Reading Reflection No. 3

I read the book, "The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough

1.

• I was surprised that neither of the brothers had a family of their own, and they were whole-heartedly committed to their entrepreneurial ways. 
• The thing that I am admired the most about these two were transparent they were with their passion on providing flight for human beings, and the way they went about it, the journey, was astonishing how it played out. 
• The least admirable thing that the Wright brothers did was when the U.S. War department were not interested in their innovation, and since they didn't respond to the brothers they took their innovation to France to conduct trials there. In hindsight, it makes sense why they made the move that was one of the only flaws did not sit well with me, although it was not major. 
• Most definitely the Wright brother's encountered adversity and failure throughout their innovation of flight here and that is the epitome of their success story, and why it is still a strong story to this day.             

2.  I noticed a variety of competencies that the Wright brother's exhibited in their duties as an entrepreneur from problem solving, adaptability, forward-thinking, patience, and mostly important persistence and determination. 

3. A part of the reading that I found to be confusing was how they described the flighting conditions at Huffman Prairie to be almost idea conditions for flight at the time, but later talked about how Kitty Hawk was the place with plentiful wind and the idea place with no mention of Huffman Prairie. 

4. How did you guys continue with your aspirations of aeronautics with so much adversity and failure? I just want to know how they kept that drive for so long. 

Also, how did you guys stay so humble and true to your roots with the fame you and success you got for the innovation of flight here in America? It seems like it would be difficult to stay true to oneself and remember what got you there, once success happens, but I believe it has to do with the upbringing with values and morals instilled in them. 

5. I would stay the brother's definition of hard work would be doing something you have passion and love for, and that makes a difference in the world for the future. Also, continue to do this while all the challenges, adversity and world are against you and don't want you to success. Just keep fighting. I would stay that I share a portion of this opinion with them because I do not know if I would be able to continue with an idea or concept if everything continued to get in my way, and I tried multiple ways to succeed at it how the Wright brothers continuously did.  

Venture Concept No. 2

Opportunity 

The opportunity that I have identified was the need for more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in specific locations. I believe the dependence of crude oil by the United States is extremely disturbing, and until there is an alternative that is easily accessible to the majority of our citizens it is going to continue this way. Furthermore, the market for electric vehicles is starting to gain traction and become a necessity for a healthier environment for the future. Also, with more automakers manufacturing more EVs in their product line there is slowly becoming an unmet need for charging stations around the country, specifically smaller/rural communities. The need is for individuals who need to charge their vehicles when they are and out and about, and away from their home charger if they have one. Additionally, with Tesla set to release their Model 3 at the end of 2017 that is going to be more affordable for the average person this is also adding to the need of having more charging stations throughout the country because Tesla's vehicles are able to travel longer distances with less stops to charge than the average EV of other automobile manufacturers. This is also a force that is going to have automakers think of how they are going to be able to compete with Tesla in the future for the EV market, so in order for that to happen they are going to have to make EVs that will be able to travel a few hundred miles on a single charge. On the other hand, the vehicle these automakers have right now are the prime market for EV charging stations, since they need more charges more frequently. This opportunity would be tested here in Gainesville with the current EV market, and local residential and commercial properties. The current customers of EVs are meeting their need of charging stations by currently owning one at their residences, if they are homeowners or they are using the 10 or so stations currently around the Gainesville area. They are extremely loyal to this process because these are their only options to charge their vehicles. Finally, I believe this is a huge opportunity given the trend of electric vehicles on the road now, and the continuous process of research and development going on to produce even more in the near future, which means I believe the window of opportunity for this is only going to be open the next 3-4 years.  

Innovation 

• GREEN TANK-- FOR A GREENER TOMORROW!
• My innovation is a incrementally innovation to a product that is already on the market. 
• I would like to expand the electric vehicle charging market of the Gainesville community.
• My product would be provide current EV owners with more areas to charge their vehicles and have the freedom to go anywhere in town without the hassle of not being able to find a station near them or that is occupied. 
• I would sell the charging stations to local properties, such as residential and commercial places. 
• These properties would be charged for the station itself at a cost of $3,000 dollars per station, and installation fees, which vary depending on the amount of work needed to be done to install the station, so from $500 to several thousand on installation costs.
• I would get a commission off each station sell, as well as a small royalty if the property charged its customers to gain additional revenue.

Venture Concept 

• Green Tank will provide a hassle-free option for consumers to charge their vehicles, while going about their busy lifestyles.
• Customers will buy this product because it gives them an added resource their to property along with an additional revenue source to promote. 
• It will allow companies to show customers they are environmentally conscious and forward thinking, which could attract new customers to their properties. 
• The current competitors the companies who have charging stations at the University of Florida, parking garage downtown, and Magnolia Park in Northwest Gainesville.  
• Their vulnerabilities are they are only have one or two stations at each location.
• The customer experience and support with the business locations play the biggest role defining my concept because I want to build a reputable brand that promotes positivity, while supporting an alternative to a pressing issue.
• Also the price point is not extremely high because most of the cost is up front and more of an investment.

Minor Elements

  1. Secret Sauce: 

• My social capital would have to be my concept's secret sauce, since I am building a relationship with a company that manufactures and distributes electric vehicle charging stations nationwide. 

      2. What's Next:

• The next opportunity would be partnering with this company to become an independent distributor for them, and promote both brand's in the process, while gaining valuable connections and credibility in the process. Also, I think another way to implement even more eco-friendly alternatives to this product and concept would be to add the ability to use solar power initiatives to power the charging stations as the main power source, instead of straight electricity. 

