Customer Interview No.1

My Opportunity
As college students, we all use the library as much as we use the restroom. The libraries get crowded really fast, especially during exam weeks. Since most of a college student's work is on their laptop, to be able to work for long periods of time in the library, we all need to have our chargers handy. However, power outlets are dominated quickly by students throughout the day, and not everyone can charge their computers. My idea, is to have power outlets at every power outlet providing several places where students can charge their devices.

Who has the unmet need?
Students in colleges who use their laptops to do their work have this unmet need.

The Questions 
1. How is your experience in the library?
2. Do you find yourself doing most of your school work on your laptop?
3. Are the power outlets easily accessible in the library?

Videos of Five Customers

What did I learn about the opportunity

I learned that a lot of the people I interviewed found that their were very few outlets in the libraries. They really wished their were more, and I found that my opportunity can really thrive in this school. 

What did I learn about interviewing customers?

By talking to the customers, I learned a lot of what they wanted to change in the libraries, and how they felt about how crowded the libraries were. They gave good ideas and it was really cool talking to people and getting to experience their thoughts and feelings about the libraries. 

Top 5 World Problems

World's Biggest Problems                                  
1) Water Pollution                                               
2) Hunger
3) Lack of Security
4) Animal Extinction 
5) Technology Hacking

I chose water pollution as the top problem because water is such an important part of life and survival. As the population grows, the sources decrease, and human survival is getting risky. I chose hunger next because it is also something humans need to survive, and too many people go without food. Security is the next on the list because people need to feel safe in their cities and homes. Animal extinction is after security because they are a food source and they are cool, and we need cool things or else life is boring. Technology hacking is last on the list because while it is still very important, it is not a means of survival.

Solutions to World's Biggest Problems
1) Invent new water conservation technologies to be able to reuse water and types of water we never imagined drinking from. 
2) More security online where people cannot hack or infiltrate systems.
3) A non-profit business located in big cities where they would receive restaurant's left over food to give to the homeless.
4) New tools to fish with so that other animals are not harmed.
5) A police force that is not connected to the government, and is about keeping people safe.

The first solution is more implementable because it is realistic and can be done. It will create jobs and will be the most helpful for human survival. Creating more online security can also be done and is very important since almost everything now a days is online. A non-profit business may not be possible because of rules with health industries and codes, but also very helpful to human survival. New tools to fish is reasonable and can be done, but might be difficult to create since that people have been fishing for hundreds of years and other animals can still die from it. Lastly, a police force is unrealistic considering that other countries really don't have a say in the safety of other countries, in a more community sense.

Identifying Local Opportunities

1) Video-game realism is big business
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A83F20CBAE18D8?p=AWNB
This article is about how realistic video games are being made; however, it does not really convey the reality of human life or the world the designer is trying to create. It is not always fun playing against the computer programed players as much as it is playing a live person. The designer cannot enforce every human instinct or idea into the game. 
The problem is games are not as realistic as the designer says it will be.
The person who has the problem is the game company that is designing the game because people will not want to buy a video game that claims to be real but is not. 

2) Deputies: Boy drowns in Pine Hills pool
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8936B1E164D10?p=AWNB
This article is about a three year old boy who drowned in a back yard pool in the afternoon. 
The problem is that Florida is a place where there are pools and lakes everywhere. Mandatory swimming lessons should be enforced so incidents like this never happen. 
The people who own pools or live by lakes and do not take their children to swim lessons are the ones with the problem. 

3) Central Florida 100 - Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affection you.
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7EB547A2E8FD0?p=AWNB
Explained by the CEO of Central Florida Commission on Homelessness, the US supreme Court ruled that Florida's death penalty order was unconstitutional. Other state leaders think that the death penalty is painful for the family of victims and there should be an easier way to carry out the process of fairly punishing the guilty and keeping our communities safer.
The problem is that state leaders do not want Florida to be so accepting of the Death Penalty, and want to find a way to keep communities safer and find a way to punish the guilty. 

