Assignment 30A: Final Reflection

Most Formative Experience
The most formative experience that I have looking back on past assignments is when I went to interview people. I have been shy for a lot of my life, and these assignments made me go out my comfort zone to accomplish something. What I found out was that people were more friendly than I thought. Lots of people that I interviewed were actually really interested in what I was doing, and would ask questions about the product that I had in mind to create. I would also consider this the most joyous experiences, as well as one in which I am proud of myself. I found that when I have a greater end goal in mind, it becomes easier to overcome things that I fear such as reaching out to others.

Entrepreneurial Mindset
I have definitely come closer to what I believe what a true entrepreneur is. Each person has their own standard of what an entrepreneur is, as well as a shared belief of what was taught in class. In that sense, I have definitely progressed since the beginning of the semester. I have become a better problem solver, have instilled more belief within myself, and have been able to make better connections with others. However, this entrepreneurial mindset I believe is a lifelong journey, and I have just begun! This is going to be exciting as each day has its own opportunities and surprises.

Recommendation
The one recommendation that I would give to students who are on this path in the future is to grow themselves before they try to grow anything else. This would include reading self-help books, listening to motivational audios, and creating a set of daily habits that will lead to success.

To perform best in this course, I would recommend checking out assignments early in the week, as some take more preparation than others. I would also recommend to learn to be uncomfortable outside of their comfort zone, as there will be times when this is necessary. No need to fear, every successful entrepreneur has mastered this. They have become comfortable being uncomfortable.

Assignment 29A: Venture Concept No. 2

Opportunity 
Currently, there are still millions of mid-aged Americans that are buying earbuds that have long wires to connect into their device. As most college students know, these are a hassle to untangle each time they are taken out from a backpack or pockets. Even when people try to carefully place them away, they still manage to get tangled, and this creates frustration.

At the moment, there is still a huge need for this market. It will target those that use wire earbuds, typically those in the college settings, early 20s. It is important to note that with the increase in use of wireless earbuds such as AirPods, it is important to work quickly on this product. According for Fortune, Apple has sold over a million Airpods in the US alone, and thus this needs to be considered when looking at the target market.  The "window" will still be open for a while, as not everyone will transfer over to these wireless earbuds.

Currently, to avoid this annoying issue, consumers just ravel their earbuds around their fingers before placing their earbuds away. However, this does not solve the issue. There are a few products online that attempt to solve it, however it is just a flimsy piece of plastic that consumers can wrap earbuds around and hope that it does not become unraveled. Thus, there is no strong loyalty, and that is one of the reasons that I believe my company would have a great way to enter the market.

Innovation
The product that I created is a device in which any pair of wire earbuds can be fed into a small circular device, which can then be pulled to either use the earbuds, or have them ravel into the device to keep from untangling. This technology essentially works like an ID that can be pulled from its circular device to be scanned, etc.

The estimated cost for this product would be around $3, depending on manufacturing and shipping costs. However, this is reasonably priced, and allows for our target market to afford the product.

Venture Concept
My product allows students to finally be able to plug into their earbuds without having to untangle the for five minutes. It prevents frustration, and another hassle.It is also so simple and lightweight, that it can also be transported anywhere.

This is something I could see being all over a college campus, as students listen to their music and lectures. It will not be a hard transition, as their is no loyal brand that people use to avoid their earbuds from getting untangled.

By having students be able to purchase various colors and designs, this becomes something more personable and "fun". This is also something that can easily be spread by word-of-mouth, as other students come up and ask where they purchased that from.

This company would probably be no more than 5 employees at the beginning stage. It is quite simple, as we only need a manufacturer. We would sell online until we earn enough revenue, to then have a distributor to put our product into stores.

Important Resource
Having a network of other entrepreneurs will allow me to leverage their experiences and advice to help avoid some problems my company may go through. I know people at each stage in the process, and this is very useful to apply to my own company.

Next Venture
Once our company becomes a familiar name, we can then broaden the scope of products we sell to our customers with ear buds. This would include trendy, custom-able attachments such as clips that can be added to earbuds to give them a nice accent piece.

Next For Me 
Once this company is successfully off the ground, I want to be able to hand it to somebody else to continue to grow. This would probably take about five years. Within ten years, I see myself starting up another venture and seeing how well I can grow it.

Summary of Feedback
Overall the feedback I received was quite positive. It included the fact that I have a clear idea of who my target market is. I was also told that the steps I am going to take after launching my first product are smart because I will be reaching a segment of that market that would potentially be my competition for the first product (wireless earbuds).

One of the critiques I found was to include more information about the competition I would have for my first product, because it would not apply to those that have wireless earbuds such as AirPods. Thus, I added a little section under 'Opportunity' to address this issue.

Assignment 28A: Your Exit Strategy

Me Exit Strategy
I intent to sell my business for a large return, because my true passion in life is being able to inspire others and travel the world. To achieve this, I need to build up my platform as an entrepreneur, and be able to be self-sufficient. I do not want to be tied down to any one company or business. It has definitely influenced the decisions I would want to make with my concept. I would want to find people to work for my business that are passionate in their specific areas, whether it is product design, or management, and assign them roles within the business. That way they can do what they are passionate about, while at the same time growing a profitable business.

Assignment 27A: Reading Reflection No. 3

Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance

Elon Musk
From this book, I learned how innovative and creative that Elon Musk truly is. After the dot com boom, there was nothing in society that was being produced that had a large overarching vision. For example, Facebook was being created around that same time that Elon was trying to bring his ideas to fruition. However, if you think of Facebook, all it does is connect people and allow people to post pictures and allow others to like them. Elon, however, changed that way that the automobile and spacecraft industry works, both of which are sectors that have not had profound change in a long time.

What I admire most of Elon is the fact that he is a visionary. He sees beyond his lifetime. In the beginning, he thought of having the ability to put people on Mars. He thought of what we be able if he could not only change the way we lived on Earth, but also change the way that future generations could live. He wants to improve the environment as it is on Earth, by creating a completely electric car, as well as solar power to be used by businesses and individuals. He then also wanted to create a way that we could see past Earth as our home, and is working on SpaceX, a rocket that would have the capability of launching and landing to its same spot on Earth.

What I least admired of Elon is the fact that sometimes he could be hard on his employees. Perhaps it was because he had a rough childhood, however he should not have detracted from the lives of others. He wanted his visions so strongly to come into fruition that he would expect crazy amounts of effort that perhaps at times could not be made possible.

One of the hardest adversities that Elon suffered was throughout his childhood. He was always the odd one out, and could not seem to relate to other children his age. Although he did not go into detail, his father was very hard on him and his brother, and messed them up psychologically. He was able to push through such hardships and become the person  that he is today.

