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.)

Week 2 Reading Reflection

The reading was very insightful to say the least. I realized that what I understood Entrepreneurship to be is not at all the same as what the book explained. In reality Entrepreneurship and the Entrepreneur, put simply, is pushing the envelop.

I say pushing the envelop because in almost every aspect of life there is potential for innovation and change, and Entrepreneurship is like realizing that potential and actually doing something with it.

The biggest surprise for me when I was reading came in the very beginning when the difference between a small business owner and an Entrepreneur was explained. Until that moment, I too thought that being a small business owner made you an Entrepreneur by definition. Then I understood that is only a half truth.

Being a small business owner can make you an Entrepreneur so long as you're implementing strategies and ideas that fundamentally can grow your business into bigger, better and more amazing. Now, I have been forced to rethink some of my own ambitions. Opening a store or starting a clothing brand must be done with a constant mindset of improve, innovate, and realizing opportunities.

One thing that confused me, however, would definitely be the schools of thought. Personally, although the break down is beneficial to understanding Entrepreneurship, I feel that the labeling kind of restricts how an Entrepreneur is developed. Then again, I had trouble identifying whether or not you have to choose to look through the Macro view or the Micro view or both at the same time.

The reading was though provoking as well but I don't think I've ever been asked what I would ask the author. Now that I have to, the first would definitely be "what has inspired you thus far?" because to write a textbook on a subject I am convinced you had to be inspired. Then, the second being "do you practice what you preach/write?" for my own piece of mind because at the end of the day, I can read all of this but how do I know that even the author doesn't truly believe in what he's said/ taught.

If the author was at all wrong I'd say it is about the contribution that firms started by women, minorities and others truly making a strong contribution. All you see is how businesses by such demographics fail time and time again. Also raising capital may be essential but it is said as if everyone has equal access to the same avenues of possible investments and the like.

The Bug List: Chipotle, Crappy Service providers, and Apple

The list is as follows: 

1. 1.       Cell service providers like AT&T and Verizon being unable to provide plans that efficiently give clients access to the newest phones without demanding their limbs in return.
   a.       I think this problem exists because of consumer demand, over-priced valuation of the small changes each new release has and how carriers take advantage of the two
   2.       When the server at Chipotle skimps on the serving of meat!
   a.       Maybe in an effort to provide quick service, quality and quantity was forgotten?
   3.       When you ask an employee at Busch Gardens a question pertaining to the park or directions and they have no clue how to answer you or provide direction.
   a.       I’m thinking the training program could lack in promoting the retention of information and material
   b.      Maybe there is little to no training at all for new employees?
   4.       When someone says something but actually means another thing, like, say what you mean!
   a.       As language and conversation has changed maybe how things are talked about I’m supposed to know what people mean aside from what they say.
   5.       When KFC runs out of chicken… or any store runs out of their market product, like, HOW?!
   a.       The store manager could’ve guessed that less chicken would be sold in that month according to the sales/ inventory of the month prior.
   6.       Slow wi-fi
   a.       I assumed that technology would need less wi-fi to perform basic tasks as development furthered and that wifi would also get stronger with better routers.
   7.       When I feel like I have to do something that has absolutely no application to my future endeavors like statistics.
   a.       Perhaps I don’t yet see where I would need that knowledge or how I would need to understand something else
   8.       Getting on Netflix for it to say “there’s too many people on at the moment.
   a.       There should definitely be a way to check or monitor how many devices are on the Netflix account before trying to watch something or an alert or something
   9.       When people think you can automatically speak Spanish because you are Hispanic.
   a.       I think society has just perpetuated a stigma that being Hispanic also means speaking the language besides participating in all the other aspects of the culture
   10.   Not being able to download music straight onto my iPhone or not sync to iTunes and computers
   a.       I honestly have no idea why Apple doesn’t just take that away because I love the iPhone but would much rather not be a slave to everything else Apple…  
   11.   Calling an office only to be greeted by an automated person with prompts that make you punch in a few numbers before speaking to someone.
   a.       The automated service helps get people connected with the “right” people in most cases but I feel like human interaction gets a lot more done.
   12.   You ask someone not to do something and they do it anyway.
   a.       That’s like a straight up “eff you and your feelings”
   b.      People might still do it because they don’t understand why I asked them not to do it or maybe I haven’t gained enough of their respect as a peer
   13.   Not getting enough likes on social media (a problem almost everyone has and just doesn’t admit it)
   a.       I don’t think I’m using social media to its full potential or doing the right things to get people to look at be in invested in my content.
   14.   Waking up and not feeling revitalized: even after 8 hours.
   a.       I’m probably pushing my body to its limit more than I let it rest, and so 8 hours is not enough
   15.   When voice recognition turns my “lol” into “LOL” in my text messages.
   a.       The voice recognition probably can’t detect a difference in my voice to determine whether or not the acronym should be lower cased
   16.   GameStop giving you virtually pennies upon trade for something you spent hundreds of dollars on not too long ago.
   a.       The value decreases because of guns and butter yes but by that much? I don’t think so.
   17.   Cars costing so much but ultimately depreciating in value too
   a.       Technology is constantly being upgraded and improved so old cars become obsolete but if that’s so why make them so expensive in the first place?
   18.   When you made an order for delivery and when the delivery guy gets there something was forgotten.
   a.       The person preparing the order may have forgotten and the delivery maybe didn’t double check. In my opinion there should be a check process to ensure everything is always accounted for in every order.
   19.   When the line at the Starbucks in Marston library is out the door
   a.       Coffee is nice but is it really that good? Also are the baristas not fast enough or are their just that many orders?
   20.    When the barbershop is full and it takes about an hour and a half to get in the chair.
   a.       Usually there’s conversation and other things going on in a barbershop aside from hair being cut but should all that be happening if it’s extending the time of a haircut that should take 20 minutes 45 minutes or more.