4) Central Florida 100 - Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affection you. 
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7EB547A2E8FD0?p=AWNB
Explained by the rabbi Hillel Scolnick, Orange County residents were given new trash cans that are larger and are supposed to adapt to the new garbage trucks that are still to appear on the roads. 
The problem is that these trash cans are so large it takes up a lot of room in the garage, and citizens cannot leave them outside or they will get an email from the home owner's organization. 

5)Speck didn't have rabies, test shows
http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7EB54DE3D9B90?p=AWNB
A dog was founded in a trash can next to a dead raccoon and was tasted for rabies. The dog was put in an animal shelter, and since no one came into the shelter to claim that he had been vaccinated, he was euthanized. 
The problem is that he was killed before his test results came in, and he did not have rabies. The opportunity is that a non-profit organization can be created to protect dogs that are waiting for their test results. 

Very Short Interview No. 1, Week 3

       The entrepreneur I chose to interview was Steve, the owner of Leonardo's pizza, that owns other styles of pizza restaurants in Gainesville. Some are more formal pizzerias that offer jazz nights and Sunday brunches while the others are selling single slices of pizza to college students. He is constantly looking for more ideas to make his pizza better and attract more customers. I asked him a few questions after I had a delicious lunch at Leonardo's.
        1) What does it mean to be an entrepreneur to you?
Steve: "It makes me my own person where I have my own goals and can accept my own standards. I have worked for people, and I felt confined in my own job. I have the opportunity for self-actualization."
           He continued to explain how he makes decisions by sitting down with his employees to see what ideas they have to contribute. He claims that there is more legitimacy and his business thrives under this practice. He enjoys what he does because he doesn't have to answer to a company, he can answer to himself, and experiment his ideas on a daily basis.

         2) What do you think I should learn in a Principles of Entrepreneurship class?
Steve: "Can it really be taught? My father was in the liquor industry, he was self educated, and he became an entrepreneur by necessity. No one would hire him because he did not have a resume. Entrepreneurship is about experience and not even the best program could prepare anyone for life. "
           He talked a lot about how important it was to be a people person and to understand them. He said it was very important to branch out and do as much as possible to gain new forms of experience.
        3) What do you wish you would had been taught in school before going off on your path as an entrepreneur?
Steve: I was a Literature major, so I didn't learn much about the important skills in entrepreneurship. However, I left home to go to college and learned many valuable life lessons. I always worked growing up, and I had experience with people. I think being an entrepreneur is a lot about being a people person as well. You have to be grounded and know how to motivate people. Anyway, half of what you are selling is yourself." 
            He continued to tell me how he learned everything he knew by experience as well is growing up away from home while working. He says he learned a lot about people while he was in college and was able to turn that into valuable knowledge to be an entrepreneur.

Interviewing Steve was one of the most enlightening experiences. I learned how important it was to put yourself out there because only then do you get the best results. I was surprised when he told me how he was a literature major in college. I was expecting that he studied business because he was running such a fine establishment and was so successful. I was also surprised when he said when it came to entrepreneurship, those who stuck their heads in books would be the ones to not be as successful as the people who were doing everything they could to experience it. I think it is true how the most successful entrepreneurs are the ones who can motivate people, find balance, and take risks to sell.

World's Biggest Problems, Week 3

1) Water is an important resource to maintain human life, but often, fresh and clean water are something that many people in the world go without. The underwater aquifers that are storing much of the water we intake are draining quickly, and as the population increases, it is going to be more difficult to make sure everybody has clean drinking water. On top of that, our other water sources are being polluted by garbage, and are toxic for humans to drink. The first step to solve this problem, is to refrain from polluting the water of lakes and rivers, so that we have more sources of water. Another is to invent new water conservation technologies and recycle waste water so we don't have to discard all of it which could allow us to have more water for the future.

