pitch No. 1

Here's the link to my elevator pitch. Hope you guys enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoFVAsMJw44&feature=youtu.be

Assignment 9A - Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Interview 1: In my first interview I talked to a 20 year old premed student who had a scooter and lived on campus. During our interview, she made it clear that parking wasn't really an issue to her. She says that the scooter parking near her dorm is adequate and she never needs to drive to far. When I asked her about how she gets to class, she says she takes the bus since it's more reliable and since everything is very close by.

Interview 2: My second interview was with my 21 year old neighbor who drives a car to and from campus everyday. After asking him about his parking experience in the city, he told me that he really doesn't have much of a problem. He tells me that since he has a lot of credits, he is able to acquire a higher leveled decal that allows him to park almost anywhere he wants.

Interview 3: In my third interview, I asked a 4th year business major with a car about his experience with parking in Gainesville. Even though he has a car, he says he still takes the bus to class every single day since he finds it much more convenient. He told me that without a car, you don't have to worry about getting a ticket or running late to a class because of parking. Although he admits that parking is an issue in the city, he claims that he gets around it fairly easily.

Interview 4: My fourth interview was with a first year engineering student who commutes via car. When I asked her about the parking situation she told me that it really never affected her much because of this alternative her dad got her for short distances. She told me that she has a scooter that can go up to 20 miles an hour and that it's quick and easy to get around campus and almost anywhere she needs to go.

Interview 5: My fifth interview was with a second year business student who gets around by car. When I asked him about his parking situation and what he thought about parking in Gainesville in general he told me that it really wasn't a problem. He tells me that being a business major means having all online classes, and so he doesn't have to get around much. He said that at most, he'll find himself moving his car twice to three times in a week maximum and as such, the tight parking situation is never really a bother to him.

Boundary Table

Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who: Anyone with a car or scooter in Gainesville, especially at or near campus.	Who is not: People without a car or people who can rely on other methods of transportation like the bike or bus.
What: The need is to be able to find convenient parking in the city when you need it the most.	What the need is not: The need is not to find parking since they do not have access to a vehicle or because they have an alternate way to get around.
Why: The need exists because there are so many people with vehicles in such a short radius, making it difficult to find parking at certain times, like before class or during rush hour.	Alternative Explanations: Some people can get around just fine with a bike or by taking the bus. Other people are very close to campus as it is and thus, have no need to travel far distances very frequently.

Assignment 8A-Solving the Problem

1.) The opportunity that I have selected is the need for a better parking system in Gainesville. There is not enough parking available to students and residents of the city during day time hours and I believe that it can be fixed.

2.) I have thought of two viable solutions to improve the parking situation in the city.

a.) The first one involves the implementation of a pay-by-phone app in regularly restricted spots. Since throughout the day there tends to be many open spots that are still limited to residents with a decal, it is a waste to not make use of these open spots. Instead, parking regulators should create a pay-by-phone system for these restricted areas only in day-time hours when most spots tend to be unfilled yet would still have been put to good use by providing parking to people without a decal in need of a spot. This would generate revenue for these companies while also providing a great deal of convenience to people in the city.

b.) The second solution involves taking regular parking lots in popular areas and building them upwards. This conversion from a parking lot to a parking garage would optimize the amount of parking that is available in a given amount of space and would provide traffic-congested areas with sufficient parking to accommodate for the heavy inflow of cars that need parking. Any companies willing to make the investment will see great returns since these garages will be prone to be very busy, as evident by the fully occupied garages near campus. With a small fee per hour and hundreds of cars parking in a garage, not only will it generate a significant amount of revenue, but it will also provide the utmost convenience to people commuting by car in busy areas.

Assignment 7A- Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

The Opportunity: The parking system in Gainsville is unable to accommodate for all the students and residents living here who commute by car. There needs to be a better parking system that is more accessible and convenient to the public and inhabitants of the city.
The who: Residents in Gainesville, Florida, particularly students at the University of Florida.
The what: There is very limited parking in many parts of Gainesville for people in cars.
The why: This is due to all the restricted parking zones and the sheer number of people using transportation in the city.

