Week 4- Interview Customers No. 1

Week 4- Interviewing Customers #1

1)      Find an opportunity: So I am a swimmer and I work out often. One of my biggest issues is that part way through a workout I get super hungry because I either did not eat a sufficient meal beforehand or I have already burned the calories. I have had many friends tell me about experiencing the same problem! I want to find out if people think that a snack part way through a workout would fight these hunger pains and help them have a better workout. I will be targeting swimmers because they tend to be the athletes that train for the longest periods of time and that is where, in the past I have seen the most opportunity. 

2)      Questions:

a.       What characteristics do you believe an athlete possesses?

b.      Do you consider yourself an athlete?

c.       If so what is your sport?

d.      What is your training like?

e.       Do you ever find yourself becoming hungry part way through a workout?

f.       Do you think you would enjoy a snack midway through a workout?

3)      Interviews: See attached videos

4)      What I learned about the opportunity?

a.       I made so many mistakes in my interviews, but the biggest one was that I did not ask open enough questions. I did not give people the time to tell me what issues they thought they had. The main things I learned are that athletes do in fact get hungry during workouts, but they don’t always want food during their workout for fear that it will hinder their workout. From my interviews I determined that hunger pains while training can be a real problem, but the question is, is there anything we can do to fix the problem?

5)      What I learned about interviewing customers?

a.       This interviewing process taught me so much. For one, it is really hard to ask open ended questions! I would have questions planned so perfectly in my head, and then out of my mouth came something totally different. Not only that but I would almost stutter when trying to ask the questions; not smooth at all. By the 4^th and 5^th interview I improved slightly, but it was still pretty rough. I also learned, it is really hard to get somebody comfortable with talking with you in the short amount of time that we had. I would catch people coming out of the gym or going into the pool for practice or hanging at a friend’s house. I tried to keep my interviews as short as possible to let people continue on with their lives, but I’m afraid I didn’t get enough information from them. I would make them comfortable, ask them if they want to be interviewed on camera, then I would try to get set up as quick as possible to not waste any time. In hindsight, I should have just relaxed more, in all areas of my interview. I should have relaxed when making people comfortable, and when asking questions. I’m really hoping to improve in the next round of interviews. 

Week 4- Reading Reflection

1)      One part of the reading that really stood out for me was the description of Google Inc.! I loved learning about how they foster innovation and entrepreneurship through a relaxed work environment, and flexible management. It makes sense that all the people who work there don’t like to be told what to do, they are entrepreneurs! These people are the reason Google has been on top for so many years; they question everything and are always coming up with new ideas.

2)      The one part of the reading that was confusing to me was the “muddling mind sets” section. I did not understand how all of those would hinder creativity. For example, I feel like security hunting is not bad in all situations, in fact I believe people trying to avoid change could come up with some pretty innovative ideas. I just think that not all of these “muddled mind sets” hinder creativity all the time, but then again there are always exceptions.

3)      Two questions I would ask the author:

a.       How did you come up with the types of innovation?

                                                              i.      I want to ask this question because I feel like there are many types of innovations; much more than 4 categories anyways.

b.      Do most entrepreneurs have families?

                                                              i.      Throughout this chapter there are many areas that speak about how much time entrepreneurs take to work, so I’m wondering if they ever do anything outside their work like raise a family.

4)      I found nothing in this chapter that I disagree with the author about. A lot of the chapter makes sense if you really think about it. For example, when talking about the creative process, we have all gone through this process without even knowing it or realizing it. The authors just happen to put the information down on paper. 

Week 4-Top 5 World Problems

Problems

1)      World Hunger has been one of the “world’s biggest problems” since the subject started being discussed. The fact is that there are people all over the world starving, while others are obese.

2)      Global warming; the eternal elephant in the room. CO2 emissions are increasing at an exponential rate and people are not doing enough to stop the increase.

3)      Another obvious world problem is terrorism: a deliberate act of terror against a country. Some of the most known are the attacks on the world trade center and the recent attacks on Paris.

4)      One of the most popular topics in the news right now is mass shootings. In America there has been an increase in the number of mass shootings by automatic rifles and other guns.

5)      An increasing number of people are being diagnosed and are dying of AIDS. Countless others are being diagnosed and treated for other STD s.

Solutions

1)      STD Solution: STD testing should be free and easily accessed across the world. Medications helping with the STD’s should also be readily available for those who do test positive. 

