Week 15 Reading Reflection

The biggest surprise to me in the reading was the fact that this business sold exclusively to women only. Their researched suggested that women were more likely to reinvest their profits into the community and their home which I also found a bit more surprising. 

One thing that was confusing was how the guy started off his pitch to other companies because form how it sounds, they were not intending to be a non-profit at first and then change into a for profit business. Not sure exactly how to explain what was messing me up.

How do you feel about micro-financing? and would you invest in a micro-financing start up?

There wasn't anything I thought the author was wrong about.

Final Reflection

As the semester comes to an end there is a lot of things I find myself reflecting on. This class was one of the bigger pains because honestly there was so much more work I had to do than I thought I would need to at the beginning. However, now that I have reached the end I am glad that it was more work than I thought because it pushed me to do a lot of things I wouldn't have otherwise, like interviews with strangers. I learned about budgeting and raising capital for a business. I learned that Entrepreneurship isn't something you do it's something you become and something you can definitely learn just by changing how you think. Realistically I am just glad to have been able to change how I think about certain things because sometimes we as people mentally reserve things for people we think are "more qualified." Sometimes that's not even the case. I learned that I can push myself to do much more and overall I am no longer that scared of what it means to be an entrepreneur and start a business.

Elevator Pitch No.4

Venture Concept No. 2

Summary of Feedback
In general the feedback I received for my venture was pretty positive. People see use for my business at night and especially on the weekends which makes me think about possibly extending the service into the weekdays to see how well it fares. People were skeptical about the vending machine however. I think it would be convenient to get refreshment during your ride but someone mentioned that would be like trying to make a profit off of Uber's "free water and gum" in some aspects. I didn't see it this way but maybe that would be true and actually hinder my service. 

What I learned
In the new concept I have removed the vending machine portion because I think it may need to be revisited before implemented into my service. 
Overall, I learned that even though some ideas may SOUND great, the execution and implementation of the idea can be a lot different. In the end some ideas could end up really bad for business. It's hard because in business you don't ever want to become complacent because successful businesses grow with the times BUT at the same time some ideas might put you against the time and end up hurting you even though you were trying to move forward.



The Opportunity
Here in Gainesville, we probably have the best bus system in Florida. However, this doesn't include the weekends because on the weekend here in Gainesville the bus doesn't take you anywhere after 6 p.m. and there is no guarantee that an Uber will always be cheap enough to afford. A lot of small, cheap trips will eventually add up.
For students, life doesn't stop at a certain time on the weekends and one should certainly not be forced to plan out there day with an hour of time to account for when the bus may or may not arrive. Students need reliable and stable transportation on the weekends at all times not just during the day. Sundays are the worst because after 10 p.m. it's as if the entire city has turned off in preparation for Monday. The Students of UF and many other hard working people who make work odd hours and still need reliable transportation on the weekends. RTS and Uber are not that when the weekend begins after you clock out on Friday. This is a big opportunity for another service because I believe that while it will serve the people who need to get around on the weekend currently it will also empower and persuade people to do more things on the weekends here in Gainesville because they are confident in being able to get around and get home if need be.
Innovation
A new shuttle service could be implemented to supply the market demand for travel on the weekends. I am offering a shuttle service called Swift that would run 24 hours on the weekends here in Gainesville. It would serve customers on a number of routes with 3 specific ones being considered main routes with more shuttles to decrease wait time and travel time. The shuttles will not be bigger than SNAP vans and this is because the bigger the vehicle the harder it becomes to get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time. The service would decrease travel wait times to at 10 mins at least and aim to get people from archer to Campus in less than 15 minutes. The shuttle would also be outfitted to have customers step into the van and sit around the inside so as to allow easier and quicker boarding and departure from stops. The shuttle would cost $2.50 per ride and it doesn't matter how far you go. I would like to someday include snacks as well so that customers can feel like they are on a Jet blue plane while riding my shuttle service.
Venture Concept
The implementation of swift solves two major problems people have on the weekends. Getting around and the long wait times for the current transportation in place. Not only this but it will give students and others the opportunity to be out longer and be able to get more things done outside of the house without needing to ask a friend for a ride or relying on the bus. I believe customers will buy my innovation because though 50,000 students are enrolled here at UF not all of them have cars and those who don't could benefit from a service dedicated to getting students where they need to go at any time on the weekends. Right now most people rely on the bus and Uber if they don't have cars and after a while if that is what they deem is reliable then that is what becomes the norm. I believe I can get people to switch over to my service because Swift does not have a pricing model nor does it have surge pricing at certain times based on demand. Swift would be much faster than RTS and would be a great alternative to the later gator when it stops running at 3 and people are left downtown and at midtown to find a way home. As far as a business I would buy up a lot with a decent sized office space to run logistics of the operation. the lot will be for the shuttles when they need to be changed out and parked over the weekend and during the week. I believe I would need about 6 employees to start. First would be my financial officer who would oversee the financial state of the company and the inflow of money through transactions and so forth. Second, a tech expert who would over see our website and mobile application. Third, a communications officer that would handle all communications of the business. to compliment them I would also have a external communications officer to handle communications with customers and outside influences. Fifth I would have an advertising and marketing head for the business and last a driver supervisor who over sees the work of all the drivers, en route. I believe this is a service truly beneficial to the people of gainesville.

Week 14 Reading Reflection

While doing the readings for this week I did not find any major surprises. What I read for the most part met my expectations and aligned with some of the values I have when it comes to the Entrepreneurial mindset.

I was not confused at all. I internalized most of what was read. 

First I would ask, how do you carry the Entrepreneurial mindset within your own endeavors? Then I would ask how he addresses some of the common ethical issues faced in the Entrepreneurial world?

I don't think there was anything the author was wrong about.

Google Gold

Now that I think about it I haven't really tailored my posts be optimal for searches. Half the time my titles are the ones that said to be put in the assignment once you are done. However, in other circumstances I approach SEO with a simple process: people only like to read about things they find interesting. May not be exactly true but that's what I use to guide my titles and word choice. 

I don't have a particular set of key words to be honest. There a millions of searches each day on google and so I play around with words to see exactly how much they pull when searched in Google.

I used social media to enhance my blog almost never, which I regret. It wasn't until recently that I began to understand that even though this blog was for class it was still considered something to add to my portfolio. If I did though I would strategically share the link a couple times on Facebook and twitter. On Instagram people like visual content more than anything so I wonder how exactly I would've promoted my blog on their besides putting a link to it in my bio.

My most viral post was the top twenty percent. I think it was the most viral because of the business I chose to spotlight which was RAWE Recruits. It's a start up here in gainesville and it has a great purpose in helping more high school athletes get noticed, especially the ones who perform both outside and in class. 

Finally the farthest I have made it to on google sadly is the ninth page. It's not extremely horrible but it's not the first either so clearly I have lots more work to do. 