The competencies of Elon was his strength in vision, ability to translate his vision to others, and perseverance. He also did not lack innovation. For example, he created PayPal as a means to fund his true dreams of Tesla and SpaceX.

One part of reading that was confusing 
A part of the reading that I found confusing was where he grew up. It was not clear to me if spent most of his childhood growing up in South Africa, or if he spent most of it traveling with his family.

Two questions I would ask Knight

• How do you find the people that you think will perfectly execute your vision?
• Since he himself is not engineer for both cars and spacecrafts, I wonder where he can find the people that are able to innovate at the extent of his imagination. How does he communicate to them exactly what he wants if it does not yet exist. 
• What would you want to be able to tell generations to come?
• Since he is always thinking about life beyond him, I would want to know the message he would want to spread to those that will be living after us. 

For Fun

I think that Elon's definition of hard work is constantly working on a vision until it comes to fruition. Even when that idea comes to the material world, our thoughts and actions should instantly focus onto what the next biggest and greatest innovation can be. 

Assignment 26A: Celebrating Failure

Aw man, well I am going to be very honest here so hope this entertains those that read it:

I would definitely say the majority of my life things have come somewhat easy to me. I prepare for a few hours, whether it is an exam or presentation, and I could pretty much nail it. So, this past semester I dove headfirst and tried to find an internship that I could do this summer. Of all the internships that I applied for, these are definitely the biggest fails and pretty memorable looking back:

• City Furniture: So I received a phone call after talking to a recruiter to find a date to have a conversation over the phone. We had agreed that it would be on a Tuesday at 11am. Well, I received a phone call from them on Monday, the day prior to what we scheduled. I had not yet prepared by knowing the company's values, work ethic, and how I would tie in my resume to this. When I answered the phone, I explained my confusion, as I thought the interview would be the following day. The woman on the phone was willing to move it, and she said it would only be a five minute conversation on the phone. Assuming this was not the interview, I said that I would just have the conversation now, on Monday. Well, little did I know that WAS the interview, and I most definitely fell on my face. I had no preparation, and it was very obvious in my responses. Embarrassing and silly mistake on my behalf.
• Aldi: Not as embarrassing as a story, but I was able to get to the final rounds of interviews for the Aldi internship. This was by far my favorite company that I had spoken to, and I could see myself being their intern for the summer. I spent hours preparing, meeting with past interns and getting advice on what to expect and how to perform. After such as long process and built up hope, I found out that I was not selected as one of the interns. I was not a happy camper that day, or the following day. 

What I have learned from this experience is to prepare to the very best of my abilities for things that I know I want. I know that if I do the best I can on my end, then the result should not bother me as much because I know that I had nothing left to offer. 

I would only to be able to grow if I failed. If I had nailed everything and received both offers, then there would be nothing that I would be able to fix or make better. Now, with the help of this class, I am more likely to put myself out there and see what happens. Each chance I take is a learning opportunity and I know not to fear it. 

Assignment 25A: What's Next?

Existing Market

I think what is next for my existing market is customizable features to add to ear buds, because this will still reach my potential market.

After talking to potential customers in my target market, a few suggested that I should create something for people that have Airpods. I thought this was a bit odd because they personally did not have Airpods, so I will take this into consideration, although it does not target my market. Another suggestion given to me by somebody was to find a way to clip my product onto backpacks and clothing, that way they will also not loose their earbuds. I think this was a really great suggestions, and can be a feature to my already existing idea.

For the next step in my venture, I think that I should introduce an option for consumers to be able to purchase my product that also has an attachment for their clothing or backpack. This will add to my features of being able to custom select product.

New Market

I could now target a more affluent part of society...namely those that own wireless earbuds such as Airpods. I might be able to custom create cool features to add to wireless earbuds, just was ways to make them stylish with jewelry accents for example.

The girls that I interviewed thought that making cute attachments for their Airpods was a great idea. They explained how I could also make custom colors that can clip onto the actual wireless ear buds that are interchangeable. The guys I interviewed, on the other hand, were not very interested in changing that way that their earbuds looked, and were fine with how they were.

I was quite surprised that people confirmed my ideas. I was not sure if people would actually be interested in customizing their wireless earbuds, and it seemed as though they liked it. This market however does not seem to be as "active" as my original one, as this one does not seem to include males. Thus, I would expect it not to grow as profoundly. 

Assignment 24A: Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity 
Currently, there are still millions of mid-aged Americans that are buying earbuds that have long wires to connect into their device. As most college students know, these are a hassle to untangle each time they are taken out from a backpack or pockets. Even when people try to carefully place them away, they still manage to get tangled, and this creates frustration.

At the moment, there is still a huge need for this market. It will target those that use wire earbuds, typically those in the college settings, early 20s. It is important to note that with the increase in use of wireless earbuds such as AirPods, it is important to work quickly on this product. The "window" will still be open for a while, as not everyone will transfer over to these wireless earbuds.

Currently, to avoid this annoying issue, consumers just ravel their earbuds around their fingers before placing their earbuds away. However, this does not solve the issue. There are a few products online that attempt to solve it, however it is just a flimsy piece of plastic that consumers can wrap earbuds around and hope that it does not become unraveled. Thus, there is no strong loyalty, and that is one of the reasons that I believe my company would have a great way to enter the market.

Innovation
The product that I created is a device in which any pair of wire earbuds can be fed into a small circular device, which can then be pulled to either use the earbuds, or have them ravel into the device to keep from untangling. This technology essentially works like an ID that can be pulled from its circular device to be scanned, etc.

The estimated cost for this product would be around $10, depending on manufacturing and shipping costs. However, this is reasonably priced, and allows for our target market to afford the product.

Venture Concept
My product allows students to finally be able to plug into their earbuds without having to untangle the for five minutes. It prevents frustration, and another hassle.It is also so simple and lightweight, that it can also be transported anywhere.

This is something I could see being all over a college campus, as students listen to their music and lectures. It will not be a hard transition, as their is no loyal brand that people use to avoid their earbuds from getting untangled.

By having students be able to purchase various colors and designs, this becomes something more personable and "fun". This is also something that can easily be spread by word-of-mouth, as other students come up and ask where they purchased that from.

This company would probably be no more than 5 employees at the beginning stage. It is quite simple, as we only need a manufacturer. We would sell online until we earn enough revenue, to then have a distributor to put our product into stores.

Important Resource
Having a network of other entrepreneurs will allow me to leverage their experiences and advice to help avoid some problems my company may go through. I know people at each stage in the process, and this is very useful to apply to my own company.

Next Venture
Once our company becomes a familiar name, we can then broaden the scope of products we sell to our customers with ear buds. This would include trendy, custom-able attachments such as clips that can be added to earbuds to give them a nice accent piece. 