I believe that in order to improve the system, restricted parking zones for certain decals should be made into parking meters during certain times of the day. This is simply due to the number of open spots that are available but not being used throughout the day. It would also allow for these companies to take advantage and make more money off the parking while also providing more convenience to residents of the city. I also believe that areas with concentrated parking needs such as midtown and downtown should have parking that is built upwards to maximize the amount of spots that can be made from a given amount of space.

Testing the who: There are many others who have this need. Not everyone in my who would have this need, only people who commute via automobile.

Testing the what: The boundaries of this need are that many people commute by scooter or by bike and do not have a need for better parking. Further, some more rural areas near university has adequate parking that does not need improvement, although this is a small portion of the city.

Testing the why: It may not only be due to the amount of people in the city. or because of restricted parking zones. It could be because of the cost constraints of building more parking or parking garages, or it could be because certain areas have parking that is only available for their customers or students.

Interview 1:
My first interview was with a friend with a scooter. He uses it to get around to campus for his classes everyday but he says that it sometimes is an issue even with his scooter. Although there is a lot more available scooter parking there, there is still a shortage due to the incredible amount of people who commute by scooter. He even expresses more concern with car parking. He claims that it is the number one problem in Gainesville compared to most other places. He feels the struggle every time he is with a friend in a car.

Interview 2:
My second interview is with someone who commutes by bus or by carpooling everyday and who doesn't have a car or a scooter. Even so, she claims that she is frustrated by the parking situation on campus. She claims that every time she gets a ride from a friend to campus, she has to park very far and the whole process always takes very long because of how inaccessible parking is around campus. She says that she would not get a car here even if she had the option to because of how bad it is.

Interview 3:
My classmate tells me that she used to have a car here but left it back home because of how inconvenient it was. She claims that she barely got to use it and lost so much time and has missed so many classes by relying on parking. She is clearly a pro typical customer and she definitely believes that Gainesville has an opportunity to improve its parking system drastically.

Interview 4
My neighbor who I happen to be friends with shares the pain of how much trouble parking is, both in my apartment complex, and on campus. He tells me that he has to wake up 10 minutes earlier every day just so he can walk to his car, which he says is a half mile and two flights of stairs away. He believes that there are so many areas that can be converted into parking spaces, especially around our community right off campus. He says that if he had the option to, he would've gotten an electric bike or scooter instead because of how inconvenient cars are in the city.

Interview 5
My fifth interview is with my coworker who lives in college park apartments, right next to campus. Although he has a parking spot for his little community, he expresses to me that it can sometimes be very annoying to park anywhere aside from his complex. He says that since he's very close to campus and a lot of areas either way, he will simply walk to avoid the hassle that comes along with using a car and finding parking.

Summary
After conducting all these interviews, I have found out something quite interesting about my opportunity. That is, even people without a car or scooter have taken notice to the need for an improved parking system in the city. It has affected people one way or another and after talking to five people in dissimilar situations, it is quite clear that the issue is there, and as such, so is the opportunity.

Assignment 6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic Trends

Opportunity 1: Tesla Stock Price drop

Where I found it: I found out about the price drop on my mobile investing app, Robinhood

What makes me believe that an opportunity may exist: The stock price of one of the leading car companies has dropped, leaving room for a lot of investors to buy stock in the company in hope for the stock to raise back to its previous amount or even higher. It is very likely with all the upcoming projects the company has planned, including a few game changing ones like the Tesla truck scheduled to be released later in the year

Pro typical customer: Stock investors and people looking to make money through stocks.

Is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit? Why? It is relatively easy I would say, aside from the cost constraint. All it takes is signing up with an investment firm.

Why did I see this opportunity: I have been in stocks for a very long time and I have been accustomed to seeing opportunities like these. When an extremely successful company with many more revolutionary plans has a price drop, it is simply a correction, as it likely is in Tesla's case. Of course, this opportunity may not be seen by everyone due to its risk and uncertainty, but I myself definitely believes it exists.