Reflection:  I found this very difficult. Throughout the day and even in your life, you find things that do "bug" you. However, this exercise made me realize how little I vocalize or think about the cause of these pet peeves. Then, there’s the problem with listing twenty. At first, you think it isn’t a lot. Then, you sit down to do the assignment and have to ask yourself, "Do I even have twenty things that bug me and are they even worth putting down?" After putting to paper some of the things that bug me, I am even more interested in figuring out how they can change, if they are or aren’t changing already, and why.

My Entrepreneurship Story

Honestly, after sitting down and thinking about how the professor expressed Entrepreneur ship is a state of mind, it's hard to think about a time when you were exposed to Entrepreneurship because it could be all around you.

For this exercise, however, I'm going to talk about Uber because if there was any exposure to Entrepreneurship that has made me question just how powerful it really is, it was that service.

Over the summer, while doing an internship with a small news aggregation company in Midtown, New York, just a few blocks from Grand Central, my job was scoping out news stories from all different providers and perspectives and then, using my own summarized understanding and viewpoint, creating original content to use as catches for their website. Until this summer I knew nothing about Uber. One day I stumbled on an article about some of the issues they kept running into concerning taxi drivers in other countries and even some states in the U.S. and in respect to Entrepreneurship, you could say I opened the modern and mobile Pandora's Box.

At first I understood Uber as a private, "for the people," taxi service and coming from New York I already thought it was a reprieve. However, then I saw the magic in the business model, drivers being their own boss while at the same time a mobile office for the company. Operating as an application, in the mobile age revolutionized the idea of the taxi where instead of having to be at the right place in the right time, you could be any where and the service catered to you, on the go, on demand.

Initially, the service was the solution to horrible taxi service in San Francisco, but with a few tweaks it was the service for the modern American where convenience and on-demand are traits prized above all else. You literally see more Uber cars in New York than taxi's if you were to go today. Mind blown, I thought 'why didn't anyone think of it before?' and inspired I thought, 'what if I could pull something like that off?'

That inspiration is the reason why I enrolled into ENT 3003. All summer I read about business, start-ups and the famed silicon valley. Instead of reading about it why not go out and be apart of it?

The Not-So Usual Class "Introduction"

Hello, my name is Edward but I just tell people to call me Eddy, yes, with a 'y', because that name seems a bit more approachable than the former and, well, I like to be different.

I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York and moved to Florida for High School in 2010. I am currently 19 years old but sometimes feel much older. I used to be a Marketing Major but then i realized I hated economics and a few other classes associated with the usual business minor. So what did I do? Well, I went the Advertising route and after binge watching Mad Men this past winter break, it'd be cool to be a modern version of Don Draper among other things.

As far as traveling goes, I have yet to leave the states. Went to Puerto Rico as a baby but if I don't remember it, did it really happen?

In the future I plan to go to graduate school even though I'm still unsure of what degree I'd pursue and my ideal career would either be in the creative department of an upcoming or fortune (hundred) agency or the owner of a successful business that would see expansion sometime before I'm retired or past my mid life crisis. Whichever comes first.

I like a bunch of different music types depending on my mood but i will always come back to Hip-Hop/ Rap and House music. Food is life and it just so happens we can't live without it so just another reason added to list when debating if getting Dominoes at 2 AM is a good thing.

Last, but not least, I am also a member of a multicultural fraternity here of campus called Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc. I have been apart of this organization and brotherhood for two semesters now and couldn't have asked for a better experience thus far

Here's two pictures I'd say that describe me:

The Entrepreneur's Mantra

Say it enough times and you start to believe it...

When you first make a blog

For someone who would consider themselves decently acquainted with computers and the internet I've never once blogged. Reddit? yeah, no... so this is a test post and, assuming it works, my first ever blog post.