Very Short Interview Part 2

So I went back to "The Shoe Surgeon" to get the final part of this interview...

Looking back on the first interview I feel like there are some things I can actually relate to. Sometimes in school we bypass things to just get assignments done and forget to actually listen and learn. Now as a more seasoned Entrepreneur, or at least I'd like to think so, I can see what he meant in his responses.

Here's what I asked him now:

1. Are you happy?
Yes, I actually think I am. 

2. Even if your trade didn't become fortune hundred status, would you still continue to do what you do?
Of course. I love what I do and I don't think that becoming that big is what I have in mind because in the process you would lose the personal connection with the service you offer. The products I provide are hand made with care and my bare hands. Becoming that big would take that aspect away from me and my brand entirely. 

3. Do you have an exit strategy?
Honestly, no. This is something I want to do until I simply can't do it anymore. If my children want to take up the mantle and follow in my footsteps I would be glad to show them what I do and how to make their own creations and express their creativity. 

In this interview I was much more comfortable talking about Entrepreneurship because having had a taste of many of the things that have to do with the concept I understand that it is a process just like everything else. I also understand that like every process it isn't always for everyone, and more importantly, that that is alright.

I think I've progressed because of the questions I asked. No longer am I concerned with the profit and opportunity aspect but rather if it is something that I would be invested in, personally. Enough so that I would pour my soul into it before letting it fail.

Week 13 Reading Reflection

One thing that I found surprising was the level of questions and analysis that went into evaluating the worth of a business. When I see start ups that are valued in the millions and even billions I wonder how people got to that number. Now I have more of an idea as to how they do that.

One part that I found confusing was how the seller will always see his venture as worth more than a buyer thinks because of how much he has put into the venture. I understand that people want to find the lowest possible price to buy something but is it not possible for people to be understanding and empathetic of why a seller would value his business at a certain number. Granted if it is not worth that by any means then it just isnt. I just dont think people should by pass the conversation just because the assumption is that every seller may be this way.

Have you ever been in a position where you had to value a company or service? If so how did you make up your mind and was the owner of the business satisfied with the number or disappointed?

I don't think that the author was wrong because I have never been in a position to value any kind of business. However, I do think that LOI's are not that cool because it basically cuts off other avenues for better deals for businesses and corporations. I understand it's about security but at the same time business men are the first ones to make a slimey move and say "it's just business."

Celebrating Failure

1) One time I have failed this past semester was with my Writing for Mass Media class. Though the assignments are not generally hard, AP Style is literally the bane of y existence. As much as I have tried it seems that no matter what I do I would always mess up on an assignment. 4 weeks into the class I had an F in the class and I almost had a heart attack.

2) Failures in this class have taught me that even though things can be going bad, you juts have to keep going. Also, to not give up on quality and hard work because then I would've really been in a bad spot when it comes to that class.

3) Failure will sometimes be the hardest thing you experience. It will challenge you and it will push you. It will make you question yourself and the world around you. It is something you can't escape and you are foolish if you ever thought you could. For a long time I saw failure s an opportunity to grow however that was back when I rarely failed at things and everything else seemed to just fall in line. After this semester I can say I have been tested time and time again and I realize now that failure is something that will break you, so that you can rebuild again and again with new knowledge information and experiences. I see the world in a much different light now.

Exit Strategy

1) Honestly, I don't really know what I do with the company because it all depends on it's success. If it is successful here in Gainesville I would want to know how successful it is in comparison to other transport services and if people are interested in having a similar services in other places.

2) I have chosen this because I think it's important to just see where things go sometimes. There isn't anything in life that is really a sure thing and a business venture is one of the biggest ones on that list. Also, I would want to know that people actually wish my service existed in other places before i considered expanding.

3) I think this exit strategy has affected other decisions I have made because in the end I am willing to try lots of things to see if the product would become more or less successful. It may have blinded me from taking advantage of certain opportunities because I haven't been exactly committed to the ventures success no matter what.

What's Next

Existing Market

The next thing I think that should added to my service is a tangible product that can be offered at the point of sale or with the service. The tangible product would be liquid refreshments for customers to provide them with convenient refreshment as they go from one place to another. 

There are many things you could do with a ride sharing service but what makes the most sense is giving my customers more value to the service that I am already trying to provide. This would improve the number of turnover because for the price I feel customers will see that they are getting more in the end. This would also increase customer loyalty because I would be providing a superior service time in and time out. 

New Market

The new market I would want to reach are non-students and less affluent members of the Gainesville community. Currently I have been focused mainly on just students here in Gainesville.

I think my concept and new addition can create value for this new market because there are a lot of non students who may not want to waste gas getting around Gainesville using their car. Technically this service would be efficient enough to get people to their destinations in a time fashion even if there is traffic. Also because it would run at any time on the weekends, patrons would be able t get to more places at hours that were not before possible.

This market seems to be a good target but it may not be as promising. I dont believe three interviews  are enough to get a good feel for the target audience. However, there is potential and I'd rather try and provide a service to that market so that I potentially capitalize on a huge opportunity. I want to then test out a variation of the service for more affluent members of the community.

Week 12 Reading Reflection

One thing I found very interesting was how the book incorporated the SWOT analysis to evaluate a businesses strengths and weaknesses. I have only ever seen the SWOT analysis used in evaluating events and lesson plans.

One thing I found a bit confusing was the section on "Bureaucratization versus Decentralization." I found it confusing because I feel that as a firm grows they are both two concepts of an overall problem with expansion. It seemed like either one or the other happens and I think in a business especially one in transition to a more corporate feel goes through both and more often than not, at the same time.

If I could ask the author two questions I would ask him first, how much does the environment really affect strategy? and is better quality more beneficial than creating cost innovation?

I don't think the author was wrong on anything because he has much more experience in the field of entrepreneurship and concepts that are and have been unknown to me for a while. However, I do question sometimes the guidance of some of the rules because I personally don't believe there is one way to do things and n matter how much you show someone to do something it will always become a variation that fits their personal style.

