By belief is that an opportunity exists for the University of Florida or any other college to sponsor a ride sharing service that only serves those students who are intoxicated and need a ride home, thus ensuring the students are safe.
The unmet need is the need of students who wish to ensure safe travel home who do not have access to the buses due to stops being an unsafe distance away. This need has always been around however with the growth of ride sharing and the increasing number of stories where riders were assaulted by drivers the need is likely to be accepted. I believe that this need 70-80% exists.
It is at this point that I identified and approached my first prototypical customer a male coworker who I know enjoys going out to clubs. I asked him the following questions.
What is it that you wish could get you home after the club?
When and how often do you need a safe ride home?
How often do you go out to the club and how often do you require assistance getting home?
How long have you been going to the clubs?
When did you decide to get regular assistance (not drinking and driving) getting home?
Why did you choose to do so?
How are you currently getting home?
How do you feel about taking the buses and current ride sharing apps to get home?
I then proceeded to ask some other known club and party goers the same questions. One was a 22 year old woman who has been going to clubs, and the other I opened up to an older mother of 2 who had children over the age of 21 who attend some level of schooling.
The responses were varied and helped me to refine my views on the prospective opportunity. They brought up points such as they would love to have a safe ride home for themselves and their children or friends. They stated that if they had the intention of going to the club more often then not they would be unable to drive home safely, and would love a safer and more reliable option than the bus or ride sharing apps.
This process allowed me to see the strengths and weaknesses of my belief. It while being an idea that made them feel safer would be hard to implement with a university as it may seem as though they want to encourage drinking. It is there on paper to serve the purpose of reduced students and faculty of dying in DUI's, being assaulted (in all terms) on the way to the bus or home, and serve as a bastion of safety and security for students.
The original idea was skinned and needs change in order to be perfect, however the foundation of the opportunity is still there and is much more accurate for it. I believe that you should adapt to the point that the customer is happy so long as it still stands on the pillars of the original idea.
Friday, May 25, 2018
Entrepreneurship Story
What is entrepreneurship and what is my experience with it? Websters dictionary defines entrepreneurship as the following "the activity of setting up a business and taking on financial risks in the hope of profit". My personal experience with this comes from my own family, where my aunt and uncle once tried to open their own ice cream shop at the beach. The shop opened with a fair amount of customers and one heck of an employee (Me) and a large selection of ice cream which was popular among locals and tourists alike. However this wave of success was not built to last, as the lack of sufficient advertising took hold. The store and its customers dwindled as the more popular and well known places continued to attract the largest share of the market that being the tourists. The tourists without the knowledge of the shop and its location went to the places that had big flashy signs and radio advertisements. This brush with entrepreneurship has left me optimistic about being able to purse ones dreams and the fact that new places will always exist, but also aware of just how hard it is to be a successful entrepreneur.
My story and reasoning for joining this class ENT3003 is that I am required if I wish to graduate, however that is not why I find it fascinating and one of my favorite classes. I find this class as a vehicle to learn more about my entrepreneurship dreams and what it takes to accomplish them. What I am hoping to get out of this course is a better understanding of the steps required not only to be an entrepreneur but how to be a successful one.
Refrence
Image found at http://www.assignmentpoint.com/business/entrepreneurship-development-business/social-entrepreneurship-2.html
Bug List
This is a list of 20 things that bug me or rather are my own personal "Bugs" with the answer to why it exists underneath it.
1. People on the bus that I take to campus who purposefully take up 2 seats, with their bags or legs.
People are inconsiderate of others and or ignorant to the need for said space.
2. The bus stop I'm forced to wait at is extremely hot.
It has no over hang and thus no shade.
3. The bus stop I wait it gets me all wet when it rains.
It has no overhang and thus no coverage from weather.
4. Parking around or on campus is extremely hard to find.
Parking was ineffectively planned for the number of students my school has.
5. The bus schedule runs in perfect time that if I walk from class right to the nearest bus stop I can watch as the bus pulls away.
The distance and my walking speed correlate to the time at which the bus leaves.
6. Traffic on archer when I'm trying to get to work is awful and aggravating due to all the people.
My work starts at 6 so I am on the road at peak rush hour which is when most people are on the road.
7.When ever I'm heading towards and intersection where I have a green light and right of way and some one uses a blinking yellow turn signal to cut across the intersection nearly killing us both.
People have no idea how to drive.
