30A – Final Reflection

1. One of favorite post assignment I remember was doing the elevator pitches. Since I am involved in career events, it was helpful to practice making a smooth speech about my ideas. The posts I did not particularly like were assignments with interviews, as they involved taking large amounts of time to both interviews and discuss in a post. However, I can see that this is inevitable when trying to find consumer needs.
2. After reading through my past posts, I am happy to see how my idea grew to be what it is today. I remember at the beginning of the semester that I needed to create a blog. It was surprising since I had never created a blog before, and never formed one for classwork. But, I am glad that all of my work was all stored within a blog to make reading almost like reading a diary. I can see how my thought process changed and the new tweaks I've kept and deleted.
3. Although I do not see myself as a "good" entrepreneur yet, this course has definitely helped me look at the world in a new manner. I recognize how certain things I took for granted may have derived from an entrepreneur and his/her work to make it into my life. I also learned how people take multiple failures to form a single huge success. Maybe it was the vision to success that makes entrepreneurs persistent to their goals.
4. A recommendation I would make is to always start assignments early. Even reading it (and not starting) helps because some assignments require inspiration. To perform best, make sure to try in your assignments as they build off of each other in future assignments. 

29A – Venture Concept No. 2

Interactive Tech

Opportunity.
Raised as a first-generation in the United States, I grew up with modern facilities and technology. From time to time, I would visit my grandparents during breaks of the school year, Occasionally, I am requested to help them with using a computer to complete certain tasks such as paying bills. Thus, this led to a potential opportunity I have identified. I believe that there are a group of people, most likely seniors and immigrants, who cannot use technology adequately. Technology, especially in this present time is being developed at an extremely fast pace. People who lacked technological knowledge are not able to catch up as quickly and lose interest in learning. Thus, this leads to an unmet need for knowledge. Some are currently meeting these unmet needs by asking other friends or relatives to complete their tasks for them. Some are requesting alternative methods or accommodations in the absence of computers. I identified this opportunity to be of a large scale because this need is knowledge oriented. Some many foreign immigrants and seniors are able to benefit from learning technology after receiving such knowledge. Despite the opportunity being large, the window is not long as newer generations tend to already possess an adequate understanding of using technology.

Innovation.
In response to this opportunity, I propose a teaching service to people (mainly seniors and foreign-language speakers) who want to become more comfortable with using technology. This service would focus on in-person tutoring due to the high amount of troubleshooting that arises when learning technology. Since it is in-person, the tutors will most likely be teaching in the residency of their students. Because transportation is required (usually from the tutor), pricing will be negotiable from different tutors depending on travel distance. However, a general price range would be $30-50 depending on how the tutor values his/her time and distance.

Venture Concept.
I do recognize that there are public and online resources to help one learn about technology. However, not everyone can learn from a one-way delivery. This is similar in how some high school and college students are willing to pay for live tutoring for a test when they can instead study using online resources. The same can be applied to this opportunity. Some people cannot learn from just lectures, but instead, need the interaction to better understand some material. Thus, I believe that this service is unique in how it emphasizes in-person tutoring. I may partner with open online tutoring platforms so that younger generations can link potential customers to this service. I think the main way to identify these customers is for younger relatives or friends to see this problem themselves (in their relatives or friends) and seek out this service. Since tutoring is an on-going basis, the students can choose to have a set schedule or improper appointments.

The Best Resource.
I believe the most important resource I have is the high school/college student tutor base. As students, we understand what methods make it easy to learn new material and how to teach harder materials. Students are also willing to pick up experience regarding teaching others for developing their professional careers. Thus, this service makes it attractive for students to take part in along with the payments they receive.

Next Venture.
Since this opportunity is short-lived as I mentioned earlier, I think my next venture will deal with financial illiteracy among foreigners, especially immigrants. Many immigrants migrate into the U.S from a financially weaker country. Thus, the did not have access to some financial knowledge and are not familiar with financial programs that may benefit them. This may become my next venture after this current one as financial literacy is considered to be complex material. 

The Future.
After launching this business, I am mainly looking to receiving the experience of helping others. Although there is payment involved, the experience of knowing how to teach and the satisfaction of improving people's lives is mainly the purpose of this business. I believe that this opportunity is a good way for one to develop his or her professional communication skills along with teaching. Tutors also participate in the goodwill of making the world more accessible for others. 

2)The feedback I received was mainly positive in my first venture write-up. I think it was important to mention how the venture arose from my background. The next venture I have written may be doable. However, I'm am not sure if I will follow it as my future occupation may be worth committing my time to instead of the next venture. However, I will consider it one day if I feel I need a change in my career. 

3) I did not make many changes to my venture mainly because I think that my venture idea did not change since the first. Although there are imperfections to this venture, I do not believe I can improve it given my current capabilities. However, I have made slight grammatical changes and altered some purposes of certain parts in the write-up. 

28A – Your Exit Strategy

1. As mentioned in my previous posts, my venture of tutoring seniors and foreigners (about technology) does not have a very large window. Due to the increasing norm of technology and globalization, I do no think this venture will be doable about a few decades from now. Because the demand for this may fall too low in the future, I will ultimately discontinue the service.
2. I selected this exit strategy because it may not be profitable to enter this business with such low demand. Even if there were profit, it may not be the best way given other alternatives.
3. This strategy has influenced my overall decision in this concept. Because I am a student, I am currently gaining and developing skills for a higher career. Thus, this business can help students who not only want to earn small revenue to pay for education, but also to gain experience with teaching others. My venture was not intended to be a long commitment from one person, but rather short-term commitments by many individuals who seek to benefit from this venture. 

