1. I really enjoyed a lot of the assignments for this class. Especially the simple ones like the bug list as I had never thought about how the things that "bug" me every day can be a great source of business ideas.
2. I think all of the assignments relating to developing our own business are what will stick with me for years. All the aspects that we looked at and thinking about everything about the business was a really formative experience. I really enjoyed the reading reflections as I learned a lot about some of the most successful entrepreneurs. But not only did I learn about their successes but more importantly all of the setbacks that they had at the beginning.
3. I think I definitely developed a more entrepreneurial mindset. I find myself thinking about problems that I or the people around me have and ways to solve these problems in an innovative way.
4. I would recommend that they apply everything they learn to their business idea as that is the best way to succeed and actually benefit from the class. To do well in the class I would suggest they watch the lectures, take notes and do all of the assigned blogs in a timely fashion.
Friday, April 24, 2020
29A - Venture Concept No. 2
Opportunity
This opportunity exists because of the amount of textbooks students have to buy each semester. Students could be saving a lot of money of they were able to find used cheap textbooks from others that need to sell their old textbook. My market audience is UF students and because of the feature that lets you buy and sell old textbooks my business will most likely be limited geographically to the students living in business. I could later expand it to online students and include shipping on the app but for now, that is not the case. Customers now are going through endless amounts of Facebook pages and group me to satisfy this need or they are paying a lot more than they need to with buying new textbooks. This is a huge opportunity as many students would be benefitted from this idea. I think the window of opportunity is small as it easy for someone else to have the same idea and develop the same app.
Innovation
Although this idea is not complicated or creative it can be considered innovative as nothing like this app exists at UF right now. Having an app solely for UF students where they can find the cheapest textbooks to buy and are able to sell and buy used textbooks would be a game-changer for the student body. The app would include a page where you can post about textbooks that you are looking to sell and buy. For safety reasons you would need to use your gator link to log in on the app so students feel safe and it is only used by UF students. There would also be another page where you could search for the textbooks that you need for classes and it would tell you where the cheapest place to get it from. Many times there are multiple bookstores and websites selling the same exact textbook but with different prices and students do not have time to go looking for the best price. This app would do that for them. This business will bring in revenue by both a small subscription fee that students will have to pay and also placing advertisements for publishing companies.
Venture Concept
I think students will start using this app because it is safe, easy to use and it would save them a lot of money. I think the hardest part would be getting students to know about this product as it would only be successful if a lot of students are using it. It would need to be established as the best place to go to buy and sell textbooks.
I have not really gotten any critiquing feedback. However, many of my classmates said that I should think about expanding my business eventually to include other universities which I am thinking about doing.
This opportunity exists because of the amount of textbooks students have to buy each semester. Students could be saving a lot of money of they were able to find used cheap textbooks from others that need to sell their old textbook. My market audience is UF students and because of the feature that lets you buy and sell old textbooks my business will most likely be limited geographically to the students living in business. I could later expand it to online students and include shipping on the app but for now, that is not the case. Customers now are going through endless amounts of Facebook pages and group me to satisfy this need or they are paying a lot more than they need to with buying new textbooks. This is a huge opportunity as many students would be benefitted from this idea. I think the window of opportunity is small as it easy for someone else to have the same idea and develop the same app.
Innovation
Although this idea is not complicated or creative it can be considered innovative as nothing like this app exists at UF right now. Having an app solely for UF students where they can find the cheapest textbooks to buy and are able to sell and buy used textbooks would be a game-changer for the student body. The app would include a page where you can post about textbooks that you are looking to sell and buy. For safety reasons you would need to use your gator link to log in on the app so students feel safe and it is only used by UF students. There would also be another page where you could search for the textbooks that you need for classes and it would tell you where the cheapest place to get it from. Many times there are multiple bookstores and websites selling the same exact textbook but with different prices and students do not have time to go looking for the best price. This app would do that for them. This business will bring in revenue by both a small subscription fee that students will have to pay and also placing advertisements for publishing companies.
Venture Concept
I think students will start using this app because it is safe, easy to use and it would save them a lot of money. I think the hardest part would be getting students to know about this product as it would only be successful if a lot of students are using it. It would need to be established as the best place to go to buy and sell textbooks.
I have not really gotten any critiquing feedback. However, many of my classmates said that I should think about expanding my business eventually to include other universities which I am thinking about doing.
Friday, April 17, 2020
28A - Your Exit Strategy
1. I think if my business is successful I would probably try to sell it in 2 or 3 years.
2. I chose this exit strategy as my business is for UF undergrad students, which means that after I graduate I would probably want to sell it as I plan on going to grad school. I also think it would be better if it were run by people who are still students at the University of Florida as they would have a better idea of any changes in the market or their needs.
3. I do not think my exit strategy has really influenced my decisions as I had not really thought about it until this assignment. I do see why the exit strategy might affect how I would have made decisions though. Someone who is thinking about selling their business might think more in short term profits instead of growing their business.
2. I chose this exit strategy as my business is for UF undergrad students, which means that after I graduate I would probably want to sell it as I plan on going to grad school. I also think it would be better if it were run by people who are still students at the University of Florida as they would have a better idea of any changes in the market or their needs.
3. I do not think my exit strategy has really influenced my decisions as I had not really thought about it until this assignment. I do see why the exit strategy might affect how I would have made decisions though. Someone who is thinking about selling their business might think more in short term profits instead of growing their business.
27A - Reading Reflection No. 3
The book that I read is "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol Dweck
1. The book talked about how there are two different mindsets. A fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when you believe that you can always change and better yourself. A fixed mindset is when you do not believe that you can change and so you always try to seek validation and to prove yourself to others.
2. I think in the class we touched on a lot of the concepts discussed in the book. We always talk about how we can always improve not just our businesses but ourselves. The whole point of the blogs that we do is to get feedback from our classmates so we can do better. We also always talk about how our mindsets can really affect our business and the "cultures" we are trying to build in our companies.
3. I actually think the blogs are the perfect exercise for this class that is based on the book. We do things like the elevator pitch more than once because we have a growth mindset we know that we can always improve and learn more. Feedbacks are another way that the blogs really help us grow and learn from our mistakes. We are always improving and hopefully never feel stuck or in a "fixed mindset".
4. I found myself reflecting a lot about things in my life while reading this book. Although I do have a growth mindset for most things in my life, I found that I also have a fixed mindset in some aspects of my life that I do not really like. I found myself realizing that I am not trying to fix these aspects and that a simple mindset change can be really helpful.
1. The book talked about how there are two different mindsets. A fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when you believe that you can always change and better yourself. A fixed mindset is when you do not believe that you can change and so you always try to seek validation and to prove yourself to others.
