30A- Final Reflection

When reflecting on the semester, I am astonished by how much I learned from the course. Initially, when told that the entire class would be done through a blog format, I figured I was in big trouble as I have only read blogs but never constructed one myself. I was not sure if I would have messed up when commenting or uploading the correct URL. Overall, there was a lot of confusion and fear but then I realized hundreds of other students might be thinking the same thing and eventually I would get it. 

The class did start slowly, and as I learned the structure of the course, my creativity began to grow. The lectures allowed me to view situations differently and the questions from my fellow students challenged me to think a little deeper. 

The most nerve-racking experience had to be the first elevator pitch. It is effortless to hide behind a computer and post, but when you have to put a face to the work, the entire thing changed. I immediately thought this was the make or break moment in the semester and I would have to hope for the best. I was pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback and to also see that my classmates were just as nervous as I was. Getting through this assignment was honestly the part of the semester when I knew it was all going to be ok. I won't forget this moment as I refreshed my browser repeatedly, waiting for the first response. But in the end, this was the moment where I realized I was not alone.

The moment I am most proud of in this class is the second elevator pitch. I was excited to set the camera up and find a new location that allowed me to show my new confidence. I was even proud of my "made up" product. I found myself beginning to look forward to the next assignment and learning the steps taken from having an idea of doing something about it. 

Regarding the entrepreneur mindset, I am not sure that I have entirely grasped it, but I can admit that I have grown a greater interest in the world of entrepreneurship. Shark Tank was my closest connection to this world, but I have come to realize that this show is based on steps far ahead of this class. This class is essentially the seed, and Shark Tank resembles the flower. But there are many steps necessary to take before reaching the end. I once thought patents were just bought and handed out but to discover these may take years to obtain, really blew my mind. 

The one recommendation I would take to future students is to keep an open mind. Do not try and take shows, past experiences, or even recent projects into this class. Be open to learning what entrepreneurship truly is and take in ideas, lessons, and examples from classmates and the professor to help form a greater understanding of the term. I spent the first three weeks comparing this class to a television show, and I believe this held me back from the uniqueness this course truly possessed. 

To perform your best in this course, I would recommend doing the assignments ahead of time and be sure to stay on top of the reading. The lectures are a lot of fun to watch, and if you are in Gainesville, I am sure attending the classes are even more exciting because you can get the interaction you lack online. 

29A-Venture Concept No. 2

Opportunity-
This area was very easy for me to locate as it is a problem I encounter daily. Whether driving, walking, flying, in a meeting, and even training, people cannot resist their phones. Consumed by what is happening in the world, society has lost connection with what is truly happening around them. When driving, I haven't been to a stop light or sign and not seen someone looking to their mobile device. Even if it's for seconds, this is a distraction that puts others at great risk. When walking around campus or streets, people don't bother to even watch where they are walking are peripheral vision has become the new primary vision and "excuse me" is used as much as Latin. Even at my daily training. My training partners will do an exercise, only to rush to their phones between breaks to take a selfie or make a post. These mobile devices have become so distracting and have taken away the face to face interactions once held in everyday communication.
The people who need this product are coaches, managers, professors, and parents. Obtaining the power to eliminate these technological distractions and gain the necessary attention to be present again.
The forces at play are the constant evolving of technology. Now watches are capable of making calls and answering text messages. There are so many devices to keep track of it is difficult to stay up with the trends. This is why Campfire is vital for the problem. Blocking the notifications that once distracted individuals from their surroundings.
The market for this product ranges from 10 years old to 50 years old. Essentially those that use mobile devices throughout the day but can't seem to focus on the tasks at hand. Whether that is from driving to physical training. Eliminating additional distractions to increase productivity and recreate the face to face interactions we experienced before the technological boom of mobile devices.
Currently, parents and professors can ask students and their children to put the devices away but this only delays the problem. Having this product would essentially eliminate the problem all together. When a meeting is about to occur, switch on Campfire and get the team's undivided attention. When a parent wants to recap the day with their children, switch on Campfire and get every detailed that once would have been skimmed over to return to a news feed.
This opportunity is massive as 5 billion people posses a cellphone and there are 7.53 billion people on the planet.
The opportunity window will be present until the face to face interactions become the norm again. As long as cellphones remain popular, Campfire will be in business.
Innovation-
The product is a mobile device that blocks the notification message from mobile devices. It does not block the incoming call or message but doesn't allow the owner to be distracted by in notification of information. Once Campfire is turned off, the phone returns to normal. I plan on selling the device at around $10 but having add-ons to help cover the cost of production and research that went into the production. Things such as the number of users that can be blocked and timed blocks so teachers or executives can time exams and meeting to keep the students and coworkers attentive during the session.
Venture Concept-
This product is the best way to capture the full attention of an individual or a large group. When you eliminate the distraction, people can focus again. The thinking is the same when a student in class is disruptive. If the student is removed, the class can focus on their work and most likely perform at a higher level.
It will be difficult to get people on board initially as privacy is such a big issue now. No one wants to think of someone having control of their possessions. But once people see how safe it is, then people will get on board.
There are currently no competitors and the only weakness would be that once the product is released, there has to be enough protection on the IP that others cannot just copy the concept.
Packaging, price points, distribution, customer support, and the customer experience are all things that have to come into serious consideration but are all things that would be researched and discussed with other individuals that know the field and could advise my team to make the right decisions out the gate. 
The size of the business would grow with the company. I don't wish to be too large at the beginning and put myself in a financial hole. But I want to be able to also keep up with demand if things take off from the start. Again, this is an area I would hire a respected professional in the field to advise us on the correct numbers to prepare for both scenarios.  