27A – Reading Reflection No. 3

For my third reading, I chose The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson

1. I found it very interesting how the author used the image of a tail throughout the book. It seems to me that the tail represents the measure of the popularity of a certain item or idea. For example, if a certain movie title were to be a popular subject, it would have a long tail. This book mainly discusses how the tails among everything has become much smaller; that is to say, there is a larger spread of what is considered popular instead of having a smaller pool of pop culture.
2. This book ties with this current course in how consumer tastes are constantly changing. Especially in the industry that relies on the attention of consumers (maybe music and idol), these industries react to the preferences of consumers. Thus, this goes back to obsessing over your potential customers, as they may soon change and have different needs.
3. One of the biggest surprises I learned from this book was how the internet may have caused this phenomenon. Because the internet exposes us to much more material, people are less likely to become ties to one thing they like, but rather over multiple. Thus, this makes the "tail becoming shorter" phenomenon. This is return has killed certain industries such as radio stars. Although the internet has helped in accessing information, it also has negative consequences on some industries.

26A – Celebrating Failure

1. Just this past semester (Spring 2019), I remember attempting to become more involved with post-graduation activities. These include professional development, career connections, and attending recruiting events. As an economics major the career path after graduation is very broad and I wanted to start on making decisions. However, I found it hard to find the motivation to commit to making a decision. There were many factors, such as intimidation, learning material, and skills, that I felt that I needed to develop to partake in these events.
   
2. After hesitating day after day, I found myself near the end of the semester to only have completed nothing I wanted. I've just finished the classes I was taking and that was it. Over the summer, I've thought about the things I could have done to better motivate myself to find the answer. I decided that I am to pick minimal events and dates that I need to attend/ participate in, even if I needed to force myself to go in Fall 2019. Perhaps it worked? I was able to participate in professional development as well as secure an internship for the upcoming Summer term.
   
3. From this failure, I learned that it can be difficult to try new things that you feel you are not ready for. Especially when you have other people around you who you perceive to be more prepared or skilled, it can be a large deterrent to your confidence. In my failure, I initially felt incapable of observing those around me. However, forcing yourself to do something may just be the one push you need to kick-start a career you wanted. It may not work for all, but if you've failed once will be so bad to fail twice?

25A – What’s Next?

Existing Market

1. A new service that may be offered is financial literacy tutoring. I have seen people who are especially weak in financial literacy due recently moving into the U.S. This phenomenon also occurs due to the complexity of finance. 
2. After talking three of my potential customers in my old market, only one had said they would be interested. The two who are not interested either already have a specialist who suggests plans and does her financial profile or already possesses the knowledge. The interviewee who was interested was a foreign immigrant and has very little knowledge of financial retirement plans. He is interested in learning the different plans that are available to him in the U.S that did not exist in his previous country. 
3. I think that tutoring may be a viable method to implement in this venture. However, it is difficult to do so since a potential customer can just hire a financial advisor to complete the same job. They just may prefer to receive knowledge from a financial advisor than from a student.
   It is possible to service language translation into this service though. Since not all financial advisors speak multiple languages, having a bi-lingual student with a strong background in finance can be attractive. It is much more comforting to learn a complex topic in a language one is familiar with. 

New Market

1. My venture originally targetted the older-aged population. A new market I can attempt to target is the younger population who are in junior high or high school. However, because they most likely possess the basic knowledge of operating computers, the service will stretch to teaching advanced software techniques. Many software are given that can be extremely useful in a professional career. One example I can give is using Microsoft Excel for financial calculations which I was not taught at all and had to learn myself.
2. This venture might create value in the sense of higher human capital. Learning to take full usage of the software that is provided in public schools may help in their future academic classes as well as outside applications.
3. After interviewing two potential customers and asking about their willingness for lessons, both answered that they would not be willing to pay for the service. One claims that these techniques are not required in their current academics, and if it were to help, it would not be worth the time and money. The other student stated that these techniques can be learned easily through online resources she does not require a tutor to learn it herself. 
4. It did not really surprise me that the students I interviewed would be interested in this venture. Money and time constraint was definitely the prime suspect I had before completing the interview. However, I do think that if there were a way to target students who actually want these lessons and request their parents for payment, then this venture may be doable. However, it does not seem that it is worth the effort to trying to reach a market that has a smaller budget constraint.
   This new market does not seem as attractive as my old venture. Despite only interviewing two students, I feel that interviewing more will only result in similar answers. This could be due to the fact that once you are adequate with technology, it is easier to learn the material through online resources. 

24A – Venture Concept No. 1

Interactive Tech

Opportunity.
Raised as a first-generation in the United States, I grew up with modern facilities and technology. From time to time, I would visit my grandparents during breaks of the school year, Occasionally, I am requested to help them with using a computer to complete certain tasks such as paying bills. Thus, this led to a potential opportunity I have identified. I believe that there are a group of people, most likely seniors and immigrants, who cannot use technology adequately. Technology, especially in this present time is being developed at an extremely fast pace. People who lacked technological knowledge are not able to catch up as quickly and lose interest in learning. Thus, this leads to an unmet need for knowledge. Some are currently meeting these unmet needs by asking other friends or relatives to complete their tasks for them. Some are requesting alternative methods or accommodations in the absence of computers. I identified this opportunity to be of a large scale because this need is knowledge oriented. Some many foreign immigrants and seniors are able to benefit from learning technology after receiving such knowledge. Despite the opportunity being large, the window is not long as newer generations tend to already possess an adequate understanding of using technology.