      3. My Future:

• I would love to for this concept to be my everyday job in the next five years, and having my hands dirty in the day-to-day operations of this business. Also, if I were to build enough capital in this business I would like to add additional concepts to my portfolio that are geared towards environmentally friendly initiatives something that would bring intrinsic rewards.  

FEEDBACK

--It was hard to implement much change into my venture concept for the second go around because I had a lot of positive feedback, and telling me how this concept is only going to get bigger as the green revolution continues to grow. However, the two interviews I was able to get for the What's Next assignment, which I didn't complete because I didn't meet the minimal requirements for submission. 


--Anyway, these two individuals suggested two variations of extension to the product line. The first individual suggested that I incorporate solar power energy into my charging stations to eventually use that as my primary source of energy, which I thought was an compelling perspective, and I tied that into my minor elements that could potentially add value and growth factors to my product. The second individual suggested I expand my product to public transportation avenues, once this industry starts to manufacturer vehicles to meet the need of needing charging stations for buses, taxis, etc. This was an interesting thought as well, but it seems to premature for an industry that has few needs for my product in the near future. Therefore, I did not implement this aspect into my second edition of my venture concept.  

Final Reflection

1. After reading my blogs from this semester, I can definitely tell where my highs, lows, fun and moments of drudgery. I would say my low moment of this class was when I was trying to figure out a lot concept that I would be able to roll with for the rest of the semester, and have the passion for it that would keep me motivated to complete the tasks at hand. My high for the semester was when my concept was coming together to my liking and getting feedback to continuously tweak it to make it better, which started happening around the Idea Napkin number 2 assignment. I would say the overall process of this class was the fun aspect of the semester, and just reflecting on it now.  

2. The most formative experience for me that I will remember for years to come was when we had to grow our social capital, and the process we had to take in order achieve success for the assignment. I definitely took a lot out of it, and it was great to meet people in the industry I would potentially get into with my venture concept.  

3. I wouldn't necessarily say that I am an entrepreneur at this moment, but I definitely think I have a great foundation to build upon if I want to continue down this path of becoming an entrepreneur. Additionally, I do believe that I have moved closer to developing an entrepreneurship mindset, and now I know the basics of what it takes to become an entrepreneur and the process one takes.  

4.  The one recommendation I have for students who are taking this in the future would be pick something you have a passion for, and something that you truly believe needs an addition to in order to make it a better product or service for the consumers. Also,  I would recommend that they build a solid schedule for this course in the first few weeks of the semester so that they build a strong habit in completing the assignments on time when they pick up in difficulty later on in the semester to preform best in this course. Finally, in order to foster this mindset, students have to be committed to process of the experiences in the assignments regardless if they succeed or not along the way, and to not give up after missing an assignment or two early on because they can still succeed in the class, while getting a valuable experience out of the class. The student is going to get out of the class what they put in to it!!  

My Exit Strategy

1. I intend to stay with my concept for at least the next decade, and I would like to retain majority ownership. I am not against giving up a certain percentage of my business up for further financial investment, and guidance. 
2. I have chosen this strategy because I would like to see the business grow, and see how it positively impacts the communities the product will be in. Also, I will be able to continue to grow my social and human capital in the process, which could lead to discovering more unmet needs in the environment. Thus, leading to potential opportunities that could lead to more business ventures overall. 
3. I believe my exit strategy has greatly influenced the decisions I have made for my concept. From the beginning, when I was trying to figure out an opportunity I wanted to do something that would make a difference for the future, and something that I would be able to be apart of for the start up and growing of it. Also, by being able to acquire additional resources definitely involves the growth of my concept from the Gainesville area to around the United States. Thus, leading to my initial thoughts of my exit strategy, and how I would like to be involved for quite sometime. 

Making It Real

Link for Resume----MAKING IT REAL!

My updated resume is attached!!

Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity 

The opportunity that I have identified was the need for more electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in specific locations. I believe the dependence of crude oil by the United States is extremely disturbing, and until there is an alternative that is easily accessible to the majority of our citizens it is going to continue this way. Furthermore, the market for electric vehicles is starting to gain traction and become a necessity for a healthier environment for the future. Also, with more automakers manufacturing more EVs in their product line there is slowly becoming an unmet need for charging stations around the country, specifically smaller/rural communities. The need is for individuals who need to charge their vehicles when they are and out and about, and away from their home charger if they have one. Additionally, with Tesla set to release their Model 3 at the end of 2017 that is going to be more affordable for the average person this is also adding to the need of having more charging stations throughout the country because Tesla's vehicles are able to travel longer distances with less stops to charge than the average EV of other automobile manufacturers. This is also a force that is going to have automakers think of how they are going to be able to compete with Tesla in the future for the EV market, so in order for that to happen they are going to have to make EVs that will be able to travel a few hundred miles on a single charge. On the other hand, the vehicle these automakers have right now are the prime market for EV charging stations, since they need more charges more frequently. This opportunity would be tested here in Gainesville with the current EV market, and local residental and commercial properties. The current customers of EVs are meeting their need of charging stations by currently owning one at their residences, if they are homeowners or they are using the 10 or so stations currently around the Gainesville area. They are extremely loyal to this process because these are their only options to charge their vehicles. Finally, I believe this is a huge opportunity given the trend of electric vehicles on the road now, and the continuous process of research and development going on to produce even more in the near future, which means I believe the window of opportunity for this is only going to be open the next 3-4 years.  

