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.
Thursday, January 30, 2020
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.
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.
Assignment 3A - Entrepreneurship Story!
Throughout my life, I can think of countless times when I have been exposed and have exposed others to entrepreneurship, especially in my earlier days like middle school and high school. I have always looked for small ways to make money, and I've probably gotten that trait from my father who is a relatively successful entrepreneur. He has always encouraged me to find different ways to make money around me. Although I partly did it for the money to have pocket change as a kid, I also found the idea exciting.
One of the earliest ways I remember entrepreneurship in my life was when I was in middle school and I came up with the idea of making and selling bracelets that were trending at the time. Everyone else bought already made ones from stores but I found that I can have it for cheaper if I just bought a kit and the supplies myself. And with the help of my brothers I did. Soon after, we started up coming up with the coolest designs and patterns for these bracelets that no one else had. At that point, our ambitious young selves decided to make a small little neighborhood business out of it. We would make a bunch of preset designs, take pictures of them, organize it into a catalog and packed all of our designs in a sectioned off box that would separate all of our little patterns. Then, we would go around the neighborhood, door by door, showing our neighbors the catalog we had made. Then when they requested a specific design pattern, we would pull out our organized box and pull out their desired bracelet. It was so satisfying at the time because it felt so professional. By the time our business was dying out, we had made a couple of hundreds of dollars and it had been way more than enough to pay off the kit and supplies, as well as our own bracelets. Best of all, it was such a fun experience.
Another way entrepreneurship has been in my life, (I think you can call it that, at least) is in middle-school when I used to mine doge coin (a type of cryptocurrency) on the school computers overnight. During the second half of PE class, which we had every day at the end of the day, we would be put in a computer lab where we could do homework. Instead, my friend and I set up some mining programs sourced from the CPU of the computers to run overnight, since we were the last people using the computers throughout the day. Then, we'd turn off the monitors so it looked like the computers were off, while they were secretly mining some coins for us. It was more fun for us than anything since we really didn't make much off it, but I'd still consider it entrepreneurship since we were able to make a little gig out of nothing.
The source of most of my inspiration was my father, who makes a pretty decent living off selling ads to luxury brands that would be placed in hotels. The business started off in a single island, and has grown to a world wide company in over 15 countries, which is why entrepreneurship has always been a big part of my life. I have seen my dad go through many ups and downs before he got to where he was and I feel like it has shown me a lot about the field.
The primary reason why I enrolled in this class is because I've always given thought to the idea of becoming an entrepreneur. I know I have it in me and it has always been in the back of my mind, although it is not something I actively pursue since it's too risky for me invest everything into it. Nonetheless, it's still a field of business that interests me immensely and I would love to learn more about it since I've probably only scratched the surface of it. What I want to get out of the class, more than anything (except maybe an A) would be inspiration. I've seen how passionate the professor is and I find it really moving. That being said, I'm really glad I decided to take the class.
One of the earliest ways I remember entrepreneurship in my life was when I was in middle school and I came up with the idea of making and selling bracelets that were trending at the time. Everyone else bought already made ones from stores but I found that I can have it for cheaper if I just bought a kit and the supplies myself. And with the help of my brothers I did. Soon after, we started up coming up with the coolest designs and patterns for these bracelets that no one else had. At that point, our ambitious young selves decided to make a small little neighborhood business out of it. We would make a bunch of preset designs, take pictures of them, organize it into a catalog and packed all of our designs in a sectioned off box that would separate all of our little patterns. Then, we would go around the neighborhood, door by door, showing our neighbors the catalog we had made. Then when they requested a specific design pattern, we would pull out our organized box and pull out their desired bracelet. It was so satisfying at the time because it felt so professional. By the time our business was dying out, we had made a couple of hundreds of dollars and it had been way more than enough to pay off the kit and supplies, as well as our own bracelets. Best of all, it was such a fun experience.
Another way entrepreneurship has been in my life, (I think you can call it that, at least) is in middle-school when I used to mine doge coin (a type of cryptocurrency) on the school computers overnight. During the second half of PE class, which we had every day at the end of the day, we would be put in a computer lab where we could do homework. Instead, my friend and I set up some mining programs sourced from the CPU of the computers to run overnight, since we were the last people using the computers throughout the day. Then, we'd turn off the monitors so it looked like the computers were off, while they were secretly mining some coins for us. It was more fun for us than anything since we really didn't make much off it, but I'd still consider it entrepreneurship since we were able to make a little gig out of nothing.