Innovation.
In response to this opportunity, I propose a teaching service to people (mainly seniors and foreign-language speakers) who want to become more comfortable with using technology. This service would focus on in-person tutoring due to the high amount of troubleshooting that arises when learning technology. Since it is in-person, the tutors will most likely be teaching in the residency of their students. This makes sense as tutors aim to teach their students how to use the technology they (the students) own to better complete tasks. Because transportation is required, pricing will be negotiable from different tutors depending on travel distance. However, a general price range would be $30-50 depending on how the tutor values his/her time and distance.

Venture Concept.
I do recognize that there are public and online resources to help one learn about technology. However, not everyone can learn from a one-way delivery. This is similar in how some high school and college students are willing to pay for live tutoring for a test when they can instead study using online resources. The same can be applied to this opportunity. Some people cannot learn from just lectures, but instead, need the interaction to better understand some material. Thus, I believe that this service is unique in how it emphasizes in-person tutoring. I may partner with open online tutoring platforms so that younger generations can link potential customers to this service. I think the main way to identify these customers is for younger relatives or friends to see this problem themselves (in their relatives or friends) and seek out this service. Since tutoring is an on-going basis, the students can choose to have a set schedule or improper appointments.

The Best Resource.
I believe the most important resource I have is the high school/college student tutor base. As students, we understand what methods make it easy to learn new material and how to teach harder materials. Students are also willing to pick up experience regarding teaching others for developing their professional careers. Thus, this service makes it attractive for students to take part in along with the payments they receive.

Next Venture.
Since this opportunity is short-lived as I mentioned earlier, I think my next venture will deal with financial illiteracy among foreigners, especially immigrants. Many immigrants migrate into the U.S from a financially weaker country. Thus, the did not have access to some financial knowledge and are not familiar with financial programs that may benefit them. I am thinking of teaching financial literacy to those who lack this area.

The Future.
After launching this business, I am mainly looking to receiving the experience of helping others. Although there is payment involved, the experience of knowing how to teach o and the satisfaction of improving people's lives is mainly the purpose of this business. I believe that this opportunity is a good way for one to develop his or her professional communication skills along with teaching. It also provides a sense of goodwill to the tutors who take part in this venture.

23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

(My venture deals with tutoring who want to become more comfortable with technology)

1. Connection with an HR specialist
1. This resource is valuable as it is considered as skilled labor and is learned in academia. I would not consider this resource rare as there are many people who specialize in human resources. It not as easy to imitate this skill as HR is a skill you learn as you keep developing as you move further into the field. I do not think having a connection with an HR specialist is substitutable as it is mainly human knowledge. 
2. Ability to make online ads
1. It is not particularly valuable since there are numerous alternative ways to get my business plans known to others. I do not think this resource is rare nor inimitable as this is something you can learn if you take the time to learn it. This skill is also substitutable as going online is not the only way to make ads. 
3. Patience to Teach
1. This skill is particularly valuable for teaching people, especially when the material is foreign to them. I do not think it is rare as patience is something that can be learned. It can be inimitable for people who cannot wait for students to understand certain material.
4. Technological Knowledge
1. I think this is one of the key resources to possess since this tutoring service revolves around technology, thus making it valuable and non-substitutable. However, it is not rare nor inimitable as this knowledge can be easily accessed and learned from essentially everywhere.
5. Teaching
1. Same as technological skill. this resource is essential to tutoring someone effectively, making it valuable and non-substitutable. It is also a common skill and not inimitable.
6. First-Born Generation
1. I think this particular resource makes me unique from many people. I am able to understand some particular problems that immigrants face regarding technology. Although it is not inimitable, it is not rare as there are many first-born generations across the country.
7. Language Translator
1. Being a first-generation I know how to speak Vietnamese from my parents. This is valuable in the sense of being able to translate fluidly when trying to teach other Vietnamese foreigners. However, the ability to translate is not rare, inimitable, or substitutable. Anyone can take the time to dedicate learning Vietnamese. 
8. Organization
1. Tutoring requires a high amount of organization of both the teaching material and schedule, thus making it valuable. This skill is not particularly rare as you can simply find other people to organize for you, making it not inimitable as well. It may be substituted, though I am not entirely sure how it can be as efficient as if one were to be organized.
9. Small Start-up Fund
1. If I were to present my idea to my family relatives, I may be able to receive a small fund to start up my business. These would most likely pay off advertisements, cost of material, and transportation. It is not particularly valuable, rare, or inimitable as funds can be raised in other methods. However, it is non-substitutable as money is a good means of obtaining necessary resources.
10. Connection with a senior community representative
1. Since my business is emphasized towards seniors, it is valuable to have a social connection with someone who knows my biggest market. It is also substitutable though as there are other means to trying to reach an older audience.

Overall, I find that my own human capital and capabilities are my strongest resources to utilize in this venture. Tutoring is mainly a relationship between the student and teacher, thus it is important to focus on becoming a good teacher to provide better service. 