2. I think in the class we touched on a lot of the concepts discussed in the book. We always talk about how we can always improve not just our businesses but ourselves. The whole point of the blogs that we do is to get feedback from our classmates so we can do better. We also always talk about how our mindsets can really affect our business and the "cultures" we are trying to build in our companies.
3. I actually think the blogs are the perfect exercise for this class that is based on the book. We do things like the elevator pitch more than once because we have a growth mindset we know that we can always improve and learn more. Feedbacks are another way that the blogs really help us grow and learn from our mistakes. We are always improving and hopefully never feel stuck or in a "fixed mindset".
4. I found myself reflecting a lot about things in my life while reading this book. Although I do have a growth mindset for most things in my life, I found that I also have a fixed mindset in some aspects of my life that I do not really like. I found myself realizing that I am not trying to fix these aspects and that a simple mindset change can be really helpful.
26A - Celebrating Failure
This was actually from the last fall semester. I was taking a really hard class and I was not doing well in it. I kept getting really bad grades in the exams. Every time I would study for so long and I would try different ways of studying and nothing helped. I could not really understand the material and I hated the class as I found it very boring. I ended up passing but it was the lowest grade I have ever gotten in a class and it was a really bad experience for me. However, I learned a lot from this experience. Before this class, I was very confused about what I want to do as a career and it was really stressful. After the class, I realized that that was not what I wanted to pursue and not only but I was just simply not interested in it at all. This semester, I decided to take a Criminal Justice class as an elective as I suddenly had a lot of "free credits" and I absolutely loved it. Without going through that "failure" I probably would have never found what I am really passionate about and would still be stuck doing something I hated. It also taught me a lot about myself and how to handle hardships better in the future. I also learned better ways to study and push myself.
I think failure is a natural part of life and it is really sad that many people are embarrassed by their failures. Everyone fails multiple times in their lives regardless of how successful they are. I think over the years I have gotten better at dealing with failure but of course, it is still really hard. A little trick that I sometimes use on myself when I feel bad about my failures is thinking about what I would tell my closest friends if they are feeling that way. Sometimes it is so much easier for us to give really good advice to people around us but when we are put in the same situation we feel clueless. I think this class teaches us that nothing is ever perfect you could always improve yourself and do the same thing more than once and learn and grow from criticism.
I think failure is a natural part of life and it is really sad that many people are embarrassed by their failures. Everyone fails multiple times in their lives regardless of how successful they are. I think over the years I have gotten better at dealing with failure but of course, it is still really hard. A little trick that I sometimes use on myself when I feel bad about my failures is thinking about what I would tell my closest friends if they are feeling that way. Sometimes it is so much easier for us to give really good advice to people around us but when we are put in the same situation we feel clueless. I think this class teaches us that nothing is ever perfect you could always improve yourself and do the same thing more than once and learn and grow from criticism.
Friday, April 10, 2020
25A - What's Next
I think the next part would be starting to actually write the code for this app and develop it. This will take time as there would be a lot of bugs and problems to sort out at first. During this time we should also start telling people about this app and getting them excited about its launch. We could tell professors about so they can tell their students and we could also talk about it in preview where all the new incoming class of students at UF can know more about and spread the word even more.
Of course, without being able to do the interviews there is not much feedback that I could work with. But hopefully, in the near future, I would be able to talk to people from the existing and new markets to help me with my business.
Of course, without being able to do the interviews there is not much feedback that I could work with. But hopefully, in the near future, I would be able to talk to people from the existing and new markets to help me with my business.
24A - Venture Concept No. 1
Opportunity
This opportunity exists because of the amount of textbooks students have to buy each semester. Students could be saving a lot of money of they were able to find used cheap textbooks from others that need to sell their old textbook. My market audience is UF students and because of the feature that lets you buy and sell old textbooks my business will most likely be limited geographically to the students living in business. I could later expand it to online students and include shipping on the app but for now, that is not the case. Customers now are going through endless amounts of Facebook pages and group me to satisfy this need or they are paying a lot more than they need to with buying new textbooks. This is a huge opportunity as many students would be benefitted from this idea. I think the window of opportunity is small as it easy for someone else to have the same idea and develop the same app.
Innovation
Although this idea is not complicated or creative it can be considered innovative as nothing like this app exists at UF right now. Having an app solely for UF students where they can find the cheapest textbooks to buy and are able to sell and buy used textbooks would be a game-changer for the student body. The app would include a page where you can post about textbooks that you are looking to sell and buy. For safety reasons you would need to use your gator link to log in on the app so students feel safe and it is only used by UF students. There would also be another page where you could search for the textbooks that you need for classes and it would tell you where the cheapest place to get it from. Many times there are multiple bookstores and websites selling the same exact textbook but with different prices and students do not have time to go looking for the best price. This app would do that for them. This business will bring in revenue by both a small subscription fee that students will have to pay and also placing advertisements for publishing companies.
Venture Concept
I think students will start using this app because it is safe, easy to use and it would save them a lot of money. I think the hardest part would be getting students to know about this product as it would only be successful if a lot of students are using it. It would need to be established as the best place to go to buy and sell textbooks.
This opportunity exists because of the amount of textbooks students have to buy each semester. Students could be saving a lot of money of they were able to find used cheap textbooks from others that need to sell their old textbook. My market audience is UF students and because of the feature that lets you buy and sell old textbooks my business will most likely be limited geographically to the students living in business. I could later expand it to online students and include shipping on the app but for now, that is not the case. Customers now are going through endless amounts of Facebook pages and group me to satisfy this need or they are paying a lot more than they need to with buying new textbooks. This is a huge opportunity as many students would be benefitted from this idea. I think the window of opportunity is small as it easy for someone else to have the same idea and develop the same app.
Innovation
Although this idea is not complicated or creative it can be considered innovative as nothing like this app exists at UF right now. Having an app solely for UF students where they can find the cheapest textbooks to buy and are able to sell and buy used textbooks would be a game-changer for the student body. The app would include a page where you can post about textbooks that you are looking to sell and buy. For safety reasons you would need to use your gator link to log in on the app so students feel safe and it is only used by UF students. There would also be another page where you could search for the textbooks that you need for classes and it would tell you where the cheapest place to get it from. Many times there are multiple bookstores and websites selling the same exact textbook but with different prices and students do not have time to go looking for the best price. This app would do that for them. This business will bring in revenue by both a small subscription fee that students will have to pay and also placing advertisements for publishing companies.
Venture Concept
I think students will start using this app because it is safe, easy to use and it would save them a lot of money. I think the hardest part would be getting students to know about this product as it would only be successful if a lot of students are using it. It would need to be established as the best place to go to buy and sell textbooks.
