22A – Elevator Pitch No. 3

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oURwTAHChq8&feature=youtu.be

2. Reflecting on the feedback I received, I was pleasantly surprised with all the positive remarks. I attempted to take a different approach and throw some numbers in there to captivate my audience differently. Most people said that they enjoyed the examples I used previously and I want to keep the pitch relatable so I tried to stay along the same structure. I did appreciate the feedback about my energy at the beginning, as this is the one moment I have to grasp the viewers attention. I am very grateful for that recommendation and will keep practicing how to create that "Attention moment" at the beginning. 

3. I felt more comfortable making the pitch. Doing multiple pitches on the same concept allowed me to find a comfortable balance between selling a product and also selling an idea. This class has really helped me grasp the concept of how practice improves a skill set. I believe for a final pitch, I would like to completely memorize it and focus more on key pauses and times to raise and drop the energy level. Overall, this was another great learning experience and I am extremely grateful for the constructive criticism. 

20A – Growing Your Social Capital

1. Nike shoe designer for track and field innovation- Domain Expert

The first individual is based in Beaverton, OR. I have worked with a shoe team since 2015. I asked someone I am close with to refer me to someone outside of the team that I could speak to about a school project. As a professional athlete, having the best gear can be advantageous to provide a competitive edge to your opponents. Nike invests heavily into their research and development department so they can be the world's leaders in innovation. They strive to set the bar but also create patents to protect their work. 

When discussing the product with him, he was very intrigued as he hosts many meetings daily and weekly where many of his team may have issues with being completely present. As many members of the group are working multiple projects at one time, it is difficult to turn the brains off and solely focus on one project. This comes with the possibility of being called out of meetings to meet with people on other projects. He immediately found this as something of interest and believe it could help the quality of the meetings. 

Including this person in my network is beneficial to me for several reasons. I plan to have some form of future in this specific field at Nike and having a contact in the department could be a way to get a reliable reference but also have someone back the quality of work I provide due to our extended history and success. I believe concepts like "Campfire" additionally demonstrate my ability to locate opportunities and find a solution. 

The exchange I had with this individual was my napkin idea. Explaining the technological concepts, I wished the product to possess and seeing what ideas immediately came to him on ways I can better the product. 

This experience did not differ from experiences in the past as I am continually working to extend my network. I enjoy meeting new people and building relationships. It was easy for me to reach out to someone in my "target market" because I have witnessed the issue, first-hand, and believed the Nike employee could relate and appreciate this as soon as he heard about it. 

2. Pastor, motivational speaker, business owner-Market Expert

This individual works full-time and has two young children. As gaming and texting are extremely popular with the younger generation, getting his kids off the phone around dinner and homework time in a continuous battle. He has attempted to ask the children to avoid the phones during these periods but sometimes goes unheard due to the lack of support from his wife who also struggles to leave her phone from the dinner table. 

This individual was a guest speaking at a dinner I attended and I thought it would be a neat ice breaker to present my idea to him. I contacted him directly after his presentation and this was an approach others weren't taking, which enabled me to capture his interest. 

The exchange I had with this individual was presenting my elevator pitch and discovering how clear my message was. The return expectation was to receive constructive feedback that can help me introduce the concept and product more transparently while also convincing the individual that this is a "Must-have product."

This experience enabled me to see how quickly I could build my network because he was already speaking to other parents about similar issues and knew friends that would be interested in something like this.  I believe word-of-mouth recommendations go a long way with parents and they are always looking for ways to making parenting more efficient and beneficial for the entire family. 

3. Montessori teacher/influencer- Supplier

This individual is a firm believer in the Montessori method of teaching and is a mother. She is extremely passionate about getting children away from their cellular and mobile devices and getting them more involved with the real world. Having hand on experiences that enable them to process and learn differently. 

I found this person through a mutual friend. She is a teacher at a school my friend sends her daughter to. I am interested in the type of learning style and this was a good way to exchange information.

The nature of this exchange was both the elevator pitch and my napkin idea. The return I was expecting was tips of ways of improving both areas. Also, to learn more about the school. 

Including this person in my network would be huge as she is a teacher amongst hundreds of children and their parents who couldn't quickly learn about this product and spread the word to similar thinking parents but also to parents that don't have their children enrolled in the school. 

This networking experience was effortless as I was dealing with someone that thinks very similar to me. I will continue to expand my network but working through the current network and seeing what external connections I can make through that. 

Idea Napkin No.2

1) I am a professional track and field athlete that noticed how addicted people have become to their mobile devices. It was unbelievable to witness my training partners checking their phones throughout training to avoid the feeling of missing out. Several have even purchased apple watches so they don't have to go to the actual phones but can get the notifications as they are working out. 

The qualities that would help my success in starting this business up would be my ability to find opportunities and examine them from all angles. I believe my network and experience on the largest stage of the sporting world would have given me a different perspective on how to set goals and reach them. 

I would aspire to use the tools I have gained from my current job and pass those on to future partners or anyone I come into contact with. Regarding the product, I would immediately speak to investors I know and throw the product to them. This would not be to gain financial backing but to see if they like it or could refer me to a friend that is interested in this field. 

2) Campfire is a product that blocks the notification alert from your mobile device. This product does not stop incoming messages or calls from coming in. It merely prevents the alert, that may cause distractions, and hides them until Campfire is turned off or you go beyond the reach of the product. 

3) Campfire is made for anyone who wishes to bring their friends and families closer. Any professional that hopes to gain the undivided attention of their coworkers, staff, or students. All the customers I am focusing on, are those who deal with distracted people. 