2) Animals are an important part of our life because without them, we wouldn't be able to eat the foods we love most: chicken nuggets, sushi, and hamburgers. With the population sky rocketing and the need to feed people being more serious, we are over killing animals in oder to sustain ourselves. It is unfortunate as well because we end up throwing out a lot of the food we collect. If everyone became a vegetarian, we could really stop this, but since that isn't likely, if everyone refused to eat one meal with meat in it every day, then the people who provide it will need to produce less.

3) The depletion of the ozone layer because of all the pollution from the way we develop energy is one of the many reasons why there is such a rapid climate change in the world. This could lead to disease outbreaks, failure to grow crops, and water shortages in the world. A solution could be to develop cleaner power plants that use their energy from the sun to create electricity instead of from coals. An increase in solar panels and solar powered machines would also be a beneficial solution.

4) Poverty has always been a major problem in the world, but with increasing an population, more and more people are falling under this category. A large fraction of the poor are uneducated. A simple solution to cutback the amount of people who suffer from poverty would be to educate them. Mandatory schooling funded by the government until they are legal adults would be the best solution and now that we have online schooling, it would be even more ideal.

5) There are billions of people in the world and a large fraction of that number do not get enough to eat. Hunger is a large problem in the world, and it can come from lack of money to buy it or lack of food where they live. In the United States, Americans are throwing out $165 billion dollars worth of food each year. If restaurants started giving the food that their customers do not eat to homeless shelters, or if people started buying less food that they buy for themselves, there would be great progress.

6) Animals are a gift to the world, and many are becoming extinct because they are not being protected. They are hunted for fun and are suffering from the changes in the earth's environment. Species like the blue whale and sea lions are endangered. Sea lions are victims of by catch in fisheries and are also being killed by diseases set on them by new introduced species. If people would be more careful how they fish, these sea lions would not be endangered. If people would refrain from introducing new species to environments where they don't belong, these endangered species could be protected.

7) Many countries in the world lack the safety that the people in the United States are used to having. South American countries like Venezuela and Columbia have so much crime and death happening it is overlooked by the citizens. The government is so corrupt that people get away with it everyday. A police force separate from the government would be the most valuable to the people. More security from outside countries where they have good systems of security would also be helpful.

8) Underemployment and unemployment are very dangerous to the population. These problems have been introduced into society from the low economic growth in the nations. Education is another reason why there is so much unemployment in the world. If people would go to school and get their degrees, they would be more likely to have well paying jobs. Programs in which education is offered to those who cannot afford it would be prime. The world is in need of doctors and engineers and the lack of education in countries is what makes the world loose out on what it needs most.

9) While the increase in technology has improved our lives greatly, it is also a problem the world has to face in the future. With the extensive technology that can do jobs that once took ten workers to do, there is an unemployment issue on our hands. Also, with the growth of technology has come the growth of cyber attacks where terrorists can infiltrate systems and hurt a country greatly. Although technology has been such a blessing in everyone's life, it is also dangerous, and a solution would be more security. More online security where even the brightest of minds cannot infiltrate a system.

10) Finally, drug abuse by youths and adults alike are causing the world to loose many bright people who are in need of guidance. The easy access to drugs and the reason why people turn to them are the biggest problems. In order to stop this, there should be free support groups in public facilities where the people using the drugs have a place to come to. We should use the technology we have discovered over the years to clear out the black market so it can stop producing the drugs that can ruin people's lives.

 