Innovation 

• GREEN TANK-- FOR A GREENER TOMORROW!
• My innovation is a incrementally innovation to a product that is already on the market. 
• I would like to expand the electric vehicle charging market of the Gainesville community.
• My product would be provide current EV owners with more areas to charge their vehicles and have the freedom to go anywhere in town without the hassle of not being able to find a station near them or that is occupied. 
• I would sell the charging stations to local properties, such as residential and commercial places. 
• These properties would be charged for the station itself at a cost of $3,000 dollars per station, and installation fees, which vary depending on the amount of work needed to be done to install the station, so from $500 to several thousand on installation costs.
• I would get a commission off each station sell, as well as a small royalty if the property charged its customers to gain additional revenue. 

Venture Concept 

• Green Tank will provide a hassle-free option for consumers to charge their vehicles, while going about their busy lifestyles.
• Customers will buy this product because it gives them an added resource their to property along with an additional revenue source to promote. 
• It will allow companies to show customers they are environmentally conscious and forward thinking, which could attract new customers to their properties. 
• The current competitors the companies who have charging stations at the University of Florida, parking garage downtown, and Magnolia Park in Northwest Gainesville.  
• Their vulnerabilities are they are only have one or two stations at each location.
• The customer experience and support with the business locations play the biggest role defining my concept because I want to build a reputable brand that promotes positivity, while supporting an alternative to a pressing issue.
• Also the price point is not extremely high because most of the cost is up front and more of an investment.

Minor Elements

1. My social capital would have to be my concept's secret sauce, since I am building a relationship with a company that manufactures and distributes electric vehicle charging stations nationwide. 
2. The next opportunity would be partnering with this company to become an independent distributor for them, and promote both brand's in the process, while gaining valuable connections and credibility in the process. 
3. I would love to for this concept to be my everyday job in the next five years, and having my hands dirty in the day-to-day operations of this business. Also, if I were to build enough capital in this business I would like to add additional concepts to my portfolio that are geared towards environmentally friendly initiatives something that would bring intrinsic rewards.  

Celebrating Failure

Failure 

I would say the most I have failed at in the past few months were assignments associated with this class. The assignments I failed at were ones that we had to get interviews with because I would not find the right amount of people that I needed to be able to complete the assignment, while getting sufficient information in the process. It took me a few times of failing at these particular assignments for me to realize that I needed to take a different approach in being successful in the assignments rather than be starting the assignment earlier in the week or setting a goal of how many people to approach to get a rewarding interview that I would be able to use. 

Learning Experience 

The learning experience that I took from failing a few assignments with similar guidelines with this class was that I needed to find a method that would work with my personality and free time that would help me be successful with future assignments of this sort. Also, I learned that just because I didn't complete a few assignments and may have not got the experience out of the assignment that I should have it was still a learning experience that will allow me to handle similar situations of trying to get interviews again. 

Reflection 

I believe that failure is a necessary step in everyone's life that we all need to experience to some level. This is one of the only ways that we as human beings are going to learn, and I believe that the majority of the time when someone fails, myself included you get more out of that experience than if you would have completed it successfully, which will make a person gain multiple attributes out of that experience, such as resiliency and determination.  I would say that I handle failure in multiple ways because the majority of the time I am pretty hard on myself when I feel at something that I am determined to not make that same mistake again, since it affects me negatively. Other times, if I am stubborn and want to do something my way when others say maybe I should look at it another way, and then I fail at that task than I am not as hard on myself because I should have listened to other's feedback. However, I think I need to experience failure sometimes in order to get me going in the right direction again. Finally, I do believe this class has given me a new perspective on failure, and I think I am more likely to take risk now than I was at the beginning of this class because it is not as bad as you think it is when you fail at something. I think it was more about myself mentally telling me how bad it is going to turn out than actually doing something and failing at it, and not having that experience. 

Amazon Whisperer

1. REVENUE DRIVERS

Charging Station: The charging station is the main revenue driver for my business concept mainly because the concept centers around adding more electric car charging stations. This would include the sale of the stations to home owners, residential and commercial properties. Also, whoever decides to purchase a station, and decided to charge a fee to it's customers in order to use would have given a portion of the revenues they make from it. 

Franchise option:  If someone wants to become part of the electric vehicle movement and would like to make a living from it they have the opportunity to partner with my business, while selling charging stations in their location. This is where I would get additional revenue for franchise fees, and royalty payments. 

2. PRODUCT EXTENSION

The next big thing that my customers would want to see if  are mobile trucks that have charging stations built into it, which would drive around the city to the most demanding customer area. Also, these trucks would make multiple stops at a list of locations each day. This extension would have to me tested a highly saturated electric vehicle market to ensure the success and adaptability of this product to the industry. 

3. ENHANCING THE CURRENT PRODUCT 

The mobile trucks would enhance my existing product because it would continue to promote the brand by having massive exposure to a specific city, such as Gainesville, which would evolve the awareness of the physical- standalone locations of the charging stations. Additionally, it would make the customer feel secure in using our product, since we are thinking of ways to continually reach our customers no matter the time or place, which hopefully translates to stronger relationships with them and increase loyalty.  Thus, it would improve the users experience with our product because of the no-hassle availability of our charging stations. 