23A - Your Venture's Unfair Advantage
1. Human Capital: I am a psych student
V: This helps me understand a lot about marketing.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
2. Social Capital: I know someone that can do the coding for the app
V: this is valuable as it could help lower the cost of the business and I will not have to go looking for someone who would be interesting in writing the code for the app.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
3. My product is new no one is doing something similar. no competition
V: There are not many platforms that are providing this service the way I am planning on doing it so there would not be competition
R: That is rare as most businesses have competition
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
4. Money
V: Although I do not have that much money saved up to start my business, I do not actually need that much.
R: Money is not a rare resource
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
5. Involvement Team
V: Being on the I-Team would be a great platform to get my business out there and to tell students about it
R: It is rare as there are only about 30 of us on that team
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
6. graphic design experience
V: This is valuable as it could help with designs on the app and other marketing strategies.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
7. sales experience
V: This is valuable because it would help me get businesses to advertise on the app would bring the business money.
R: It is not rare
I: It is inimitable as it has to do with my experience and although many can have experience in sales they will not have the same relationships with small local businesses that I have built in the last couple of years
N: it is not non-substitutable
8. I am TA
V: This is valuable because I have a strong relationship with a professor who could help me talk to publishing companies about putting their textbooks on my app.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
9. I have talked to my intended target and got a lot of feedback and opinions
V: This is valuable because I know that I do have support for my idea and I have also adjusted it a lot to the feedback I got from my market audience
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is nonsubstitutable as there is no other way to know what your market wants
10. job experience
V: This is valuable because my job experience will help me a lot with calling publishers on the phone and just knowing how to interact with strangers in general
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
I think my top 2 resources are my sales experience and just my idea in general. Having a business that is new with no competition definitely gives me a huge advantage and with sales experience and relationships with other small business owners, hopefully, would give my business a leg up.
V: This helps me understand a lot about marketing.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
2. Social Capital: I know someone that can do the coding for the app
V: this is valuable as it could help lower the cost of the business and I will not have to go looking for someone who would be interesting in writing the code for the app.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
3. My product is new no one is doing something similar. no competition
V: There are not many platforms that are providing this service the way I am planning on doing it so there would not be competition
R: That is rare as most businesses have competition
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
4. Money
V: Although I do not have that much money saved up to start my business, I do not actually need that much.
R: Money is not a rare resource
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
5. Involvement Team
V: Being on the I-Team would be a great platform to get my business out there and to tell students about it
R: It is rare as there are only about 30 of us on that team
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
6. graphic design experience
V: This is valuable as it could help with designs on the app and other marketing strategies.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
7. sales experience
V: This is valuable because it would help me get businesses to advertise on the app would bring the business money.
R: It is not rare
I: It is inimitable as it has to do with my experience and although many can have experience in sales they will not have the same relationships with small local businesses that I have built in the last couple of years
N: it is not non-substitutable
8. I am TA
V: This is valuable because I have a strong relationship with a professor who could help me talk to publishing companies about putting their textbooks on my app.
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
9. I have talked to my intended target and got a lot of feedback and opinions
V: This is valuable because I know that I do have support for my idea and I have also adjusted it a lot to the feedback I got from my market audience
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is nonsubstitutable as there is no other way to know what your market wants
10. job experience
V: This is valuable because my job experience will help me a lot with calling publishers on the phone and just knowing how to interact with strangers in general
R: It is not rare
I: It is not inimitable
N: it is not non-substitutable
I think my top 2 resources are my sales experience and just my idea in general. Having a business that is new with no competition definitely gives me a huge advantage and with sales experience and relationships with other small business owners, hopefully, would give my business a leg up.
Friday, April 3, 2020
22A - Elevator Pitch No. 3
I did not really have a lot of feedback on my last elevator pitch. People liked that I wore a UF jersey since my target audience is UF students. So I did the same thing again.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
21A - Reading Reflection No 2
The book I decided to read is "Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman.
1. The main argument of the book is that the brain has two systems, one that is conscience and one is automatic. Kahneman advises that when you make any decisions regarding money or your business you should not make the decision based on your emotions.
2. The book talks about decision making and how our brain handles problems that we might face in our business. It definitely enhanced what we are taught in class as we learn how to make smart profitable decisions. We also learn what goes into making a business and all the different aspects of it. Understanding, all the different things that go into making a decision, would help us base our decisions on rational thought instead of emotions.
3. The exercise would consist of asking trick questions and riddles that students will underestimate and answer quickly without putting much thought into it.
4. My biggest "aha" moment was how easy it is for our brains to be tricked when presented with easy problems just because we underestimate them.
1. The main argument of the book is that the brain has two systems, one that is conscience and one is automatic. Kahneman advises that when you make any decisions regarding money or your business you should not make the decision based on your emotions.
2. The book talks about decision making and how our brain handles problems that we might face in our business. It definitely enhanced what we are taught in class as we learn how to make smart profitable decisions. We also learn what goes into making a business and all the different aspects of it. Understanding, all the different things that go into making a decision, would help us base our decisions on rational thought instead of emotions.
3. The exercise would consist of asking trick questions and riddles that students will underestimate and answer quickly without putting much thought into it.
4. My biggest "aha" moment was how easy it is for our brains to be tricked when presented with easy problems just because we underestimate them.
Friday, March 27, 2020
20A - Growing your Social Capital
1. The first person I contacted is Amanda who I met through a mutual friend. Amanda knows a lot about computer science and developing apps. She is the domain expert. She has made apps in the past that also provide services. I emailed her about my idea, and she thinks she can help me launch my app and fix any bugs that might come up. In return, she said I could place adds for her apps on mine so we could be helping each other out. I think this would be a great contact in the future.
2. The second person I contacted is an ambassador to SAI at UF, I decided to use her as, SAI also proves a service to my marker (UF students). Therefore she is the market expert. My friend actually knew her which is how I was able to find her. I emailed her my idea, and she said that the students will like it and it will be beneficial. In return for her opinion, she asked me to spread the word about what SAI does and their different services. Including this person will help me know more about my market, and it could also give me great exposure, as I can later ask her to tell people about my service.
3. For the supplier spot, I tried contacting companies that sell textbooks, like Pearson. As someone there would be a great contact that I could later use to sell their textbooks on my app. However, they never got back to me and with everything going in with COVID-19 I could not go in person. Any suggestions to help me establish contacts here are welcome, :)
This experience definitely changed the way I thought about social networking as I never really thought about how important it was to build up these relationships that could later help the business.
2. The second person I contacted is an ambassador to SAI at UF, I decided to use her as, SAI also proves a service to my marker (UF students). Therefore she is the market expert. My friend actually knew her which is how I was able to find her. I emailed her my idea, and she said that the students will like it and it will be beneficial. In return for her opinion, she asked me to spread the word about what SAI does and their different services. Including this person will help me know more about my market, and it could also give me great exposure, as I can later ask her to tell people about my service.
