9A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Opportunity: a website and service that compiles shoes from many different brands that are available in sizes 13+ and will give you recommendations based on your personal style. This is because most stores don't carry these sizes and it's difficult to find a shoe that you like in the right size.

1. From the five interviews I conducted, I learned the following. There are some who should fall inside the boundary of my opportunity yet they do not because they know enough about shoes they are able to provide this to themselves, however I still believe one common resource would make this easier for them. Also, I found that people with size 13 still have the need but more often now are they able to find the size they're looking for. Others just stick to one shoe because they like how it looks and they already know it comes in their size, but my opportunity might motivate them to change that behavior. I also realized how this need could be applied to other areas outside the current boundary. Not only could this be for shoes but for other clothes as well. There's more to clothing sizes than just small, medium, and large like how they fit. For tall people finding a shirt that is long enough but also isn't too baggy is sometimes a challenge.

2.Inside the Boundary         vs.    Outside the Boundary

People who wear a shoe size that isn't typically carried in store	People who have no trouble finding the shoe size they're looking for
A website and service that compiles shoes from many different brands that are available in sized 13+ and will give recommendations based on your personal style.	A regular shoe store for a single brand
It's uncommon for people to wear these larger sized so most stores won't carry them for the fact that it's not guaranteed that they will sell.	not only will it show you the shoes available in that size from around the web but will also recommend certain styles to you.

6A Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Opportunities from regulatory changes

Opportunity 1: Better way of interacting with your cell phone without using your hands or distracting your eyes

A) https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/07/01/heres-a-roundup-of-all-the-new-florida-laws-that-went-into-effect-today

B) The state of Florida passed a law that allows law enforcement to pull you over for texting and driving. I believe the opportunity lies in a better hands free interaction with your phone. Right now there are the digital assistants such as Siri, but the voice recognition isn't the best and you constantly have to look at the phone to see what she messed up.

C) The prototypical customer would be anyone that needs to use their phone while driving. This includes ride share services, food delivery companies, etc.

D) I think this opportunity is slightly difficult to get into considering it's been around for a while but only recently has more emphasis been put on it.

E) I think a lot of people have seen this opportunity but having worked for a company similar to uber eats, I can see how being pulled over for using my phone all the time would have hurt my job.

Opportunity 2: Easier way to quit nicotine

A)https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2019/07/01/heres-a-roundup-of-all-the-new-florida-laws-that-went-into-effect-today

B) The state of Florida just passed a law that bans the use of electronic cigarettes in most indoor workplaces. I believe that this is an opportunity because it is becoming increasingly inconvenient to smoke anywhere that isn't your home. As this trend continues more and more people will try and let go of the addiction.

C) The prototypical customer is anyone trying to quit smoking

D) I think this opportunity might be difficult because if it was easy I think it would've been done by now

E) I saw this opportunity after years of being addicted and trying to quit multiple times

Opportunities from economic trends

Opportunity 1: Upcoming economic contraction

A) https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666

B) Currently the US economy is in an expansion phase. This means that the economy is growing and is headed towards a peak and then turn towards contraction which analysts believe will occur in the next couple of years. The opportunity here is being in the right financial position for this contraction.

C) The prototypical customer is anyone who actively invests their money

D) I think this opportunity is easy to gain a little from but hard to gain a lot from.

E) Other people have definitely seen this before me in the broad sense but as I mentioned above, the opportunity lies in the more minute details

Opportunity 2: Teaching tech skills to the new workforce

A) http://blog.indeed.com/2016/06/22/global-economy-employment-trends/

B) According to this article, among the OECD countries, 35% of people age 19-29 have no computer experience at work. While our generation is typically seen as more tech savvy, a lot of us still don't have the skills in programs like excel to replace the aging workforce.

C) The prototypical customer is someone who doesnt have the workplace skills that they need.

D) I think this opportunity is easy to capitalize on because it could be done all online and would have very low overhead.

E) I saw this opportunity as someone who is entering the workforce soon and in need of broadening my skills.