Venture Concept No.1

The Opportunity
Here in Gainesville, we probably have the best bus system in Florida. However, this doesn't include the weekends because on the weekend here in Gainesville the bus doesn't take you anywhere after 6 p.m. and there is no guarantee that an Uber will always be cheap enough to afford. A lot of small, cheap trips will eventually add up.
For students, life doesn't stop at a certain time on the weekends and one should certainly not be forced to plan out there day with an hour of time to account for when the bus may or may not arrive. Students need reliable and stable transportation on the weekends at all times not just during the day. Sundays are the worst because after 10 p.m. it's as if the entire city has turned off in preparation for Monday. The Students of UF and many other hard working people who make work odd hours and still need reliable transportation on the weekends. RTS and Uber are not that when the weekend begins after you clock out on Friday. This is a big opportunity for another service because I believe that while it will serve the people who need to get around on the weekend currently it will also empower and persuade people to do more things on the weekends here in Gainesville because they are confident in being able to get around and get home if need be.
Innovation
A new shuttle service could be implemented to supply the market demand for travel on the weekends. I am offering a shuttle service called Swift that would run 24 hours on the weekends here in Gainesville. It would serve customers on a number of routes with 3 specific ones being considered main routes with more shuttles to decrease wait time and travel time. The shuttles will not be bigger than SNAP vans and this is because the bigger the vehicle the harder it becomes to get from point A to point B in a reasonable amount of time. The service would decrease travel wait times to at 10 mins at least and aim to get people from archer to Campus in less than 15 minutes. The shuttle would also be outfitted to have customers step into the van and sit around the inside so as to allow easier and quicker boarding and departure from stops. The shuttle would cost $2.50 per ride and it doesn't matter how far you go. Also for customers convenience each shuttle unit will be outfitted with a vending small vending machine to provide refreshments such as water and juice to help patrons better enjoy their ride and the overall experience. I would like to someday include snacks as well so that customers can feel like they are on a Jet blue plane while riding my shuttle service.
Venture Concept
The implementation of swift solves two major problems people have on the weekends. Getting around and the long wait times for the current transportation in place. Not only this but it will give students and others the opportunity to be out longer and be able to get more things done outside of the house without needing to ask a friend for a ride or relying on the bus. I believe customers will buy my innovation because though 50,000 students are enrolled here at UF not all of them have cars and those who don't could benefit from a service dedicated to getting students where they need to go at any time on the weekends. Right now most people rely on the bus and Uber if they don't have cars and after a while if that is what they deem is reliable then that is what becomes the norm. I believe I can get people to switch over to my service because Swift does not have a pricing model nor does it have surge pricing at certain times based on demand. Swift would be much faster than RTS and would be a great alternative to the later gator when it stops running at 3 and people are left downtown and at midtown to find a way home. As far as a business I would buy up a lot with a decent sized office space to run logistics of the operation. the lot will be for the shuttles when they need to be changed out and parked over the weekend and during the week. I believe I would need about 6 employees to start. First would be my financial officer who would oversee the financial state of the company and the inflow of money through transactions and so forth. Second, a tech expert who would over see our website and mobile application. Third, a communications officer that would handle all communications of the business. to compliment them I would also have a external communications officer to handle communications with customers and outside influences. Fifth I would have an advertising and marketing head for the business and last a driver supervisor who over sees the work of all the drivers, en route. I believe this is a service truly beneficial to the people of gainesville.

Amazon Whisperer

The revenue drivers I currently have are a card swipe system outfitted to take payments from debit and credit cards as well as, google, apple and samsung pay and, advertisements on brochures and the seats inside.

I believe the next thing my customers want is access to refreshment while traveling.

This will enhance my existing product and service because giving people access to refreshment when they want it or need it will make my service look like it really does cater to the customer. The user experience is improved and the positioning of my service is also enhanced in the mind of consumers because how many travel services do you know that offer cold water and fountain drinks?

Similar to what I want to offer is this mini vending machine to the left. It vends 10 cans of whatever you would like and I would even want to produce my own brand water in a can to serve to customers. The drinks would be a $1 and every shuttle would be outfitted with 2 to serve up to 20 drinks at a time.

The customers reviews averaged out to 3.5 stars with more positive reactions than negative ones in the last 6 months.

The only changes I'd make to design are a locking mechanism that only opens upon payment and some way to fit water in there.

I truly believe this will be a great addition to my service because even if someone isn't that thirsty the convenience of the product might spur demand.

Week 11 Reading Reflection

The biggest surprise I found in this reading is how often and just just how much companies attempts at innovation fail. Even more so realizing that even successful companies and corporations find it hard keeping up their performance.

I think what was hard connecting was the idea of innovation and strategy. You usually picture innovation as someone sitting in a lab trying to come up with the next best thing and the BOOM it happens. How do you make the BOOM into an actual process is intriguing.

If I could ask two questions it would be first, where do you fall on the innovation landscape map? How do you feel about crowdsourcing?

I don't think he was wrong about anything. He really gave me some insight into some things I wouldn't have other wise known.

My Unfair Advantage

1. Passion
   V: This is valuable because passion will drive our company to provide the best service possible
   R: Most people lack passion these days
   I: You can't copy passion and a person's drive
   N: Not many resources can just provide passion

2. Practicality
   V: your service needs to be practical for people to want to use it
   R: this is somewhat rare because people come up with ideas that are sometimes great but largely impractical
   I: It's hard to imitate practicality because this is practical only for the students for UF
   N: there are some (uber and the bus) however not on the weekends

3. Speed/ accuraccy
   V: everyone in the world values their services coming promptly and on time
   R: this is rare because since many services rely on human capital, human error sometimes disrupts the delivery of the service to customers
   I: You can't imitate speed if your company hasn't ingrained it into the culture.
   N: Uber is fast depending on the driver

4. attention to detail
   V: this is extremely valuable because in any company you need to be meticulous and pay attention to everything that is going n especially when servicing customers
   R: this is rare because too many company disregard small details that could otherwise make their company great
   I: it's hard to imitate this because it has to be a habit that is taught and developed
   N: no other ride company  her in gainesville pays attention to detail as much

5. affordability
   V: this is valuable because college students want transportation that is affordable
   R: this is rare because when demand is high owners usually want to drive the price up
   I: this is hard to imitate because if some services changed their pricing model they would fail
   N: uber is inexpensive depending on the trip and time, and the bus is free fro students

6. comfort
   V: this is valuable because a comfortable ride is something everyone wants doesn't always think about.
   R: rare because some services are more worried about amount of people fitting than fitting a certain number comfortably
   I: this is hard to imitate because unless your product was initially aimed at providing comfort
   N: the bus isn't so comfortable and uber really depends on the car

7. mobile capability
   V: valuable because people are on their phones all the time these days and need to know
   R: not really rare because many companies are beginning to utilize mobile
   I: not hard to imitate
   N: the bus has a tracking app and uber is operated through an app

8. our payment options
   V: this is valuable because to pay for the bus besides cash, or bus card, you can pay through credit or debit
   R: this is rare because general bus services don't accept card payments of any type
   I: hard to imitate because the cost of adding hardware to do direct card transactions
   N: uber drivers and the bus dont have direct swipe features although uber is linked to your card which is convenient

9. compact size
   V: the vans used for transport are a small size and not huge like busses which provide for faster service
   R: this is rare because you either see huge vehicles being used for transport or small ones but nothing really in between
   I: could be imitated but not effectively implemented
   N: the only other service close to this is SNAP however it takes FOREVER and is only On-campus

10. For students by students
   V: this valuable because a lot of students look for jobs while in school but find it hard to attain them.
   R: rare because not many places can hire lots of students to work
   I: show me a travel service that is open to hiring students that doesn't require them to have a special license or their own vehicle
   N: there no travel services that provide this benefit for students


My top resource is speed and accuracy. Students need something that will get them places fast more than anything else. They don't want to spend 40 mins on the bus trying to get home.