Next For Me 
Once this company is successfully off the ground, I want to be able to hand it to somebody else to continue to grow. This would probably take about five years. Within ten years, I see myself starting up another venture and seeing how well I can grow it.

Assignment 23A: Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

Resources of my Venture

• Connections with various entrepreneurs at different stages in the process
• VRIN: very valuable, able to get firsthand advice as someone is going through a similar obstacle. Somewhat rare unless you network and put yourself in that community. Can be copied...however not connections with same exact people. Difficult to substitute this type of knowledge 
• Entrepreneur Collective on UF Campus 
• VRIN: quite valuable, includes those starting company and those interested. Not too rare to find on college campuses, thus can also be copied and substituted. 
• A perseverance and love towards entrepreneurship 
• VRIN: extremely valuable to complete project/goals. Rare to find in people, not all entrepreneurs are always full of perseverance. Difficult to copy, it is something I feel and put into action. Cannot be substituted, it is internal. 
• Friends with someone that uses a Chinese facility to create products
• VRIN: pretty valuable for the company I want to start. Can be rare, depending on the person. Cannot be substituted, you need to meet a person with this background.
• Mentor and teacher that sold his company for millions of dollars
• VRIN: extremely valuable, comes with years of experience and can communicate stories that share mistakes to avoid. Quite rare to have a multi-millionaire willing to teach you how he did it. What he has done can not be imitated. Difficult to substitute someone of that success and personality. 
• Enrolled in Business Plan Lab, ability to create business plan for venture
• VRIN: pretty valuable when looking for investments. Not rare, anyone can take this class in colleges that offer it. 
• Minoring in Entrepreneurship, building foundation needed to create venture
• VRIN: pretty valuable, gives foundation. Not rare, anyone can take this class in colleges that offer it. 
• Leadership capabilities resulting from reading numerous self-help books
• VRIN: very valuable, read of successful individuals. Anyone can read these books, does not mean that they are going to though. These kinds of books can be substituted with one another. 
• Ability to inspire others to see overarching goal and aspirations 
• VRIN: extremely valuable, this is what makes a business good to great. Quite rare, and it is hard to imitate because it is internal. Cannot substitute. 
• Possible capital from family if I felt as though the venture was strong enough 
• VRIN: pretty valuable at an early stage. Rare to find families that are willing to invest in your company because of risk. Can be imitated if family is willing to invest. Can be substituted with banks. 

Top Resource

• Connections with various entrepreneurs at different stages in the process

Being able to connect with and hear how entrepreneurs are doing along their journey is invaluable. I can get advice along each step of the way, which can relate to exactly where I am along my process. This type of advice is rare, and amazing that I have the opportunity to connect with so many people along their entrepreneurial endeavors. 

Assignment 22A: Elevator Pitch No.3

The Pitch 
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1l9i397TX7HeSsuW2yA4OicfeZdIm7Xx7


Reflection on Feedback
Something that someone commented on was that they could tell how passionate I was on my idea. Thus, I knew that it was important to keep that the same, and really translate that again in this pitch. Another piece of helpful advice was how I could provide more information describing the product, and explaining how it differs from what is currently on the market.

What I Changed
In this elevator pitch, I tried to make my concept of the product more visual by using more descriptive words. I also explained what is currently on the market, and how it does not fulfill the need as well as my product does. I definitely felt even more confident in this pitch than the last one.

Assignment 21A: Reading Reflection No.2

Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

The general theme of the book was assessing how entrepreneurs have been doing in the US over the past few years, and then dissecting what is was that made them successful. The book focuses in on the success principles and themes of their success, and leaves it to society to apply it into their own business ventures.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

I connected mainly with Drucker's definition of innovation, as it paralleled what we learned in class. He explains how innovation comes from a change that occurs, and an entrepreneur exploiting this change and creating something. This fills a need in the market, and is something that would benefit consumers, and thus a business is created.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

It would be to find major changes that have occurred in our society in the past century, and then finding areas to exploit in these times of change. Then, students can list possible solution they would have in response to these areas of change. 

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

My biggest surprise was how entrepreneurs were still able to foster innovation during what seemed like stagnant times in the US. Even while the US was at war, there were still businesses up and running that were successful despite the odds.

Assignment 20A: Growing Your Social Capital

Domain Expert in Industry 

• Martin Schaffel is founder of AVI-SPL, a company now worth over millions of dollars. He is now a professor at UF and teaches Entrepreneurship. As a student in his class, I was able to reach out and gain information from him.
• Mr. Schaffel successfully sold projectors, and did this by targeting his consumer and selling them the product. 
• He is able to help me throughout this process by telling me through his experience what actions he took that were and were not successful. 

Expert on Market

• Pablo is founder of the company Rootex, a local marketing agency. I met him at Startup Showcase in the Fall of 2018, and am now his social media intern.
• He has successful been able to target certain segments of a market through various social media analytics. 
• He will be able to assist me in reaching out to my intended customers, and receiving feedback to perfect my product. 

Supplier to Industry 

• Isaac is found of Imprint Genius, a local custom advertising firm that makes and order custom items such as T-shirts and phone chargers. Through a networking event of entrepreneurs, I was able to meet him and get to know the business. 
• He successful runs his own company with some friends, and is constantly producing new merchandise items.  
• By connections he has with a Chinese factory, he would be able to assist me in a prototype, and eventually full scale production of my product. 

Reflect

This is an extremely insightful experience, because you not only build relationships with other people, but get connected to an even greater network through their friends. You are able to acquire so much advice based off of experience, which is essential to anyone starting a business for the first time. 

Assignment 19A: Idea Napkin No. 2

You: I am good at being able to lead and manage others. This is important when it comes to working on a team and delegating tasks. In my short time here at UF, I have already gained so many entrepreneurial experiences. I have been able to hear from many successful business owners about what they did well, and not so well on their business ventures. This provides me some tips on what to do in my own business. My aspirations for this business would be to grow it to a national scale, meaning developing products that could be sold throughout the United States, and then stepping back from it and simply collecting royalties. Since I am able to envision where I would want to be 10 years from now (being profitable off the business), this is what drives my to work so hard each and every day.

What are you offering to customers: I am offering a convenient way to make earbuds less of hassle. This product reduces frustration, and allows customers to carry on with their day hassle-free.

Who are you offering it to: Specifically, this product would be for younger phone and laptop users. Those withing the age range of teens, to those in their 30s would most likely take advantage of this product. This would not include users that use Bluetooth devices such as Air pods or a no hands set connected to their phone.

Why do they care: There is nothing on the market that is being used massively on the market to solve this issue. This will be the new "trend" to solve this long standing issue. This is a product that saves people time and frustration.

