7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

There would be a demand in the market for microwaves with silent capabilities.

• The who: People who use microwaves

• The what: The microwaves make a loud beeping noise when the food is ready to be taken out

• The why: Some people would rather not have that loud noise due to roommates who are sleeping 

1. Sydney Shaffer

a. Sydney would LOVE a silent microwave. She lives with her sweet old grandmother who she would hate to wake up if she’s sleeping. Sydney often stays awake late at night and midnight snacks have become difficult. She sees no point of the beeping figure because its in for such a short time. Sydney believes she would use this microwave on a daily basis and that this new design would make it easier.

2. Izabella Smith

a. Izzy would also like a microwave with silent capabilities but the desire for one is not as strong. It would have to be the same price as other microwaves for her to purchase it. Preferably, she would like to microwave her breakfast in the morning without waking up her roommates but since it is not every day, it is not as much of a necessity.

3. Chirsten Zubka

a. Chirsten has no need for a microwave because she already has one. Because of that, a new microwave would be a waste of money. Furthermore, she likes the fact that a microwave will beep and let her know when her food is done.

4. Emily Garcia

a. Emily does not need to use the microwave herself right now as she lives with her parents, but back in college (when on campus living was still a thing) her roommate would often wake her up by trying to microwave something in their dorm. She could definitely see the benefit of having one with a roommate but would try to make her roommate buy it since she’s the one trying to use it so much.

5. Na-Young Shin

a. Na-Young would love to have a silent microwave. She is often up a late hours doing homework while her parents are sleeping and would like to be able to microwave snacks without disturbing them. Even in college, silent microwaves would have been helpful because she had early classes and was making breakfast while her roommates were still sleeping. In both situations, it would be nice to not have to focus so much on opening the door before the buzzer goes off because it leaves less time to get ready or relax.

Most of the people I interviewed would benefit from having this device. Anyone with a roommate could see the value of this item and would be willing to pay this price. With college students and young adults often moving in with roommates, there would be a market for this product.

6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

 (a) where you found it (i.e., what the source of the information was that led you to form the belief about an opportunity): While looking at the news, I came across the Texas court ruling about voting by mail. This made me realize the newfound importance of alternative methods of voting during COVID-19.

(b), what leads you to believe that this information suggests an opportunity might exist: With coronavirus spreading, there is a fear about voting in the upcoming elections. And yet, voting by ballot has a large controversy about it due to the possibility of voter fraud.

(c) who do you think is most likely to be the customer with the opportunity (i.e., the prototypical customer): This depends. Either the government, its citizens, or both would be the customer but this would be a system that would benefit all of the above.

(d) is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit, and why do you think so? Difficult. There are a lot of obstacles to approving the idea by the government as well as finding a solution that will be accessible to everyone.

(e) Is there something in your experience, work history, emotions, attitudes, and desires that helped you find this opportunity? I think that being able to vote is one of the greatest privileges we have as Americans. Even if we don’t like the candidates in the end, citizens are able to select their primary candidate and their eventual representative.

 (a) where you found it (i.e., what the source of the information was that led you to form the belief about an opportunity): While once again searching the news, I came across an article speaking to latest executive order made by President Trump working against the censorship on social media platforms.

(b), what leads you to believe that this information suggests an opportunity might exist: The country is clearly divided on whether censorship should be a thing. Personally, I believe in free speech but I also understand the need for safe spaces. If we can cater to both, then we could have more consumers.

(c) who do you think is most likely to be the customer with the opportunity (i.e., the prototypical customer): Anyone who uses social media will have an opinion or preference, and in today’s day and age most Americans do, plus so many more around the globe.

(d) is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit, and why do you think so? I believe this would be rather easy since social media platforms already have the technology to censor, it would simply be applied to specific accounts.

(e) Is there something in your experience, work history, emotions, attitudes, and desires that helped you find this opportunity? I’m really into bipartisan politics so I can see both sides of an issue and understand the need to satisfy both sides.

 (a) where you found it (i.e., what the source of the information was that led you to form the belief about an opportunity): While looking at the coronavirus news, I saw the current use of drones and robots as a safer method of delivery for food.