4. SIMILAR PRODUCT 

I was unable to find a product that would be a direct competitor, however, I found a product by Ebusbar that would a car charger that is portable. This product is a level two charger with 240 volt charging power that includes water proof, leakage, overvoltage, and overcurrent protection. It is compatible with a majority of the electric vehicles on the market. 

5. CUSTOMER REVIEWS 

85% of the customers who purchased this product gave it a 5 star review with 94% of the entire customer review base gave it at least  4 stars. The few customers that did not like this product were mostly for personal preference and expectation of the product as well as long living up to the description of it. On the other hand, the customers who approved of this product liked how inexpensive it was in relation to other car chargers in the market. Also, how fast the charger would charge there vehicles. 

6. DESIGN CHANGE

I would change the weight of the product as it is currently 8 pounds, and other portable chargers are coming in around 4-5 pounds. Also, I would add a retractable cord so that it is easier to maintain and increase the longevity of the product. On than  that, it is a pretty effective model. 

7. GREAT ADDITION 

This product would be a great addition to my current product offering because it would bring a customer base that has a solid following and name recognition with the electric car charging industry. Also, it would bring excellent customer service ratings along with a proven track record for selling product.

Elevator Pitch No. 3

Elevator Pitch No. 3

I unfortunately did not do the last elevator pitch, so I did not receive any feedback. However, I did change some things from the feedback I received from the first pitch. I made an attempt to have higher energy when describing my product. Also, I have done a lot more research, and I have talked to more individuals about my idea, so hopefully my confident level shows in regards to that. Other than that, I received positive feedback and look forward to hearing more reflections on this pitch.

Growing My Social Capital

Domain Expert: 

Randy Etman is a National Account Manager for SemaConnect, which is a nationwide company that is a provider of electric vehicle amenities, such as car charging stations and assistance. He is in charge of sales for the state of Florida, and is based in Orlando. I would say he fills the domain expert position because he the company he works for deals with multiple aspects of the car charging stations for electric vehicles and they sell these products to both commercial and residential clients. I found Randy, by searching a combination of Google and LinkedIn connecting him by email and direct message on LinkedIn. He provided me with insight into how people go about the process of purchasing charging stations and maintaining them through SemaConnect, and he did not expect anything in return, while providing this information. I now have the ability to connect with him through email or phone if I have anymore questions regarding my concept and the process from here on out, therefore, being able exploit this connection for future opportunities. 

Market Expert: 

Tim Swazey is one of the Sales Manager of Gainesville Nissan. He is in charge of supervision and direction of the sales team at Gainesville Nissan. I would say he is my market expert because I was able to learn a lot of information from him over my target audience in regards to owns and who are looking for electric vehicles in the Gainesville area. I found Tim by researching the car dealerships in Gainesville about a month ago, and who dealt with the selling of electric vehicles. I called Gainesville Nissan, and did a general inquiry of what I was looking for,  and they set me up with Tim. Furthermore, I told him what what kind of information I was looking for, and what I could do in order to find out more about my target audience. He then spent sometime explaining what a typical customer of electric vehicles does when purchasing one, and the method they go about, which was very sharp information and exactly what I was looking for.  He was more than willing to provide me with additional information anytime I would need it, and he did not expect anything in return. I believe I would be able to go back to him and update him on my idea for the target audience and see what type of feedback he would for it, thus, exploiting Tim to enhance my business concept.

Supplier Expert:

I was unable to find a supplier expert for my business concept, as no one returned my request for information. However, I do believe that Randy Etman and SemaConnect would fall under this category as well because not only is this company a domain expert that knows the electric vehicle industry very well, but also supplies products and services to individuals from electric vehicle charging stations to mobile apps for their clients to track information on these stations. 

Reflection: 

This was an excellent experience that helped me gain more networking experience for the future, and show that it is not as difficult as I thought it would be. I believe this has shown me that if you go out of your way and make attempts to contact people you would not have beforehand, and explain to them what you are trying to do more than likely they will be willing to help out. Also, I believe showing initiative helped as well. Furthermore, I differently believed this experience differed from my previous networking experiences because this time I had to put a lot more effort in and personally contact this individuals in order to get a response, and I did not have this set up, for instance, like a networking fair at UF.  

Reading Reflection No. 2

For my second reading reflection I read "The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More" by Chris Anderson.

General theme or argument of the book? 

The general theme of this book was focusing on the long tail of the curve in regards to products and services in overall business industry. It emphasizes how the old rule of 80/20, where 80% percent of business comes from a 20% of a businesses consumers is not going to work for the future of businesses because we are at a time where there are so many niche markets that making a lot of products or a select few will be more successful and substaintable.  

How did the book connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

This book is connecting with and enhancing what Dr. Pryor is instilling us with in this course because it shows that we do not have to focus on one specific idea or industry to be successful, which Dr. Pryor is having us do by coming up with a business concept and going through the process. Again, by having multiple ideas, products or services in niche markets a company can be successful by reaching a few hundred thousand to a million people that has that specific interest in that item instead of making a product or service that has to appeal to the mass market in order to be successful. 

Design an exercise for this class, what would the exercise involve? 

If I were to make an exercise for this class based of this book it would involve having students research a long tailed company, such as Google, Ebay, Amazon, or KitchenAid, etc. to see how these companies have a variety of products available to everyone, while making the process of finding something easy. Then I would have them relate and reflect that research into the process of developing their business concepts to provide additional perspectives and experiences to continue building an entrepreneurial mindset.  

What was my biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading this book? Basically, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations? 