What are your core competencies: I have a connection to a friend who already utilizes a quality manufacturer in Japan for his business. This would save my company time and money in search of a reliable manufacturer for my product. I am also good at being able to network with others, and leverage these networks for either my own business, or to help the business of others.

I believe that these five elements work together to build a strong business. Having good leadership skills allows me to take my company idea from imagination to reality. Also having a strong network within the entrepreneurial community provides me with plenty of experience and help to try and avoid as many future errors as possible.

Feedback Memo

• One of the things that I am told is that I do not give myself enough credit sometimes. I have way more to offer to others than I think. Thus, under 'core competencies' I added my ability to network with others and be a helpful resource
• I was also told that I am very descriptive when it comes to envisioning my future. There are not a lot of people in college that can definitively state where it is they want to be five or ten years from not. Thus, I added this attribute under the "You" section. 

Assignment 18A: Create a Customer Avatar

Photo

As shown in this photo, the potential customer is working on their laptop with their earbuds. They are busy at work, and like to be efficient. The man in this photo also represents someone in their 20s, which is my target segment.


Customer Avatar

• Hobbies would include using laptop and phones to watch YouTube, listen to music, and listen to Podcasts. 
• Many customers can be found binge watching their favorite shows on Netflix, Hulu, or other streaming websites. 
• Family life can be situational, however majority probably do not have children and spend more time by themselves. 
• Age is late teens and 20s. 
• They are the typical individual you see on the sidewalk plugged into their device listening to whatever it is of their interest. 

Questions

• Like the avatar, I can be found with earbuds, typically listening to audios on my way to my class. I do not think this is a coincidence, because I would fall into the same segment market as my avatar. 

Assignment 17A: Elevator Pitch No. 2

Assignment 16A: What's Your Secret Sauce?

Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique

1. Network: I believe in my short time already here at UF, I have established a solid foundation in my entrepreneurial network. I have friends that have ideas for businesses, starting businesses, and already have successful businesses. This opens the door to so much opportunity, such as furthering connections with manufacturers and distributors. I also so many mentors that I can always bounce my ideas off of.

2. Leadership Experience: I believe that every important business has to have a strong leadership at its' core. All of high school I was able to hold many leadership positions, such as president as SNHS, or an instructor in Seido Karate. Over the years, I have been able to adjust my leadership style into a way that allows me to better to communicate with others, and facilitate a productive environment.

3. Ability to Plan Ahead: I am able to look five years down the road, and have a pretty good idea about what my life is going to look like. This allows me to make each and every day productive and effective towards my goals. For instance, I knew in high school that I would be a Gator, which meant that I had to put in a lot of effort into my grades and extracurricular's. And here I am now :)

4. Constant Personal Development: Each and every day, my day starts by viewing my dream board. This gives me the motivation to read my personal development books each day, as well as listen to leadership audios. I find that I have been constantly growing as an individual over these past few months. For example, I find it easier to start and hold conversations with strangers.

5. Ability to Encourage Others: Whenever I see my friends that are struggling, or just need some positivity in their life, I always step in and give them the encouragement they need. I explain how they are simply just going over a hurdle, and the finish line is closer than they think. This includes struggles with school, family, or other friends. I can get people to see the big picture and to keep working towards it.

Interview the five people who know you the best

Alyssa - roommate
https://soundcloud.com/perlallabona/alyssa-recording

She said that I am a hard working and motivated individual that reaches my goals.

Izzy - sister
https://soundcloud.com/perlallabona/izzy-audio

She explained how I am well rounded, something that can attributed to doing the International Baccelaureate program in high school. I also do various skills from karate, to salsa dancing. On the emotional side, she says that I am emotionally stable, yay!

Lusan - Mom
https://soundcloud.com/perlallabona/mom-recording

My mom highlighted that I am dependable, and I only say things that I know that I will get done. I also set the example for my younger sister.

Nelson - Dad
https://soundcloud.com/perlallabona/dad-audio

My dad describes me as a leader. Someone who words through unforeseeable obstacles and overcomes them.

Charles - Boyfriend 
https://soundcloud.com/perlallabona/charles-audio

My boyfriend described me as a dedicated person that is able to accomplish whatever I set my mind to, putting distractions aside.

Reflect on Differences


I think my family, friends, and boyfriend did a really good job of describing my attributes. I agree with everything they said, even if it would not be the first thing that would come to mind about myself. However, when I thought about those attributes, I could think of examples in my life that would support that. I would not change my original list, because I believe that the things that they said can be used as supporting statements underneath each one.

Assignment 15A: Figuring out Buyer Behavior No.2

From what I found from my three interviews, price is one the main factors that influences their decisions. Since the three people I interviewed were college students, they said that they were on some sort of budget, and would not spend crazy money on certain products and services. Quality is another important factors to these segments. They did not want to purchase something, and then it breaks within a week.

This leads to how this segment purchases their items. For school related products, all three students chose to use online platforms such as Amazon, where they would look at the reviews and then purchase the item. They also chose card over cash.

For these customers, the "rightness" of the product was determined by if it worked as they intended. In other words, the product met their expectations. The purchase would have been a bad idea if it was not worth the money, or it did not live up to what it said online.

In conclusion, I would determine that this segment would purchase school-related products online, and would base their decision on reviews that others have written. Once they purchase the product, they would see if it lives up to it's expectation. It it does what it was intended to do, then it would be a successful purchase.

Assignment 14A: Halfway Reflection

What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course?

To keep up with this course, I have avoided procrastination. Being honest, I tended to procrastinate quite a bit in high school. However, I learned rather quickly in college that there are simply not enough hours in the day to get everything I want accomplished. Thus, I learned to maintain focus and not let assignments pile up. I try to complete them within a few days of them being posted. I also have trained my body to get an hour up earlier than usual to accomplish more. Think about it, if you just get up one hour earlier than usually every day, you have 7 more hours added to your week, and added an extra day to your life in just a month!

 Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up."

A moment I felt like giving up was when I had to constantly give out flyers to strangers for my job. This definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. However, I had to remind myself that that was part of my job, and I was getting paid to do it. I also focused on my long term goals, reminding myself that I am doing all this work now so I can live a life of financial freedom and peace in the near future. 

What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

The first tip I would offer would be to listen to at least one inspiring or motivation audio/podcast/video a day. This is something really easy to accomplish too, just listen to it on your way to class, or whenever you have a few minutes of downtime. 

The second tip I would offer would be to read at least 15 minutes every day of a self development book. This provides you with skills, actions, and examples of what it looks like to live a successful life. 

