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.