Feedback

I was pleasantly surprised with the feedback I received but also discovered that this wouldn't be an easy battle. People do not like the idea of losing control and the freedom of their devices and want to be able to use them as they please. I will continue thinking of ways to find a balance with the issue of freedom and security but overall felt that people appreciated the idea behind the product. 

28A- Your Exit Strategy

I am very excited to consider the possibilities Campfire may hold for the future, but I also don't think this will be a necessity when the next trend comes along. If I were able to gain substantial momentum at the beginning and become a respected name in the technology field, I would be very pleased. Becoming a helpful tool in homes and workplaces. But the ideal situation would be that another company would want to come and buy the idea, product, concept, patents, or whatever from me and then provide me with a royalty check for the rest of my life. I am not looking for some life-changing buyout, but a nice security blanket to fall back on in case of a "rainy day." 

I have chosen this exit strategy because I believe the technology field is extremely competitive, expensive, and constantly upgrading. Staying up with the latest trends and software almost seems impossible. You have to strike while it's hot and knows when to get out. I don't want to miss my window and end up putting myself in a financial hole that hurts my family in the long run. 

I believe this exit strategy impacts my plans with the company. As I hope it to be a one hit wonder, I think this puts a creativity block on the potential the product may possess. As some may be looking to add accessories or branch out, I wish to maximize what I have and then get out. I firmly believe the opportunity is there and there are so many families, schools, and businesses that could immediately use this product, but I don't see much expansion from there. 

26A- Celebrating Failure

One of the biggest fails I had this semester has to do with my textbooks for my classes. I always like to plan, and as soon as the syllabus is released, I always try to beat all my classmates and get the textbooks before they sell out. Well, this backfired for me this semester. I am traveling quite a bit and spend the majority of my time in Vienna, Austria. As all the syllabus became available at the beginning of the semester, I ordered my books and sent them to Florida. I don't know what I was thinking, as I wouldn't be in Florida for another two months and didn't know if they would even send them back.

To make matters worse, I had all my mail forwarded to my parents home while I'm out of the country. So even when I got to Florida (two months later), my books weren't there. I had to wait another two weeks for my parents to drive down and visit me to deliver all my books. 

You can imagine it was a rough start to the semester as many assignments, exams, and lectures reference information from the textbook and I hadn't had mine for months. I used this situation to make several friends in my other classes and sometimes even get photos of pages in the book in case there was a graph or other illustrated I needed to see. 

The biggest takeaway from this was to pay closer attention to the detail. Doing things as quickly as possible is not always the best solution, and if I had taken the time to look at the shipping address, I would have saved myself from 2 and a half months grief.  

When tying this into failure, I believe you have to focus on the solution. Problems will always arise, and many times you will not solve things on the first time, but staying positive and being creative will help you figure things out. As a result of this exact dilemma, I found that working with someone on assignments helped me retain the information I was learning even more. I think this is why we do a discussion post in this class. This allows you to gain a different perspective on issues but also to think more in-depth about the issues. 

This class has massively changed my perspective on failure as it is typical of entrepreneurs. I have learned to accept failure head on because they are all learning opportunities. The idea of "Failing forward" has been one of the great takeaways I have had from this class. 

25A – What’s Next?