I had no idea what the long tail meant in the economic world and how it uses graphs about products and their sales to describe this term. So, once started reading the book and realizing how prominent this idea is in today's markets of sales is amazing. Also, given the fact that this book was written in 2006, Anderson's idea of how aggregators, such as Amazon can be a pure digital retailer and still have mainstream success was one of the biggest surprises to me because that is exactly what Amazon is doing for today's markets. Finally, how much insight Anderson provided for economic points is thought-provoking.

Idea Napkin No. 2

Product Name: GREEN TANK

YOU

Not much has changed with myself, since the first idea napkin. I am a rising senior majoring in sport management, and my skills and experience include customer service, management, event management, data analysis, and international travel. However, I have gained more knowledge in the electric car industry, which is helping enhance my idea to improve my business concept. 

WHAT ARE YOU OFFERING?

I am offering a product where people can travel around their city with no worries about having to find somewhere to charge their electric car by having car charging stations readily available. These car charging stations we will be strategically placed so that it is convenient for whoever needs a charge regardless of what they are doing. I would still like to start this concept in the Gainesville area.

WHO ARE YOU OFFERING IT TO? 

I will be offering this product to two segments of a target market. The first segment are people who own an electric car, and are the individuals who need this product the most. These individuals may have the option of having charging station at their house, if available. However, people who do not have access to a charging stations regularly would benefit the most. The second segment would be restaurants and business owners who would like to expand their business model and reputation by adding charging stations to their property. This product would not have to take up a lot of parking spaces for businesses that have limited space, and who still want to make an eco-friendly difference. For example, restaurants in the downtown Gainesville area that have limited space, such as The Top or OAK would still have the option to add a charging station or two that would bring value to their mission and reputation, and the same would go for local businesses in the area. On the other hand, an area like the Oaks mall would not have a problem adding multiple charging stations because of the amount of parking available. 

WHY DO THEY CARE?

These two segments would be acting together to use the charging stations because people who own electric cars are thinking about the future of the environment, and are taking an initiative to make a difference. This goes along with the businesses who have that apart of their vision and mission statements to make a difference by making changes for the future. Therefore, if they see a company that shares their same values and vision for the future they are more than likely going to support this venture and invest in it. Also, by doing this these groups will spread awareness of the service by letting people know in their groups that there is an expansion of car charging stations. 

CORE COMPETENCIES 

In addition to my drive to wanting to see a better tomorrow and making a difference. I believe that the research and probing of the Gainesville area shows that there is not much focus or attention of adding more car charging stations to the area. This only helps my concept in regards to trying to add more stations here, and gives me a small advantage in doing so. Therefore, this is continuing to be my strongest competency during this journey.

I have a strong belief that these five elements are slowly coming together and making a strong chance for this idea to work as a business concept. As I continue to get further into the idea through research and continuous brainstorming to improve the idea, I believe I will be able to at least get to meet the right social capital in order to hear me out, and potentially investment in furthering it. Thus, by being able to get the necessary financing for this idea I would be able to continue to use the Gainesville area as a test market for further expansion to other cities in the future. 

FEEDBACK MEMO 

1. Great idea for the future 
2. Financing is biggest obstacle 
3. Continue with passion wanting to make a difference with potential to making it a full-time job.
4. Need to build awareness of electric cars 
5. Maybe to early in the electric car industry to see success of this idea, but could see success in the decade or so. 

I really did not get too much negative feedback for my business concept. One of the only things others recommended was how to expand this idea into other markets, such as the public transportation system. Also, I continued to incorporate how I want to make a difference for the future by making a change in how we commute by going with more environmentally-friendly options. I appreciate the feedback part because it truly helps me expand and see things that I might not have thought of beforehand. 

My Secret Sauce

1. Description of my human capital 

• Accepts Responsibility- This trait makes me different because I believe it shows self-evaluation, and being able to see and understand when something goes wrong when I am at fault. For instance, not finishing a homework assignment by the deadline, therefore, getting points deducted or not receiving a grade at all, which means I have to accept responsibility for my actions and deal with the consequences associated with it. Then I figure out what I need to correct in order to not repeat the same mistake. I believe this holds true when running a business as well because if one does not accept responsibility for certain actions that could be a detriment to business instead of benefitting it.   
• Authentic- I believe this trait makes me unique because I am able to be a trusted employee by being able to have a professional and personal relationship with my co-workers and superiors, which in my experience has built and maintain long-term trust and respect in the workplace and made valuable relationships in the process. I think this is a major trait an entrepreneur should have when running a business and be able to build and maintain relationships with clients as well as one's employees. 
• Cultural Awareness- I believe this makes me unique because I have been fortunate enough to travel to many different countries around the world from my military service. This has allowed me to be immersed in different cultures for an amount of time to gain appreciate for it, and be able to empathize with the differences between their culture and mine, which than leads to better understanding on my part, and I am able to build a connection with them. Therefore, I have knowledge on how to interact with different cultures, and I don't assume a culture will know what I am talking about if they have little knowledge of our society and ways. It is then fun to exchange stories, and continue to build upon my international experiences. 
• Even-Tempered- This trait is extremely important to my uniqueness because it is probably one of my strongest traits. I believe I am able to be this way because I try and see situations from both sides, therefore, leading to a more neutral approach, and not becoming hot-headed or holding grudges for minor altercations. 
• Adaptability-  I believe my ability to adapt to certain situations, such as moving to a new place or starting a new job helps my uniqueness. This trait is valuable because being able to adapt to change regardless of the situation is very important in all aspects of life. Also, I am able to work effectively with people in team working situations, and I am able to contribute to the mission, while taking  beneficial information from these experiences. 