Growing My Social Capital

My three new people are:
Jose
Shaun
Robert


Jose is my Domain Expert because although he has a normal job working on campus he is also an Uber driver by night. He is a recent graduate of UF and decided to stay here in Gainesville to build his experience before moving on to a bigger firm. I met this guy pretty recently because he was my Uber when I needed to get to a friend's house the other night. In an exchange for a twitter and instagram follow he told me just what it's like to be an uber in gainesville and how much roughly rides go for from certain places to others. He also told me what he does in customer service to get high ratings and tips. Including this guy in my network will enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity because he gave me some vital information that would allow me to make my venture better and more unique.

Shaun is my Market Expert. Currently, he is an office manager at a shuttle service for disabled older folk in New York. He oversees the set up of pickups and drop-offs for each of the shuttles throughout the week. I found this guy through some friends I had at Fiver Children's Foundation after they heard I was looking for some people to talk to about my shuttle service concept for Gainesville. In return for giving me information on setting up routes and a system of pick up all he wanted was to hear back from time to time about the progress of the venture, at least in the classroom sphere. Including Shaun in my network gives me valued insight into the business I'm trying to run from an outside perspective and from another segment of the market.

Lastly, Robert is my Supplier. Robert is a friend of my father's and works with a company that sells vans of all sizes to firms that work in fields like construction and other infrastructure related things.
Speaking to him recently I asked if people bought vans for the purpose of transporting people? and if they usually have special requests? He said people do and he also told me what van they usually go for with the help of his expertise. When he asked what this was all for he asked if I could come by and help out sometime. I think having this guy in my network helps me take advantage of an opportunity because now that I know the vehicle I wanted to use is bought for transport purposes I can bring something entirely new to market in Gainesville.

Reflect:
I think this was an interesting experience because out of a million people you really have to focus and hone in on the people you feel will give you the most benefit for your time and efforts. This will affect how I approach networking in the future because I will network with more of a purpose and end goal. In the past, I would usually just talk to people that seemed approachable and if they had things that helped me it was a plus.

Weekl 10 Reading Reflection

I think the biggest surprise for me in this chapter was just how much goes into the numbers aspect of starting a business and even running one. On the surface everyone wants to "start a business" but I am pretty sure more than half of the people with that goal have no idea how much actually goes into the process. I was definitely taken aback at how much you actually have to know financially to keep a business running stably. 

There were quite a few things I found confusing because this was probably the first time hearing the term and it's definition. One thing that really got me was pro forma statements. I just find it hard to make predictions on the future past a certain time or extent and it seems that a pro forma statement would extend a projection in years time. 

Two questions I would ask the author is first would it be more beneficial to self learn most of the concepts necessary for the financial side of the business or to just bring someone on the team whose job is solely handling that? Second I would ask if financials should be considered at the beginning of the venture in such detail or just deal with it when the time comes?

Given my lack of expertise in the area I don't think the author was wrong about any of the material. I just sometimes wonder how much he has actually implemented what is said in the book or is it all just the result of very extensive research. 

Elevator Pitch No. 3

On my last pitch the biggest piece of commentary that really resonated with me was the fact that people were not sure if students would pay for the service and that I would be entering a very saturated market. I used this video to kind of describe the shuttle and the pricing of the actual ride more than actually sell it because of the feedback I had received thus far.

What I changed:
1. Pricing of the actual service
2. Maine routes to begin
3. style and build of "shuttle"

Let me know what you think.

My Secret Sauce

Five truly unique items of capital
1. I can make anyone feel comfortable
2. I can hold a well thought out conversation about nothing
3. I take constructive criticism, constructively.
4. I believe the impossible is just a simple "what if..." moment away
5. You can't tell me I will not succeed

From this first interview I learned that my drive and passion are very clear to others and sometimes so clear they can seem like tangible things for me. 

In this interview some key takeaways were that I am funny and can make any moment better. This shows me that I am friendly and really personable which are characteristics that are beneficial to everyone both in daily life and professional life as well. 

In this interview I learned that I have an inviting smile and that I am also a cuddly teddy bear? Not sure why decided to poke fun at me but who doesn't like teddy bears. So I took it as who wouldn't like me.

This interview actually showed me that even as a nice person and someone who is relatively approachable, your attitude is key. I need to be better with my attitude.

I see myself as someone who is just extremely motivated to succeed. Others see that as well but people also so how angry I can be when I fail at something. There's always differences in how we asses ourselves because that is all a matter of perception and opinion. I think my interviews are correct and I think what causes these views is the natural bias we all have toward ourselves one way or another.

I wouldn't make corrections to my list because at the end of the day how I see myself is much more important than how everyone will see me because sometimes no matter how hard you try some people will just not get you!

Week 9 Reading Reflection

This week I felt like nothing stood out to me because marketing is a concept I am very familiar with and was even my major at one point. I pretty much expected to hear how to use marketing to benefit yourself at the individual level, which is much smaller scale than an organization.

Only thing I found interesting was the fact that some customers use price as a way of determining the quality of the product. Price isn't everything?

If I could ask the author some questions I would ask him why he didn't include a section on Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) because I feel like IMC would be just as important for an Entrepreneur, business, corp, or start up.

As someone who is very big on marketing I think the author was right about everything and taught me a few new things as well.

Idea Napkin No.2

1. My name is Eddy and as I said before I am a Dominican and Puerto Rican second year college student. Based on some of the feed back I have received I realize that one of my talents is the ability to sell my idea. Also I am pretty good at creating simple but creative names for services, businesses, etc.

2. What I am offering to customers would be a"shuttle service" that runs all day on the weekends here in Gainesville. However based on one comment it never occurred to me that having a shuttle might put in a position to have to deal with federal regulations and such. As a result I am now tweaking the "shuttle" aspect to perhaps provide a service that could operate more freely with space to expand but also offers students reliable transportation without the limb prices of Uber and other Taxi-like services.

3. The demographic hasn't changed based on my feedback. It was actually encouraged. I am offering this service primarily to college students on campus and who live around Gainesville that still need transportation on the weekends to live a relatively normal life and get things done.

4. Students care because here in Gainesville students don't just go to school from Monday to Friday. There are always a bunch of things that they need to get done on the weekend and though many students may have cars a lot more do not and still need to get around. Off campus students especially care because this service would allow them to complete tasks that were otherwise extremely difficult like grocery shopping for instance.