The source of most of my inspiration was my father, who makes a pretty decent living off selling ads to luxury brands that would be placed in hotels. The business started off in a single island, and has grown to a world wide company in over 15 countries, which is why entrepreneurship has always been a big part of my life. I have seen my dad go through many ups and downs before he got to where he was and I feel like it has shown me a lot about the field.
The primary reason why I enrolled in this class is because I've always given thought to the idea of becoming an entrepreneur. I know I have it in me and it has always been in the back of my mind, although it is not something I actively pursue since it's too risky for me invest everything into it. Nonetheless, it's still a field of business that interests me immensely and I would love to learn more about it since I've probably only scratched the surface of it. What I want to get out of the class, more than anything (except maybe an A) would be inspiration. I've seen how passionate the professor is and I find it really moving. That being said, I'm really glad I decided to take the class.
Friday, January 24, 2020
Assignment 2A Bug List!
Bug List
- When I have to wait over 30 minutes for a Popeye's chicken sandwich.
Why does this problem exist: Popeye's has one of the best fast-food chicken sandwiches and has received a lot of media attention that makes them popular. - When people stop at a yellow light when they have plenty of time to go.
Why does this problem exist? People like to be safe to avoid potential accidents. - When my girlfriend says "how do you think that makes me feel".
Why does this problem exist? She likes to use emotion instead of logic often times. - When I can't get the classes I need.
Why does this problem happen? Because there are thousands of people trying to get the same classes as me and I never register early. - When websites make you turn off your ad blocker.
Why does this problem exist? Since websites rely on advertisements to make money and don't want to provide content for free. - When I buy clothing online in my size and it doesn't fit.
Why does this problem exist? Because different clothing brands have a different idea of what a "small", "medium", or "large" is. - When people are loud in quiet spaces.
Why does this problem exist? Since people are not always mindful of the people around them. - When Amazon sends me a huge box for a small item that I order.
Why does this problem exist? It is likely more readily available and provides extra protection. - When you buy something and later realized that it is scratched or damaged.
Why does this problem exist? Because not all products are gonna come perfect and as humans, we tend to overlook things when we are excited by them. - It bugs me that there is no basically no parking in most of Gainesville.
Why does this problem exist? Because there's over 50,000 students in a very small town and a lot of places chose to make single level parking instead of building upwards and multiplying the amount of spots available. - When retail stores charge a lot more than Amazon or online sites.
Why does this problem exist? Because stores need to make money too. They are able to charge more because of their convenience and ability to sell a product to a customer instantly. - It bugs me when I receive a lot of food in a small box from take-out restaurants since this makes eating very messy.
Why does this problem exist? Since smaller boxes are more affordable and workers are not obligated to fill out the box all the way with food. - When people try to talk to me while I have earphones in.
Why does this problem exist? Because people like to talk and don't think it is too big of an inconvenience to remove earphones for a conversation. - When scooters and motorcycles park in car parking spots.
Why does this problem exist? Because people in motorcycles may want to save time by parking in car spots. - When the people living above me stomp around their unit, it makes my apartment shake.
Why does this problem exist? Since the ceilings in my complex aren't very thick. - Having to wait on the bus to get to class.
Why does this problem exist? Due to the fact that it's a busy campus with a lot of students. - The 20 MPH speed limit on campus.
Why does this problem exist? Because there are thousands of pedestrians on campus crossing the street. - When I can't get up from bed in the mornings.
Why does this problem exist? Because I take melatonin every night and it makes me drowsy in the mornings. - When my pen runs out of ink mid sentence.
Why does this problem exist? Because I buy cheap pens that don't carry much ink. - When places I love to eat at close at 10pm.
Why does this problem exist? Because they may not get a lot of business during late night hours, making it less worth it to stay open.
Reflection: It was really hard for me to think about things that bugged me at first. I couldn't think of things that bugged me outside of the house unless I was actually doing something related to it. So after a bit, I figured out how to easily jog my memory. I would write down a few things that bugged me, walked around my apartment for a bit or ran an errand, and thought of a few things on the way as they came up or came to mind after being reminded by something.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Testing the waters out in this blog
In this post were just gonna be checking everything out and see if this makes it to the internet after I publish and refresh the page. Well, I'm getting about ready to post this so wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)