Week 2 Reading Reflection, Week 2

1)        As I was reading, I was surprised to find out that a small business owner and en entrepreneur were two different people with different ideals and strategies. I always believed that any person who owned or created a business was an entrepreneur, but after reading, I realized that an entrepreneur takes risks and provides value to a service. A small business owner cannot take risks and cannot fail or else they will loose everything they have, which could certainly happen to an entrepreneur, but small business owners can't do that in order to stay in business. They rely on a steady sales and profits to stay in business while the entrepreneur seeks opportunities and pushes something to the limit to make it mean something to the world. Since this is the case, I regret to label my mother as an entrepreneur in my previous post when she is just a small business owner. I was also surprised when the author said that needing luck was a myth because the stories I hear about the famous entrepreneurs is that they were in the right place at the right time, but now I could see how they saw an opportunity and took advantage of it.
2)          One part of the reading that was confusing to me was the paragraph about the Dynamics State Approach that says the ventures are dependent on the environment wherever they are located for the survival of the company. This is confusing because the environment is likely to change and at times can not be very consistent. It is confusing to me how this model tends to be more optimistic for entrepreneurs if smaller firms have more flexibility. It doesn't make any sense because the smaller firms do not have the capability of being able to take on the risks that a larger firm can.
3)     If I were able to ask two questions to the author, I would ask how gazelles can be small businesses but then, out of nowhere become a part of the public eye and get funding? I would also ask why gazelles can be so profitable, like Starbucks, if it is under more pressure when it is funded by the public? I ask these questions because I wonder how a company could be under pressure when it has better chance of survival after failures because of the amount of funding they have.
4)       I think the author was wrong about how entrepreneurs are not always inventors because to me, it takes a lot of creativity and inventions in order to make a product sell and be successful. I also believe that all entrepreneurs do need is money because it is the only way that they can take risks and be safe when they fail. Yes it takes a steady mind and calculated risks, but one could make calculated risks and still fail. Then when they need money to try again, they don't have it, making it impossible to promote or sell their ideas.

Bug List, Week 2

1)  It bugs me when I'm not able to find a place to park on campus.
Why does this bug exist?  This bug exists because there are so many students on campus, and everyone is looking for spots. Therefore, the moment you leave your spot, someone else will surly take it.
          This bugs me because I have places to be, and driving around to find a parking spot takes up valuable time.

2) It bugs me when my roommate snores.
Why does this bug exist?  This bug exists because everyone needs to have a quiet room to be able to get a good night sleep, and some people cannot help but snore when they sleep.
           This bugs me because I need to be able to sleep. It's college, and I have have a good night's sleep to be fully functional in the morning for all of my classes.

3) It bugs me when my suite mates use my dishes and don't completely clean them after they use them.
Why does this bug exist?  This bug exists because I may be more of neat freak then they are and might see dirty spots on the dishes that they don't see. Maybe they have just never had to wash a dish in their lives and didn't know they had to use soap and a sponge.
           This bugs me because then I have to go and waste my time to do the dishes that they should have done in the first place.

4) It bugs me when the workers of Chipotle on University give me smaller portions of food then I pay for.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because the managers of busy Chipotles probably see that they could get more money by serving as many customers as possible with the food they are given; therefore, they teach the servers to give smaller portions to make more of a profit.
            This bugs me because I usually go to Chipotle when I'm starving, and I hate it when they are skimpy with with my meal.

5) On that note, it bugs me when the line for Chipotle on University is very long at 12:00 or 6:00.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because it is the time where most students want to eat lunch and dinner and so it gets crowded.
            This bugs me because I do not want to wait so long and be tortured by the incredible smells of Mexican food.

6) It bugs me when my clothes shrink in the drier.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because in college, I do not have the space or the capability to hang my delicate clothes to dry like I could at my own house.
             This bugs me because then I have to hang them to dry, but I don't have a lot of room in my tiny dorm to hang dry all of my clothes. They end up getting ruined so now I have to hand wash my delicates which is more work.

7) It bugs me when I have to constantly buy water bottles to stay hydrated in college.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because it's easier to buy water bottles at a drug store on campus then going out to Walmart on Archer to buy a water filter pitcher.
             This bugs me because almost all my money is spent on buying water bottles.

8) It bugs me when Netflix takes off the TV shows that I liked and replaces them with TV shows nobody watches anymore.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because Netflix needs to accommodate for a larger group of people and not just me.
            This bugs me because then I have to pay for other services on top of my Netflix account.

