Reading Reflection No. 1

The book I chose was Shoe Dog, about Phil Knight, the man who built Nike. What surprised me the most was his persevering attitude. When he first had the idea of selling Tiger shoes in America, no one stood behind him. His friends, teachers, and father did not think much of his idea. Despite the lack of support from people around him, he still took the chance to fly to Japan and pitch his idea to Onitsuka's CEO. His determination is what I most admire.  He is very driven, which is a quality I hope to develop and strengthen over time. I also admire how he made it a point to maintain NIKE's ethics and integrity throughout the years. He treats every athlete that is sponsored with NIKE as a friend. When NIKE was developing, he made to include his team in major decisions and hold team building activities. I admire that he wanted to build a good company based on its morals and values. I least admired the fact that he was not a very good sales person and he seemed shy. When he made his pitch to Onitsuka's CEO, he was able to persuade them to allow him to sell their shoes, so I was shocked to find out he was not a good salesperson. Knight encountered different adversities. One of them was Onitsuka suing Knight's previous company Blue Ribbon. They were suing for costs that were accrued through a break in the contract. During this time, Blue Ribbon had decided to start officially producing its own shoes, NIKE. Instead of being bullied by Onitsuka, Blue Ribbon decided to sue back. They had information that even though Blue Ribbon was the distributor of Onitsuka's Track and Field shoe line through a contract, Onitsuka was still looking for another distributor. Knight was able to win the lawsuit because the judge saw he was the more honest party.

Some competencies I noticed was his ability to not give up and his ability to fight injustice against him. Throughout the beginning process of building his company, the only thing keeping him going was his belief in himself. By believing in himself despite other people's lack of support, he was able to keep a positive outlook on the future and what his company would become. He also does not settle when he thinks he is being wronged. In addition to the Onitsuka lawsuit that he fought back against, NIKE was involved in another lawsuit with the U.S. government. He was being sued for $25 million, for allegedly violating a customs law. Keds and Converse worked together to report NIKE to the government. However, NIKE fought against that as well and was able to settle for $9 million. 

One part of the reading that confused me was how unreal the beginning of his story was. He had graduated from his business school and had an idea that Japanese shoes would sell well in the United States. He then decided to take his idea and fly to Japan to pitch it, and his offer was accepted.  This confuses me because it does not seem like taking such a risky opportunity would be so successful that easily. I also do not think it portrays the reality of a lot of risks that are taken.

One question I would ask is, "What gave you the motivation to pitch your idea to Onitsuka?" I would want to know that because it seems like such a big risk and opportunity. I would want to know what made him think that his idea would be that valuable. Another question I would have is, "Was there ever a point where you felt like quitting altogether?". Being an entrepreneur is very stressful and unpredictable. Knight also faced various obstacles that wanted to ruin his company. I am curious if these obstacles ever got the best of him and made him lose hope. 

I think Knight's opinion of hard work is never giving up. Throughout his journey, Knight is very persistent with building his company and making it better. He also includes people in his team who share the same dedication and drive. By never giving up he is taking advantage of any and all opportunites that cross his path, which in itself is hard work. I share this opinion because I believe that someone can work on accomplishing a goal, but if they give up right when something goes wrong, they have wasted their time. Never giving up means you push past any boundaries and obstacles and that is the main component of hard work. 

Halfway Reflection

To keep up with the course I have been trying to do the assignments during the first half of the week to save myself enough time to work on them. This is especially important with assignments that require interviews to be done. For the quizzes, I will usually watch the videos on Thursdays and Fridays because there are a lot of them. I will make sure to take notes on the lecture and powerpoints also. Since declaring the assignment is the only way to get the points, I will do it immediately after I submit the assignment. I will also double check to make sure that the assignment pulls up the proper post after I submit it.

A moment when I felt like giving up was when we had our first elevator pitch assignment due. I had a very busy week and I also had an application due that night along with the elevator pitch. Because my week was so busy I ended up doing most of my tasks on Friday and came extremely close to the deadlines.  I almost wanted to give up and not bother submitting the elevator pitch because I was feeling so overwhelmed with all of the work I had to do. What pulled me through was my determination to get an A in this class. I also did not want to use my busy week as an excuse to not get my work done, because I was not the only one who had busy weeks in college. I also do not like the idea of having work that is not completed, especially when I know I can power through and complete it. I think I have developed a tenacious attitude over the past two months. I am taking 4 classes which means I have assignments due basically every day. Although it can be daunting when I look at an upcoming week, I do not let that stop me, and get all of my work done and turned in on time.

The first tip I have is to write out all of the due dates for the semester in your planner. This will keep you organized and you will always know what is due for the next week so you can start working on it. My second tip would be to not save your assignments for the last minute. This can leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed, making you want to give up. If you save yourself enough time to do your work you can get your assignments turned in early so you do not have to worry about them and start working on future assignments. My third tip would be to not let a bad grade keep you from doing good in your classes. Although it is disappointing to get a bad grade on an exam or quiz, you still have other opportunities to raise your average so you have to move on. Thinking this way will help you build a tenacious mindset because you are not letting one grade hold you back. Instead, you are pushing through so you can do better on the next assignment.