(b), what leads you to believe that this information suggests an opportunity might exist: Drone and robots are expensive and people are often fearful of these more developed technologies.

(c) who do you think is most likely to be the customer with the opportunity (i.e., the prototypical customer): Right now, we need to help people feel more safe with tech so they that deliveries can happen on a larger scale such as with companies like amazon prime and other retail stores. Many retail stores are taking such a lot time to deliver items.

(d) is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit, and why do you think so? Easy since the technology is developed and there is an incessant demand for goods to be delivered faster.

(e) Is there something in your experience, work history, emotions, attitudes, and desires that helped you find this opportunity? Personally, I’m a fan of fast deliveries because they made it easier to continue my hobby and work since I cannot always run out and get supplies.

 (a) where you found it (i.e., what the source of the information was that led you to form the belief about an opportunity): One of the top stories today is the police brutality on minorities specifically George Floyd and those protesting his murder. I have seen countless videos of civilians getting attacked and gassed and turned away when they try to buy milk. A cheap mask that would protect the nose, eyes, and mouth would help them.

(b), what leads you to believe that this information suggests an opportunity might exist: Americans are getting attacked and they have no access to protective gear.

(c) who do you think is most likely to be the customer with the opportunity (i.e., the prototypical customer): People with a conscious and who would like to protest. Unfortunately, there are often a lot of protests over police brutality. There could also be a double use for coronavirus protection.

(d) is the opportunity relatively easy or relatively difficult to exploit, and why do you think so? Easy since there is already a demand and design. It simply needs to be repurposed and become accessible.

(e) Is there something in your experience, work history, emotions, attitudes, and desires that helped you find this opportunity? These violent ways of suppressing protesters hurts people while only inflaming the anger of the crowds. People peacefully protesting should not be attacked.

5A – Identifying Local Opportunities

·       The title of the article: SG pays $11,000 for weekly virtual trivia nights

·       The link to the article: https://www.alligator.org/news/student_government/sg-pays-11-000-for-weekly-virtual-trivia-nights/article_0c3401be-a05a-11ea-b3ba-93be4f4f499f.html

·       A description of the story, in your own words: UF’s Student Government has hosted a trivia night while spending $11,000 of student fees in organizing this.

·       A description of the problem presented in the story: Is this really the best use of our student fees? Especially when only 100 students of UF’s 50,000 participated.

·       A description of who has the problem: All UF students are affected. This money could be used to financial other endeavors that could benefit more students.

·       The title of the article: “No one is trying to catch students cheating”: ProctorU and Honorlock’s common privacy misconceptions

·       The link to the article: https://www.alligator.org/news/no-one-is-trying-to-catch-students-cheating-proctoru-and-honorlock-s-common-privacy-misconceptions/article_e1e1879a-a08d-11ea-a511-ff8cac017b13.html

·       A description of the story, in your own words: Concerns are being raised about these testing systems of ProctorU and Honorlock that have access to students’ computers and Wi-Fi. UF’s staff has tried to relieve by speaking of a “world of trade-offs,” implying a necessary evil of this system.

·       A description of the problem presented in the story: ProctorU and Honorlocl have access to the computers running their problem, and Honorlock can also collect student’s IP addresses and locations.

·       A description of who has the problem: Students! Who are often unaware of this issue and have no choice but to comply either way in order take tests.

·       The title of the article: Homeless encampment broken up by Florida Department of Corrections

·       The link to the article: https://www.alligator.org/covid-19/homeless-encampment-broken-up-by-florida-department-of-corrections/article_7418e4a4-9a3b-11ea-8cff-af89eda6a2e5.html

·       A description of the story, in your own words: For the past month, officials have warned homeless individuals to break out camps despite their lack of places to go. This worry is because of a possible spread of COVID-19 so the city of Gainesville brought in bulldozers to clear one camp ground.

·       A description of the problem presented in the story: The few items that this group of homeless had was destroyed. One member was Venettia Moultrie, who lost everything she had except one change of clothes.