8. Windows updates when they try force skype onto me.
Windows is hungry for more business an money so they are trying to grow their base.
9. When apps send me push notifications.
They want me to open the app and generate revenue for them.
10. When I lose my train of thought after I walk into a room.
I am being scatter brained and my multitasking is destroying my ability to concentrate.
11. When my coffee maker randomly turns off.
It has a short in the wire.
12. When my wifi in my apartment dies.
My complex enjoys updating the wifi once a week without telling anyone.
13. When wifi at school goes down
This I do not know why this happens, but perhaps it has to due with school updates.
14. When my phone has lousy connection when I try to make a call.
I have a phone provider who has less than stellar coverage.
15. When I am trying to cook but my stove takes an eternity and a half to heat up.
My complex has low quality cookware and appliances.
16. When ever I go to the grocery store only 2 checkout lanes are open and the line is 20 people deep.
They are trying to save money by using less employees.
17. When I try and fail to open a water bottle.
The seal was made by the old gods and its magics are too strong for me to break (I'm weak).
18. When all the tables at the Union are full and I want to eat lunch.
The rush of students around lunch time takes up all the available seats especially when its raining.
19. When my favorite show ends on a cliff hanger and I am forced to wait a week for the next one.
Stations want continued viewership for ads (unlike Netflix).
20. When I am in an elevator with a bunch of people and then when it stops and we try to leave people are forcing their way on resulting in a tango I didn't want as I shuffle my way out.
People don't understand proper etiquette where the ones on should step off first with right of way.
Reflections
This list started out difficult for me as I planned on doing it in a single sitting, however after the video I simply spread it out and kept track of moments where I was "bugged". This made it so much simpler and my fears and trepidation went away almost instantly.
1. People on the bus that I take to campus who purposefully take up 2 seats, with their bags or legs.
People are inconsiderate of others and or ignorant to the need for said space.
2. The bus stop I'm forced to wait at is extremely hot.
It has no over hang and thus no shade.
3. The bus stop I wait it gets me all wet when it rains.
It has no overhang and thus no coverage from weather.
4. Parking around or on campus is extremely hard to find.
Parking was ineffectively planned for the number of students my school has.
5. The bus schedule runs in perfect time that if I walk from class right to the nearest bus stop I can watch as the bus pulls away.
The distance and my walking speed correlate to the time at which the bus leaves.
6. Traffic on archer when I'm trying to get to work is awful and aggravating due to all the people.
My work starts at 6 so I am on the road at peak rush hour which is when most people are on the road.
7.When ever I'm heading towards and intersection where I have a green light and right of way and some one uses a blinking yellow turn signal to cut across the intersection nearly killing us both.
People have no idea how to drive.
8. Windows updates when they try force skype onto me.
Windows is hungry for more business an money so they are trying to grow their base.
9. When apps send me push notifications.
They want me to open the app and generate revenue for them.
10. When I lose my train of thought after I walk into a room.
I am being scatter brained and my multitasking is destroying my ability to concentrate.
11. When my coffee maker randomly turns off.
It has a short in the wire.
12. When my wifi in my apartment dies.
My complex enjoys updating the wifi once a week without telling anyone.
13. When wifi at school goes down
This I do not know why this happens, but perhaps it has to due with school updates.
14. When my phone has lousy connection when I try to make a call.
I have a phone provider who has less than stellar coverage.
15. When I am trying to cook but my stove takes an eternity and a half to heat up.
My complex has low quality cookware and appliances.
16. When ever I go to the grocery store only 2 checkout lanes are open and the line is 20 people deep.
They are trying to save money by using less employees.
17. When I try and fail to open a water bottle.
The seal was made by the old gods and its magics are too strong for me to break (I'm weak).
18. When all the tables at the Union are full and I want to eat lunch.
The rush of students around lunch time takes up all the available seats especially when its raining.
19. When my favorite show ends on a cliff hanger and I am forced to wait a week for the next one.
Stations want continued viewership for ads (unlike Netflix).
20. When I am in an elevator with a bunch of people and then when it stops and we try to leave people are forcing their way on resulting in a tango I didn't want as I shuffle my way out.
People don't understand proper etiquette where the ones on should step off first with right of way.
Reflections
This list started out difficult for me as I planned on doing it in a single sitting, however after the video I simply spread it out and kept track of moments where I was "bugged". This made it so much simpler and my fears and trepidation went away almost instantly.
Friday, May 18, 2018
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