3. For the supplier spot, I tried contacting companies that sell textbooks, like Pearson. As someone there would be a great contact that I could later use to sell their textbooks on my app. However, they never got back to me and with everything going in with COVID-19 I could not go in person. Any suggestions to help me establish contacts here are welcome, :)
This experience definitely changed the way I thought about social networking as I never really thought about how important it was to build up these relationships that could later help the business.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
19A - Idea Napkin No. 2
1)You: I am a psychology student which means I know a lot about human behaviors and that could help me find the best ways to advertise my product. I am also very organized and hard-working. I was the business manager for a school newspaper for two years which gave me a lot of experience n trying to sell ads to different businesses and companies which could help my app.
2) What are you offering to customers: I am offering an app that would help students find the best-priced textbooks. It would also be a platform for students to buy and sell their old textbooks.
3) Who are you offering it to: all my customers are college students who are trying to save money on textbooks.
4) Why do they care: My customers will pay for my product not only because it will save them more money in the long run, but also it will make buying textbooks a lot easier.
5) What are your core competencies: This app will have every opportunity to buy textbooks in one place so it is easier for students to find what they need instead of looking through many different groups. It would also show students the best places to buy each textbook for the cheapest price.
I did not get a lot of feedback on my last blog, the only one I got was just to make sure I try to set myself apart and find ideas to market my idea. I do not exactly what could set my app apart, other than the fact that I do not of any other platform that does the same thing and that is tailored for UF students.
2) What are you offering to customers: I am offering an app that would help students find the best-priced textbooks. It would also be a platform for students to buy and sell their old textbooks.
3) Who are you offering it to: all my customers are college students who are trying to save money on textbooks.
4) Why do they care: My customers will pay for my product not only because it will save them more money in the long run, but also it will make buying textbooks a lot easier.
5) What are your core competencies: This app will have every opportunity to buy textbooks in one place so it is easier for students to find what they need instead of looking through many different groups. It would also show students the best places to buy each textbook for the cheapest price.
I did not get a lot of feedback on my last blog, the only one I got was just to make sure I try to set myself apart and find ideas to market my idea. I do not exactly what could set my app apart, other than the fact that I do not of any other platform that does the same thing and that is tailored for UF students.
Friday, March 20, 2020
18A - Create a Customer Avatar
My customer Avatar is an undergraduate UF student. They rely on Bright Futures to pay for their tuition and have a part-time job to help their family pay for their housing. They want to do well in school and take a lot of big lecture classes.
I am also a UF student who relies on Bright Futures to pay for tuition. It makes sense for me to have something in common with my customer as when I thought of a business idea I thought of problems that I do have.
I am also a UF student who relies on Bright Futures to pay for tuition. It makes sense for me to have something in common with my customer as when I thought of a business idea I thought of problems that I do have.
17A - Elevator Pitch No. 2
Last elevator pitch, the feedback I got was that my hook might not have been very relatable with a lot of my audience and that I should maybe use a statistic which is what I did in this elevator pitch. I also practiced more.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
16A - What's Your Secret Sauce?
My Perspective
1) I speak three languages, which could help me communicate with more people and work in different countries.
2) I am very good at reading people and being able to tell what they are feeling.
3) I have studied psychology for 4 years and it helps a lot with my interactions with people and being able to understand them better.
4) I have learned how to adapt to different cultures and situations as I have lived in 2 different countries for a significant time.
5) I am able to persuade people to see things in different ways and if I believe in something I am able to explain my positions
First-person I interviewed said: "One thing that makes Maria different is the fact that she is incredibly attentive to the needs of the people around her."
Secon person I interviewed said: "You genuinely care about others and you are always defending people and trying to see things from their points of view"
Third-person I interviewed said "You have really good judgment and are able to handle sensitive situations without hurting people's feelings"
Fourth-person I interviewed said, "You have a great way of encouraging the people around you and keeping their morales high when they most need it."
Fifth-person I interviewed said "You are able to debate things well and you are open to new and different ideas and ways of thinking"
I was not able to go out and interview people in person so I had to do it over text so I wrote dows parts of what they said above. I think there are some similar things between my lists and what my friends said about me. I was surprised that a lot of them said very similar things. Many talked about how loyal I was and that I always try to help others and work hard at whatever I am trying to accomplish.
1) I speak three languages, which could help me communicate with more people and work in different countries.
2) I am very good at reading people and being able to tell what they are feeling.
3) I have studied psychology for 4 years and it helps a lot with my interactions with people and being able to understand them better.
4) I have learned how to adapt to different cultures and situations as I have lived in 2 different countries for a significant time.
5) I am able to persuade people to see things in different ways and if I believe in something I am able to explain my positions
First-person I interviewed said: "One thing that makes Maria different is the fact that she is incredibly attentive to the needs of the people around her."
Secon person I interviewed said: "You genuinely care about others and you are always defending people and trying to see things from their points of view"
Third-person I interviewed said "You have really good judgment and are able to handle sensitive situations without hurting people's feelings"
Fourth-person I interviewed said, "You have a great way of encouraging the people around you and keeping their morales high when they most need it."
Fifth-person I interviewed said "You are able to debate things well and you are open to new and different ideas and ways of thinking"
I was not able to go out and interview people in person so I had to do it over text so I wrote dows parts of what they said above. I think there are some similar things between my lists and what my friends said about me. I was surprised that a lot of them said very similar things. Many talked about how loyal I was and that I always try to help others and work hard at whatever I am trying to accomplish.
15A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.2
There are many alternative methods for college students to get their textbooks. Many use websites like Amazon or eBay. Most of the people I talked to said that they actually buy their textbooks from the bookstore or the use the all-access codes that UF provides. From what I gathered most students choose from where to buy their textbooks based on either price or convenience. Some said that they try to find the cheapest version of the textbook, and others just said that they get it from the bookstore because it is really convenient especially when they need to get the textbook quickly. For the post-purchase evaluations, students said that they hate when they spend money on a textbook and end up using only once or twice during the semester, or when they found people in their class that were able to find cheaper versions of the textbook. They think it was a good purchase when they use the textbook a lot and it proves very important for the class they are in.
I was not able to conduct as many interviews as I would have liked and they were pretty short, however, I do think that most students would have the same problems and mindsets that I have described.
I was not able to conduct as many interviews as I would have liked and they were pretty short, however, I do think that most students would have the same problems and mindsets that I have described.
Friday, February 28, 2020
14A - Halfway Reflection
- I learned early in the semester that it is easy to get overwhelmed with all of the different assignments. I started writing everything I need to do for the entire week and dividing them by urgency and importance and that helped me keep track of all the different assignments.