9) It bugs me when Norman Library closed at 5:00 pm during finals week.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because Norman is not such a big library and doesn't have the Starbucks that Library West has to attract students.
            This bugged me because I had to walk over to Library West which is already crowded and very far away from where I live which wastes my time. I ended up having to spend money on food because the walk home to eat would have taken too much time.

10) The amount of cleaning I have to do for my dorm that my other suite mates don't have the capability to do bugs me.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because I am a neat freak, and they probably know that I will end up cleaning everything anyway so they don't bother.
             This bugs me because I don't have time to be cleaning other people's messes.

11) The people who don't turn on their turning signals when they're switching lanes bug me, especially when there's traffic on Archer.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because people are probably rushing or their minds are occupied so they forget to turn on their signals.
               This bugs me because it is unsafe and just a matter of following road manners. Also, driving in Gainesville is scary enough as it is, and it's just another thing to worry about.

12) The amount of food that is wasted on a day to day basis, especially in pizza restaurants bugs me.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because people order too much pizza and do not want to have to hold it during the walk home.
              This bugs me because when customers leave large portions of perfectly good food, the servers are obligated to throw it away, and it is just such a huge waste when they could be feeding those who are sleeping with empty stomachs in the same town.

13) It bugs me when the people who live above my dorm room make so much noise and jump around.
Why does this bug exist? The bug exists because I live in an apartment with a lot of people in it, and they may not be fully aware of the amount of noise they are creating or that jumping is very annoying to the people below them.
                 This bugs me because then I can't focus and have to find other places to study which takes up time and energy.

14) It bugs me when my laptop shuts down when I'm at the library.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because I tend to forget my laptop charger in my dorm, and many people don't have the same laptop that I do.
                  This bugs me because I wasted time catching up on social media rather then working, and made a trip to the library for nothing.

15) It bugs me when I make plans with people and they end up not following up on them.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because things happen and people have other obligations.
                  This bugs me because I could have done something more efficient with my time then getting ready and then just waiting around for people. It also is annoying that I specifically plan my day around the plans I make with people, and then when they cancel, I feel like I wasted a day.

16) It bugs me that the O'Connel Center is being remodeled and under construction.
 Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because then my dance team, Extreme Dance Company, has to practice in the Martial Arts Room, which is hotter and the floor is carpet.
                   This bugs me because it is too hot to wear leggings, but if I don't wear leggings then I get rug burns.

17) It bugs me when people in class ask obvious questions during the class and then the professor does not have time to explain everything on the weekly quizzes.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because the students could easily email the professor or the TA and not waste time during class.
                   This bugs me because my quiz grade is in jeopardy when people could not waste time with so many pointless questions.

18) It bugs me when people in my dorm leave their laundry in the washers and driers for long periods of time.
 Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because I cannot do my laundry when people leave their clothes in the washer and driers.
                   This bugs me because then I have to take out the clothes that aren't even mine and find a place for them so I can do my own laundry.

19) It bugs me when the Starbucks in Library West can't use my gift cards to pay for coffee.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because the Starbucks in Library West does not have the capability to accept gift cards.
                    This bugs me because I am not able to use the gift cards that I get for holidays from my parents to pay for coffees when I'm studying. I then have to spend the money that I use for food.

20) It bugs me when I almost don't do any homework during the weekend.
Why does this bug exist? This bug exists because I tend to relax, hang out with friends, or even go home during the weekend.
                    This bugs me because then I have so much homework to complete during the week, become stressed, and begin to procrastinate even more.

At the beginning of this assignment, I had a lot of trouble finding the things that bugged me in my day to day life. Once I had done about ten of them; however, the things that bugged me seem to come into my mind faster. I was able to express them easier as I continued the assignment. I tend to not let my mind dwell on what bothers me in my life, I always try to have a positive attitude, but I had to think about the things that I try to not think about which was interesting. I had trouble answering the question "why the bug exists" at first because I would respond by saying why I was bugged. I later realized I had to put myself in the other person's shoes to answer that question, and then later address why the other person's causes bugged me.

