14A Halfway Reflection

1.     The behaviors I have used to keep up with this course are proactivity and consistency. To begin with, the workload is fairly equivalent from week to week. Thus, as long as you do not overwork yourself from one week to the next, and stay consistent, you will be able to get the assignments done. In addition, be proactive. If you know you have two exams in one week, do the assignments earlier and you will not stress over them.

2.     One moment when I felt like giving up was after the first cupcake. I attended both classes during the week and took detailed notes, yet I still got a 0.8. I was not sure what the correct strategy was to get a 1/1 and I was stressing over it. The fact that it was only the first quiz pulled me through and made me feel like it was just a fluke. I feel like I have developed a tenacious attitude because nothing in the class really fazes me anymore. I know what needs to get done and I know when it needs to get done. The experience that most contributed to this was doing the elevator pitch. It took me a while to memorize my script but once I got it down, I finally felt like as long as I put in the work, there was no assignment that would prevent me from succeeding.

3.     Three Tips

a.     Do your assignments ahead of time. Even if you do not post them ahead of time, you will be better prepared to edit them if you are not doing them all last minute.

b.     Attend a lecture. Professor Pryor’s lectures are really interesting, engaging, and real-world applicable. You need to watch the lectures anyway, so you might as well participate if you can.

c.     Pick a business solution that you are actually interested in because many of the assignments will stem off of it.

13A Reading Reflection No. 1

1.     The thing that surprised me the most about Elon Musk was just how many different areas of business he has been successful in. I had no idea he co-founded PayPal. I knew about Tesla as a car company, but had never really looked into the advances he is making through SpaceX and SolarCity. The thing about Elon Musk that I most admire is that not only is he making a ton of money, but he is doing it in a way that has positive consequences for both the overall economy and environment as well. The thing about Elon Musk that I least admire is the sort of cocky way in which he carries himself, but at the end of the day, a lot of famous, wealthy people need to be that way to succeed. Musk has faced a ton of adversity because in the early days many people told him Tesla would not succeed; however, he pushed through and trusted his instincts and was able to create a top company.

2.     With Musk, he was not so much competent on the business side, but much more on the technological side. While he is a great businessman, he has made mistakes in the financial world, but ever since he was young he was a very talented, creative coder.

3.     I was both confused and surprised that Musk didn’t really have much control over the contents of the biography. It would seem to me that most biography subjects likely retain creative control. I guess not in this case.

4.     My first question would be about getting an internship with such a great company. However, if I were to ask real questions I would ask how he would recommend coming up with low-tech solutions to common problems and how to hire the right people, because it seems like he has surrounded himself with great people with which to succeed.

5.     I think Musk appreciates hard work. I mean, there is no way he could be where he is without it. I appreciate hard work because I love the feeling of both relief and accomplishment when you finish hard work and know the job was done correctly.

12A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

1.     Pick a segment: The segment I chose to analyze is students at UF.

2.     Interviews: I interviewed three students at UF, all with very different schedules and lifestyles. One person is a very good student who spends a lot of time in the library. Another person was an okay student that goes out one night a week, but has a very important job during the day. The final person I interviewed is not a good student and goes out practically every night of the week. He is up very late at night and sleeps in all morning.

3.     Need awareness: The first person said her need is most prevalent at night because she stays at the library late and is really tired when she gets back. She does not have the energy to go through a whole routine when she gets home and just wants to go to sleep. The second person I interviewed said his need is most prevalent in the middle of the day. He has a job where he is constantly talking to new customers and clients. He said it would be very helpful to him, if after his lunch break, he had a quick-easy way to clean his teeth and improve his breath. He also said he obviously does not bring a toothbrush or toothpaste to work so it would be the only way to accomplish that goal. The final person I interviewed said he has a need for this item in the mornings. He often wakes up hungover and groggy from the night before. He thinks it would help him get to his morning classes faster as well as hide the fact that he didn’t necessarily clean up the night before.

4.     Information Search: The people I interviewed all had the same answer to this question. Whenever each of them has a need, they either call a parent, sibling, friend, or look it up online. This means getting on the first page of google could be very helpful because people seem to trust whatever shows up on that first page. Also, advertising on family-friendly restaurants in Gainesville could help parents see it as a viable solution for their kids. Finally, advertising in Midtown will get local students talking to their friends about the product.

5.     Findings: Although I essentially summarized my findings in the previous sections, I will do it again. Through my interviews, I determined that all three were relatively aware of the need, but did not think it was worth looking past a toothbrush and toothpaste for a solution. Then again, many people do not know they need something until they are told they need it. Also, I determined that the product was versatile in terms of what time during the day people need it. Targeting family locations, online searches, and midtown would be a good place to begin advertising.

6.     Conclusion: I think this segment has mediocre need awareness because they still kind of need to be told that they have the need. In terms of information search, they attempt to solve their issues by using a multitude of channels. However, the common denominator was definitely family, friends, and google. I think there is high potential for success in this market.