Existing

After conducting interviews with those in my existing market, I was still presently surprised with the positive feedback I received over Campfire. Many of the participants struggled to understand how the messages and calls wouldn't come through but still be saved on the phone without any form of notifications. Others worried how the cell phones companies would influence the capabilities of the product and if there would be add-ons or limits as these are always areas used to make more money. The most common concern was one of security. What steps would be taken to ensure the product could not be hacked and all private material would be safe. Especially in larger settings. 
The future holds room for greater research. Staying ahead of hackers is a constant battle in the technology world but these individuals have created a fear amongst mobile device users and now this element has to be looked into with great concern. This would be an area that consumes a lot of the budget as one hack could jeopardize the reputation of the company and greatly influence the momentum of the success or failure.


New 

To reach those in the new market, it has to focus on adding additional features. I described the capabilities of the item but then people  wondered how to get wifi on the product also. I believe this demonstrated how distracted w have become. The greatest improvements will be to continue to cut down on the size of the product, increase the strength, and create more security. 

I was very surprised that many people already had a general idea of what an item like this would cost or what they would be willing to pay for this. I believe this information could be extremely helpful when deciding how to price it and make it a competitive product in the very competitive technology shelf space. 

23A – Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. Human Capital- Possible investor connections from athletic connections

V- This decreases the amount of money I may need to ask the banks for as there are people willing to invest in the concept. 

R- Having solid connections with people that have the financial backing is extremely advantageous when attempting to getting a start up going. 

I- Others may have connections also but I believe most of my connections would be people that genuinely believed in me more than the product.

N- I could go to a bank or credit union to get a loan but this would add additional stress to a stressful situation

2. Lightweight(Nike connections) 

V- Knowing those that have to construct creative ways to make something lighter or look beyond what is currently available is vital. 

R- The creative minds in this company have many projects to work on themselves and its a privilege to be able to have their contact. 

I- Many of the best ideas are protected by patents but learning how the ideas came about could be a valuable way of constructing the next method to use to get the best product. 

N- I could reach out to others in the technological field but I am all about outside thinking and seeing how different perspectives can lead to different results.

3. Social Media Platforms-

V- Using my personal social media to great exposure for free

R- I have an established brand and I can use it to promote the item. Normally influencers would have to be paid. 

I- It's not that hard to copy but it is advantageous to have a platform with a solid following to start on. 

N- There are thousands on influencers that could use their platforms to promote an idea. 

4. Large audience-

V- Marketing during a global competition would bring many eyes to the item. 

R- I could use the Olympic Games to market my item during the largest sporting event in the world

I- It is difficult to get valuable spotlight during such busy times, especially if you aren't an Olympic Sponsor but I would use any media opportunities as avenues to promote the brand. 

N- Because of certain rules, only Olympic brands can market during this time. 

5.Human capital- Interested people to start up company

V- I don't have to search for people to hire as there is already a group of people interested in the concept. 

R- Finding people that believe in the vision just because of a napkin pitch demonstrates great belief in the product. 

I- Building a support staff of qualified people without having to host formal interviews is a great opportunity.

N- There are companies that help connect candidates with companies but they cannot establish the chemistry these individuals have already created. 

6. Global office- Freedom to work from anywhere

V- This allows employees to work from any location they please. 

R- Most start ups like to work very close to each other to ensure everyone is on the same page.

I- Many companies are conducting meeting from across the world but I don't believe many start ups begin in this manner. 

N- There are programs on different Microsoft programs that multiple people can work on the same thing at the same time. 

7. UF connection

V- The Alumni Association strives to help former Gators better their future. Making a connection through this avenue could be better than searching for someone external.

 R- It's an opportunity to work with someone that may have shared a similar school background with you. 

I- Only Santa Fe students can relate to going to school in Gainesville.

N- This is a very unique bond graduates share. 

8. Secure hotspot

V- This will bring more users as safety has become a crucial standard everyone is looking toward. 

R- Some hotspots can be easily hacked and this puts many parties in danger. Have a password protected one allows for all users to be protected. 

I- It is unfortunately not too hard to copy. 

N- There are signal blockers that provide the same security. 

9. School connections

V- I have established strong connections with many schools in Georgia, Florida, and California

R- It is difficult to create a trusted name or brand amongst schools as the students well being is always in the minds of parents and teachers. 

I- There is value in set relationships with elementary, middle, and high schools. 

N- It would take competitors time to establish themselves in the schools after my company got in there first. 

10. Sponsorship connections

V- The companies I work with have strong connections in the technology field and can be extremely beneficial when looking for additional connections. 

 R- Having a connections that creates a solid network can be extremely beneficial in the beginning. 

• I believe the financial connections is the greatest element at this point. Having the support to create a product and not have to put myself and the company in a financial hole is one step ahead of the competitors. Surely the investors would want a return but he pressure would be completely different as they would be close friends.