Opportunity 2: The U.S. dollar price rises

Where I found it: I found out about it through a friend, as well as through the internet. https://www.dailyfx.com/forex/technical/article/cot/2020/02/03/US-Dollar-Longs-Rise-GBPUSD-Shorts-Jump-CAD-at-Risk-COT-Report.html

What makes me believe that an opportunity may exist: I believe that an opportunity exists because of this news since it will give people more incentive to travel to other countries to capitalize on our currency discrepancies. It can also give people an incentive to invest in Forex to make money off the fluctuation in the U.S. dollar's raise in price.

Pro typical customer: People who travel often, and those who are skilled enough to trade Forex are the pro typical customers.

Is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit? Why? The opportunity is relatively easy to exploit since the U.S. dollar's raise in price will be felt throughout the nation and all it takes to exploit it is by spending or converting the U.S. dollar in foreign countries or by investing in foreign currency exchanges.

Why did I see this opportunity? I saw this opportunity while some people may not have since I have been trading with Forex for a while now and news like this always sparks action. From what I've seen in the past, it seems to be a good opportunity to make money trading or by taking advantage of this difference by spending money in other countries.

Regulatory Changes
Opportunity 3: E-Cigarette Flavor Ban

Where I found it: I found out through my friends who have been affected by this ban.

What makes me believe that an opportunity may exist: There is a loophole in the ban in which only flavored products for e-cigarettes that are reusable are banned. Thus, it opens up a lot of opportunities and incentives for companies to start selling flavored disposable vapes, since a lot of competition is now out of the way.

Pro typical customer: People who used to smoke reusable e-cigarettes, such as Juul, as well as companies who want to capitalize on the new ban or who have been affected by the ban.

Is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit? Why? This opportunity is very easy to exploit since all it takes is switching from a reusable vape to a disposable one. Same goes for manufacturers: they simply have to start producing more flavored disposable vaporizers.

Why did I see this opportunity: I saw this opportunity since not many people are aware of the loophole. Once I found out, it seemed like an easy way for businesses to make use of the loophole in order to make money. It is my curiosity for loopholes that has led me to find out this opportunity.

Opportunity 4: Ban on plastic straws

Where I found it: I found out about this since it is all over my city and I have been forced to conform to using paper straws.

What makes me believe that an opportunity may exist: Paper straws are very inconvenient and a lot of people would agree. There is definitely room for improvement.

Pro typical customer: People who eat out at restaurants and normally use straws

Is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit? Why? It's actually relatively easy to exploit this opportunity. All that would need to be done is to have a substitute for plastic that is equally as convenient while also similarly priced. There are many plant-based alternatives that are starting to make its way around.

Why did I see this opportunity: I saw this opportunity since many people have settled on using paper or metal straws, but not a lot of people have looked for alternatives, when in reality, there are a ton out there. My dislike for paper straws is what led me to see this opportunity.

Assignment 5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

Story #1: 

Title: UF student dies days after being struck by vehicle

Link to article: https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-student-dies-days-after-being-struck-by-vehicle/article_069afbb6-42ce-11ea-b438-d76df92018c9.html

Description of the story: The story is about a 21 year old student at the University of Florida who recently got hit by a vehicle on her way back from class. The incident occurred this past Monday evening near campus.

Description of the problem: In an area with so many pedestrians who travel by foot or by bike, speeding vehicles pose a serious threat to the students in the region.

Who has this problem? The people who have this problem are students and faculty who frequent campus and who must travel through crosswalks to get to their destination.

Story #2: 

Title: UF Health monitors rumors of coronavirus spreading to Gainesville

Link to article: https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-health-monitors-rumors-of-coronavirus-spreading-to-gainesville/article_69a9b1a0-426c-11ea-86b2-87354e5a2a4e.html

Description of the story: After rumor spread that the corona virus has reached Gainesville from a UF student who has travelled back from China after winter break, the UF health center has been monitoring the area for any signs of the virus, but has not found anything yet.