- One week I had 2 exams and a lot of assignments due at the same time, it was really hard and I felt like giving up as I was stressed out and could not get anything done. However, I started focusing on one thing at a time until I finished it and I found myself finishing all my assignments in less time than I thought which gave me more time to study for my exams which was encouraging.
- My three tips are:
- Manage your time well.
- give yourself time to relax and destress so you do not burn out.
- do not procrastinate.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
13A - Reading Reflection No.1
The book I read was The Wright Brother by David McCullough.
1. What surprised me the most was the fact that neither one of the brothers had more of high school education. Although they were both very intelligent, they probably had to learn a lot about psychics and aeromechanics by trying a failing. I admired that they never gave up and were always trying to improve their flyer and fix any mistakes that came up. They put all their time and money in this dream that they believed in even when a lot of people did not see the point for what they were doing. The wright brothers definitely faced a lot of diversity and failures while they are trying to build their flyers. Even after they were able to get it to take off and stay in the air for a few minutes, the U.S. government would not acknowledge their achievement and would not buy or invest in their invention; however, they that did not discourage them and they kept trying and they even went to France after to keep their invention growing.
2. The Wright brothers were very intelligent and curious. They also had great work ethics and never gave up. They put everything they had into what they believed in. They were very persistent and used everything they have to make their dream a reality.
3. I was really confused about how the Department of Defense, could not see the implications of being able to fly. They said that men were not supposed to fly instead of recognizing the opportunity put in front of them. That made me think of what other new ideas that are being developed now that people cannot see the benefits and implication for a better future.
4. I would ask them why they kept trying to do something that no one thought was possible? I would want to know if at any point they thought that a man flying is actually unattainable and that it cannot be done? and if they did think that what made them put their doubts to the side and keep trying?
5. I think they thought hard work is very important. It is very evident in their life that they were extremely hard workers and that they never stopped trying unless they achieved their goals. They did many experiments that took so much of their time just so they can have a better understanding of how they will be eventually able to fly.
1. What surprised me the most was the fact that neither one of the brothers had more of high school education. Although they were both very intelligent, they probably had to learn a lot about psychics and aeromechanics by trying a failing. I admired that they never gave up and were always trying to improve their flyer and fix any mistakes that came up. They put all their time and money in this dream that they believed in even when a lot of people did not see the point for what they were doing. The wright brothers definitely faced a lot of diversity and failures while they are trying to build their flyers. Even after they were able to get it to take off and stay in the air for a few minutes, the U.S. government would not acknowledge their achievement and would not buy or invest in their invention; however, they that did not discourage them and they kept trying and they even went to France after to keep their invention growing.
2. The Wright brothers were very intelligent and curious. They also had great work ethics and never gave up. They put everything they had into what they believed in. They were very persistent and used everything they have to make their dream a reality.
3. I was really confused about how the Department of Defense, could not see the implications of being able to fly. They said that men were not supposed to fly instead of recognizing the opportunity put in front of them. That made me think of what other new ideas that are being developed now that people cannot see the benefits and implication for a better future.
4. I would ask them why they kept trying to do something that no one thought was possible? I would want to know if at any point they thought that a man flying is actually unattainable and that it cannot be done? and if they did think that what made them put their doubts to the side and keep trying?
5. I think they thought hard work is very important. It is very evident in their life that they were extremely hard workers and that they never stopped trying unless they achieved their goals. They did many experiments that took so much of their time just so they can have a better understanding of how they will be eventually able to fly.
Friday, February 21, 2020
12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1
1) The segment that I picked is UF students who are trying to buy textbooks.
2) Need Awareness: In all of my interviews, I found that students agreed that they normally have this problem at the beginning of the semester when they are trying to buy textbooks for their classes. One student talked about how it is always a problem when the professors want them to buy the textbooks right away and she is not even sure if she'll keep the class as it was still add/drop. She said she did not want to spend a lot of money on a book that she might never need. Another student told me that he wanted to see his old textbooks at the end of the semester and found that that it was really hard because people are never sure of their schedules so he found that it is better to wait until the beginning of the following semester.
3) Move to information source: The students that I interviewed differed on what they did when they were faced with the problem. One student said he always tries to find pdf versions of the textbooks. Another student said that she goes on Facebook pages to try to find students selling their old textbooks and if she cannot find it she normally just gets the textbooks from the bookstore. The third student said that she normally looks at online websites like Amazon and eBay.
Overall the information I got from the students was what I expected as I go through the same thing every semester. I think this app could really help this market segment with their unmet need.
2) Need Awareness: In all of my interviews, I found that students agreed that they normally have this problem at the beginning of the semester when they are trying to buy textbooks for their classes. One student talked about how it is always a problem when the professors want them to buy the textbooks right away and she is not even sure if she'll keep the class as it was still add/drop. She said she did not want to spend a lot of money on a book that she might never need. Another student told me that he wanted to see his old textbooks at the end of the semester and found that that it was really hard because people are never sure of their schedules so he found that it is better to wait until the beginning of the following semester.
3) Move to information source: The students that I interviewed differed on what they did when they were faced with the problem. One student said he always tries to find pdf versions of the textbooks. Another student said that she goes on Facebook pages to try to find students selling their old textbooks and if she cannot find it she normally just gets the textbooks from the bookstore. The third student said that she normally looks at online websites like Amazon and eBay.
Overall the information I got from the students was what I expected as I go through the same thing every semester. I think this app could really help this market segment with their unmet need.
11A - Idea Napkin No.1
1)You: I am a psychology student which means I know a lot about human behaviors and that could help me find the best ways to advertise my product. I am also very organized and hard-working. I was the business manager for a school newspaper for two years which gave me a lot of experience n trying to sell ads to different businesses and companies which could help my app.
2) What are you offering to customers: I am offering an app that would help students find the best-priced textbooks. It would also be a platform for students to buy and sell their old textbooks.
3) Who are you offering it to: all my customers are college students who are trying to save money on textbooks.
4) Why do they care: My customers will pay for my product not only because it will save them more money in the long run, but also it will make buying textbooks a lot easier.
5) What are your core competencies: This app will have every opportunity to buy textbooks in one place so it is easier for students to find what they need instead of looking through many different groups. It would also show students the best places to buy each textbook for the cheapest price.
I do think that all of these elements go together as I am tailoring this app to a very specific need and to a specific customer population. I also believe that students could benefit a lot from this idea. My past experiences are also going to be very helpful in launching my app.
2) What are you offering to customers: I am offering an app that would help students find the best-priced textbooks. It would also be a platform for students to buy and sell their old textbooks.
3) Who are you offering it to: all my customers are college students who are trying to save money on textbooks.
4) Why do they care: My customers will pay for my product not only because it will save them more money in the long run, but also it will make buying textbooks a lot easier.