22A – Elevator Pitch No. 3

https://youtu.be/10gFAS_ZDVM

Almost all of the feedback I received was either positive or neutral. In this third pitch, I've included an anecdotal example of helping my grandparents with paying invoices. I think this is a relatable example of when the use of technology is inevitable. My pitch is mainly the same in content and I tried to further make my pitch smoother in transition.

21A – Reading Reflection No. 2

For this post, I read Inbound Marketing by Brian Halligan.

1. The main theme prevalent throughout the book is maintaining a strong connection with your market or customers. The book lists many techniques and mediums to use in order to build this connection.
2. This book strongly connects with this course because as an entrepreneur you need to understand your customers' needs to begin. In fact, one of our recent assignments involved creating an avatar and trying to deeply understand your customers' lifestyle. The book strongly emphasizes how more understanding of your customers will lead to better satisfaction from both parties.
3. One of the mediums this book discussed to better connect with customers was using social media. If  I were to design an exercise, it would involve creating a brand profile for your product/service. This would include making a username, a summary of what you do/sell, why you decide to sell, etc. 
4. The biggest surprise that came to me was after reading about competition. The book explains how competition is an important aspect to consider daily. There are many ways to measure competition, such as using search engines to see relevant results. As web searches are one of the main ways people will find you, it is important to distinguish yourself from competitors online in order to gain customers. 

20A – Growing Your Social Capital

Since my idea revolves around tutoring people to make them more familiar with technology, I have made contact with the following people to build my idea:

• I've made contact with a professor who currently teaches at a college campus. He would be the domain expert since he has experience in the methods of teaching to students. This professor was relatively easy to contact because I was a student in one of his classes and found that he teaches material very well. I believe this connection will help me develop some teaching skills that will prove to be useful when I or other tutors teach.
• The second contact I've made was with a human resource recruiter for the Synovus Bank. I've met this person before for other purposes and found that her expertise in HR will prove beneficial to my idea, thus making her a supplier to my teaching industry. Since my idea requires tutors and the recruitment of them, understanding how to hire and manage teams effectively is an important aspect to consider when starting this industry.
• The third person I contacted is an expert in the market. Since my industry has an emphasis on senior adults, I've contacted a representative of a senior retirement community. With this connection, I hope I can learn ways of better understanding where the majority of my customers. Perhaps he can bridge my services I am offering to his represented community as well as promote my idea to the community.

After attempting three contacts, I found that it was overall not too difficult. The only thing I found most difficult was trying to search for contacts who had expertise in an area. As my example demonstrates, it was helpful to make contact with people I have already met. It proves helpful to know people who you may contact again in the future. 

Second Shot at Idea Napkin No. 2

1. I am currently a Vietnamese first-generation student at UF. My parents and grandparents all originated from Vietnam as immigrants. Being the generation to live and grow in America, I am commonly explaining or translating concepts or terms in America that are unfamiliar in Vietnam. As Vietnam is considered a developing country, my parents ask me to one day give back to Vietnam for the opportunities I get in the U.S that otherwise would not exist in Vietnam.
2. I am offering teaching services regarding technological literacy through in-person tutoring.
3. I am offering this service to individuals who wish to better their life by making tasks more convenient through the use of technology. 
4. Customers would care as simply knowing that a faster way to complete something exists is appealing. Some want to minimize inconvenience in their lives. 
5. Translation is one of my core competencies. I do not mean from one language to another but in the sense of taking complex concepts or ideas (relatively to the client) and simplifying it so they can understand. This especially important when trying to teach people terms or functions relating to technology. 

My feedbacks for the first napkin were all positive. I did not realize that the napkin assignments wanted us to type out the elements. I, instead, actually wrote and drew my ideas on a "napkin". In this second napkin, I provided more information about the uniqueness of my idea as well as how my story influenced this idea. This story ties into a teaching service to help those who desire certain knowledge.

18A – Create a Customer Avatar

I have created an avatar using "mybluerobot.com" to get a better visualization of my prototypical customers. My avatar is a senior woman perhaps in her 60s or 70s. She lives with her husband and is a grandparent. Relatives usually come over to visit them during the holidays and religious obligations. Since she is inept with technology, her recreational time revolves around physical hobbies. She enjoys growing her own garden and cooking for her children and relatives. Occasionally, she may choose to visit her community neighbors to gift them a plate. Book and novel reading is also a method for her to spend her time relaxing throughout the day. However, there are some occasions when she must access technology to meet her needs and wants. These include playing the radio and music, paying bills, communications, and searching for answers.

After forming my avatar's story, there is no doubt that her story is influenced by me. However, I do think that there are seniors who share a similar lifestyle as I described currently. One of the things I have in common with my avatar is the interest in gardening. Raised from parents who did gardening, I love seeing the progress from growing a sapling to picking fruit or veggie. My parents usually incorporate their crops into the dinner they make a night and I still remember it the quality of it after moving into college. I also do have grandparents who struggle with navigating through technology whenever they use it. Usually, if they resort to technology, it is because the alternative method of doing it in person is either a hassle or unavailable. Like my avatar, I believe that there are seniors who also share this same issue. 