5A Identifying Local Opportunities

1.  "With little change, iPhones may get upstaged by streaming"
   
1. Opportunity: There is more and more opening in the smart phone market share
2. https://www.gainesville.com/ZZ/news/20190910/with-little-change-iphones-may-get-upstaged-by-streaming
3. According to this article, Apple's iPhone sales have been diminishing in recent quarters and the company is trying to turn to other services for revenue. The services they're turning to include a new video streaming service and gaming streaming service. The article also talks about Apple's strategies to try and save the iPhone sales.
4. The main problem presented is that Apple's iPhone sales are hurting due to a lack of significant change in available options offered from year to year. This is important because the iPhone has been Apple's best selling product for a long time and this could mark a major shift in the trajectory of the company.
5. Apple is who has this problem. This change is forcing them to find new opportunities for products and services that they can offer to make up for the iPhone's lacking sales. On top of the lacking sales it also opens space for competitors to push for some of Apple's market share in the smartphone market
   
2. "50 state attorneys general launch antitrust investigation into Google"
   
1. Opportunity: Google could lose market share in the online advertising business
2. https://mycbs4.com/news/nation-world/50-state-attorneys-general-launch-antitrust-investigation-into-google
3. The attorneys launched this lawsuit to look into "Google's potentially monopolistic practices in online advertising and search functions." The investigation is being led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The lawsuit consists of 48 states as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. The only 2 states that haven't joined are California and Alabama.
4. The problem is that if Google is using monopolistic practices, then clearly that is a violation of the antitrust laws we have in this country. The other problem could be that if the investigation finds nothing then Google will have to deal with recovering their image after this big of an accusation.
5. In both scenarios Google has the problem. If the investigation finds something substantial then Google will have to deal with the legal punishments that come with that. If they're found to be clean then, like I said before, their image will be damaged and in need of repair because of the accusation.
   
3. "Bride cuts dress, dyes it green as way to keep wearing in: 'Too expensive to wear just once"
   
1. Opportunity: Multi use wedding dresses
2. http://www.wogx.com/web/wogx/news/bride-cuts-dress-dyes-it-green-as-way-to-keep-wearing-it-too-expensive-to-just-wear-once
3. This woman had a woodland wedding and paid over six hundred dollars for her wedding dress. As an account manager she was upset she paid this much for something she would only wear once. So, she decided to cut the dress to mid length and dye it green. Now she wears it all the time and has successfully repurposed a very expensive dress that most people only wear once.
4. The problem in this story is paying such a high price tag for something you only get one use out of. I think the opportunity lies in others feeling the same way but not having the skill to transform the dress on their own
5. This must be a problem for brides everywhere. While I believe some of them don't mind only wearing them once because they like to keep the dress for the sentiment, there are probably many that would also like to transform the dress into something they can continue to wear after their big day.
   
4. "Lawsuits say Lyft doesn't do enough to protect women from predatory drivers"
   
1. Opportunity: A safer ride share service or a method of vetting drivers
2. https://www.wuft.org/nation-world/2019/09/12/lawsuits-say-lyft-doesnt-do-enough-to-protect-women-from-predatory-drivers/
3. Lyft is currently being sued by more women every day over sexual assault by their drivers. San Francisco attorney Laurel Simes says her firm has received more than 150 calls about these situations and more come in every day. They accuse Lyft of knowing about attacks like this for years and not doing anything to prevent them.
4. The problem is ride sharing apps like Lyft provide easy access to women for sexual predators if drivers aren't properly vetted or controlled. This makes the services unsafe for women and has led to numerous cases of sexual violence.
5. Here Lyft has the problem of finding a way to protect it's female users by introducing new features or vetting processes for new and current drivers. Women also have the problem of not knowing who they're getting in the car with. This could be solved with more in depth driver reviews, or only providing women with the highest rated drivers.
   
5. "University of Florida lab leads the way in commercial fish farming"
   
1. Opportunity: Lab research provides more opportunity for Florida fish farmers to be competitive with imported competition
2. http://www.wogx.com/web/wogx/news/university-of-florida-lab-leads-the-way-in-commercial-fish-farming
3. The UF tropical aquaculture lab in Ruskin has cultured 50 to 100 different species of fish. Some of the species have never been cultured in a lab before. These are fish for tanks not necessarily to eat. The research the lab does can help farmers in Florida become better at their trade.
4. The problem is that Florida is a great place for Aquaculture farms and the industry needs help growing. The lab also researches the food it feeds to the fish so that they grow healthy and full even though they are grown in captivity to be tank fish. This research will help local farms to be more competitive against the fish currently being imported
5. The Florida fish farms have the problem of not having good research to base their operations on. These farms are good because it stops the fish from being captured out of the wild and also allows slimming populations to be assisted.