5) What are your core competencies: This app will have every opportunity to buy textbooks in one place so it is easier for students to find what they need instead of looking through many different groups. It would also show students the best places to buy each textbook for the cheapest price.
I do think that all of these elements go together as I am tailoring this app to a very specific need and to a specific customer population. I also believe that students could benefit a lot from this idea. My past experiences are also going to be very helpful in launching my app.
Friday, February 14, 2020
9A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
who: I was able to find some people who did not share the same problem of finding cheap textbooks. The people that I interviewed who did not have the problem had different reasons why this was not a problem for them. Some said that it was not a problem because they had older siblings who had the same classes so they just used their old textbooks. Others said that they did not see this as a big problem as they just see it as part of their tuition money that they have to pay anyways. One person said that most of their classes do not actually require textbooks so it has not been a problem for him.
What: The need I identified is finding affordable textbooks. A need that is different than this one but might have the same underlying problem is being able to afford tuition in general and whether colleges should be free.
Why: I do not believe that the underlying cause is different as in all cases it would be about money. However, what is different is how much of a problem it is for different people and the fact that some people are not put in a situation where they have to buy expensive textbooks so they are not aware of the problem.
Inside The Boundary
Students
The problem is finding affordable textbooks.
The need exists because textbooks are expensive and it is sometimes hard finding the best-priced ones.
Outside The Boundary
Professors, students who do not need textbooks.
The need is not financial help with tuition or other college expenses.
Professors sometimes ask for too many textbooks that require access codes.
What: The need I identified is finding affordable textbooks. A need that is different than this one but might have the same underlying problem is being able to afford tuition in general and whether colleges should be free.
Why: I do not believe that the underlying cause is different as in all cases it would be about money. However, what is different is how much of a problem it is for different people and the fact that some people are not put in a situation where they have to buy expensive textbooks so they are not aware of the problem.
Inside The Boundary
Students
The problem is finding affordable textbooks.
The need exists because textbooks are expensive and it is sometimes hard finding the best-priced ones.
Outside The Boundary
Professors, students who do not need textbooks.
The need is not financial help with tuition or other college expenses.
Professors sometimes ask for too many textbooks that require access codes.
Friday, February 7, 2020
8A Solving The Problem
1) The opportunity is students not being able to find affordable textbooks.
2) My solution to this problem is to have an app that students can use to find the cheapest textbooks. It could show the best offers online and the best places to find each textbook. Students could only post places they know that sell cheap textbooks. There should also be the option for students to sell their own old textbooks to other students safely. It will be used for a specific school. We could start with just UF and you would have to log in using your GatorLink so that it is safe. Later we could generalize it and use it for other schools as well.
2) My solution to this problem is to have an app that students can use to find the cheapest textbooks. It could show the best offers online and the best places to find each textbook. Students could only post places they know that sell cheap textbooks. There should also be the option for students to sell their own old textbooks to other students safely. It will be used for a specific school. We could start with just UF and you would have to log in using your GatorLink so that it is safe. Later we could generalize it and use it for other schools as well.
7A Testing the Hypothesis Part 1
The opportunity that I identified is the need for students to have a place to go to find the best-priced textbooks and even sell their old textbooks.
The Who: UF Students
The What: They are unable to find the most affordable textbooks that they need
The Why: There are so many different websites that sell books and different Facebook pages, it is hard to check all of them
I think this could potentially be used for other schools as well as all college students have this problem so maybe later there would be an option to enter your college so the app could show you only the opportunities at your school.
I do know that some textbooks have to be purchased through the school so we could get specific codes for assignment. So this idea would not work for every single class
I am sure that all of the students might think this problem is because the publishers simply use access codes to make students buy the newest version of the textbooks.
I found that most of the answers I got from the interviews were very similar. They all seemed to like the idea of the app and agreed that finding affordable textbooks is a real problem that they have. Some brought up a good point of students finding free pdfs of the textbooks online. Some thought that another solution might be to reach out to publishers and try to convince them to sell access codes separately so that students can just buy them without the textbook and then they can find cheaper versions of the textbook.
The Who: UF Students
The What: They are unable to find the most affordable textbooks that they need
The Why: There are so many different websites that sell books and different Facebook pages, it is hard to check all of them
I think this could potentially be used for other schools as well as all college students have this problem so maybe later there would be an option to enter your college so the app could show you only the opportunities at your school.
I do know that some textbooks have to be purchased through the school so we could get specific codes for assignment. So this idea would not work for every single class
I am sure that all of the students might think this problem is because the publishers simply use access codes to make students buy the newest version of the textbooks.
I found that most of the answers I got from the interviews were very similar. They all seemed to like the idea of the app and agreed that finding affordable textbooks is a real problem that they have. Some brought up a good point of students finding free pdfs of the textbooks online. Some thought that another solution might be to reach out to publishers and try to convince them to sell access codes separately so that students can just buy them without the textbook and then they can find cheaper versions of the textbook.
Thursday, February 6, 2020
6 Identifying Opportunities in economic and regulatory trends
1. Economic: "Coronavirus May Delay Hard-Fought U.S. Trade Wins in China"
a. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/business/economy/coronavirus-china-trade-economy.html
b. The opportunity is that there are a lot of "goods" in the U.S. now with no buyers.
c. Businesses that export their products o potentially the U.S. gov't
d. This opportunity is really difficult to exploit as it is a really big problem and one person alone cannot solve it.
I looked at this opportunity as I keep reading about this virus and how it is affecting many lives so I wanted to see how it could affect countries
2. Economic: "Bank of Canada Might Need to Look Beyond Two-Year Horizon in Setting Rates"
a. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bank-of-canada-might-need-to-look-beyond-two-year-horizon-in-setting-rates-11580418156?ns=prod/accounts-wsj
b. If the banks cut interest rates, people will stop putting their money in banks which will hurt the economy.
c. banks in Canada, or businessmen
d. this idea is not very easy to exploit as finding a solution that will be beneficial to the gov't and the people at the same time is not easy.
I looked at this opportunity because I have a lot of friends in Canada and I was interested to see what was going on with their economy.
3. Regulatory changes: "Traveling by Air with Service Animals"
a. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOT-OST-2018-0068-12959
b. More people will be able to take their service pets on planes which comes with a lot of business opportunities like travel bags for the pets.
c. customers could be pet owners that travel
d. This idea is not that hard to exploit as it will affect a lot of people who will need simple solutions to make their travel plans easier.
I looked at this opportunity because I have friends that have had terrible experiences on flights with their service animals and I thought there are a lot of opportunities to exploit.
4. Regulatory Changes: "National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Lead and Copper Rule Revisions:
a. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0300-0001
b. There might be a greater need for water filters or water bottles
c. Big companies, potentially the state gov'ts
d. On a big scale this would be a very hard opportunity to exploit but on a smaller scale it might be feasible.