The third tip I would offer is to create a daily routine with successful habits. This includes the above tips of listening to audios and reading daily. You would also add physical activity. Success if the compilation of your daily habits. Thus, if you do successful things each and every day, you are setting yourself up for a life of success. 

Assignment 13A: Reading Reflection No.1

Shoe Dog by Phil Night 

Phil Knight 
From the biography of Shoe Dog, I learned of all the amazing obstacles that Phil Night had to overcome as creator of Nike. I was surprised to learn that Knight actually began his entrepreneurial story as a company named Blue Ribbon by selling a Japanese shoe called "Tigers". He found this shoe to be superior to what was currently sold in the United States, thus he decided he wanted to be the first to sell this shoe in the Western Hemisphere.

What I admire most about Knight is his persistence throughout his whole journey within the shoe business. He faced many difficult challenges, and instead of giving up like I am sure most people would do in his position, he pushed through until he was successful. He did not take "no" for an answer. He knew the value that he was bringing to the market, and worked arduously until this value was recognized. For example, Onitsuka of the Japanese shoe company tried to sue Knight because of his involvement with other shoe companies. Knight had to think on his feet quickly, and hire cousin who was a lawyer to be able to handle the situation. This brought Knight and his company to their breaking point, using all their resources and strategies to fight the case. Knight came out successful, and in the long run was able to create his own shoes rather than sell somebody else's.

What I least admired about Knight was the relationships that he severed in the name of businesses. For example, his long-time partner, Strasser, had a passed away before Knight and him could resolve their issues. According to Knight, Strasser no longer wanted to take orders from anyone and broke from Nike to join Adidas (372). Although this was a huge act of betrayal, it did not seem as though Knight took any initiative to work on their friendship after that event.

Knight was faced with great adversities and failures. In every case, he pursed to correct the wrongs, and build the company even stronger. An example of this was when he released the first line of air shoes. He had to issue a huge recall, because the paint was sharp and popped the air in the shoes out. However, he fixed it and was able to continue to profit.

The competencies that Knight had was his perseverance, ability to lead others, determination, spontaneity, influence when speaking with others, and his belief in his company. I think of all his attributes, the belief he had in his own company was the most important. This is what drove his each and every day to accomplish his goals and fight his challenges.

One part of reading that was confusing 
A part of the reading that I found confusing was the argument that Knight had with his board about 'going public'. I did not really understand what this meant, and why some were and were not in favor of going public. I do not think this was well addressed in the book, but it seemed to be a big issue as Nike began to grow big.

Two questions I would ask Knight

• At what point did you consider Nike successful?
• I would want to ask Knight this because it seemed that for the majority of his shoe career, he was usually struggling or never seem fulfilled in what he was accomplishing. Knight always sought more for the company and vision.
• Why did you never give up on your company?
• Knight was sued twice, once by a Japanese company, and another time by the US government. In both these cases, had he lost, his company would have gone out of business. However, he pushed through these enormous obstacles and it eventually payed off. However, from his position, he could not yet see the results.

For Fun

I think that Knight's definition of hard work would be constantly pursuing the goal until it becomes a reality. No obstacle is big enough if your dream is bigger. I would share this opinion because I do believe that individuals are capable of amazing feats when they truly have a vision. I see that anything is possible when you have a clear dream. 

Assignment 12A: Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment: College students that use earbuds for their laptop.

Findings of Research:
What I found from the people I interviewed is that their need to want to not have their earbud tangled is most salient when they are in a rush (ex: someone is calling them in public), and they need to untangle their earbuds to use them properly. The need is also apparent when they have a certain amount of time to study, and every second counts. Wasting time trying to untangle their earbuds is annoying. Typically, interviewers explained that they just complain about tangled earbuds to whomever is close by, usually friends or a roommate. One interviewer got so fed up with the issue that he went to Amazon to try and find a solution to this problem. They typed in "untangle earbuds"/

Draw Conclusions:
This segment is looking for a simple solution to avoid frustration. Whenever this segment is in a rush or out in public and urgently needs earbuds, they tend to wish they would untangle earbuds quicker.  They typically search online (i.e. Amazon) for possible solutions to this problem.

Assignment 11A: Idea Napkin No 1

You: I am good at being able to lead and manage others. This is important when it comes to working on a team and delegating tasks. In my short time here at UF, I have already gained so many entrepreneurial experiences. I have been able to hear from many successful business owners about what they did well, and not so well on their business ventures. This provides me some tips on what to do in my own business. My aspirations for this business would be to grow it to a national scale, meaning developing products that could be sold throughout the United States, and then stepping back from it and simply collecting royalties.

What are you offering to customers: I am offering a convenient way to make earbuds less of hassle. This product reduces frustration, and allows customers to carry on with their day hassle-free.

Who are you offering it to: Specifically, this product would be for younger phone and laptop users. Those withing the age range of teens, to those in their 30s would most likely take advantage of this product. This would not include users that use Bluetooth devices such as Air pods or a no hands set connected to their phone.

Why do they care: There is nothing on the market that is being used massively on the market to solve this issue. This will be the new "trend" to solve this long standing issue. This is a product that saves people time and frustration.

What are your core competencies: I have a connection to a friend who already utilizes a quality manufacturer in Japan for his business. This would save my company time and money in search of a reliable manufacturer for my product.

I believe that these five elements work together to build a strong business. Having good leadership skills allows me to take my company idea from imagination to reality. Also having a strong network within the entrepreneurial community provides me with plenty of experience and help to try and avoid as many future errors as possible.

Assignment 10: Elevator Pitch No1

https://drive.google.com/open?id=143GmobgXGU61BhOPfczsmil0Otu1LWMN

Assignment 9A: Testing the Hypothesis

Who: To my surprise, I found that people that wore wire earbuds to the gym actually did not mind them. I spoke with two interviewees, both of which explained a similar situation. They usually untangle their earbuds once in the morning, and they are set for the day. And at the gym, they do not mind the wires dangling around as they run on the treadmill. So it seems as though the category for the gym do not have this issue.

What: One interviewee brought up a point that I also thought of when initially conceptualizing this opportunity. There are earbuds on the market that do not have wires, and thus wouldn't even need my product.

Why: The issue of earbuds getting tangled is still the same issue. My throwing them in bags or pockets, they just naturally get caught within itself.

	Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who	College students using earbuds to connect to their laptop  College students that use earbuds to connect to their phone and do not have Airpods	People with Airpods People that do not mind taking a few seconds to unravel their earbuds
What	To save some time and frustration	Some elaborate device for earbuds
Why	Design of earbuds will probably not change, so there needs to be a solution

Assignment 8A: Solving the Problem

Problem:
Earbuds are constantly being tangled, and they are a hassle to untangle each time they are taken out of backpacks, purses, pockets, etc.