4A Forming an Opportunity Belief

Why is there no easy way to lose a nicotine addiction? With the immense popularity of the juul and other e-cigarettes more and more college students are finding themselves with a nicotine addiction and a hurting bank account. I hear about a lot of people who have tried to quit multiple times before but somehow always fall back to buying pods again. This opportunity has existed since people started using nicotine but is definitely more prevalent now with the high percentage flavored vape juice that draws in the college age kid. Currently, the need is being met with people struggling to quit on their own by going cold turkey or trying to slowly ease off of it but these are hardly effective and I believe the opportunity lies in something that could ward off the cravings of the addiction as you try and stop.


Customer 1: My roommate that recently quit the juul

Q: When did you start smoking?
A: During the end of my freshman year

Q: Why did you start smoking the juul?
A: He hit while out with friends and it slowly grew into an addiction

Q: What made you want to quit?
A: Mostly money, but also that it's probably bad for you and I was uncomfortable with how attached to it I was

Q: How many times had you tried to quit in the past?
A: At least 5 times for at most a week but usually about 2 days

Q: How hard was it the final time you tried to quit?
A: Very difficult in the beginning but gets easier over time

Q: Did you ever wonder if there was an easier way to quit?
A: I think quitting cold turkey was the easiest for me of the available options but it would be nice if it was easier

Reflection: From the interview with my roommate I believe that people just expect it to be difficult and aren't really looking for a better solution. However, if a better solution became available I believe that people would be very accepting of it because of how difficult it currently is.

Customer 2: Friend who continues to use the juul

Q: When did you start smoking?
A: During my freshman year

Q: Why did you start smoking?
A: One of my friends in the dorms had a juul and I would always hit it and eventually led to me getting my own

Q: Do you want to quit?
A: Sometimes I want to to save money but I do enjoy it too

Q: Is anyone actually going to read these questions?
A: Idk man probably not

Q: Have you tried to quit before and if so how many times?
A: I've tried a couple times before bet never for very long

Q: Why do you think it's so hard to quit?
A: Whenever you stop you just think about it so much and you talk yourself into buying more pods

Q: Are you satisfied with the current methods to quit smoking?
A: It is extremely difficult and I think that having an easier way would definitely help a lot of people

Reflection: The view from someone who hasn't quit yet shows us a different view into the process of quitting. My friend says he wants to quit but from talking to him and the answers he gave it doesn't seem like he's really ready to stop. I think this shows that there is an opportunity because he does think that there should be an easier way to quit and he would be interested in an easier way.

Customer 3: Friend who uses chewing tobacco

Q: When did you first get addicted to nicotine?
A: I started chewing dip in high school while playing baseball

Q: Why do you choose to dip instead of smoke?
A: It's what I started with and I would rather damage my mouth than my lungs

Q: Do you think it's easier to quit smoking or chew?
A: I think they're probably both the same give or take the addiction is to the nicotine

Q: Have you ever tried to quit and if so how many times?
A: I've tried once or twice but it's just too difficult

Q: Do you actually want to quit?
A: Yeah I want to but I haven't had the motivation to quit

Q: Are you satisfied with the current methods to quit smoking?
A: All the current methods are difficult as most addictions are to break. It would be great to have something easier

Reflection: The perspective from someone who uses a different form of nicotine shows that this in not only a problem for people who smoke but for all the people that use nicotine. This is definitely a big opportunity and applies to a lot of people.


Summary: I think that my opportunity of an easier way to quit a nicotine addiction is still fully there. Not much has changed about it other than now the opportunity includes not just smoking but any nicotine product. I think it's very important for entrepreneurs to adapt based on customer feedback. This is because they may identify a unique problem that they have and customer feedback can grow that idea to fit a more general problem that a lot of people face.

3A Your Entrepreneurship Story

In high school I used to intern at this office my mom managed to make some spending money. During my time there, the owner of the company would give me books to read and taught me a few things about being an entrepreneur. He had started this company to process the titles for cars moving to a new state. For example if you live in Florida and you buy a car from Georgia this company does the processing to title the car in Florida. While I was working there he was also in the beginnings of starting his new designer kitchen company. What I learned was that this guy was successful because he was always looking for those opportunities to be an entrepreneur.

I enrolled in ENT3003 to fill a 3000 level elective requirement to graduate. I've heard a lot about this class from friends and I think it will definitely be interesting and I'm enjoying it so far. I don't know if I'll really use much of it as i don't plan on starting my own business and would much rather work in corporate finance.