I looked at this opportunity because my friend was just in another country where she could not use the tap water for anything and I think we sometimes take the available drinking water that we have for granted and if the regulations are going to be even stricter here then it presents a lot of unmet needs.
a. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/business/economy/coronavirus-china-trade-economy.html
b. The opportunity is that there are a lot of "goods" in the U.S. now with no buyers.
c. Businesses that export their products o potentially the U.S. gov't
d. This opportunity is really difficult to exploit as it is a really big problem and one person alone cannot solve it.
I looked at this opportunity as I keep reading about this virus and how it is affecting many lives so I wanted to see how it could affect countries
2. Economic: "Bank of Canada Might Need to Look Beyond Two-Year Horizon in Setting Rates"
a. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bank-of-canada-might-need-to-look-beyond-two-year-horizon-in-setting-rates-11580418156?ns=prod/accounts-wsj
b. If the banks cut interest rates, people will stop putting their money in banks which will hurt the economy.
c. banks in Canada, or businessmen
d. this idea is not very easy to exploit as finding a solution that will be beneficial to the gov't and the people at the same time is not easy.
I looked at this opportunity because I have a lot of friends in Canada and I was interested to see what was going on with their economy.
3. Regulatory changes: "Traveling by Air with Service Animals"
a. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DOT-OST-2018-0068-12959
b. More people will be able to take their service pets on planes which comes with a lot of business opportunities like travel bags for the pets.
c. customers could be pet owners that travel
d. This idea is not that hard to exploit as it will affect a lot of people who will need simple solutions to make their travel plans easier.
I looked at this opportunity because I have friends that have had terrible experiences on flights with their service animals and I thought there are a lot of opportunities to exploit.
4. Regulatory Changes: "National Primary Drinking Water Regulations: Lead and Copper Rule Revisions:
a. https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=EPA-HQ-OW-2017-0300-0001
b. There might be a greater need for water filters or water bottles
c. Big companies, potentially the state gov'ts
d. On a big scale this would be a very hard opportunity to exploit but on a smaller scale it might be feasible.
I looked at this opportunity because my friend was just in another country where she could not use the tap water for anything and I think we sometimes take the available drinking water that we have for granted and if the regulations are going to be even stricter here then it presents a lot of unmet needs.
Friday, January 31, 2020
5A Identifying Local Opportunities
1. "Fire Damages Greenacres- area apartment complex”
b. There was a fire at an apartment complex, firefighters were able to get control of the fire and smoke pretty quickly. No one was hurt by the fire and smoke that started on the first floor. They are still investigating the source of the fire.
c. The problem is that a lot of people that are displaced by the fire, and many of them probably lost a lot of their possessions.
d. The people who have the problem are the families that lost their homes.
2. “Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida legislature not addressing Medicaid shortfalls, health advocates say”
b. Deborah Lloyd who is the former executive director of Good News Outreach developed a medical crisis and did not have health coverage and no one to help her. She lost all of her money and also lost her job. When she needed to be hospitalized again she tried applying to Medicaid and found out that she is not eligible because she is unemployed. She talked about the 450,000 residents who “fall into the Medicaid coverage gap.” She was joined by Florida legislatures that are trying to find draft solutions to this problem.
c. Many people do not have health coverage and are not eligible for even primary care because they are unemployed.
d. The people who have this problem are the ones that are not insured and are not able to pay for their health care,
3. “School ethics committee discusses lapses in oversight of after-school programs”
b. The committee met after it was discovered that a privately funded after school program was run at two district schools without the proper protocol.They found that the organization had misrepresented itself so they can take advantage of the free facilities at the public schools. It is unclear whether or not they had the proper training or background checks on their employees.
c. The problem is this was going on for so long without the schools and administration realizing. The parents were most likely unaware as well. If they close them down that it would also leave a lot of parents without a place for the kids to go to after school.
d. Parents, School administrators and teachers are all potential “whos” in this example.
4. “UF Health monitors rumors of coronavirus spreading to Gainesville”
b. UF health is monitoring the students who travelled to and from China before the quarantine was in effect. These students have been in contact with their families in China and thus might have been exposed to the virus. However none of them are exhibiting any symptoms.
c. The problem is we are not sure whether or not they were exposed to the disease and if it might reach Gainesville. It also present a problem to many of our international students who might not be able to go back home for the foreseeable future.
d. The people who have this problem are the students at UF, Gainesville residents, Families of students who live in China.
5. “UF Sailing Team’s equipment damaged by high winds”
a. https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-sailing-team-s-equipment-damaged-by-high-winds/article_dbe2b252-42d6-11ea-ba7b-6741d053fad8.htmll
b. High winds at Lake Wauberg caused a lot of damage to most of the equipment of the UF’s sailing team. All of their boats are unusable and buying new equipment will cost about 100,000 dollars. They have set up a GoFundMe page so they are able to get the funds they need to replace their equipment and hopefully are able to compete and hold all the events and races they were planning before this setback.
c. The problem is most of the equipment of the team was destroyed and it would cost a lot of money to replace it.
d. The people who have this problem are the members of the team or any student who wants to join to the team.
4A Forming An Opportunity Belief
My belief is that students sometimes have a hard time finding the textbooks so they need for their classes with affordable prices. I think the unmet need is a platform that can have information listed by students on the best places to get textbooks for the best price, and maybe students can even sell their books on the platform. UF students are the ones with this unmet need. It could always be broadened to other schools as well. I think that need always existed. For now students sometimes just use the bookstore, or go on facebook pages and try to find people selling the books they need. I am 60% that this opportunity exists. The prototypical customer is a UF students.
The first individual I interviewed is a sophomore who said that she normally buys her textbooks from Amazon. She thought a good idea was for the bookstore to match prices with online websites like amazon as it is more convenient to buy from the textbook. She did like my idea and said it will only work if it was popular on campus and a lot of students use so we can really get the best deals.
The second student I interviewed thought trying to find affordable textbooks was definitely a problem that she had. She talked about how UF claims that all access is the best price you can get but it is actually not subsidized that much. She thought the app would only be a good idea if it was run by the students and not the school. She said that she would use and that it was useful in regards to finding an easy way to buy and sell textbooks from other students.
The third student I interviewed also agreed that finding textbooks is a problem she said that it was “such a hassle and stressful especially during syllabus week” She thought the app would be convenient and efficient, so she can compare prices more easily and find her best choice. She said she would probably use this app as it would also be safer way to buy and sell used textbooks.