4) People will pay to use the product because we all have the need to be social. Some want a deeper connection than others, but we are not meant to do life alone. Campfire brings back face-to-face interactions. It takes away the urge to be miles away and be present with the people around you. 

5) This product is not on the market, so I don't have to worry about setting myself apart. The most difficult challenge would be for people to participate once people have bought it. As all parties have to register and consent to be shut off, my greatest challenge would be convincing people that it is worth it. 

When reviewing these elements, I believe there is a genuine connection between these factors. I think that our need to have friends and be social help support the thinking behind the product. As stated, the greatest challenge would be convincing people that the new trend of everything being at your fingertips and turning that off and being present, will be very difficult. For the well being of our future generations, I believe this is the way we need to go. Balance is crucial in life, but this wave of mobile technology and the apps have taken society to a place where face-to-face communication is becoming secondary. 

I was extremely grateful and motivated to receive such positive feedback on my product. I do believe that this opportunity is incredibly relatable and something that the older generation can genuinely relate to. I want to continue doing a better job explaining the concept and explaining that everyone has full control of Campfire. With all the issues of privacy and hacking and all the additional unfortunate events we are experiencing with the technological security breaching, people want to feel safe. So this has to be at the forefront of the campaign. 

18A- Create a customer avatar

My customer would be the working mother around the age of 40. She has 2 or 3 children and a husband that is obsessed with Fantasy Football. All kids are active in extra curricular activities. She works out at the gym 3 days a week and drops the kids to school on the days she isn't training in the morning. Her commute is 45 minutes to get to the office, where she deals with people of all ages. She work in the HR department at the University of Florida. She is a fan of all Gator teams but enjoys hiking through the local parks when her favorite teams aren't playing. She drives a white Ford Explore and it is always fully of instruments or sporting equipment from her children. The entire family is into The Office and enjoy comic sitcoms. 

When the family gets a holiday, they like to travel to Europe and explore places they can practice the languages they are learning in school. As the kids are all in middle school, they have not decided what they will do for their universities but plan to study abroad as Gainesville seems too small. 

This family is the main party home for their neighborhood as many of the kids go to the same school and this family has the only pool in the neighborhood. They host many game nights and watch many athletic events at the house. Her husband also has weekly Fantasy Football watch parties with his coworkers. 

When searching for connections to my avatar, I can see that we are both travelers and people juggling many things. We enjoy the peacefulness of nature but also love large gatherings. I believe family is important to us and we wish to maximize the special moments we share. We believe that the world should be explored and not just heard about. To experience something is such much greater than to just look and dream. 

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

1. https://youtu.be/dj0zYLOUlGU

2. I found that the feedback I received was very positive. I believe I could have done a better job explaining the product more but hopefully I did enough to reel the customer in for more information. I am grateful for the support and hope after these last few assignments and lectures, I was able to create a better presentation to captivate a better audience.

3. I focused on my target market. Using examples to help people relate to the issue and discover how I presented the ideal solution. I find that if I am able to relate to a product, concept or idea, then I am more likely to purchase it. I attempted to use real examples in my target market and do enough to plant a seed of interest.

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

Interview 1

Before even discussing my product/opportunity, I wanted to gain a greater understanding of how the individual purchased electronics. He stated that "Word of mouth" is the way he selects anything. He doesn't try to go after the most marketed product but the ones that his coworkers speak about, are the ones he is will to research and then buy because he figures the coworkers would have tried it out first. For most electronics, he prefers to go to a brick and mortar location, as he feels more comfortable actually going through the buying process and also having the opportunity to speak to someone just in case any last minute questions arise. 

After he buys a product, he feels most comfortable when he feels the product perfect solves the opportunity. There are always unexpected elements that come with electronics, but as long as the software items don't take away from its primary purpose, then he is happy. If the products begin performing incorrectly or a newer model comes out right after he buys him, then he becomes upset as he always suspects the newer model will fix the opportunity in a fashion that his item will not. 

In the end, the subject did not focus on the actual method of purchase, cash or card didn't sway his decision of buying something. Fear of updates had a significant presence in the mind of the subject as he always wants to have the latest model. 

Interview 2

This lady was considered herself the "Amazon Queen." She is heavily online researching the newest gadgets and orders everything to be delivered to her home. The price of an item is significant. She believes that due to her detailed research with all electronics, she has a solid understanding of the value of most things. So when a fair price comes around, she immediately buys it. 

After buying an item, she then decides where it will fit in her office, home, or life. She strives to purchase products from the same company, so the items have the possibility of syncing up. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of items she buys, there have been some occasions where the items cross over and have very similar traits. Though they aren't identical, the is the occasional frustration with obtaining the same item.   

Interview 3

This man is not a large buyer of electronics but does purchase many items for his children. He challenges his kids to present arguments of why he should spend the money to buy the new items, and if convinced, he follows through. Price is a significant factor, as he must be sure that the items don't hurt the monthly budget too much and that no sacrifices need to be made because of this purchase.

This man splits the purchases between in-store and online as some items need to be experienced before spending such large amounts of money. Cash or card was also not a substantial factor, but there is a slight preference of credit card as they were able to track monthly payments easier. 

In the end, the father stated that he takes great joy in the happiness of his kids and when they are happy, then he is satisfied with the purchase. 

Summary

To summarize the findings, I believe there is a share of people that like to shop in the store and online. No one in the segment was set on the method of payment as most of the participants always carried cash and cards on them. I found the "Word of mouth" thinking unique as I thought a product having the highest exposure would be the selling point. But the first subject felt a bit more comforted knowing that his coworkers would have screened the product before he purchased it and he would also have some people to help him if there is something he doesn't know.