Figuring out Buyer Behavior No. 1

The segment I am focusing on targeting is University of Florida students who live off campus. I am also choosing to focus on those who do not have a car or scooter because they are forced to find alternate modes of transportation to get around. Although people who have cars and scooters do not use them all the time, they most likely use them to travel around at night, so they do not fit into the segment I am targeting.

Interviews:
1. The first person I interviewed was an off-campus male who did not have a car or scooter. His unmet need for transportation is most evident when he has club meetings or stays at the library studying until late. Most times he leaves between 12:00 to 1:00 am, so he ends up walking home at night. He is aware that it is not safe to walk home at night however, he does not feel scared because he does not think he will be targeted since he is a male. When he realizes it is time to go home if he doesn't want to walk home, he will take an uber or try to get a ride from one of his friends on campus. He lives about half a mile off-campus so he does not mind the walk home except for when it is cold and windy at night.

2. The second person I interviewed was a girl who also lived about half of a mile off campus. She mostly has the unmet needs when she is studying late in the library fo ran exam. Some days she ends up staying in the library until 1:00 or 2:00 am. Since she does not have a car she usually walks with a friend or takes an Uber home. She does not feel safe walking home at night because she is aware that females can be attacked at night. When she realizes the need to go home without having a car, she will usually look for friends who are also walking home, or she will pay for an Uber.

3. The third person I interviewed lives a little over half a mile away from the school, saying it is about a 12-minute walk to get home. She says she does not have the need very often because she tries not to leave campus too late. She does this because she knows she does not feel comfortable walking home alone at night. She says the robberies that happen also make her more scared of walking alone at night. When she does have to walk home, she will either uber if it is after 11:00pm or if it is before she will talk on the phone with someone while she is walking because it makes her feel safer.

Through my research, I had learned that the unmet need for night transportation is a need that is aware throughout off-campus students. However, as I had stated in previous posts, I do not think a lot of males would be affected by this idea because they do not feel as unsafe at night as females. I also learned that students walking home at night are more conscious of the danger they could be facing than I thought they were. They are actually trying their best to avoid being in the situation of walking home alone at night, and when they do, they try to take as many precautions as possible.

Idea Napkin No. 1

1.
My name is Agatha Robinson. I transferred to UF in the fall 2018 semester. I am majoring in Information Systems and Operations Management. since transferring to UF, I have had the drive and need to get more involved in the campus and help it improve. By the time I graduate, which is next year, I would like to see some of the change that I think would be beneficial to the university be considered by the faculty. This business would play a major role in my life because I thought of it based off of my own experiences. This business idea would be beneficial to me every day.

2.
The business idea is a new SNAP program made simply for off-campus students called SNAPX. SNAPX would run during regular SNAP hours from 6:30pm to 3:00 am, however it would take students to their off-campus apartments that are within 1-2 miles from UF. SNAPX would include a van set specifically for the off-campus route to make the ride as short and convenient as possible for off-campus students. It is meant to ensure that off-campus students have a safe and free mode of transportation late at night. SNAPX would only take students from campus to the apartments, not vice versa. SNAPX would be accessed through the same app used for SNAP. Drivers would notify students when they arrive to pick them up.

3.
I am offering it to University of Florida students who live 1-2 miles off campus and feel uncomfortable walking home. It is made specifically for students who end up leaving campus to go home late at night. Also, it is targeted towards students who do not have a car or a scooter to get around campus. Males and females can use SNAPX, however mostly females would use it because females tend to be targeted at night more than males.

4. 
Customers will care because it will offer a safe, free, and convenient mode of transportation late at night. They will no longer have to walk or uber home which costs money. They also do not have to wait at a bus stop alone outside which can be dangerous. Also, during the winter months, off-campus students will not have to walk home in the cold.

5. 
SNAPX would provide a free transportation service that it safe for off-campus students. Uber does have a discounted price for late at night, however, it is only for certain regions so it does not apply to some off-campus students. There is a late night bus, however, it may be dangerous to ride the bus at that time of night. Also, it may be running late so off-campus students would have to wait outside at the bus stop which is not safe either. SNAPX is free, would carry only UF students, and notifies the students when they arrive so students do not have to wait outside.

I do think these elements fit together. SNAPX satisfies an unmet need for safe transportation among the UF off-campus community. Weaknesses would be that I do not have the resources to get such a program implemented.  Also, if I were to get it started, getting another van for off-campus students were be costly. One last weakness is that since SNAP is a program offered by UF, leaving UF grounds could be seen as a liability if something goes wrong.