My Entrepreneur Story, Week 2

          In case you count starting a cleaning business in your own home when your were eight years old, I have very little experience with entrepreneurship. I believe that my mother is an entrepreneur. When she moved to Orlando, after living in Venezuela most of her life, she found herself looking for a job. She worked with the Central Florida Behavioral Hospital for some years until she had children. Wanting to dedicate most of her time for us, she created her own business. In Florida, we get a lot of immigrants coming from countries like Brazil, Venezuela, and Columbia. She found that people needed important forms to be translated like birth certificates and death certificates. She found a problem and created her own business as a solution. Later on in her life, more people have heard about her services, so now she translates for the Millenia Mall pamphlets and Sea World news adds. Orlando attracts so much tourism that her services are greatly needed. She learned French as well to be able to do more for her business.
           Honestly, I enrolled into this class to fill a credit, but now that I have attended the classes and done some assignments, I am very excited to see where I end up in May. I look forward to looking at the world differently, and to find opportunities in my daily life. I think that having this mentality is very important, and will make me stand out in a group of people. I also am looking forward to come up with my own idea or business. It has been a while since I have taken a class where I can explore my own creativity. I am very glad that I chose this class rather then some boring technical writing class!

Introduction, Week 2

   
          Hi everyone! I'm Alex Buckley, and I'm a first year student here at the University of Florida. I am majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Spanish, and I'm really excited for these next couple of years. I love to dance, hang out with friends, go to the beach, watch movies, and to read.
          I was born and raised in Orlando, but would spend my summers in Venezuela to spend time with my mother's side of the family making Venezuela a second home to me. My mother, Milagors Buckley, lived in Venezuela all of her life until she moved to Canada to study Psychology at the Simon Fraser University. After graduating, she returned to Venezuela, and became a principle ballet dancer with the company in her home town. My father, Greg Buckley, grew up in a small town in Rhode Island, and after graduating from Boston University on a scholarship to study music, he moved to Venezuela to be in a band called Los Guacos. Anyway, my folks got married, and moved to Orlando where my father became a salesman and my mother started her own translating business. I have an older brother who is a junior in college, Charles Buckley, and studies at the University of Florida to become a biochemical engineer.
        I was a ballet dancer in high school, and I was very fortunate to have been invited when I was freshmen by my company to dance in Sibiu, Romania with ten other dancers. It was awesome to say the least, and it was the first time I traveled to Europe. Two years later, I traveled to Malaga, Spain with my family. I watched a live bull fight, and later ate a burger that was made from bull meat. I have never been so traumatized in my entire life. Those have been my favorite travels, but I have also vacationed at San Francisco, Miami, and New York. I always watch ballet wherever I go, and it is always the highlight of my trip. In New York, I watched the Royal Ballet perform, a prestigious company from London, and I almost cried when I saw my idol dancer, Lauren Cuthbertson, who is equivalent to Jennifer Aniston, at a restaurant that night. I have loved every place I have traveled to, and cannot wait to see more of the world as I grow up.
       I want to manage a children's hospital. That is why I'm studying Business, but I also want to be in charge of events in the hospital. I have always loved Disney movies or characters and Harry Potter a little too much. If I could create events that have to do with the children's favorite movies or create a Harry Potter spell class, I would. I can only imagine how depressing a hospital can be. In high school, I volunteered to be a Dance Therapy mentor, where special needs children with physical or developmental challenges would dance as a kind of therapy and learning experience. I enjoyed it so much, and I would love to incorporate it into the hospital where young girls will get to dance and perform.
       I'm so excited to be taking this class and learn more about entrepreneurship. I cannot wait to see where the semester takes me, and I'm excited to work with everyone.

This picture was taken at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City this summer!

       

Entrepreneur's Mantra, Week 2

Publish a Test Post

Do you know anything about the Chamber of Secrets?

Yes 

Will you tell me?

No

But I can show you.