Description of the problem: Students in Gainesville have been worried that people who were vacationing in China over winter break may have brought back the virus that has recently originated there.

Who has this problem? Inhabitants of Gainesville potentially have this problem if the corona virus has made its way here since there is a chance it could spread to them.

Story #3: 

Title: UF Sailing Team’s equipment damaged by high winds

Link to article: https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-sailing-team-s-equipment-damaged-by-high-winds/article_dbe2b252-42d6-11ea-ba7b-6741d053fad8.html

Description of the story: Students that are a part of the sailing team took a bit of a hit when strong winds caused 8 boats to be totaled, also causing damages to a few of the sail boats. This was an upsetting blow to the team since it resulted in thousands of dollars in damages.

Description of the problem: Strong winds have caused damages to the boats of students on the sailing team, which is a major set back for them as they have to pay thousands to fix the damages.

Who has this problem? The only people with this problem would be University of Florida students who are on the sailing team

Story #4: 

Title: Local vape shops lose profits due to recent tobacco law

Link to article: https://www.alligator.org/news/local-vape-shops-lose-profits-due-to-recent-tobacco-law/article_6033000a-42d4-11ea-bd9f-4f3ed2b963e4.html

Description of the story: A new law in Alachua County has raised the legal age to buy nicotine smoking devices from 18 to 21. This has affected many business owners since a good portion of their customers were students ages 18-20 who are now unable to buy nicotine from then.

Description of the problem: Vape shops are losing out on a lot of money now that people under 21 are unable to buy tobacco products from them. Most vape shops heavily relied on people of this age group for their business but now they are forced to endure without them.

Who has this problem? The people with this problem are vape shop owners and people under the age of 21 who still wish to smoke nicotine devices after the law went in place.

Story #5: 

Title: Doctor, cosmetologist sentenced to federal prison for fraud

Link to article: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200128/doctor-cosmetologist-sentenced-to-federal-prison-for-fraud

Description of the story: A doctor and his ex-wife in Gainesville were sentenced to years in prison after filing millions of dollars in fraudulent claims to insurance companies like Medicare.

Description of the problem: A doctor has made millions of dollars through fake insurance claims, which is not only unlawful but also unethical for someone in the field.  This was considered a form of money laundering and a fraud, which both constitute serious charges.

Who has this problem? Those in insurance companies like Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as doctors who are in similar positions of committing unethical crimes.

Assignment 4A - Forming an Opportunity

     1&2.)  My beginning point + describing my belief: Since I moved to Gainesville a year ago, I have always had a belief that a big opportunity exists here. I have mentioned it in my bug list, since it's something that has always bothered me, and also something that has an opportunity for improvement. This unmet need that affects almost all students who commute by car is the lack of parking throughout the college town. There just simply is not enough parking around campus and throughout the city, especially when people come to visit from all over the state for our football games. It's bad enough as it is with over 50,000 students, which makes me feel like it's something that should be done about it. As mentioned, the people with this unmet need are people who travel to campus and other areas in the city by car and who have trouble finding reasonable parking, such as myself.
         This need comes from the extremely large pool of students that the University of Florida has been accepted into the university. With more students than ever before, there is simply not enough parking to accommodate all the students that attend the institution. As for what people are doing about it now, I would have to say not much. I haven't really been seeing any parking garages or anything of the sort getting built, even though more and more buildings are being created in such a small radius with a slim amount of parking spaces to accommodate these new-coming students. At this point, I would say that there is a 80% chance that this opportunity exists, simply because there is such little space to go around in the city. Something could definitely be done about the issue and it most certainly exists, but it would be difficult to implement throughout the city.
      3.) Pro typical customer:  The pro typical customer in my case would be university students who commute by car and have trouble finding sufficient parking.