Possible Solutions:

• Product that allows you to put your headphones into this circular device, similar to that of the mechanism people use to attach their IDs to, and you can pull on it and the string inside the circular device unravels. When you are done with earbuds, you give them a tug and they ravel neatly back into the circular device. Below is the ID device I am referring to:

(source: google)

• Product that you can wrap your earbuds around, and has indents for you to lock in both ends of the earbuds. It would take just a few seconds to wrap the cord around this plastic device, and just secure the ends onto to prevent the earbuds from becoming loose in your bag. 

Assignment 7A: Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Tangles Earbuds

Opportunity:

Almost every college students knows the struggle of reaching into their backpack, and pulling out tangles earbuds.

• The who: College students
• The what: Have to always untangle their earbuds. 
• The why: The way earbuds are built. 

Testing the Who: 

It is not just college students that have this issue. I have seen adults using earbuds connected to laptop that also experience the issue. And vice versa, not all college students experience this problem. With the new invention of Airpods, it seems as though for a few there is a solution that rids of hassle to connecting audio to your phone. However, those with Airpods still need to connect to their laptops and tablets. 

Testing the what: 

Earbuds with wires usually always seem to give users an issue. This does not seem to be an issue with wireless and workout earbuds. The way the majority of earbuds are built make it a hassle to users.

Testing the why: 

Earbuds are made with long, skinny wires, that makes it easy for them to knot and become tangled. The way they are constructed causes them to get tangled up.

Interview 1:

My roommate told me of the last time she used her earbuds for her laptop, and that they were a tangled mess in her backpack. She explained that she never has an issue with earbuds when she is on her iPhone, because she uses her Airpods. However, she still needs to use normal earbuds for her laptop when she watches lectures and videos.

Interview 2:

This interview was conducted with an Airman in the AirForce. When I asked him about his last use of earbuds, the first thing he said was that they were tangled. He then went on to say that sometimes when he goes to workout his wireless earbuds are out of battery, and he has to use his apple earbuds. He says that it is annoying because they always get caught on equipment when he goes to workout. An additional note, sometimes the earbuds fall out easily.  

Interview 3:

Another student is a girl on my Big Idea Competition team that stated that every time she reaches into her bag or pocket, her earbuds always come out tangled. She explained that she always try to tie them in a way to prevent them from tangling, but they still come out tangled. She stated how if there was an invention to solve this issue, she would buy it. 

Interview 4:

One girl sitting next to me in the library pulled out her laptop, and then her earbuds. Just as I figured, there were knots all over them. I started a conversation with her, and she explained that she has to struggle with that each time she takes them out of her backpack. Her responses were pretty straightforward, but she essentially was very annoyed with having to spend about two minutes to untangle her headphones each time she wanted use them.

Interview 5:

Another student I spoke to was a good friend of mine, that constantly wears headphones as she walks to class for music and talking to her family. When I asked her about her day to day experience with her earbuds, she says that she usually does not have too many problems (since she is constantly using them), but every now and then she will find them tangled in her pockets. It annoys her, because it takes her time to untangle them each time she wants to properly use them. 

 Given your interviews, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn't know before? 

Each person has their own personal reason as to why earbuds can be annoying, however there is an underlying theme that untangling earbuds is frustrating and a waste of time. Even for people that workout, and may not have access to wireless earbuds, the wires are constantly getting caught on equipment. It also seemed as though people were eager for a solution. Being constantly frustrated resulted in them wanting a better day to deal with this day to day bug. 

Assignment 6A: Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

• Economic Trend: Global Demand is Strengthening
• Source: https://commercial.jpmorganchase.com/pages/commercial-banking/executive-connect/six-key-economic-trends
• I believe that an opportunity exists because European countries that have strong economic foundations, are big consumers of US goods. Thus, for domestic producers that are having trouble selling their product, they should consider looking abroad.
• The prototypical customer would be the moderate to wealthy person in nations of good economic standing, such as the UK, China, etc.
• The opportunity is easy to exploit because there are few barriers to sell your product or company abroad. As long as it fits within regulation, then many producers in the US are able to sell their merchandise abroad.
• I believe that I saw this because I recently read a book call The Four Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris, and he emphasizes the need to look abroad for opportunity. He is always encouraging people to utilize their resources, many of which can be found in India and China.
• Economic Trend: Baby Boomers aren't retiring
• Source: https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666
• I believe that an opportunity exists because here, we are talking about a whole generation of individuals with many similar backgrounds and characteristics. There can be an opportunity to make room for the new generation by finding different jobs for these baby boomers.
• The prototypical customer could be baby boomers that still want to make an income, however can do this from the comfort of their own home, or while traveling. They can work through an online platform. 
• I do not think the opportunity is easy to exploit because it would take years of work to get this in motion. Also, once the majority of the baby boomers transition to this new system, it would be difficult to get them to transition again.
• I believe that I saw this because of a long discussion I had in my high school history class about the baby boomers. They are a huge generation, and have affected the US in so many ways. As noted in this source, they prevent millennials from acquiring many jobs. 
• Regulatory Trend: Tax burden on harmful products
• Source: https://www2.deloitte.com/sv/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/regulatory-trends-in-the-consumer-business-industry.html
• I believe that an opportunity exists because an alternative version of these harmful products, like cigarettes, can be replaced with something positive and helpful. A product could be made with no harmful side effects to help people trying to quit negative behaviors. 
• The prototypical customer would be those that are looking to stop smoking cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, or any other form or type of drug.
• I think this opportunity could be easy to exploit, because there are many creative people out there that are probably already thinking of something to create to sell to these types of customers. 
• I believe I saw this because I think that drugs of all kinds should not be done in recreation because there are many harmful side effects. Thus, when I read the heading, I agreed that these harmful products should be taxed more. Hopefully this action makes people want to stop purchasing these toxic products.
• Regulatory Trend: Increase  in block chain technology 
• Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/01/five-crucial-challenges-for-blockchain-to-overcome-deloitte.html
• I believe an opportunity exists because this is an emerging trend in the world of technology. It has picked up in the last few years, and is exponentially growing.
• The prototypical customer could vary drastically, from banks, to teenagers learning a new tech gadget.
• I think this opportunity would be somewhat difficult to exploit, because one must truly understand what block chain technology is. Because it is so new, only a few have really understood and have been able to create products and forums for it.
• I believe I saw this because I just learned about block chain technology a few months ago at Startup Showcase. It seemed like such an intriguing concept, and the versatility of it was quite amazing. 

Assignment 5A: Identifying Local Opportunities

"Fla. student debt ranks highest in country"

Description of Story:

College students in Florida have totaled billions of dollars of debt by the time they are out of the education system. Florida now stands for the most student debt in all of the United States. Students are constantly taking out loans and grants to afford their education, and this causes numerous problems for students after graduation. 