2. INTERVIEWS 

Interview One-Julia- This interview was with my sister Julia, and it basically sums up to how she believes how I have been resilient in up until this point in my life. Also, how I have an even-temperament in situations others may deem stressful.

Interview Two-Mom This interview was with my Mom, and it comes down to how I show compassion and empathy for others, while building upon my character from an early age.

Interview Three- Autumn This interview was with my girlfriend Autumn. She explains how what may stress the average person in everyday life from their personal to work life does not seem to effected me in the same way, which could be a positive trait in the workforce for me when burnout could be evident from these stresses. Also, she explains how when I truly commit myself to something that I have discipline and drive to complete the task.

Interview Four- Karen This interview was with my aunt Karen. She explains how I have been warming, caring, and hard working for an early age. Also, how my adverse upbringing has solidify my character into being compassionate and ability to listen to others, which leads be my resilient attitude.

Interview Five- Damon This interview was with my cousin Damon. He explains how my time in the military has really influenced the person I have become today, while providing me with life experiences and challenges that may be different from my peers. Also, he mentions how I have discipline and multicultural awareness that will only help me strive when going into the workforce.

3. DIFFERENCES 

For the most part, the five individuals that I interviewed and myself perceive me in similar ways. They may not have said the same traits the way I mentioned them, but they go hand in hand in regards to my overall human capital. I do believe how my interviewees see me is correct, and they also provided me with some feedback that I had not necessarily seen in myself, namely the resilient part, but it makes sense after hearing it. Finally, the only change I believe I would make from my list based on the interviews is the 'Accept responsibility" trait to the "resilient" trait.

My Customer's Avatar

For my women customer, I see her as an adventurous person who loves to travel, and do outdoor activities such as, hiking, camping, and yoga. Also, she is a mother who can't stand to be away from her children, but is also passionate about her career. She drives a white Toyota Prius (Hence, she is my customer for electric cars!!!) for her around the town activities and short mileage trips. Her family has an SUV to travel longer distances, but are looking into investing in the Tesla Model X (Tesla SUV). She has a garden for her herbs and vegetables, while doing most of her shopping at the local fresh market with trips to the farmers market on the weekends. Also, her favorite television shows are Grey's Anatomy, anything on the Food Network channel, and the HGTV channel for housing shows. Finally, her age ranges from mid-thirties to early fifties (35-50).

For my male customer, I see him as a person who is passionate about his career, such as an owner of a local brewery or professor of electrical engineering who wants to make a difference with what he is involved in. Also, he is an outdoor's person who likes to go on weekly road-biking trips with the occasional mountain biking trip, while fishing on the weekends in the summer, and teaching his children safety tips at the same time. Furthermore, he is was laid-back family man that enjoys grilling local organic steak and having a fresh green salad from his garden with his family. He bikes to work, since it is close proximity to his house, while using the family SUV for longer road trips. He enjoys watching the World Fishing Network, National Geography, and documentaries. One of his favorite fiction authors is Clive Cussler, and he is in his early forties to mid-fifties. (40-55). 

I would say that I have a few similarities with my customers in regards to liking to do outdoor activities and supporting local businesses, such as local food products and breweries. 

Halfway Reflection

Tenaciousness is a competency 

The behaviors that I have used to keep up with the requirements of this course are time management and organization. There are a number of assignments do each week for this course, and I tend to look at them at the beginning of the week to gauge how long each one is going to take, which is where time management is extremely important because without it I would not finish the assignments by the due date or at all. Also, I think a behavior I am starting to develop  is getting out of my comfort zone and talking to strangers when I need to conduct interviews for certain assignments. I believe this is building more self-confidence in myself to approach individuals regardless of the situation.

Tenaciousness is about about attitude 

There was a moment when about a month into this course to where I thought my idea was not going to work out, and I hit a road block in trying to narrow down aspects of it, while being able to focus on how to solve the customers' needs. This is definitely a point where I thought about giving up for various reasons including not being able to find my target audience and making this idea a reality. Therefore, through these last two months I believe I have definitely developed a tenacious attitude, and I believe going through the different assignments each week have contributed greatly to this attitude. I think after getting a few interviews under my belt and hearing people's responses definitely helps when going through a rough patch, which then is able to motivate you to finish strong.

Three Tips 

1. I would definitely recommend starting the assignments early each week, and organize a schedule early on in the semester that you are able to make a habit throughout the semester to manage the stress and anxiety you may have if you are unorganized and procrastinate on the assignments each week. 
2. I definitely recommend to pick an idea that you have a passion for or that you can see needs an improvement with because it will help you get through the tough times and adversity when finishing the assignments associated with it. By having a passion for the idea it will give you more motivation to find a solution to the problem, and not put half-effort work into it. 
3. Lastly, I would stress that it is okay to miss an assignment or two during the course of the semester, since there are extra credit quizzes offered each week. Also, don't be afraid to talk to the professor or TAs when working through struggles with your idea or assignment because they can definitely add some positive feedback and confidence to power through each week. 

DaFeez

1.) This word is slang for, "For Real" or "What was that". It basically shortens those terms for this one word catchy phrase.

2.) There is really no definition for this word. It is more of an expression with something surprises or shocks you, and this word helps with the reaction.

3.) I have actually used this word for awhile now, therefore, I thought it would be good to continue using it for this assignment.