·       A description of who has the problem: The homeless are being targeted. Instead of helping this small group, the city of Gainesville took even more of what little these people had.

·       The title of the article: Gainesville congressional candidates switch to virtual campaigning

·       The link to the article: https://www.alligator.org/covid-19/alachua-county/gainesville-congressional-candidates-switch-to-virtual-campaigning/article_3bc0b360-9956-11ea-ad8e-4367f775e3a0.html

·       A description of the story, in your own words: Adam Christensen, a Democratic candidate for District 3, has been campaigning for election online. So far, he has participated in Reddit questions, Facebook posts, Tik Tok videos and more.

·       A description of the problem presented in the story: With COVID-19 altering how people work and interact, how will politics shift? If constituents can’t ask questions and meet those running for elections, will the internet satisfy this need?

·       A description of who has the problem: American politicians and voters.

·       The title of the article: Florida Board of Governors approves plan to reopen universities

·       The link to the article: https://www.alligator.org/news/campus/florida-board-of-governors-approves-plan-to-reopen-universities/article_f65c8f1e-a117-11ea-9a8e-fff7c1e5f65c.html

·       A description of the story, in your own words: The Florida Board of Governors has unamioiusly agreed to reopen Florida universities in the fall. State universities will individually come up with and present their plans to the board in late June.

·       A description of the problem presented in the story: What will happen to students afraid to return to campus? And if students do return, then will it cause another outbreak of COVID-19 in college campuses.

·       A description of who has the problem: Colleges and their students.

4A – Forming An Opportunity Belief

1) Your beginning point. Do you have a belief, supposition, or feeling than an opportunity exists? This belief may have come from your completion of prior exercises. Only select one belief.

I believe that many people would benefit from a microwave with silent capabilities.

2) Describe your belief. Be sure to include a few things. First, what is the unmet need? Second, who has the need? Third, where did the need come from (is it new, or has it always existed)? Four, what are people doing to meet this need now? (These four elements are important -- we'll come back to these.) At this point, how sure are you (say, in percent terms) that this opportunity exists?

Many people live in close quarters, especially college students who have roommates. And because they live together, routines can often interrupt each other when people are on different schedules. If one wakes up early for class or work, they may avoid using the microwave because they do not want to wake up their sleeping roommate.

3) Identify the prototypical customer.

People with roommates, or those who live together in close quarters, e.g. college students. 

4) Iteration No. 1: Go talk to a prototypical customer. Ask questions related to the four criteria above. Questions can (should) include: What is the exact nature of the need? When do they become aware of the need -- that is, do they experience their need all the time or only sometimes? How long have they had the need? When did they first become aware of their need? Why? How are they currently addressing their need? How satisfied are they with this solution? (This is not a 30-second interview -- these interviews should be lengthy enough to help you capture rich information.)

Brynn Price
Brynn lives with three roommates but he does not care if he wakes them up. Despite this he still has an interest in a silent microwave because he does not like loud noises in general. He hasn't really thought of this as a need but the noise as an annoyance. To him, the microwave would have to be reasonably priced especially in comparison to other microwaves, but he would definitely buy it if the microwave was the same price as other microwaves and was of good quality. 

Kristie Surdacki
Kristie lives with one roommate (me) who has a very different sleeping schedule than her. She is a morning person while her roommate is a night owl. She, unlike Brynn, does care if she wakes her roommate up (thank god). She would definitely want a silent microwave, especially if it's the same price, but she would also be willing to pay a bit more. She often wants to use the microwave when her roommate is sleeping so she feels like she could gain a lot from using this device. 

Briana Lightbourn
Briana does not have a roommate right now so she doesn't really need silent features. In fact, the beeping helps her because she might forget about her food. Currently, her microwave is fine for her.

5) Reflect. What did you learn about your opportunity? What was the most surprising thing you learned about your opportunity? (You may reflect after each iteration or you may simply include a single reflection that captures all three iterations.)