11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

1. You: I am Max Winton, a sophomore at the University of Florida from Weston, Florida. I am an information systems major minoring in statistics and receiving a certificate in sports management. I would say one of my talents is definitely working with numbers. I definitely prefer to work out a math problem than do anything relating to science or English. Another talent/skill I believe I have is the ability to explain things in a way that makes them easy to understand/comprehend. I can take any weird definition or tricky statement and turn it into something that the masses will be able to perceive clearly. I aspire to one day work in the sports industry maybe as a data/business analyst of sports agent. This business would play an important role in my life, setting up a foundation of both business experience and cash to potentially pay for law school.
2. What You Are Offering to Customers: The product is a candy (or capsule, mint, etc.)  that you put in your mouth and it both tastes good and releases a fluid that cleans teeth and freshens breath. This solves the unmet need of a quick, on-the-go solution to improve dental hygiene.
3. Who You are Offering it to: I am offering this product to anyone who wants to improve their dental hygiene, but more specifically to college students and young adults, who seem to have very quick, on-the-go lifestyles. Geographics don’t really impact the who is in the market, except for the fact that shipping costs will increase if I expand the boundary past Gainesville. However, the product would probably sell best in big cities, where the people who live there are very busy and constantly on-the-move.
4. Why Do They Care: They care because, especially as a student or young adult, you are constantly trying to impress others, whether it's out at a bar or in a professional interview. Because they are so busy, their hygiene is sometimes sacrificed. This provides them with a quick, easy-to-use, enjoyable solution.
5. What Are Your Core Competencies: My core competencies are my ability to analyze various situations and find hidden trends or patterns in them. Also, I am stubbornly determined and don’t quit on something until it's done the right way.

I believe these elements fit together because I think I am well-prepared to face many business problems. I’m good at adapting on my feet and good at using analytics to solve problems. Although these don’t directly apply to the business industry in which I am entering, they are general skill sets that help any entrepreneur.

10A Elevator Pitch No. 1

Youtube Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4hd2fYUVg

9A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

9A

Opportunity: Mobile, on-the-go dental health solution. A mint that releases a fluid that cleans teeth.

Interview 1: The first person I interviewed is a person in my business law class. He said he doesn’t have the need because he sees the mint as an unnecessary added cost to his already tight student budget. He thinks brushing your teeth twice a day is enough.

Interview 2: The second person I interviewed is in my fraternity. He said he would have the need, but hates mint and mint flavored items. This got me thinking that having a variety of flavors would be a cool way to satisfy multiple markets.

Interview 3: The third person I interviewed is a person who goes to school in another state. He said that he doesn’t have the need because he thinks it is a more expensive version of mouthwash. He said that the advertising would have to be specific and that some people might not get it.

Interview 4: The fourth person I interviewed said he didn't have the need because he has had his hygiene routine for so long that he hadn’t seen a reason to change it. In other words, he’s been taking care of his teeth the same way for 20 years so why change now.

Interview 5: The fifth person I interviewed should have had the need but did not because she is a health-freak and thought there was no way a candy could possibly be good for her health/hygiene. This is definitely an obstacle that I need to surpass. People need to know that the product is versatile and can serve multiple roles.

The people in the boundary are anyone who cares about personal hygiene or that has a busy lifestyle.	Elderly people or people who are not very active are not in the boundary.
The need is a need for an additional dental hygiene solution that tastes good and can be used on-the-go.	The need is not a need for dessert or to entirely substitute for toothpaste.
The need exists because dental hygiene can sometimes be an afterthought to people who are very busy and constantly heading to their next class, job, or time commitment.	Alternative explanations for the need existing is because people do not have an enjoyable, fun way to keep up with their hygiene.

8A Solving The Problem

As previously stated, the opportunity I am exploring is related to improving mobile, quick personal hygiene.

The product/service I intend to sell is a mint that releases/dissolved into a liquid that not only cleans teeth but also freshens breath. This candy can serve multiple purposes. It can be a fun, tasty way for young kids to learn about dental hygiene. However, it can mostly be a way for busy college students to keep up their health while living their busy lifestyles.

The mints would need to come in packaging that separates them from other regular candies. The packaging would need to stress that the mints have a special purpose. Also, this could be dangerous because the liquid that is released is likely not supposed to be consumed, so if someone buys them thinking they are normal mints, they will not be prepared to deal with them effectively.

Overall, this solution should be able to provide busy people with an efficient way to enjoy keeping up with their dental hygiene.

7A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

1.     My opportunity is a mint that dissolves into/releases a fluid that cleans teeth and freshens breath. I think this will be a quick, portable solution to personal hygiene.

2.     Who: Anyone who wants to improve their personal hygiene, but mainly people with busy schedules, especially college students

What: No option for quick, on-the-go personal hygiene

Why: Many people are constantly moving and have no healthy way to clean their teeth/freshen breath at varying times during the day

3.             Testing the who: After conducting several interviews, I found that many college students want to have an affordable solution for on-the-go personal hygiene.

Testing the what: There aren’t specific boundaries of the need, as technically everyone could use it, but it is mainly for very busy people.

Testing the why: There is a great variety in the why. Some people need it because they are busy in the mornings, and some because they stay out very late at night. This product would satisfy a demand for an enjoyable-to-use health solution.

4.             Interview 1: The first person thought that the mints were a good idea because they go out a lot at night and want a way to freshen up before and after they go out without spending the time to do their dental routine.

Interview 2: The second person thought the idea was good, but thought that it might not become popular because people simply prefer to spend the time brushing their teeth. This person simply thought people would not take the extra step.

Interview 3: The third person liked the idea because he had a lot of early classes and thought it would help him get out of his room quicker. Because he didn't have to do an entire routine in the morning, he could just eat the mint on his walk to class.

Interview 4: The fourth person actually had an interesting perspective, stating that the product might actually serve a good purpose in dental offices, as a fun way for kids to clean their teeth.

Interview 5: The fifth person I interviewed suggested that selling the product may be difficult if it is packaged and sold like a mint. He stressed the fact that I would need to emphasize, in some way (maybe packaging), that the product was not just a regular old mint and that it has other features.

5.              I now know that the product has several other markets in which it might succeed, each of these to serve a different purpose to a unique group.