Description of Problem:

The government is giving out fewer grants to students, and thus students have to take out more loads from their bank to afford their education. 

Description of Who has Problem:

College students that do not have sufficient financial aid, or other means to pay for their tuition. 

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0122%21January%2B22&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1711BDECA5359E98

"We must protect the youth from nicotine addiction"

Description of Story:

The usage of e-cigarettes has grown exponentially among the youth. It is reported that 1 in 4 high school students report current use of an electronic cigarette. Companies such as JUUL have skyrocketed in sales in the past year. However, there is nicotine in each pod, which becomes addicting. This is a huge health concern, especially since those that are using these devices are so young. 

Description of Problem:

Students are becoming addicted to electronic cigarettes because the majority of them contain nicotine, or 'nicotine salts', that are detrimental to one's health. 

Description of Who has Problem:

This article targets high school students, however the issue is much broader than that. There are also vast amounts of students in middle school that are becoming exposed to this behavior. 

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0122%21January%2B22&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1711BDEC21D9FC30

"Malls are fading, making way for new entertainment"

Description of Story:

Malls in Sanford are going to be closing down to make way for Henry's Depot food. This company is bringing in local chefs in the area to attract more attention and customers. 

Description of Problem: 

Malls are not able to drive as many customers as they use to be able to. Malls have to compete with new developments of restaurants and entertainment. 

Description of Who has Problem:

Those that worked at the malls will now have to find new jobs. The companies at the mall will decrease sales in that area. These block and mortar stores need to find more competitive methods to take on innovation such as that shown by Amazon. 

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0121%21January%2B21&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/171169386BD6E298

"City plans options for parking bikes"

Description of Story: 

Ever since Lime Bikes have been introduced to Orlando, people can see them downtown, UCF, etc. They are a convenient way to get around, and are easy to use with an app. However, they are randomly placed throughout the city, and do not have one central location to be found. Thus, officials will begin installing new bike racks for them soon. 

Description of Problem: 

As of now, the bike racks will only be lined with tape, which can easily be taken off by anyone walking the street. Also, users must now go out of their way to place the bike when they have finished using them.

Description of Who has the Problem: 

Those that live near downtown do not like the sight of the bikes randomly placed throughout the city. However, users of the bikes will not like having to place the bikes on specified area of the city. 

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0121%21January%2B21&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/17116937ED2EC5C0

"Food banks worry as shutdown nears 1-month mark"

Description of Story:

With the government shutdown, there are many in the area that reply on food banks for their families. There has been an increase in the need of food, and thus in places such as the airport, restaurants are donating food to these families. However, the issue arises with prolonged government shutdown. 

Description of Problem: 

A lot of these government workers do not have sufficient funds in their saving account to pay for their rent and utility bill that is approaching. 

Description of Who has the Problem:

Those that work for the government, such as security in the airport. 

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AORLB%21Orlando%2BSentinel%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0118%21January%2B18&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1710894109CD0C68

Assignment 4A: Forming An Opportunity Belief

Forming An Opportunity Belief

My Belief: I believe an opportunity exists when it comes to tangled earphones. I know I can speak from personal experience that this is the most annoying thing that I encounter each and every day. My earbuds for my iPhone magically tangle in my backpack each time I take them out, and my other earbuds for my laptop double the mess. A lot of solutions found online explain different ways of tying your earbuds so you can place them in a bag without getting them tangled. However, for people that are always on the go, how to tie your earbuds are probably the last thought on their mind. There are also a few flimsy looking products online that seem to try and solve the solution, however if they truly were amazing, they would be all over campus. I am about 70% sure that this opportunity exists.

Prototypical Customer #1: 18 year old female UF college student 

• Q: Do you ever experience your earbuds tangling together?
• "Yes" 
• Q: When/How often?
• "Almost every time I use them, usually because I stuff them in my backpack" 
• Q: What do you do when you find your earbuds tangled?
• "I try to untangle them so I can listen" 
• Q: Do you use any preventative methods to avoid your earbuds getting tangled? Like what? Does it work?
• "I don't but I probably should" 
• Q: Do you think there can be a better way to address this issue?
• "Yes" 

Reflection: 

• She seems to be like what I envision the typical college student, constantly needing to untangle earbuds from their backpack each time they want to use them. However, I will note that she does have Airpods, wireless earbuds. Upon a further discussion, she did say that she still uses earbuds when she has to use her laptop, or when her Airpods run out of battery. 

Prototypical Customer #2: 18 year old male in the Air Force 

• Q: Do you ever experience your earbuds tangling together?
• "Yes"
• Q: When/How often?
• "Every time I try to use them"
• Q: What do you do when you find your earbuds tangled?
• "I untangle them, sometimes scream, cry, then do it"
• Q: Do you use any preventative methods to avoid your earbuds getting tangled? Like what? Does it work?
• "Yes, I roll them up, put them in a secure place, but they still get tangled up"
• Q: Do you think there can be a better way to address this issue?
• "Yes"

Reflection: Similar to the previous prototypical customer, there seems to be a need for a solution to this problem. Even by tying earbuds like it says online, they still somehow seem to get tangled. This young man seems to get quite agitated each time he has to untangle them. 

Prototypical Customer #3: 19 year old female at UF Student Rec 

• Q: Do you ever experience your earbuds tangling together?
• "Not these [wireless headphones], but I do have earbuds that tangle"
• Q: When/How often?
• "Usually whenever I grab them from my bag" 
• Q: What do you do when you find your earbuds tangled?
• "I have to untangle them"
• Q: Do you use any preventative methods to avoid your earbuds getting tangled? Like what? Does it work?
• "I try to wrap them around my fingers and put them away neatly, but it usually does not work"
• Q: Do you think there can be a better way to address this issue?
• "Yes"

Reflection: It is important to note that for people that use wireless earbuds at the gym would not be a target audience for this potential product to keep earbuds untangled. However, as noted by another prototypical customer, they usually have another pair of earbuds that they use for their laptop. 

Summary: I believe that the opportunity belief is still there. Actually, by going out and speaking to people, I have reinforced this opportunity being a real problem in the world that still needs to be solved. My new opportunity I believe is more accurate, because it has now taken into account that there are people that use Airpods and wireless earbuds that would not care much about this opportunity. However, for the majority of college students that still use earbuds to listen on their laptops, this is thriving opportunity. Entrepreneurs should greatly 'adapt' their opportunity based on customer feedback because it is ultimately the customer that is going to purchase the solution. Without going out and hearing what people have to hear about a problem, then an entrepreneur is taking a shot in the dark. Nothing can beat the feedback of potential customers. 