2)      Gun Safety Solution: specifically in America and anywhere with liberal gun laws, gun safety should be more closely regulated. People should have to get background checks through the FBI systems before they can be approved to own a gun.

3)      World Hunger Solution: Every day American’s and other Western Countries eat more than they need and throw away food while others starve. Every restaurant should have some plan for how to donate their unused food and every American/other citizens of western countries, should be limited in how much they can buy in excess of what they need.

4)      Global Warming Solution: more research should be put into renewable resources so we can stop destroying our planet. Take the decisions away from the gas companies and put them into environmentalists who want to see our environment and air quality improve. Invest money into renewable resources instead of drilling for oil.

5)      Terrorism Solution: While so much is already being done with sniper attacks and such, there should be even more. Countries should work together to share information to continue to find people who intend to terrorize countries. If they work together more terrorists would be caught.

The reason I ranked world hunger at the top of my list is because it is the most prevalent and takes the most lives among my problems listed. There are people in both western countries, and third world countries that starve to death every day. After that in my list all of the problems are on a smaller scale and that is why I ranked them lower.

The reason I ranked STD testing and treatment at the top of my “easiest solutions to implement” list was because STD testing does not cost much and it is easy. Right now college males can be charged upwards of $300 just to get tested. How are they supposed to stop spreading STDs if they do not know they have them? Also people in third world countries are dying from STDs that are not hard to diagnose and treat, yet they die anyways because they have no help.

 

Week 3- Identify Local Opportunities

1)

Title: “Crashes up 39% at intersections in Tampa with red-light Cameras City officials slam system as contract is being renegotiated - City officials slam system as contract is being renegotiated”

Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A877E3A60108D0?p=AWNB

Description of problem: The city of Tampa has put in red-light cameras in the last few years and now the city is reevaluating their decision. These red light cameras have actually increased accidents around the city instead of decreasing them. When people know there are red light cameras, they are more likely to quickly slam on the brakes at a yellow light instead of deciding whether it would be smarter to stop or go through the yellow. The number of pedestrian deaths had a 51% increase in the past year. Not only are these cameras not safer, but they are also causing the city to lose money. Taxpayers are pouring money into the endeavor, and it is in fact just hurting more people.

Who has the problem?

The problem lies with the city of Tampa. The government, drivers, taxpayers, and pedestrians are all affected by these red light cameras.

2)

Title: “House advances bill to let state OK charter schools Opponents worry it will take away local control - Opponents worry it will take away local control”

Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A82348CF565C70?p=AWNB

Description of problem: In Florida charter schools will now be approved and regulated by the state instead of the local governments. The problem is that the state government doesn’t have a good idea of what is going on in every county, so they can sometimes make bad decisions as far as where to put schools and how to run them. The state government currently has charter schools in areas that are not able to support charter schools.

Whose problem is it?

The problem lies with the Florida School Board, and parents. Parents want to send kids to good schools and the Florida School Board can’t guarantee that any school will be good because they can’t regulate or run the schools.

3)

Title: “Congestion on northbound I-275 to frustrate drivers for 4-6 more weeks - Officials wrongly predicted traffic jams would ease”

Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A82346E565AF48?p=AWNB

Description: There is an area on I-275 that is severely congested due to new traffic patterns caused by construction. I-275 is an interstate that goes around and through the heart of Tampa; it is many people’s main road to commuting to their jobs in Tampa. This congestion has caused many commuters to become frustrated because their commutes just became significantly longer.

Whose problem is it?

The commuters in the Tampa area, and the city of Tampa are affected by this congested traffic. Commuters have to take more time out of their way to drive to work and tourists are going to be deterred from Tampa as the traffic becomes harder to get through.

4)

Title: “Protesters decry suit against school voucher program”

Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A82346E565AF48?p=AWNB

Description: People marched in protest to the capital of Florida to stand up for the use of school vouchers. School vouchers are essentially vouchers given to certain students who are in poor school districts to give them money and funding to attend a private school. The state is arguing that these vouchers take away from the education system as a whole and the money should be put towards the school system as a whole trying to improve the schools in the bad areas.

Whose problem is it?

This problem lies with parents, children, and the Florida School board. The parents want to be able to send their kids to good schools, and children need a good education. The Florida School Board is at a crossroads with what to do with their money. They are unsure where their money will help the most.