5. So my core competencies was speed and cheaper price, however based on feedback I may have to rethink how I'm going to offer a shuttle or van like vehicle and still charge low prices. Operating costs might require that I charge more so I have to possibly change routes or the size of vehicle that would be used to transport students.

Feedback Memo:

Based on feedback my idea is a great idea but more and more it seems like my execution may not be the right way to solve students' transportation issues. The weaker aspects of my idea are for sure the type of vehicle and how I plan to provide lower prices. Five things I took away from the feedback I received was first, the idea is really strong and beneficial. Second, anything in transportation could be potentially very beneficial for customers and profitable. Third, pricing is extremely important when considering any business proposition. Forth, differentiation and competencies are the most important when starting a business because it is what will initially separate you from the competition in the consumers eyes. Last, think outside of the box: there's always another way to do something.

I incorporated the feedback I received by answering each of the questions in regards to what the feedback I got told me.

The Twenty Percent

The local Entrepreneur I chose to interview is Jerome Reed. He is currently one of the leaders of a start up called R.A.W.E. Recruits, a small time recruitment agency aimed at getting kids in high school who are both exceptional athletes and students in the classroom more notoriety when it comes to scouts and creating opportunities beyond high school.

Here are his responses to the general Questions:

1. Who do you think your target customers are? - I would say that any sports fans from the age 14-45. These include high schoolers, all the way up to the possible age of their parents. Both male and female, as well.

2. Where do you find your customers? - We find our customers through social media outlets, as well as traveling to different high school sporting events to promote RAWE by word-of-mouth and provide our services at games.

3. What are your customers demographics? - Age: 16-45, Gender: Male 65%, Fem. 35%, Ethnicity: No preference, Location: (Year 1) Gainesville area. (Year 2.5) Northern Florida area. (Year 5) Entire Florida area, Income Level: HHI Avg. 55K, College Education: At least 40%, Post-Undergraduate Education: At least 20%

4. What kinds of media do their customers consume? - All variations of social media, as well as TV, movies (Netflix), music found through Spotify, Apple Music or Torrents.

5. What are your customers' problems? - If we're talking in relation to our product, it could be travel-related. Everyone may not have cars to travel to a game we're at and see us in action. Financially, it could be anything from not being able to have the money to fund HS/AAU sports fees, to not being able to pay for the videos we charge for.

6. What are your customers doing to fix their problems? - I would imagine, especially at a time like right now, income tax would come in very handy. However, if we come across a situation where financials are a problem, we do our best to work with them individually.

7. How big on the scale of 1-10 is this problem in your customers' lives? - I haven't seen it too, too often. So at this moment, I'd say a 4.

8. what are some bigger problems your customers are dealing with? - Other than financials, in a city as non-affluent as Gainesville, I can't imagine any bigger issues. Maybe personal health would go above that, but that's getting away from our wheelhouse.

9. Do your customers have a budget to help fix the problem? - I sure hope so lol. But seriously, we should have budgets for all things in life. It helps with planning down the road for other necessary or desired things.

Here are 3 customers and what they had to say in response to the same questions:

Reflection: As far as knowing his customers needs I think Jerome understands one aspect about the problems student athletes are facing but hasn't yet made his business to take care of the problems that are more pertinent to the students and getting noticed via social media. Maybe incorporating, a teaching moment for these students to better learn to develop a presence and notoriety on social media could extend the value of the business and it's prospects.

Week 8 Reading Reflection Post

In this week's reading Ch.8 covered all the possible ways an Entrepreneur could go about funding a business venture.

What I first found interesting early in the chapter was the part that mentioned commercial banks were not the only source of debt financing. Manufacturers are actually another source that I would have never thought of, especially in terms of getting machinery and other tools I might need for the business's daily operations. One other thing I found really interesting was the important of crowdfunding. I see it amongst my friends and usually think that it's small time and that those who are in the major leagues don't need to do that.

Some things I found confusing though, were the disadvantages of debt financing and the concept of the Venture Capitalist. What confuses me about the first is that it is encouraged to use debt financing as one way to fund your business project however the disadvantages almost sound bad enough to negate using it altogether. Not sure why it would be an option if it could put you in such a bad spot. Then as far as the Venture Capitalist goes I didn't know that it was more of a relationship than an just a transaction of investment to project. I also didn't know that the ideal Venture Capitalists looks at managerial experience and is mainly concerned on the return on investment. What if some Venture Capitalists were not like this? Then what?

Some questions I would ask the author would be:

1. Have you ever gone to fund raise for a business venture and if so how much did you raise. 
2. What could you have done differently? 
3. Do you think the business idea was worth more than what you received in funding?

Lastly, something I think the author got wrong was the boxed up description of the venture capitalist. I don't believe that all venture capitalists seek only the return on investment. Maybe some of them prefer overall success of the venture? or seek a career to maintain for life?

Half-Way Reflection

What behaviors have I used to keep up with the course?

1. Determination
2. Open Mindedness
3. Get it done attitude

A moment I felt like giving up:

1. I was in the middle of my week 6 reading reflection and it seemed that the things on my plate would continue to pile up until there was literally no end. I began to think "wtf is the point of this class anyway?!" However, I realized that the purpose since the beginning of the class was to change how I see things not just learn to run a business. You can't start a business or run one using the same defeated mindset and the same tactics over and over again. My want to succeed and my drive to finish what I had started ultimately is what has pulled me through. To have the things you've never had, you have to do things you never have. 

Three tips I'd give to someone who takes this class in the future:

1. Really try to do the exercise no matter what; you might like it.
2. Think: "the minute I am not working, someone else is."
3. Look at things that could be improved all around you even if you have no idea how you would implement the solution.

Trying to give away Free Money

Where will I go?
I decided on Murpheree area on campus because I live there.

What kind of people will you approach?
Anyone in the area. I feel like answering this question otherwise would inherently discriminate against other potential subjects that could give me insight during the exercise. 

What will you say to get the conversation started?
"Hey what's up, so i have this dollar but I'm trying to give it away, think you can help me out?"

What is your plan for the conversation?
Persuade them to take the dollar by any means necessary. Okay, so not so harshly, but enough so that they feel it's alright to take my dollar.

Out of five attempts, how many dollars do you think you'll give away?
About 4, because I mean, who doesn't like free money?

So I didn't get to record the encounters... While doing the exercise I actually forgot.

My results, however, are pretty weird. Giving away a dollar to a stranger was really hard. More than half the people I approached thought I was crazy. The other half treated the situation so awkwardly I'm not sure if I would've just preferred them decline the dollar and move on. When people asked why I was giving away the dollar my first reason wasn't valid enough and so people didn't take it. It wasn't until I started switching my approach that people began to take more interest in the dollar. I assumed that people would love free money but it seems that where the free money comes from matters a lot more than I thought. You would see some people and think, "they'll take the dollar," and more often they were the ones to have the biggest issue with it. This was definitely a harder exercise than I thought it would be.