Assignment 3A: My Entrepreneurship Story

My Entrepreneurial Story

     I did not have the typical lemonade stand-type entrepreneurial story growing up as a kid. Well, kind of. I remember helping my parents out for garage sales, and making bracelets to sell, selling them for a good 50 cents. I really thought I was going to make it big by doing that. Once I got into middle school, I used my bracelet making skills for various fundraisers that my school would host. To my surprise, they actually sold quite well. This got me to think about creation and consumers. 

     However, I left this hobby to pursue bigger dreams. Right around middle school is also when I would, and still, tune in to watch Shark Tank every Thursday with my dad. I love watching how problems that exist in the world are being creatively solved by families and couples as their hobby. This got me gears turning, and made me realize that there is so much more out there than a 9 to 5 job. Not only can you make a difference in the world, but you can also become successful along the way.

     Fast forward a couple of years, I decided that I wanted to enroll at the University of Florida. Upon finding that UF offered an Entrepreneurship minor, I was thrilled to start my journey. Thus, here I am today, enrolled in ENT 3003 and giving my entrepreneurial story. I hope to expand my creativity, bounce my ideas off of other students, and build the foundation of the entrepreneurial mindset. I know that this journey will not be easy, however all great do not come easy, if not everyone would be doing it. I am thrilled to expand my mind, collaborate, and take advantage of everything that UF has to offer. 

This is my Dream Board that sits above my desk as I work. It reminds me of the hard work I need to put in now, so I can enjoy the beautiful things that the world has to offer. Although not completely filled up, I will add more pictures and goals as I continue to learn and grow. 

Assignment 2A: Bug List

1. Tangled earbuds.
It exists because earbuds are usually made to be very long and skinny, causing them to easily get tangled when put inside somebody's pocket, backpack, purse, etc.

2. It takes too long for students to cross most crosswalks on campus.
There is lots of traffic (cars and buses), throughout most times of the day. Thus, the traffic lights are always being activated by vehicles on the road. Pedestrians then have to wait quite a while until they can cross the street.

3. Libraries are always packed during Finals week.

With the majority of students wanting a quiet and close place to study, libraries on campus become the go to location to study. The libraries can only handle so many students based on its availability.  

 4. Waiting for machines at the gym.
During peak times at the gym (usually early morning, and later afternoon), there are not enough machines to accommodate everyone that wants to use a machine at the moment. This causes people to wait around, and not have a productive workout session.   

5. Not being able to fill up a regular water bottle at a water fountain.

With the few normal water fountains that are around campus, you cannot fill up your water bottle all the way to the top because you have to tilt the bottle sideways, causing water to spill out. 

6. A large portion of the population does not recycle. Approximately 34% of all the waste that        Americans create is recycled (according to Planet Aid). 
There are certain parts of the population that is not educated on what materials they can and cannot recycle.There is another percent of the population that find it to difficult to recycle, they may feel as though they have to go out of their way (government did not issue them recycling bins, recycling bins need to be placed on curbside every week, etc.)

7. For students that live in dorms with a communal kitchen, it is a hassle to lug all your dishes        to wash.
The structure of certain dorms only has one kitchen for a whole floor to share. Since dishes cannot wash themselves, we have to take all of our dirty dishes down the hall and to the sink whenever we have to wash them.

8. Difficult to push out pills that come in a sheet.
Long nails and tough packaging makes it difficult at times to try to get medication out of its package. 

9. Hassle to shake out office sized trash bags each time you need to replace them.

Since trash bags are rolled up, so they have to be shaken out each time they are replaced.

10. Laptop is dying, and there is not an outlet nearby.

Since laptops have a finite battery life, they must be plugged into an outlet every few hours. However, not all parts of campus have outlets, such as the open area in front of Library West. 

11. Alarms in the morning are annoying, and can disrupt roommates.
Since alarms (no matter how good the song), are associated with having to get up, they eventually become quite annoying. Since they can be heard by the user, it can probably also be heard by other roommates in the dorm or apartment. 

12. Crossing the street in front of Graham Hall can take quite a while.

With traffic from cars and buses, there is constantly activity around the crosswalk at Graham. Drivers do not respect the pedestrian crossing sign, and thus students have to sometimes wait for the traffic to clear to cross the road. 

13. Forgetting keys in dorm.

Since the keys to our dorm are not constantly attached to us, it is easy for us to forget to take them on our way to class, especially if we are running late. They are not big enough, or do not catch enough attention in our mind to allow us to remember them. 

14. Waking up roommate with the sound of door closing, and light from the hallway in                      Graham Hall.
The doors in Graham shut pretty loud because the lock makes a high pitch sound when the door closes. The lights in the hallway are also kept on bright all night, and easily pour into the room. 

15. Planner looking disorganized with too many things to do on the agenda. 
Weekly planner for school are made too small, in addition to writing excessively inside of it makes it look unappealing to the eye. 

16. FaceTime in Graham Hall is constantly failing, or the connection drops.
The signal in Graham perhaps is not as strong as the signal that can be found on other locations around campus. There are also many users using their cellular devices at once in the same vicinity, which can possibly affect the connection. 

17. Only some classes are optional to watch online. Thus, if one is sick or something comes up,          there is no way of being able to watch the class.

Lack of budgeting for this by UF cannot allow smart technology to be placed in each and every classroom. Possibly fear of everything turning digital, and out-of-state students staying home and watching their classes from their. 

18. Hair ties breaking if pulled to hard.

 The rubber inside the hair tie can only take so much pull until it snaps. 

19. Always losing/misplacing the back of the earring that is meant to prevent losing your                  earring.

Back of earring is not made tight enough around earring stick to keep it in place. Too much movement can cause it to become loose and fall off. 

20. Not being able to resell older used class books.

The class could be too specific, thus not many students needing that book. There is not a platform that is extremely reliable, that gets enough attention to almost guarantee you will get your book sold.


Reflection:
   Overall, I did not find this assignment too difficult. As an entrepreneur, over time I have thought of several different inventions that could every day problems that I encounter. When these thoughts pop up throughout the day, I write them in a journal so I do not forgot. My first ten "bugs" came from concepts that I had written down in my journal. The last ten I had to do some extra thinking, but each idea came to me within a minute. I just visualized a regular day, and the annoying things that occur every now and then. From there, I was able to come up with the rest of my bugs.
   What I found more difficult was coming up with the WHY the bug exists. I had to really search and find the root of what causes each "bug". This exercise actually made me think of other ways that the problem could be fixed. 

My First Blog Post! ENT3003

Hello! This is Perla Llabona, first year student at the University of Florida. This is a test post to make sure that my blog is up and running correctly.