5)

Title: “Obama’s last State of Union reminds us why we’re angry”

Link: http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15A72644A866E158?p=AWNB

Description: This article was all about how citizens are dissatisfied with how Obama performed in his time in the presidency. Over the years there have been more divisions between the parties; not only that, but the candidates that are up for election this coming year are all angry. They are angry and bitter that America has “fallen off the rails”. This article was clearly an opinion article reflecting only a section of the population, but it does bring forth a big problem… we, as citizens, don’t know who to trust in the presidency.

Whose problem is it?

This problem is every American citizen’s problem. People are dissatisfied with our government as a whole, and no one knows how to fix the problems. Heck, no one can really identify what the problems are. Money? Marriage? Healthcare? There are a lot when it comes to Washington. Local newspapers are reporting this stuff because it really does affect everyone. 

Week 3- Reading Reflection

Chapter 2

1) The biggest surprise to me in this reading was the “dark side of entrepreneurship”. I have never thought about there being a negative side to entrepreneurship. As soon as I started reading about it, I understood completely, entrepreneurs do get lonely and sad, but it seems to me that those kinds of feelings will happen in this kind of career path, it’s just a given. It was obvious once I read the section. It makes me appreciate how much entrepreneurs have to go through to become successful.

2) One part of the reading that was confusing to me was the entrepreneur’s code of ethics. The code of ethics seemed very elementary and basic. Wouldn’t that same code of ethics apply to just about any job? Why are these codes of ethics specifically for entrepreneurs? I would like to know if there is a more specific entrepreneur code of ethics out there.

3) 2 questions I would ask the author:

1) Do you interview lots of entrepreneurs for this information? Or just a few?

2) Aren’t all these stressors and negative sides to entrepreneurship pretty universal over many jobs? Can you give more specific struggles to entrepreneurs?

I would ask these questions simply because I am curious. Where does this author get his or her information? Entrepreneurship is not a common subject of studies. My second question is my way of playing devil’s advocate. If I met the author I would want him or her to dig deeper and get more specific with the struggles that entrepreneurs go through.

4) The only thing I don’t necessarily agree with is the author’s general nature with describing the code of ethics, skills, and struggles of entrepreneurs. To me all of these points the author brings up could be used to describe almost any career job on the market…so why is the author making these characteristics specific to entrepreneurs? I don’t think the author is wrong, I just think he or she should have been more specific. 

Week 3- A Very Short Interview No. 1

About Donny Moreno:

The person that I interviewed is a close family friend, Donny Moreno. Donny owns his own wallpapering business down in Jupiter, Fl. Not only did he start his own business, but he also came up with his own wallpaper styles. One of his most popular products is a wallpaper that resembles a straw beach mat; it is very popular among the wealthy homeowners along the beach. One of his most notable clients is Tiger Woods.

1)      What should my expectations be in this entrepreneurship class?

      You should expect that after taking the course you will realize the work load associated with becoming an entrepreneur. By the end of the course you should be able to decide whether your personality fits with the traits that will be suited to become an entrepreneur or if you are better suited working for someone else.

2)      What does the word entrepreneur mean to you?

       Being an entrepreneur means that you have developed such passion for something that you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to make your living at it. To be an entrepreneur you must be able to take risks and be flexible and willing to make changes to adjust your business if circumstances require a shift in your business model.   There will be highs and lows and it is critical that you can stick with it through the hard times.  You need to be motivated and willing to put in the time and effort it takes; you cannot expect instant gratification or success. You also need to be willing to put in long hours for little or no compensation in order to expect the rewards and growth of your business.

3)      What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?

      I wish I had been properly trained in accounting allowing me to better understand bookkeeping. It would have been helpful to take more courses in marketing and sales so I would have been better prepared when it came time to expand my client base.  I actually would have liked to take more psychology classes so I could also understand the best way to work with the many different personalities I encounter on a daily basis. With the growing use of technology I think staying up on these changes is also very beneficial.

Reflection:

First of all, I have grown up knowing Donny from a very young age, and I had never thought of him as being an entrepreneur; he always just owned his own business in my mind. I hadn't even thought about asking him for the interview until my mom suggested him; a total light bulb went off, he is totally an entrepreneur!  
One thing that surprised me about Donny’s responses in the actual interview was how closely they aligned with the textbook’s writing. The dark side of entrepreneurship was obvious when I was talking to Donny. You can tell he has worked extremely hard to grow his business and it took a toll on him at times. One other thing I was surprised about was his desire for a background in psychology. It makes perfect sense; the more you know about people the more you know about what they want in a product. 