[Picture of my created avatar]

17A – Elevator Pitch No. 2

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGtGfDr_1mg&t=2s
2. Most of my feedback from the last pitch was positive despite me believing that my last pitch needed work. I believe my last pitch did not have enough rehearsal and lacked an organizational structure
3. One of the things I changed in my pitch was the original idea of teaching for the sake of selling. I've now broadened it to teaching technological literacy for the purpose of improving quality of life. Thus, this made me changed both my "hook" and purpose of my teaching service. I also made sure to rehearse more to improve word flow and delivery.

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

• For this assignment, I interviewed two UF students and a roommate of mine.
• In the interviews, I start off by figuring out their buying behavior. The first thing I ask is how they determine their choice of purchase given different options. I got a variety of answers from this question. In general, their decision is based on the type of product they buy and how they consider the scale of the purchase. One of the students says that if the product is relatively insignificant, then he would just buy the cheapest option there is. The example he gave was purchasing things like napkins or paper towels. A common answer I found is as the scale of a purchase rises, their willingness to pay more for quality increases. Products and services such as cellphones or tutoring are goods that they would consider paying extra.
• All of my interviewees shop both in-store or online depending on their circumstances. They usually buy atypical goods online or when they feel that they cannot find the item in-store. One thing I shared with my interviewees is that there are significantly more options to choose from when shopping online due to the number of sellers. Unlike online, in-stores only offer options that they currently have in their inventory. This can make online shopping much longer than one thought it would be.
• Concerning post-purchase evaluations, my interviewees are more likely to have this process as their purchases are more important to them. One of the main things they think about is the "bang for the buck". Essentially, they want to ponder whether they truly paid for the value they received. However, they also take into consideration of convenience and other service-related additions when they make these evaluations.
• Overall, I learned that consumers' decisions on choosing a specific option over alternatives may depend on the type of product. The type of product as well as their preferences both influence how they choose cheaper or more expensive alternatives. Additionally, online shopping tends to provide more options than going in-store. 

14A – Halfway Reflection

1. Learning to receive and adapt to criticism is one of the main aspects I’ve learned in this course. Because this class consists of heavy peer-reviewing, you will get both compliments and criticism for your ideas. I would not take them too harshly, but do consider them as your classmates did take the time to write their reviews.
2. It is very easy to give up an idea once you see the number of flaws in it. Whether you realize these flaws yourself or your classmates/professors identify these flaws, it can be hard to find the motivation to keep pursuing your idea. However, what is important is adapting to their reflections, your idea may just become true.
3.
• Stick to your idea. Criticism is not meant to kill your enthusiasm.
• When you commit to an idea, make sure you are indeed passionate about it. Otherwise, you will have a hard time during the assignments.
• Learn to change certain your methods, thinking, or executions. This will better help you develop and achieve your end goal.

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

1. I’ve selected to read The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. Although these two are well recognized and popular, I have not delved deeply into their background story and life, thus I chose to read this book to better understand them. What surprised me most was how Wilbur became interested in “the art of flight” from a different individual, a German scientist Otto Lilienthal. What I least admire about these entrepreneurs was that they picked up this interest after Lilienthal’s death. It was very interesting to read that Wilbur became interested in aircraft after Lilienthal’s death and wanted to finish his work. However, what I admire most of these brothers is their tenacity. The book cites different passages that discourage the pursuit of flight by man. However, despite these deterrents, the brothers still pursued their goals.

2. Tenacity was a competency demonstrated by the Wright Brothers. I believe they displayed this trait from their commitment to forming aircraft despite criticism.

3. Because Wilbur caught interest in aircrafts when Orville was recovering from Typhoid, I am a little confused as to why Orville also became interested in aircraft.

4.
a. Why did bringing flight among men and women become a dream you had? What caused you to specifically figure this innovation?
b. How did you feel the moment you felt like your dream was being realized?

5. After reading the book, I believe that the brothers most likely think that hard work is effort placed into uncertainty. Even if the effort will result in failure, at least one can learn from all that effort. Although I have a different idea of what constitutes hard work, I do agree that learning from failure is one of the best ways to adapt and shoot for your goals again.

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

[Reminder: the unmet need- the need to learn technology due to the lack of teachers, usually among older individuals]
I've completed three interviews with individuals who possess this unmet need about their behavior process. I specifically asked about their need awareness and how they tried searching for solutions.

Need Awareness 
All three individuals I interviewed cannot pinpoint an exact time when they realize that they experienced this unmet need. However, they generally believe that their need arose when they realized that they can achieve something with the use of technology, but cannot due to knowledge constraint. One of these interviewees knew that being able to sell online would be easier, but was unsure of how to do so on sites like eBay. The other two interviewees revealed to me that language is a large factor playing into their unmet needs. Because English is their second language, they cannot understand certain terms and phrases that are associated with technology. There is also a general realization of this need when they are required to access technology. One example I can give is when trying to upload or download files, one of the three finds difficulty in trying to locate and send the file to a different location.

Information Search
A common solution my interviewees tried was asking for help from one of their relatives. This is usually through calling a relative. Other solutions they mentioned was trying to learn on their own through online resources, however, they find that it is not easy when they run into variations. Since they are not always able to receive help, one has to bear the inconvenience of doing it in person. One example they provided was providing a file for insurance discounts. However, because they did not know how to operate the scanner function on their printer, they had to hand in the file in-person for the insurance agent to copy themselves.