Week 7 Reading Reflection

The biggest surprise for me was realizing that segments are subject to change and that they should not be treated as so concrete. I found this surprising because it inherently goes against human nature to simplify and box things up in order to better "understand" them. Eventually your realize that attitudes and customer behavior changes but this encourages you to recognize that the change is inevitable and rather than realize it when it has already happened, anticipate it and the direction in which the change is going.

The Gravity of Decision Spectrum was a bit confusing because I feel like they could have said all the things they did in a much simpler manner. Even the chart/ diagram could've been simplified in my opinion.

Some questions I would ask are first, what are some current companies who are taking the lead on effective market segmentation and what are they doing that makes it so successful? Second, success isn't permanent, so how would a company use market segmentation to prolong it's success?

The only thing I believe the author is wrong about is stating the demographics used in the piece as non-demographic segmentation. I say that because that name is too narrow and doesn't account for the fact that over time a segmentation can change alongside customer behavior and values. Personality does not directly affect someone's consumer profile and behavior.

Elevator Pitch No. 2

Th gist of the first pitch went something like: "The RTS buses here in Gainesville are absolutely horrible on the weekends. Not enough are running and not enough are going to the places you need to go. You have to wait upwards of 30 minutes between buses and lets not forget you're stranded after 6 p.m. My solution: Swift, a 24/7 weekend shuttle service for students who need to get where the need to go no matter the hour of day in a timely fashion."

On my last pitch there were problems seeing the video to begin with so one thing I definitely did differently here was making sure I had a working video for the actual pitch portion. In the comments though and even when I talked to students about this potential service, Uber was always brought up followed by the usual question, "how is it different?" After a while I think it's silly because although it's like Uber it really isn't and is aimed at being a better bus service than personal taxi service. 

Based on the feedback i have received thus far I incorporated a much more straightforward discussion about how it would be better and different from Uber. I didn't incorporate the comfort factor because I still want to determine if that is truly something people will value enough to choose my service over another. 

Customer Interviews No. 3

So essentially my business concept is a weekend 24 hour shuttle service called Swift. Similar to the RTS system, the shuttle service would be a system with routes going from campus to archer, downtown, and Newberry. There will be two additional off campus routes that would cater to people who need to get around from off campus to other places as well. To ride a shuttle would be a flat $3.50 no matter how far you go. The shuttles would be either similar to the SNAP vans or the smaller scale yellow school busses. The buses would reach stops every 10 to 15 minutes outside of heavy traffic.

In this third round of interviews (my personal second) I tried to be a bit more different in the way the interview was guided. I felt that I controlled much of the interviews last time and so I wanted them to flow a bit more from the interviewee rather than myself, the interviewer. The people I asked were once again students because that is the audience I want to appeal to the most.

I think what I learned from these interviews is that there are definitely some more areas I need to look at in regards to what I would be offering with the service. Also, price is extremely important if it is to be successful because that would be an incentive for college students to even consider using the service. Things I found especially interesting from two interviews were the thought of incorporating mobile phone use for ease of payment and a stress on comfort within the shuttle cabin.

Week 6 Reading Reflection

There were a few things that stood out to me when reading "The Five Competitive Forces that shape strategy. First, was the very real concept of barriers to exit. You think that if you wanted to leave a market or industry that you could but you don't estimate how hard that would realistically be. You invest in a company or may have even once had a substantial share of the market and are just now taking on losses. Second, was the power suppliers can hold over an industry and your business. The Microsoft example really messed with me because so many brands would be dead in the water if Microsoft failed.

One thing that was a bit confusing for me was how there may be a cost of switching to a substitute product. Wouldn't switching period be exiting the industry? and if true were there no barriers to exit or are the barriers there but ultimately surmountable depending on the business owners discretion? Basically wouldn't even considering switching to the substitute mean leaving the industry and if that happens, do barriers to exit really exist or are they just a thing that's there but not really paid attention to?

Something I would ask the author is how he uses these 5 Forces to create a successful business strategy and to name a time where a strategy actually went wrong an how did they fix it.

Overall, I would completely agree with the author on almost every level. When competing in business especially big business I truly believe you have to be aware of your surroundings no matter what. Nothing lasts, forever and having hubris is the fastest way to lose it all.

Idea Napkin No. 1

Let's begin shall we...

1. I am a Dominican and Puerto Rican second year college student. I have a lot of talents but when I'm asked to write or speak about them, I usually forget to mention a good number. I am creative, passionate, and driven. I like to look outside the box and try to push through any obstacle, even if that makes me a bit stubborn. I am a leader and have the ability to inspire others, making the people around me better. My aspirations in broad terms are to be successful but specifically I want to be able to use my creative abilities to connect with the world. Regarding my business concept, Swift, I want people to get where they need to go when they want get there. The role it would play in my life would erase my need to rely on unreliable forms of transportation when I need to get places especially as someone with no car.

2. What I am offering to customers is a 24 hour weekend shuttle service for students and patrons in the Gainesville area. Swift, would meet the demand for better, more reliable, and much faster transport on the weekend for individuals whose days don't just end at 6 p.m. The service would be designed to have a shuttle run reaching stops every 10-12 minutes or sooner. It would be a flat rate cost to ride, eliminating a pricing model, and designed to have shorter routes with more vehicles assigned to certain routes

3. Who I am offering the service to would be students who have to rely on the buss on the weekends because they do not have any other form of transportation available. These students would ideally also have enough things to do in their schedule that they have late nights and particular early mornings.

4. Customers will believe this to be valuable for a number of reasons. They will be able to get to some of the most important places in Gainesville no matter the time on the weekend, like Walmart, campus, a friends house, and etc.

5. What would set my service apart from a service like Uber is the fact tat would have routes similar to but more efficient than the RTS system and a flat rate charge to ride. Uber is convenient however, the pricing model leaves too much room for fluctuation especially when drivers are in high demand, in which case the price is amplified. Lastly, the service would be 24 hours on the weekend; giving patrons the ability to get anywhere anytime.

I believe that my concept is good in theory but much harder to get down logistically on paper. On numerous occasions when describing my service I have gotten the response, "oh, so kind of like Uber?," which only leads me to believe that it would be much harder to separate the concept from a business that already exists. The flat rate charge per ride would be convenient for customers however it may not provide enough to employ the amount of shuttles I would like to have ideally at a given time which would therefore increase wait times and essentially defeat the purpose of the service altogether. Also customers who have been largely dissatified with the weekend bus system have largely adapted to not relying on the service. Building reliance and demand could be harder than anticipated.

Interviewing Customers No. 2 (There's no No.1)

So from these interviews I learned that my service could potentially be extremely useful. Also, when you don't ask strict questions you get a lot more out of people and what are the problems your hope to solve/ can solve.