4.) When I first started using this word people would look at me crazy, and ask what I was saying. I would mainly use this word around my friends and co-workers in joking matters, and I thought my family would scorn me for using it, since it is more of a slang word. However, it caught on with my friends mostly, and I have heard them use it on a few occasions, but it is starting to phrase out and not  become something that is useful anymore.

Reading Reflection No. 1

For this reading assignment, I read Ashlee Vance's biography of Elon Musk titled, "Elon Musk: Tesla, Space X, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future."

1.  Elon Musk

• What surprised you the most? 

The thing that surprised me the most about Elon Musk was the journey he took from South Africa through Canada and eventually to the United States to get to where he wanted to be in regards to getting involved in businesses. Also, he was very interested in making it in Silicon Valley, which he has done and is continuously doing so, which was another factor that surprised me.

• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

I think the thing that I admire the most about Elon Musk is his relentless work ethic where he does not want to stop working on something until it is complete. For example, one of his employees would work on a project with him, and Musk would say it would take a day to complete it, but they knew that meant it was going to take a week or two complete the task. Also, his ability to take NO as an answer and work until he would be able to make it a YES.

• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire? 

The thing that I least admire about Elon Musk was how he treated his employees and potential investors early on in his career as a business owner. He would treat them with no respect and thought his way was the only way, and why everyone didn't answer why it wasn't that way when he would interact with them.

• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Yes, Elon Musk encounter a lot of adversity and failure throughout his life, and I don't think he would be who he is today without all of those experiences. I believe any entrepreneur faces some type of adversity and failure. Also, Musk would find an alternative way to fix the issue that was causing his adversity or failure, which would lead to him finding a solution regardless of what effects it had on him.  

 2. What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?

I noticed a variety of competencies that Elon Musk exhibits in his duties as an entrepreneur from creativity and innovation, to persistence, problem solving, persuasion, and finally quality performance.






3. Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

A part that was confusing to me, while I was reading this book was section it was describing his college experience, particularly when he graduated from Penn, and was potentially going to Stanford for graduate studies. It just did not make sense.


4. If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?


First Question: How do you continuously come up with innovative ways that are ahead of the times, such as Paypal, and Tesla. I would ask this because I wonder what motivates him to continually want to solve problems when he is already consumed in other ventures.

Second Question: You are doing so much for environmentally sound factors with your companies Tesla and Solar City, and to some extent SpaceX. What do you see as being a major influence in the world that would make you interested into solving that problem as well? I would ask this question because he is ahead of the times when it comes to his ideas and making them into concepts.


5. For fun: what do you think the entrepreneurs's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
I believe his idea of hard work is to work on the project and task until it is able to function, and then continuously update until it is prefect, which it is never going to be. I agree with this opinion.  

Need Awareness and Information Search

SEGMENT

-Individuals who are interested or own an electric car

INTERVIEW RECORDINGS

Interview one  Interview two  Interview three

NEED AWARENESS

- The need arises when individuals are spending to much money on gas for their current cars.
   
- Also, when people are looking to upgrade to another car that is eco-friendly, and they are able to get more benefits/incentives out of having an electric car.

INFORMATION SEARCH

- When someone recognizes their need for an electric car the majority of the time they are going to do their initial search online followed by getting information from family and friends, and finally by going to a dealership.

FINDINGS

 I learned that once a situation effects an individual personally rather that is financially or emotionally that they are going to realize that they need to have an alternative to the current situation, therefore, creating a need for something new that can provide a solution. Also, if a person is personally aware of a better alternative then they are more likely to do some further research to see how they have benefit from it. 

CONCLUSIONS

In sum, I believe that once people become aware of a need, such as having an electric car over a traditional gasoline car that they are going to figure out the pros and cons of obtaining an electric car for their personal situation. Once, this happens they are move to researching as much information about this product that they can from a variety of sources to see if this is the direction they should continue to move in. 

Idea Napkin No. 1

     1.  I am a sport management major. My talents are mostly sports knowledge and geography based. My skills and experience are customer service, management, analytics, and international travel. I believe my aspirations for this business concept would definitely start out as a side job, and weekend project type of deal because I know I would not be able to support myself financial in the beginning.

     2. The product I am offering is car charging stations for electric vehicles think Toyota Prius, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt and Spark, BMW i3, Fiat, etc.. These stations would be around the Gainesville area to start out with, and I would like to expand to other cities that do not have this type of market yet, and are looking to invest in environmentally-friendly alternatives to gasoline. 

     3. I would like to target two audiences. First, I would like to target individuals who own electric cars and are in need of charging stations outside of their home. The second audience would be businesses around the Gainesville area who are looking to add means to attract and maintain their customer base.  I believe these two audiences are similar because they have related interests and values regarding issues connected to the environment and a better way of living. 

     4. I believe customers would pay me money for this product because this market is growing rapidly as individuals are becoming more environmentally conscience, while finding alternative ways to commute around towns and cities. There is definitely  going to be a stronger audience for electric cars in the coming future as technology advances for this industry and as the general population of the United States becomes more aware of the benefits associated with electric cars. Also, I believe businesses will be interested in having charging stations on their property for multiple reasons. First, would be the incentives they would receive from local and potentially state governments for adding environmentally friendly services. Next, it would draw more customers to the businesses that have these stations for people who have electric cars as well as have a positive impact/perception on the business from the customers word of mouth for adding these services.