Based on these three interviews, I find that basing my market on finding people who need to sell online is too narrow. I've learned that there are individuals who could have avoided inconvenience if they possessed the knowledge and experience to do so. Instead, I should broaden my market to reach those who wish to make their life easier through the use of technology.

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

After completing the five elements, I find that some of the elements are not joint as I had thought. My concept focuses on using technology to sell, however, it is very limited due to how diverse one can use technology for. It can be very hard to find a market for people who want to learn to use the internet to solely sell online. I am considering generalizing the focus by just targetting individuals who face restrictions in learning technology.

10A – Elevator Pitch No. 1

https://youtu.be/cw73Rw2MMk4

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

In assignment 7 and 8, I have identified how some elderlies have unwanted items in their household that they are willing to sell, but, cannot do so due to technological illiteracy. I then interviewed five different individuals who I believed should have this need, but either does not have this need or does not feel this need is necessarily true. A common point among some of the interviewees was that some believe that making transactions in-person is a much safer option than transacting through online platforms. I brought up the case of how transactions online are very secure, and websites will always incorporate a platform to prevent information leak. However, one brought up the rare occasion that it will happen, and thus he avoids performing online transactions. Another interviewee also told me the possible hassle that online trading may potentially have, emphasizing customer satisfaction. She believes that it is best for a person to see the item in-person, examines if he/she is willing to purchase and decide. By posting online, there may be aspects that the customer did not consider which may lead to return demand- thus the main hassle. An interesting point I’ve learned is that my potential customers may not be looking to sell, but rather trying to get rid of their unwanted items. Whether it be storing in third-party storage or simply donating it, as long they are rid of, it meets their need.

8A – Solving The Problem

1. In the previous exercise, I proposed that an opportunity exists from how technological illiterate individuals cannot effectively sell their unwanted belongings through the internet, especially among older aged people. Because they cannot navigate through e-commerce, their market audience is extremely limited.

2. In my current state, providing service is a realistic solution to my mentioned opportunity. I believe that an in-person teaching session is a good way to solve this problem. In-person is emphasized as it is a much more efficient learning experience than online videos or calls. It would be a great start to first introduce the concept using a browser and how files exist. Although my opportunity ultimately results with learning how to sell online, this teaching service can be more than that and expand to other useful skills that the specific desires to learn.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1. An opportunity I would like to pursue is facilitating transactions among elderly who have things to sell but do not own the technology literacy to do so.

2.
a. Who: Technology illiterate elderlies who desire to sell their possessions.
b. What: They are unable to market their goods due to inability to work with technology to reach potential buyers.
c. Why: Some elderly people have not learned how to use technology and are not up to date on how to operate one for the purpose of selling.

3.
a. Testing Who: Although my opportunity emphasizes technological illiteracy among older people, this opportunity can expand to anyone at any age who wish to sell online, but, are limited by this constraint.
b. Testing What: My opportunity is limited by the fact that you can learn how to operate and use technologies to sell through online resources such as videos. However, there is still a market for people who want an in-person session, just like how students demand to learn with a live tutor.
c. Testing Why: Some may have this need due to the lack of people willing to spend the time to teach this skill. Others may have this need to due to initially finding no reason to learn and become well versed in technology. I do not think there is a universal reason for why someone would be technologically illiterate as this is a decision someone makes if they want to develop this certain skill.

4. I’ve interviewed with five different people to get a better understand of how my opportunity stands currently. I interviewed two grandfathers, one grandmother is also the wife of one of the mentioned grandfathers, a grandson who visits his grandparents occasionally, and a granddaughter who lives with her grandmother. As mentioned in my hypothesis above, one of my interviewees finds little reason to delve into learning about technology in his/her current lifestyle. Thus, because of low motivation, he/she only learns the basics of using them, such as making calls or searching up recipes. There is also a high variance of technical difficulties that one can run into when using technology. Because such a high variety of technology exists, encountering a technological difficulty can be much easier to solve if there were a live person to teach. One of the grandparents was once a doll collector but now needs to remove some of them due to the amount of space it is taking in their house. However, they cannot find someone who would buy them yet. They have yet to try to use the internet to reach a larger audience. Again, this ties back to my opportunity of facilitating transactions among people who lack these skills. One of the most important things I’ve learned from this interview that I forgot to account for is the language barrier. Some of the grandparents that I interviewed or was mentioned in my interviews are immigrants from a foreign language speaking country. Due to the English being a common language to communicate in the United States, it can dissuade people from making personal transactions with English speakers. Likewise, it also dissuades these people from also learning how to use English e-commerce websites. This also brings into a potential expansion of my opportunity by having bilingual tutors teach technology to foreign speakers. I do recognize that there are language options within computers and phones, however, it still is not enough for someone to effectively learn how to use it by themselves.

6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic Trend- The environmental effects of fast fashion, specifically the rate of which items are purchased and disposed of by the consumer.
a) This issue was mentioned to me during an environmental class I am taking.
b) An opportunity exists because the issue lies in how the purchased goods are disposed of rather than resold or recycled.
c) Customers of this opportunity could be people looking for cheaper alternatives to sourcing clothes and accessories.
d) I believe this opportunity is difficult to exploit as some aspects of fashion are single use and usually becomes obsolete once a new trend appears.
e) I think there is an opportunity to reuse or resell some goods of “fast fashion”. The rate of which consumers throw away clothes when fashion renders it “old” is high regardless of its condition. I think that there may be a way to dissuade consumers from disposing and instead resell in a convenient method.