3 tips I'd give future students...

1. Be open and explain the goal of the interview in full.

2. Smile and listen actively.

3. Don't wait till the last minute to conduct interviews.

Week 5 Reading Reflection

Legal Challenges for Entrepreneurial Ventures is something I don't think about. Mostly because whenever realistic challenges begin to pile on against an idea I may have I end up trashing it and "coming back down to Earth."

One thing I found extremely interesting was the process of getting a patent and the basic rules you should follow. In starting a business alone I have never really associated the patent process as being a part of that process. However, after reading this section, I am baffled that I did not know this information sooner. There is nothing more precious than an idea and it's crazy to think that if not protected in the right way or covered to a certain extent your idea could be used by others, stolen, and fed off of.

There was nothing that was confusing to me but I would surely want to ask why information like this is only found out about through the textbook or taking the Entrepreneurship class. I feel like information like this should be taught and available in a much more open way. After all we live in a free market economy and surely we should be encouraged to create more and more businesses. Not knowing information like this could hinder and bar certain people from the ability to start a successful business whether it be small or have the potential to become a corporate giant.

This entire chapter was a learning process for me and so I don't believe the author was ever wrong. However, with more research I think I will be able to call out the author on a few things. If I can't I will just have to understand that sometimes it really is, "it is what it is."

Elevator Pitch No. 1

The RTS buses here in Gainesville are absolutely horrible on the weekends. Not enough are running and not enough are going to the places you need to go. You have to wait upwards of 30 minutes between buses and lets not forget you're stranded after 6 p.m. My solution: Swift, a 24/7 weekend shuttle service for students who need to get where the need to go no matter the hour of day in a timely fashion.

Week 4 Reading Reflection

Innovation is a funny thing. I mean, who knew there were even levels to the concept? I sure didn't and that made me think about how creative I allow myself to be when concerning certain topics. 

One thing I found interesting was the list of "Idea Killers" that presented early in the chapter. Not surprising, but definitely something I had to ponder over before I realized just how true the list really was. More people will run down that list than find a reason not to and slowly I am beginning to cope with that. 

Something I would definitely ask the author though is how come other chapters don't include mini activities in between the reading. Admittedly I didn't do any of them, but it was something that certainly kept me engaged and thinker deeper about the connections between the material and the real world. I think having small activities in all the chapters would make them easier to read.

Then one thing I would say the author was wrong about was the whole "born and not born creative."

I don't mean to say your are born "creative" however I truly think some people are born with innate behaviors and characteristics that inherently make them want to be more creative. Alongside an environment that encourages this natural behavior we could see a bloom of raw and powerful creative thinking. Then I think there are people who are born and naturally don't feel inclined as much to be as creative. In an environment that encourages creativity it would surely develop, however, not as much as the former in my opinion.

Top 5 World Problems

1. Income Disparity

2. Energy

3. Education

4. Old people in positions of power and influence

5. Fast Food

Solutions:

1. Force Fast food companies to adopt practices that provide both nutritious and convenient food with sanctions and bans on certain products and production methods.

2. Government needs to start allocating more funds to public education and programs to enrich the learning experiences for children in the k-12 system. Also funding programs to better train and prepare teachers and instructors in material and implementing effective instructive methods.

3. Start taxing individuals with larger incomes much more and regulate the prices of necessary goods relative to the population's average income.

4. Didn't know how to get rid of the older people besides retirement but if one were to amass a strong following to rearrange the orders of power then I wouldn't be opposed.

5. Implement a permanent cease and desist of use of fossil fuels and other resources for power over a certain amount of years and have a yearly quota of renewable power source research and implementation

So Income Disparity is top on the list of problems for me because a few reasons. First, it hits close to home because I am definitely on the lower end of the disparity. Second, more often than not happiness in today's society is focused around a consumer mindset and so the lack of the ability to consume for most the population inherently creates unhappiness and disdain. Third, if most of the wealth in the country is held by just 10 percent our economy, which runs on an powerhouse middle class, is then left at the hands of their mercy because the middle class slowly loses it's ability to perform.

As for my solutions the one I feel is most implementable is the forced adoption of better food practices by fast food giants. Reason being because if there ever was a time, it's now. Consumers no longer back the big three like they used to having opted for better food services like Panera Bread and even Chipotle. They want better products. This gives less market share to chains of old and would then make it easy for FDA to implement stricter rules on food production and nutritional value.

Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Problem 1
1.   Schools are showing warning signs
2.  http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8CDEE18758538?p=AWNB
3. Schools in Tampa don’t seem to be heading in the right direction because of the decisions being made by the school board. Veteran teachers are being disregarded more and more, especially when salary negotiations are concerned. More stress is being put on standardized tests instead of actual programs that adhere to hands on learning. Schools are also sharing funds with for-profit private schools.
4.  Who has the problem? The teachers who work under Hillsborough County, students on the receiving end of underfunded programs, and the school board.
2. Problem 2
1.  BUILDINGSUPER BOWL ADBUZZ - Advertisers look to get the biggest bang for their big-game buck with digital media teasers
2.       http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A9216779D6C340?p=AWNB
3. Advertisers are now having to adapt to an increasingly changing environment when it comes to the super bowl and media in general. Spots for ads during the super bowl are the most expensive they have ever been and for just 30 seconds a spot. Advertisers are being forced to create entire integrated marketing campaigns around their advertising in order to get the greatest effect and influence on market audiences. Companies will be building up their ads on themes but will try to remain in a very safe place due to the backlash Nationwide suffered with their child/ car accident ad.
4.   Advertisers and Companies trying to sell their products
3. Problem 3
1. Pedestrian safety gets new emphasis, Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater among most perilous areas in the nation.
2.  http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7264443438A70?p=AWNB
3. Tampa and St.Pete area have been notorious for being some of the most dangerous places for pedestrians and cyclists. As a result, there has been an increased effort to implement more crosswalks in high traffic areas and programs to better educate people on how to cross the street. Improvement in the fatality rates have not improved.
4.  This is a concern for most people in the Tampa and St. Pete areas where crossing the street could one day kill them. This is especially bad for homeless people.
4. Problem 4
1.   Mother Nature takes toll on kumquats - Diseases and pests have devastated grove
2. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7264732B37E00?p=AWNB
3.   For the growers at Kumquat Growers Inc., growing kumquats has been a specialty that has wielded some gracious returns. However, recently, production has gone down severely because of citrus greening, root rot and root weevils.
4.  The people who have the problem are the growers at Kumquat Growers Inc.
5. Problem 5
1. Summer Food Program open to all kids, but at fewer sites
2.  http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sort=DA-SORT&docType=Article&tabID=T004&prodId=GPS&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&contentSegment=&currentPosition=12&searchResultsType=SingleTab&inPS=true&userGroupName=gain40375&docId=GALE%7CA259443923&contentSet=GALE%7CA259443923
3. Budget cuts in Tampa made Hillsborough county shut down more sites that operate under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s free summer lunch program. As a result, the county is now forced to try and serve the same amount of children as before and even more with fewer locations.
4. Who has the problem? The city of Tampa, Hillsborough County, and the children and teens who rely on the program to sustain them while school is out.