Iteration #1: Neighbor in building (female, 20)
What is the exact nature of the need? She just feels like there are so many more cars than convenient parking spots in the city. She has to walk 15 minutes to get to her car in the mornings which she thinks is ridiculous. The exact nature of the need is that there simply needs to be more accessible parking throughout the city since what we currently have is no where near enough, she states.
When do you become aware of the need? Is it all the time or sometimes? She becomes aware of the problem all the time, starting in the mornings when she has to go to her car, and ending at night when she struggles to find parking.
How long have you had the need? She has had the need since she moved to the city in the fall last year.
When did you first become aware of this need? Why? She first became aware of the need when she moved to her current apartment, due to the fact that her complex has very limited parking spaces which is difficult for all their residents.
How are you currently addressing your need? How? She states that the only thing she can do to address it would be by finding local street parking, which is rarely even possible.
How satisfied are you with your solution? She states that she is not satisfied with the solution, since it is nothing but tentative.

Reflection: I feel like my neighbor has a very similar mindset as my own. Based on her situation, she seems to be in almost the exact predicament as me. She seemed a little frustrated when was talking about the issue, so I could tell that it is very troublesome for her.

Iteration #2: A friend of a friend (male, 20)
What is the exact nature of the need? He thinks that in general, Gainesville isn't the best place for parking, especially around campus. He states that it takes too long or it often isn't even available.
When do you become aware of the need? Is it all the time or sometimes? He doesn't drive very often, so he only becomes aware of the need a couple times throughout the week.
How long have you had the need? He has had the need since he got his car in the city around a year ago.
When did you first become aware of this need? Why? He first became aware of the need when he wanted to start going to the gym, which was far away from his house. Since he didn't have an orange decal, he was unable to commute their conveniently until after hours, when parking isn't as enforced
How are you currently addressing your need? How? He currently addresses his need by taking the bus instead of his car.
How satisfied are you with your solution? He is not very satisfied with his solution since he claims the bus takes long and he doesn't like waiting for it to come every 15 minutes.

Reflection: Although this pro typical customer does not seem to have as big of a problem as myself of the individual in iteration #1, it seems to be a big enough issue for him to the point where he'd like to see a change occur.

Iteration #3: A coworker (male, 21)
What is the exact nature of the need? In popular areas especially like midtown and campus, its difficult to park anywhere without risking to get towed.
When do you become aware of the need? Is it all the time or sometimes? He becomes aware of the need almost everyday when he has to decide whether he wants to take his bike or car to travel around campus.
How long have you had the need? He has had this need since he signed his lease at midtown apartments this past fall.
When did you first become aware of this need? Why? He first became aware of the need when he tried to drive to an exam, but couldn't find any parking. He parked in a reserved spot and later got towed.
How are you currently addressing your need? How? He currently addresses his need by riding his bike if the place he's trying to get to isn't too far.
How satisfied are you with your solution? He claims he is not at all satisfied with his situation since there are a lot of slopes in the city and it could take a lot of time and energy to get from place to place.

Reflection: My coworker seemed pretty bothered by the parking situation in Gainesville, although he seemed to be coping with it quite well. The problem is still evident in his day-to-day life, and as such, I feel like he would not be opposed to a change in the right directions in regards to parking.

Summary:

How much of your original opportunity is still there? After receiving feedback from three very different people, it seems quite clear to be that 100% of my original opportunity is still there. I've come to the conclusion that parking, is in fact a real big issue in Gainesville.

Do you belief that your new opportunity is more accurate than when you started? Yes actually. Now that I've gotten feedback from 3 people in varying situations that made it clear that parking is an issue to them, I believe that my new opportunity is definitely more accurate than when I first started.

How much do you think entrepreneurs should 'adapt' their opportunities based on customer feedback? (In other words, is there a trade-off between adapting and staying firm?) I feel like entrepreneurs should definitely adapt their opportunities based on feedback to an extent, since at the end of the day, they're the ones that the opportunity is aimed at. I do think that there is a trade-off between adapting and staying firm, and that an entrepreneur should only stay firm if he has received an affirmation from other pro typical customers. If they have a really strong image in mind for a positive change, however, I feel like they should go for it since people don't know how useful something can be to them until they actually have it.