These interviews were helpful in showing me the different needs of microwaves. While some people need the beeping to remind them their food is ready, others would prefer the quiet. Furthermore, before my interviews, I did not consider the possibility of people simply not liking the beeping noise in general.

6) Repeat twice more steps 3, 4, and 5. Please be explicit with each step in your blog post.

7) Summarize. It's very likely that your opportunity belief changed between the outset and as a consequence of your customer interactions. Three questions: How much of your original opportunity is still there? Do you believe that your new opportunity is more accurate than when you started? How much do you think entrepreneurs should 'adapt' their opportunities based on customer feedback? (In other words, is there a trade-off between adapting and staying firm?)

I definitely believe entrepreneurs should adapt based on feedback and I will do that myself. My interviews showed me that there is market potential and that I am not necessarily limited to my original purpose of creating this product. My idea can be expanded further, especially when I gather more feedback.

3A: Your Entrepreneurship Story

This year, I began creating worm earrings--in every color to mix and match. I have gotten so many compliments that I made them for my friends and then sold them to their friends. Now, I will be selling my old clothes on an app called Depop and I plan to post pictures of my worms and sell them as well. I found this to be a great way to combine my passion for crafts and my love of money.

 

*Me and my friend Tina

I am personally taking this class because I am apart of the innovation academy but I'm excited to learn on how I can combine my entrepreneur qualities with my humanitarian efforts.

2A: Bugs List

1. Fast food lines are now obstructing roads, like 13th street.
1. This is because the coronavirus has increased the demand for fast food as people avoid going inside and gathering in crowds.
2. When I'm on Zoom, my teacher's video lags and I cannot see or hear them. 
1. This can happen for several reasons including poor Wi-Fi connection.
3. It is hard to put a calendar together of all my assignments and classes without tedious work.
1. This is because I have so many assignments and the Canvas calendar is poorly designed.
4. When I'm already in bed, ready to go to sleep, but I have to get up to brush my teeth.
1. Because hygiene is super important to me.
5. When I fill up my tank with gas and then I drive pass another station with cheaper gas.
1. Because I didn't know the rates of the area.
6. When my roommate's dog comes into my room sweaty and smells bad.
1. She needs a bath but those are also messy.
7. The people upstairs are currently making noise and disturbing me.
1. Either the floor and ceiling were poorly made or they have metal toed boots they wear inside.
8. I hanged posters in my room nicely but then I moved my furniture so it doesn't line up as good. But to rehang things, I would have to use more stickers which cost more money.
1. It's hard for me to use my imagination and plan with a lot of forethought.
9. The stacked boxes in my closet are hard to get out without making the other fall.
1. This is because they are so dependent on each other for support.
10. Leaving your phone to charge overnight causes your phone to overcharge, causing damage over time.
1. Because Apple wants your money.
11. When roommates want the apartment to be different temperatures.
1. Different people have different standards of being at a comfortable temperature.
12. It is hard to focus on homework on a computer when Netflix is so close.
1. This is a problem when I have so much homework and I get so easily distracted.
13. I can't use my dad's Hulu account because it says I'm in a different location than him.
1. To prevent people outside of a family unit from using the account. 
14. Every time I pick up my room, it gets messy again.
1. This is because I keep bringing stuff inside my house from storage.
15. I still having scars from Spring Break when I was ice skating.
1. My socks weren't thick enough.
16. The light from outside wakes me up on the morning. 
1. Closing the blinds would interrupt my pictures.
17. I lost my stickers to hang things are my wall.
1. I organized my room too good.
18. There are pictures on my phone that I would love to label like you would the back of the photograph for memory purposes.
1. There's no program for that.
19. My cat is currently not in the room working on homework with me. He keeps me energized and focused on my work when I pet him.
1. He is an independent feline and I'm easily distracted.
20. Microwaves are unreasonably loud, a problem if you have roommates in a shared apartments.
1. To notify the user when their food is ready :)

At first, it was easy to think of things because I am easily "bugged" but as time went on, it became harder because the coronavirus has interrupted my schedule and thus a lot of things that bug me. It's harder to be bugged when you're quarantined.

Test: You're Watching Disney Channel