Economic trend- Marijuana use among high school students are falling in legalized states.
a) This opportunity was identified through an online article I have found.
b) The fall in marijuana use among high school students indicates that they are beginning to use other products for recreation (not necessarily drugs) or have personal reasons to avoid using marijuana.
c) Prototypical customers would include high school students who have or have considered using marijuana for recreation.
d) I believe this opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit as it is unclear as to why there is a downward trend in marijuana usage.
e) I see this as an opportunity because the downward trend indicates that these teenagers have found or are looking for new recreational activities. I believe that there perhaps are unmet needs for recreations among these high school students as less students are opting to use marijuana.

Regulatory change- A potential law to be passed regarding an increase in percent alcohol in alcoholic beverages.
a) I found an opportunity from this regulatory change from an online article.
b) The change in the alcohol limit may lead to a formation of a new product for consumers.
c) Prototypical customers are most likely consumer who like drinking beer and enjoy the effects under alcohol.
d) I believe the opportunity may be moderately exploited as this opportunity is about forming a new unique version of a beer.
e) I see this as an opportunity because many current beer producing firms will most likely keep their recipe to maintain the taste and quality that the consumers currently buy them for. However, the increase in alcohol can perhaps be a way for a rising firm to form a unique beer from this increase in alcohol limit. I see this opportunity because my relatives are the type of people who have strong preferences for the beer they drink.

Regulatory Change- Water war between Florida and Georgia - specifically Georgia’s water harvest from the Apalachicola Bay.
a) I discovered this trend from environmental economics class I am taking this semester.
b) Florida is fighting for a cap on Georgia’s water draw; thus an opportunity exists if such cap is implemented.
c) If the cap be established, then the people of Georgia will be in shortage of water, thus most likely the customers of this opportunity.
d) The customers may be relatively easy to exploit as water is an essential need and a shortage of such need perhaps makes an easy exploit.
e) I see this as an opportunity because the war is currently undergoing. Although Georgia is currently not in a huge water shortage, it may be the case in the future should Florida win against Georgia, and not many are focused on the future. Especially since Georgia contains a very large population, an opportunity to provide water service will most likely be in demand if a shortage does occur. 

5A – Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Popeyes introduces BYOB solution for sold out chicken sandwich: Bring your own bun
2. https://www.thedrum.com/creative-works/project/gsdm-popeyes-byob-bring-your-own-bun
3. The well-known Popeyes brand has humorously announced that they are sold out of chicken sandwiches. As the title implies, a customer must bring his/her own buns and buy chicken tenders to make a chicken sandwich if they still want a chicken sandwich.
4. The problem presented in the article states that the high demand for the chicken sandwich resulted in a shortage of a chicken sandwich. Despite the sandwich being comprised of just three chicken tenders and buns, they were still sold-out due to popularity.
5. Popeyes as the organization has the problem as they were not able to predict such a high demand for the returning product. This results in a missed opportunity for profit for the time they are in shortage.


1. Homeless in California—what the data reveals
2. https://calmatters.org/housing/2018/06/homeless-in-california-what-the-data-reveals/
3. The article describes the increasing presence of homeless people in California. California as a state experiences the largest increase of homeless when compared to other states in the US.
4. The problem presented in the story is the fight to reduce homelessness by increasing shelters. However, it is relatively difficult to do so as these people are also suffering from physical or mental illnesses.  Thus, the issue is much more complex and cannot be simply resolved by funding money towards building a shelter.
5. The people who have this problem are the homeless who are suffering from illnesses. Society as a whole also has the problem as they need to figure out how to tackle this problem effectively.


1. Local vape shop owners react to proposed flavored e-cigarette banned
2. https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/local-vape-shop-owners-react-to-proposed-flavored-e-cigarette-banned/291-a9da67b0-a7aa-4eab-8d66-ee1f767eff30
3. The recently proposed ban on all e-cigarettes except tobacco has led to a local shop in Virginia Beach to voice their opinion of the ban.
4. The problem presented in the story is that many vapers choose to do so because of the different flavor other than tobacco.  The ban on these flavors will cause e-cigarette vendors to potentially go out of business.
5. People who have this problem are the sellers of flavored e-cigarettes as well as those who purchase them.


1. Local Cantina owner brings sushi shop to German Village
2. https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2019/09/12/local-cantina-owner-brings-sushi-shop-to-german.html
3. This news describes the opening of a sushi vendor in German Village, Columbus.
4. The problem presented in the news was the lack of sushi vendors in the area. The restaurant operator recognized this and decided to begin introducing sushi to the area.
5. The problem was the local not having access to buying sushi. This could infer other sorts of food that the local does not have but may want.


1. Unused 'hurricane food' crowding your shelves? Local food banks have room for it
2. https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2019/09/05/unused-hurricane-food-filling-your-shelves-local-food-banks-need/2212826001/
3. The article describes how may have overstocked on food in preparation for the hurricane. The Brevard Food Bank offers these people to take these foods away from them.
4. In the newspaper, the problem is that a high amount of food requests exists and not enough food to serve these requests. They hope that after the hurricane, those who still hold excess food will be able to donate to those who are in need.
5. The people who have this problem are those who overstocked in food and do not know where to rid of it.