Week 3 Reading Reflection

This week's reading was really interesting because it addressed a lot of the things people don't see. You don't see how running a business affects someone and you don't see what exactly runs through a person's mind when they are making decisions and weighing options.

I think one of the things I found surprising was the breakdown of the classification of decisions using an ethical and legal framework. I guess it's because you don't usually think of your decisions being made with those considerations. Most often than not it feels like there are 100 other things being factored into a decision and so now I find it interesting just how much the framework in figure 2.2 applies.

One small thing that confused me was the explanation of the Type A personality while leaving out an explanation of other types of personality. It was as if Type A should be the only personality applicable to most Entrepreneurs.

Lastly one thing I believe the author was wrong about was management adhering to a high moral code. It was written "yes," because it is good business, however, there are a lot of products and even business practices we are exposed to everyday that would say otherwise. If there was morality, I would have to believe that cell phone companies don't tack on these absurd charges, you only find out about in fine print or once the bill comes. I would also be forced to believe that cars today are made stronger and sturdier than cars 50 years ago. Bumpers are replaceable by hand these days. The free market, I feel, runs strong even on the back of low moral standards.

Very Short Interview No.1

This first, very short interview was with a man whom I have recently found increasingly inspirational. He is called "The Shoe Surgeon" and is a cobbler by trade, crafting his art from shoes, boots, sneakers, and the like. 

1. What does being an Entrepreneur mean to you?

"It means don't give up and push past the stars."

2. What is one piece of advice you would give an aspiring Entrepreneur?

"Failure is needed in order to succeed. Find your passion and pursue it. Set milestones for yourself. Don't become content."

3. What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?

"It isn’t what i wish i had been taught. I wish I would have actually listened. I would’ve learned more in school if I gave it a legitimate shot. My approach as an entrepreneur is the opposite approach I took to education."

The World's Biggest Problems

1. Fast Food
      As a lover of fast food and a foodie in general its hurt to admit it, but it is true. Obesity is the number two cause of death in America behind cancer. Most fast foods are tasty and delicious but lack good nutritional value.
      Solution? Force Fast food companies to adopt practices that provide both nutritious and convenient food with sanctions and bans on certain products and production methods.

2. Income Disparity
      In America the top 10% of people have enough wealth to cover the entire left over 90% and still eat well for the night. The cost of living has not gone down and steadily increases while the real income of others, especially the middle class, continue to decline. Even milk is hard to buy these days.
      Solution? Start taxing individuals with larger incomes much more and regulate the prices of necessary goods relative to the population's average income.

3. Energy
     Right now most of our energy comes from non-renewable sources i.e. fossil fuels and eventually those will run out. Not only that their continued use contribute to the destruction of the planet and there wont be any cars or plants to power if global warming consumes the planet.
     Solution? Implement a permanent cease and desist of use of fossil fuels and other resources for power over a certain amount of years and have a yearly quota of renewable power source research and implementation

4. Old people in positions of Power and Influence
     Personally, I don't like the idea that most of the biggest decisions that are made today to affect us for years to come are made by people who's ideals and values have barely changed since the 70's. The world is changing faster than ever today and I don't believe it's wise to have people not of this time in charge of leading where we go. It also sucks that most sectors are preparing for the mass retirement of the Baby Boomers which is only going to put a strain on government expense and the economy
     Solution? I have no clue honestly, I am not the genocide type at all.

5. Social Media
    This is a problem for a number of reasons. First, people have suddenly preferred to use this communicate with even the people they see almost everyday. Social skills down, awkward moments up. Second, pop culture and living for the like. Anything hot or new spreads like wild fire on these outlets, especially if it's stupid and people will do or say just about the craziest things for a like, share, or re-tweet. Lastly, we're bombarded with so much content and things it feels like our attention spans have become shorter and shorter to accommodate for the flood of media.
    Solution? Promoting people to develop better social media and smartphone habits. (can't really impose on someone's free will)

6. Laziness
    People would much rather complain about how something should be today than actually doing something about it. We have perpetuated a mindset where we demand certain things but do none of things that warrant or put us in the position to obtain them.
    Solution? Strategically change how youth and millennials think, beginning with the belief that things like luck and the lottery will grant wealth and prosperity (at least materially). "Luck" is the result of constant hard work.

7. Entertainment
     Well it doesn't have to be explained how much entertainment is valued all over the world. If it entertains even a small sect of the population it's going to make money. However, this is a problem because eventually you always have to find new ways to entertain your audiences. I feel that this leads to treating other world problems as spectacles to be viewed rather than situations that call for action. Perfect example would be World Star Hip Hop, the website where hundreds of videos are posted of the craziest and most dangerous things. People are faster to record than help now a days.
     Solution? Really not sure, it's so deeply embedded in how our society functions and runs changing it too suddenly would do more bad than good.

8. Advertising
     So this is funny because I am actually an Ad major, but I realize that advertising plays a huge part in our society and it's problems. Advertising usually is about selling products to consumers but what people don't acknowledge as much is that advertising sells ideas and ways of life. Part of the reason many people find it hard to obtain wealth is because they spend what excess money they have on things people of wealth tend to have, having been sold the idea that having certain things portrays wealth and prosperity. Advertising also is the reason we've become such a consumer society buying up everything in sight. We longer produce as much here in the states either.
     Solution? Starts with consumers and their behavior. Educate them on practices and recognize how businesses are trying to sell to them. Also have to realize the difference between pursuit of wealth and actually having it.

9. Education
     Education needs to step up in the k-12 system. Programs have been cut and trimmed down left and right because of lack of funding and government help. Many things I should've been taught throughout high school I am just now learning in college, especially when it come to writing, grammar and the mastery of a language that I am supposedly proficient in. Most children are also uninspired to learn and see school more as a chore than something that is valued.
     Solution? Government needs to start allocating more funds to public education and programs to enrich the learning experiences for children in the k-12 system. Also funding programs to better train and prepare teachers and instructors in material and implementing effective instructive methods.

10. The Relationship between the "Commoner" and Authority
      People are paranoid when police officers come around. More than half of the population doesn't vote because they believe their vote doesn't matter. Officials and citizens seem to lie in entirely different brackets as if not under the same nation and general beliefs.
      Solution? Well it's hard to implement a system to monitor the people who are supposed to protect and serve us but that would be beneficial. Also, there should be newer ways to get people more involved in the political process.

(Doesn't necessarily math my problems but he has a great point.)