Week 3- World's Biggest Problems

1)      Our criminal justice system does not work and costs American’s millions of dollars.  Other criminal justice systems are having the same issues around the world.

a.       There should be extensive research on criminals and other forms of criminal deterrence, and what will keep them from recidivating.

2)      An increasing number of people are being diagnosed and are dying of AIDS. Countless others are being diagnosed and treated for other STDs.

a.       STD testing should be free and easily accessed across the world. Medications helping with the STD’s should also be readily available for those who do test positive.

3)      Rape is increasingly becoming a problem especially on college campuses among college women.  Victims are scared to come forward more and more.  

a.       Rape should be un-stigmatized and people should feel comfortable coming forward. Young children should be taught to not rape, not to avoid wearing provocative things.

4)      Human Trafficking has continually been a problem across the world. Many societies are unaware of the problem, and can’t see that it’s been happening right under their noses.

a.       There should be more people put on the investigation of where and how these people are moved across countries. Once the locations are determined there should be immediate actions to stop the trafficking.

5)      World Hunger has been one of the “world’s biggest problems” since the subject started being discussed. The fact is that there are people all over the world starving, while others are obese.

a.       While it may be an obvious and cliché one, it is very important. Every day American’s eat more than they need and throw away food while others starve. Every restaurant should have some plan for how to donate their unused food and every American/other citizens of western countries, should be limited in how much they can buy in excess of what they need.

6)      Religious wars and conflicts have been prevalent throughout history but it seems like today it is something we should be passed. Most of this outward violence is concentrated in the middle-east, but there are smaller incidents all across the world.

a.       It should be taught in school systems to accept every religion whether they align with your personal beliefs or not. Everyone is entitled to believe what they like.

7)      One of the most popular topics in the news right now is mass shootings. In America there has been an increase in the number of mass shootings.

a.       Specifically in America, gun safety should be more closely regulated. People should have to get background checks through the FBI systems before they can be approved to own a gun.

8)      Discrimination in all of its forms is still a problem in today’s world. In our current society we should be far past racism/sexism/homophobia.

Everyone should be taught in schools that people are people, and that is all there is to the argument. It does not matter if they are of a different religion, race, gender, or sexuality.

9)      Another obvious world problem is terrorism: a deliberate act of terror against a country. With the recent attacks on Paris, the world is increasing its efforts against terrorism.

a.       While so much is already being done, there should be even more. Countries should work together to share information to continue to find people who intend to terrorize countries.

10)   Last but not least, is global warming; the eternal elephant in the room. CO2 emissions are increasing at an exponential rate and people are not doing enough to stop the increase.

                  a. More research should be put into renewable resources so we can stop destroying our                             planet. Take the decisions away from the gas companies and put them into                                             environmentalists who want to see our environment and air quality improve.

Week 2- Reading Reflection

1) Reading chapter one of the textbook gave me insight into a general idea of what information we are going to learn about this semester. The biggest surprise for me in the reading were the identifications of the different kinds of entrepreneurs.  I had always thought that it was pretty widely accepted as far as what the definition of an “entrepreneur” was. An entrepreneur is someone who invented something or created their own business. In reality, they are so much more. An entrepreneur is someone who has had an idea of how to improve the world, and they acted on that idea. That act can be creating a new business, making a new innovation, or even creating a new group inside an already established business. There are all kinds of entrepreneurs.

2) The one part of the reading that confused me was the “Schools-of-Thought Approaches to Entrepreneurship”.  To me, it seems like all of these ideas as to how these people became entrepreneurs could apply. For example, in the “macro view” section there are 3 schools of thought. 1) The environment is a major part in entrepreneurial success. 2) The financial external factors are what motivate entrepreneurs to do what they do. And 3) a person feels out of place in society so they go do their own thing and become an entrepreneur. It seems to me that all of these schools of thoughts could be integrated and describe one person, or not describe another person at all; why do they have to have different labels besides “entrepreneur”?

3) Two questions I would ask the author are as follows:

1)      What made you decide to write a book on entrepreneurship?

2)      Who established all of these schools-of-thoughts and approaches to entrepreneurship?

I would ask these questions because I am curious what kind of person decides there should be a textbook on a rather abstract subject, and I’m also curious as to where the information came from on this abstract subject.  Entrepreneurship is not a commonly studied phenomena, so I’m curious how one becomes interested in the subject.