Elevator Pitch 1

https://youtu.be/ahjg8AOI6jk

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: One male I interviewed does live off campus however he has a car and scooter that he uses. Even though he does end up leaving campus late, he uses the scooter to get home so SNAP does not affect him at all. Another male I Interviewed lives about a mile said that a SNAP expansion would be a useful idea and he knows to would be safer for him to use it. However, he most likely would not use it because it would be very crowded and a long ride. Two females I interviewed both lived off campus and both had cars, even though they didn't use them often. However, one of them said the would not use SNAP even if it was expanded because they have friends who they could walk home with. Also, if they end up going to school late, they would just drive there. The last person I interviewed said they would not be able to use SNAP even if the route was expanded because she lives too far away. Her apartment complex is about 4 miles away and the SNAP would only be able to expand its route by about 1-2 miles in order to save time and money.

What: My need differs from the need of owning a personal mode of transportation such as a car or scooter. My opportunity offers a free solution to getting around campus without making a large investment. The need for off-campus transportation coincides with the unmet need of feeling safe off campus.

Why: The underlying cause of the need is the same for people inside and outside of the boundary because they all live off campus. Whether or not they fall within the boundary is a matter of the resources they have available to them such as friends or if they want to take advantage of any resources at all.

Inside the Boundary               Outside the Boundary

Who:                        Off-campus students who do           Off-campus students who leave late at night,                                   not have their own form of              but have cars, scooters, or friends who can

                                 transportation and leave late           drop them off. Also, off-campus students who

                                 at night.                                            who live too far off campus.

What:                       To provide off-campus                    To take UF students all around Gainesville

                                 students with a free and safe           and be a personal cab service.

                                 mode of transportation to their

                                 apartments during the night.

Why:                        A lot of off-campus students           During the colder months, since at night it

                                 end up walking home alone gets     very cold, it is difficult to walk to off-

                                 at night, which is not safe.               campus housing.

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Opportunity: Although SNAP is great for on-campus students to use at night, off-campus students cannot use it because SNAP does not take them to their destination. Off-campus students are then forced to uber, walk, or take a late night bus home at night.

• The Who: Students who live off campus and Student who use SNAP.
• The What: Off-campus students are not able to use SNAP to go home late at night leaving them vulnerable.
• The Why: SNAP does not do off campus stops, only on campus stops or areas just outside of campus.

Testing the Who: On-campus students who use SNAP already would also be affected by this. Also, the SNAP drivers would be impacted because they possibly would have to learn a new route or work longer. Also, females may be the ones to use SNAP for safety reasons more than males would.

Testing the What: Some off-campus students do not feel unsafe when walking alone at night so they do not need. Also, there is a late night bus that runs through Gainesville, however, students would have to wait at the bus stop at night and possibly alone which is not very safe.

Testing the Why: SNAP may only stop at on-campus stops because it is a University of Florida program, not a Gainesville program. Going too far off campus may be a liability for the school. Also going to off-campus stops may be more expensive for the school because of the extra mileage and gas being used.

Interview 1: My first interviewee was a freshman girl who uses SNAP often. She feels its unfair and unsafe that off-campus students cannot use SNAP. She understands that a lot of organizations require students to leave campus late and it may be difficult for off-campus students to find their bus to go home. She says if we had a wider route, then we would have more people driving which would be an opportunity for work-study jobs or other employment.

Interview 2: My second interviewee also uses SNAP often. She feels that is SNAP went to of campus stop, the rides would take even longer than it already does. However, she thinks that if SNAP expanded its route it would help off-campus students feel more included in campus social life. This student's reply tests my hypothesis because she reveals the reality that on-campus students might feel burdened if off-campus stops were added.

Interview 3: The third interviewee said putting herself in an off-campus student's shoes, it is an inconvenience that they cannot use SNAP. However, she feels that a new SNAP program would be a waste of time though because off-campus areas are so far and the trips would be longer. It would be inefficient and time-consuming. If SNAP expanded its route the interviewee thinks student who live on campus would be impacted more than off campus students, due to the fact that off campus students usually have cars or take the bus. It would probably be more time consuming for the students who live on campus.

Interview 4: My fourth interviewee is very upset that off campus student cannot use SNAP. She used to take SNAP when she was living on campus however, as she moved off campus, it doesn't apply to her. For her, there are things that she wants to do on campus ut she doesn't because if she left late she would have to take an uber or catch the bus, which is sometimes running late. This student understands the inconvenience of SNAP not being accessible to off campus student because she has experienced from both perspectives. She has experience SNAP as an on campus student, and now as an off campus one.

Interview 5: I chose a male as my fifth interviewee so I could get a different perspective. He said he does not use SNAP often however he does think it would be useful to off campus student if they could use it. It seems that even though males live off campus, they may not mind walking home at night. ALthough some males do use SNAP, I do not think the new SNAP program would affect them very much.

Based on the interviews I learned that some on campus students who use SNAP may find an expansion of the route to be an inconvenience for them. It seems that some SNAP rides already take a long time to reach their destinations so adding off campus stops might make the ride longer. I would have to make adjustments to the solution to fit this new discovery. Also, some males might not be the ideal customer for SNAP. It seems as though males do not use SNAP as much as females and their feeling behind walking at night differ. This shows me that the ideal customer would be off campus females.