After conducting the three interviews, I found that students clearly hate buying expensive books and some of them thought it was a problem. I explained my proposal to have an app that would not only include the best deals/ places to buy the best priced textbooks and give students a well established platform to sell and buy textbooks instead of looking at many different facebook pages. After they heard this proposal, they mostly thought that it was a good idea and that they would use it if it really collects all the best deals and if many students use it.
Most of my original idea stayed the same, however, it was brought to my attention how hard it will be to get it started as people will not want to use if there is no one using it so getting a lot of students interested in the idea and advertising this would be very important in the beginning. I think it is very important for entrepreneurs are able to adapt their ideas and ways of thinking as they have to be able to see what their customers want. If they are unwilling to change their ideas they might never be able to grow their businesses or find better solutions that “fit” more of their customers.
3A Entrepreneurship Story
I actually do not have a lot of entrepreneurship experience, maybe not at all. That is actually why I am taking this class. In high school, however, I was on the newspaper staff. One of our big problems was that students were not interested in looking at the newspaper and we would get no feedback. We decided to expand our online presence. We started a website for the newspaper and we also became more active on Instagram and Snapchat and that helped us connect more with the students and were able to see what they are interested in reading in the school's newspaper. Having that feedback and more engagement with students helped us get more donors and many businesses were interested in advertising with our newspaper which helped us fund the newspaper and we were able to produce an issue using glossy paper which caused a lot more money.
I think understanding entrepreneurship is very important for most professions. I am majoring in psychology and I am really enjoying this class as a lot of it can be related to psychology. When we talked in lecture about how the "who" has to be aware that there is a problem. If people do not realize that they have a problem, they will never look for a solution. I am also realizing how many small problems are out there that might have very simple solutions, that no one has thought of yet. When I used to think about business ideas or even just problems in the world, I and I think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking of big problems that might be too complex and difficult for one person to solve. However, when we think of everyday life, there are many problems that we can find and business ideas everywhere. That is why I am really enjoying this class and cannot wait to learn more.
I think understanding entrepreneurship is very important for most professions. I am majoring in psychology and I am really enjoying this class as a lot of it can be related to psychology. When we talked in lecture about how the "who" has to be aware that there is a problem. If people do not realize that they have a problem, they will never look for a solution. I am also realizing how many small problems are out there that might have very simple solutions, that no one has thought of yet. When I used to think about business ideas or even just problems in the world, I and I think a lot of people make the mistake of thinking of big problems that might be too complex and difficult for one person to solve. However, when we think of everyday life, there are many problems that we can find and business ideas everywhere. That is why I am really enjoying this class and cannot wait to learn more.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Bug List
1. Long lines at Starbucks especially at the libraries during exam weeks - There are a lot of students at UF and most go after or before their classes in the 15-minute window so it can get really crowded
2. Having to take online classes rather than in-person which helps me understand the material better - many students need to take the same classes and they cannot all take them in person.
3. Not being able to register for certain classes that I need for my degree - one.uf kept crashing during registration, and UF does not have a waitlist for classes
4. I cannot go off campus on weekends - there are less/ no busses
5. No available seats in the library - too many students for the available places
6. I do not have my car in Gainesville - I live on campus and there is no available parking
7. Buses break down. - no regular maintenance
8. long lines at advising for the college of liberal art and science - Limited hours and many students.
9. Students who walk slowly - Because they slow everyone down and cause traffic
10. People that do not recycle - laziness, not enough recycling bins on campus
11. Reckless drivers - distracted, they are on their phones, they are in a rush.
12. People who are on their phones while walking. - because college students cannot go five minutes without checking their phones.
13. People who talk loudly or play loud music on the quiet floors in the library - low self-awareness. or maybe they are no aware that it is a quiet floor
14. There are a lot of buildings on campus that are not accessible to people with disabilities - costs money and the buildings are very old
15. Laptop/ phone die quickly and so I have to have both chargers at all times. - They die because I have to use them a lot for school and day to day life in general.
16. SNAP app (free car service on campus) is not always reliable and sometimes a car does not come for a very long time - maybe the app does not work well or there are too many requests and not enough drivers.
17. Not enough parking on campus - too many students and parking garages cost a lot of money.
18. No elevators in my dorm building - My building is one of the old ones and there is no room for an elevator.
19. Not being able to attend some of the live lectures of my classes because there is not enough room - UF has a lot of students taking the same class and it is easier and cheaper to put them in one section rather than divide them
20. When the ice in my coffee melts and it waters down the drink - It is generally hot in Florida and the ice melts quicker than I can finish my coffee.
Reflection: At first I found it difficult to come up with "bugs" as I was trying to think of big and important problems. However once I just thought about my day to day life, it was a lot easier to come up with things that bugged me. I also noticed when I was answering why each one of those things was a problem that many of the answers were that there are a lot of students at UF.
2. Having to take online classes rather than in-person which helps me understand the material better - many students need to take the same classes and they cannot all take them in person.
3. Not being able to register for certain classes that I need for my degree - one.uf kept crashing during registration, and UF does not have a waitlist for classes
4. I cannot go off campus on weekends - there are less/ no busses
5. No available seats in the library - too many students for the available places
6. I do not have my car in Gainesville - I live on campus and there is no available parking
7. Buses break down. - no regular maintenance
8. long lines at advising for the college of liberal art and science - Limited hours and many students.
9. Students who walk slowly - Because they slow everyone down and cause traffic
10. People that do not recycle - laziness, not enough recycling bins on campus
11. Reckless drivers - distracted, they are on their phones, they are in a rush.
12. People who are on their phones while walking. - because college students cannot go five minutes without checking their phones.
13. People who talk loudly or play loud music on the quiet floors in the library - low self-awareness. or maybe they are no aware that it is a quiet floor
14. There are a lot of buildings on campus that are not accessible to people with disabilities - costs money and the buildings are very old
15. Laptop/ phone die quickly and so I have to have both chargers at all times. - They die because I have to use them a lot for school and day to day life in general.
16. SNAP app (free car service on campus) is not always reliable and sometimes a car does not come for a very long time - maybe the app does not work well or there are too many requests and not enough drivers.
17. Not enough parking on campus - too many students and parking garages cost a lot of money.
18. No elevators in my dorm building - My building is one of the old ones and there is no room for an elevator.
19. Not being able to attend some of the live lectures of my classes because there is not enough room - UF has a lot of students taking the same class and it is easier and cheaper to put them in one section rather than divide them
20. When the ice in my coffee melts and it waters down the drink - It is generally hot in Florida and the ice melts quicker than I can finish my coffee.
Reflection: At first I found it difficult to come up with "bugs" as I was trying to think of big and important problems. However once I just thought about my day to day life, it was a lot easier to come up with things that bugged me. I also noticed when I was answering why each one of those things was a problem that many of the answers were that there are a lot of students at UF.
Thursday, January 16, 2020
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