4) One thing I thought the author was wrong about were the labels for different types of entrepreneurs. As I said in question 2 of this assignment, I think some of the labels and descriptions of these entrepreneurs should be integrated, or at least not as definitive. I believe that any kind of person can become an entrepreneur, so why should there be any sort of descriptions at all? You will never cover every entrepreneur out there, so why don’t just leave the descriptions open-ended? But then again, if everything was left open-ended, we would not have a textbook for this class today.  

Week 2- My "Bug" List

“Bug List”

20 things that bug me as I go through my life.

1.      The clean dishes in our apartment drying rack always get piled super high.

a.       This happens because our drying rack is not optimal for drying. It sits in our sink so it takes a long time for our dishes to dry.

2.      The traffic on SW 4^th Ave is always so bad when I am trying to ride my bike to class at 8:30 am; I never have any room on the road to bike.

a.       This happens because 8:30 am is during rush hour and there are no bike lanes on SW 4^th Ave.

3.      It bugs me that there are so many people that walk in the middle of the road on the street that goes by Little Hall in between classes.

a.       This happens because the side-walks are very crowded.

4.      It bugs me that there are so many people walking through Turlington Plaza at all times of the day!

a.       This happens because Turlington is a crossroads between the two main parts of campus.

5.      It bugs me when people take the seat in class I’ve been sitting in all year.

a.       They do not know it’s my seat because they have never been to class before.  

6.      It bugs me when professors think it’s funny to assign homework last minute.

a.       This probably happens because they either forgot to assign it earlier or wanted to fit an assignment in last minute.

7.      It bugs me when exams are scheduled for 8:20-10:20 at night; that’s bedtime!

a.       This happens because large classes need a time of day when everyone can attend the exam.

8.      It bugs me when textbooks cost students a ton of money.

a.       This happens most likely because it is very expensive to write a textbook.

9.      It bugs me when I’m trying to scroll down on my computer and instead it decides to zoom in on the window.

a.       This happens because my computer is old and has a hard time telling which way my fingers are moving.

10.  I hate when MyAccountingLab makes you restart a question from the beginning after you get one small part of the question wrong.

a.       This happens because MyAccountingLab wants students to practice the problem correctly in its entirety.

11.  It bugs me when professors talk super quietly in class.

a.       This happens because some professors are old.

12.  It bugs me when my laundry comes out of the dryer still damp.

a.       This happens because I get impatient and don’t let the dryer run as long as it needs to.

13.  It bugs me when textbooks only come in binders instead of hardcovers.

a.       This happens because the textbook company is trying to save money.

14.  It bugs me when I open my Tupperware cabinet and they all fall out.

a.       This happens because I have them organized poorly.

15.  It bugs me when people are talking or texting on their phone and they run into me because they cannot see me.

a.       This happens because people are distracted by their phones and are not aware of the world around them.

16.  It bugs me when people take forever to walk across a crosswalk when a car is waiting.

a.       This happens because pedestrians have the right away and they are not in a rush sometimes.

17.  It bugs me when I get tons of emails from companies that are not important.

a.       This happens because somehow I made it onto their mailing lists.

18.  It bugs me when I’m trying to do homework in the library and people won’t stop talking.

a.       This happens because some people go to the library in between their classes whether they have work to do or not; if they do not have work to do, they talk with friends.

19.  It bugs me when my phone freezes in the middle of me doing something important.

a.       This happens because my phone is old and does not have much memory or speed anymore.

20.  It bugs me when my roommates don’t wash the counter off after cooking.

a.       This happens sometimes because they are in a hurry, but other times they just forget.

Reflection:

This assignment was very interesting to me. At first, it was very hard for me to come up with things that bugged me. As I continued on it became easier and easier. One ‘bug’ would remind me of another, and so on and so forth. I did my best to think of every aspect of my day and just go through in my mind what bugged me and why it bugged me. Some things I know are impossible to change, but other ‘bugs’ of mine could be easily fixed and this assignment made me realize that. For example, the fact that my laundry always comes out damp is a bug of mine, but it’s a bug that can be easily fixed with more patience and another dry cycle. Lastly, it really helped on this assignment that I had just done my managerial accounting homework. That class just bugs me overall so the frustration made it easier to come up with a few ‘bugs’ for my list.