     5. My core competencies To be honest, I just want to make a difference by trying to be more environmentally friendly and cut down on the carbon footprint. I think being able to educate individuals more about the electric car industry, and making them more aware of how they can make a difference is my key interest in doing this concept. Also, I have not heard of anything going on in Gainesville to add more charging stations in the near future so that would only benefit me.

For the most part I believe these elements fit together. The tough part about this business would be getting business to add multiple stations to their property. I believe there is a market gap where certain businesses here in Gainesville would be add to capitalize on this idea and further promote their mission. The aspect of my business concept that is somewhat weak would be my core competencies because anyway with monetary goods would be able to exploit this idea its only a matter if they want too.

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Here is my Elevator Pitch No. 1. I hope to hear some feedback!

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Opportunity:  My opportunity consists of installing more electric car charging stations around the Gainesville area because right now they are only a few around the city. My plan would be to install some in the high traffic areas, such as the Oaks mall, and Haile plantation areas that don't already have these charging stations. Therefore, individuals who are in need of a charger do not have to rely on going to a certain area or place by having to plan their trips in the Gainesville around charging stations. 

Who: 

There are currently individuals who have a need for this service, but fall outside of the certain boundary because they have vehicles that can run on either an electric charge or gasoline, which most of the time are hybrid vehicles. Therefore, they don't necessarily have the need all of the time for car charging stations.

What:

The need I have identified about having more car-charging stations is different from the need of gasoline for cars because the need for gasoline is more attainable in the Gainesville area, and around the U.S. in general. 

Why: 

The need is different for individuals outside the boundary because it is something that does not directly affect them, so it is not a top priority for he or she to have more car charging stations in the Gainesville area.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Individuals who own electric cars	Individuals who own gasoline cars. (Diesel, Regular, Premium, etc.)
Car-Charging Stations	No need for Car-Charging Stations
Need more in certain areas of Gainesville	Hybrid cars that can use both gasoline and charging stations

My Solution

My problem was providing a service for dog owners in the Gainesville area. The solution I believe would work in the technological savvy world nowadays is a dog walking service app. I believe this solution would work in the Gaiensville area as long as the application was promoted effectively so that the target audience of dog owners would know that this service was available for their mobile devices. Thus, one the audience is aware of the service they would be more likely to use it when they have the need for a dog walker in relation to not knowing about app. The key is awareness and effective marketing to be successful.

Looking for Opportunity in Economic Trends and Regulatory Changes

Looking for Opportunity

Economic Trends

1. Millennials moving back home

a)Economic Trend #1

b) This opportunity exists because more millennials are moving back home after college now than recent generations and it is not due to the economy. 

c) The prototypical customer would be someone who has recently graduated college who does not have a significant other or child, and did not get the job they wanted so they decided to move back home and save money.

d)  I think this opportunity would be somewhat difficult to exploit because the majority of the prototypical customers are returning due to increase in student debt and rental rates.

e) I believe I saw this opportunity because I have witnessed this happen to a few of my friends as well a family member, therefore, it affected me emotionally when seeing this article, since I know this happening especially in my generation.

2. Apple Pay expanding in more countries in Asia and Europe

a)Economic Trend #2

b) What leads you to believe an opportunity exists This opportunity exists because Apple is a company that is known worldwide and they have a huge market share in the technology industry, which is expanding more than ever. Also, Apple has a very loyal customer base.

c) Prototypical customer Anyone who has an apple product, namely the Iphone would be able to use this service.

d) Can the opportunity be exploited- relatively easy or relatively difficult WHY? I believe expanding the Apple Pay service throughout the would be relatively easy for Apple to do, especially with their presence in five countries already, and global awareness of their products.

e) I believe I saw this opportunity because it is interesting to see big corporations, such as Apple, continue their innovative ways when you think they have reached their potential, however, Apple continues to find ways to expand their markets.

Regulatory Changes

1. Salt Content Warnings for NYC restaurants

a)Regulatory Changes #1

b) What leads you to believe an opportunity exists. This opportunity exists because the majority of time there is going to be salt within food dishes served at any restaurant in the United States.

c) Prototypical customer The prototypical customer is anyone who eats at a restaurant in New York City that does not get a low-sodium food dish or someone who does not ask to get less salt in a dish.

d) Can the opportunity be exploited- relatively easy or relatively difficult WHY? I believe this opportunity can be relatively easy to exploit, especially since the law is allowing restaurants to put labels on dishes within menu to display that a food dish has high salt content in it. This will allow customers to choose a dish more wisely, and be aware of food dishes to stay away from, particularly if a person has a health condition associated to salt.

e) I believe I saw this opportunity because the majority of the time I go out to eat at a restaurant I can tell how much sodium they put in their food dishes, and it seems like restaurants would disclose which dishes have a high salt content.

2. FDA approves implant for treatment of opioid dependence

a) Regulatory Change #2

b) What leads you to believe an opportunity exists This opportunity exists because the FDA found a new method to treat opioid dependence for patients in the maintenance phrase of treatment.

c) Prototypical customer. The prototypical customer would be anyone who is suffering from opioid dependence and wants to seek treatment for it.

d) Can the opportunity be exploited- relatively easy or relatively difficult WHY? I believe this opportunity would be relatively difficult to exploit due to the expense of the implant for treatment as well as an individuals willingness to want to get treatment.

e) I believe I saw this opportunity because it is interesting to see the FDA approve different methods of treatment for certain drug addictions, while continuing to further their research for the best methods of treatment for individuals with addictions.