4A – Forming An Opportunity Belief

1. I have a feeling that an opportunity exists in the current problem of ground coffee losing its potency after being ground and packaged for retail.

2. The unmet need is the retention of ground coffee bean quality. People who have this need are people who like to drink quality coffee but do not want to spend the time to grind whole coffee beans before every brew. This need has always been around and people who buy ground coffee beans deals with this by hoping that the batch is relatively fresh. I’m 80% confident that this opportunity exists.

3.     The three prototypical customers I have identified are my father, my mother, and a roommate.

4. Reflect-- I talked to three potential customers who purchase ground coffee regarding my belief of this opportunity. The customers feel that this problem exists only when they purchase ground coffee instead of whole beans. Their solution currently is to purchase in small batches and avoid holding ground coffee for too long. I learned that they all recognize that buying ground coffee is like being in the middle ground between quality and convenience. One customer says that that grinding coffee before every drink is very bothersome in the morning. Another asserts that ground coffee is a much better alternative to buying instant coffee. One of the most surprising things I learned from talking to these three customers is that one of them prefers pre-ground coffee over freshly ground coffee for brewing. The reason for this preference is because a fresh ground coffee brew has too much of an aroma and intensity and she preferred a rather subtle taste to her drink.

5. Summary-- After reflecting, I find that my confidence in this opportunity has fallen. Although it is a problem to the three customers that pre-ground coffee loses its potency quickly, it does not pose enough of a nuisance to motivate them to seek change. They all recognize that by buying ground coffee, you give up quality for accessibility. After this exercise, I believe it is important for entrepreneurs to adapt opportunities based on consumer feedback. This helps entrepreneurs better identify problems that consumers want to fix than problems that they really do not have.

3A – Your Entrepreneurship Story

I remember being exposed to entrepreneurship back when I was still in elementary school living in the state of Oregon. My father decided to begin raising canary birds for recreation. However, the canaries began laying fertilized eggs and we started holding a large number of canaries. My father decided to sell canaries. For better appeal, he would use a special type of food that turns the feather of the canaries to a light orange color. Although I did not understand it at the time, now I think about it, it demonstrates my father’s recognition of an opportunity to differentiate his birds in the fair. The image below closely resembles one of the birds that my father raised in Oregon.

I enrolled in this class because I believe that I can take something valuable from this course as an economics undergraduate student. I hope I can better understand how individuals take advantage of opportunities in the real-world and start their own businesses. It would also be interesting to see the personal background of different enterprises that remain today.

2A - Bug List - Tommy Nguyen

20 things that bug me:

1. Hearing sounds, such as stomping or slamming, through the walls from your neighbors in an apartment. 
1. I am able to my neighbors due to poor sound insulation built in the walls. 
2. Fruits that stain my cutting board.
1. The pigments from fruits, especially from berries, is able to easily stain materials.
3. Water takes a while to initially heat up when I take a shower.
1. The cold water that exists in the water pipes must first run through before the hot water reaches the showerhead.
4. Forgetting my umbrella when I am coming home from classes.
1. Usually happens when I don't check the weather despite living in Florida's weather.
5. When you scatch and itch and it itches even more.
1. Our body responds to pain by inducing more itching sensation. It's quite a cycle.
6. Food sticking to cast iron skillets.
1. Usually happens when my pan is too cool when I put food on the skillet.
7. Losing connection while using a GPS on the road.
1. Tends to happen whenever you travel to less-developed areas.
8. Difficulty spreading peanut butter on a piece of soft sliced bread.
1. Peanut butter is rather dense and tends to not spread easily when on an airy surface like untoasted bread.
9. Discovering shopping carts in a parking space as I am preparing to park.
1. Happens when people do not return their shopping carts correctly.
10. Throwing out large trash bags in a dump with the lids closed
1. It's quite difficult to both lift the lid and haul a trashbag overhead without tearing the bag.
11. Wired earbuds becoming tangled.
1. Can happen if one bundles it for storage incorrectly.
12. The very loud sound from operating a coffee bean grinder.
1. The sounds come from both the mechanical blades connecting with the beans
13. Drinking with ice becoming watery after a while.
1. Ice melts into liquid water as it sits in a warmer environment.
14. Trying to use the foggy bathroom mirrors after taking a shower.
1. Mirror fogs up due to hot water vapors condensing on the colder mirror surface.
15. Laptop becoming uncomfortably warm while using it.
1. Heat results mainly from the CPU and GPU running during usage.
16. Bugs appearing on your walls or ceilings.
1. Appears from unsealed corners or other areas.
17. IOS incompatibility with Windows or Android.
1. Incompatibility results from different operating builds.
18. Inability to read how much power is left in a battery.
1. No gauge or meter to tell you the amount of power used on a cell.
19. Food sticking to stainless steel cookware.
1. This always happens when I either cook something with too much sugar or too little oil.
20. Plastic wraps not wrapping over disposable aluminum containers
1. Plastic wrap does not work because of the way it depends on static to stick on surfaces.

This assignment was especially difficult for me because there is not a lot of occurrences that bug me. Some of the things on the list can be solved easily, but I still list them in the moments where it becomes bothersome to do so. The second half of the list took me rather much longer to come up as these do not bother me as often as the first half. 

The Seat

Once upon a time, a seat was taken.