Assignment 15A- Finding out buyer behavior 2

    My interviews provided me with some great insight into developing my product even further. In my first interview I was told that a website was their most desirable method of access to the product. However, they stated that a subscription method of paying would be preferable to a flat rate with constant access. I was told that they would prefer this because they won't always be using the product because they won't always be searching for a place to live. They also told me that if I was to use a subscription method that I may be able to make a larger profit by getting a flow of revenue from customers until they are finished with the product.
    My second interview helped me to develop the human side of the business. They told me that they actually preferred human interaction when it comes to events such as these. They told me to open up the search office into a place for customers to interact with employees and maybe have a tour service. This could be a new line of revenue for the business and a great way to help customers to be able to find the place that best suits them. In both interviews the interviewees told me that they feel that their purchase would be justified if and when they found the place that suits them the best and they have moved in. They would then cancel their membership and that makes them feel like they have used the product to it's fullest.
    My third interview told me many of the same things that the first two interviewees told me. They also felt that I could expand the human part of my product further with a part for face to face interaction. They did provide me with a different idea by making the scouting locations more of a question and answer center so that people feel more comfortable with the product.
    In the end the segment that I interviewed helped me to look at my product in different ways. One of the ways that it helped the most was to expand the human portion of my product. I had been assuming that people would prefer a purely online product, but these assumptions were off base. I also learned that a membership type payment would be a good way to charge for the product. The most important take away form this segment is that people would feel confident with their purchase of this product if they found a place that had everything that they were promised. These interviews have also shown me that there is still room for a lot of improvement for this product.   

Assignment 13A- Reading Reflection 1

I read the book Andrew Carnegie by David Nasaw.

• What surprised you the most?
• I was legitimately shocked by the ways in which Carnegie made most of his money. From my limited knowledge before reading this book I thought his primary source of income was his steel business and other businesses, not outside sources. Looking back on it I should have figured that but I never made the connection. It would make sense that he amassed that amount of many through multiple ventures and opportunities. 
• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
• I admired his drive and unrelenting pursuit of a larger goal. He never let anything get in his way and stop him. Even if this meant doing things that may not have been the most ethical. Towards the end of his life he became more and more intrigued with the goal of world peace. This is an incredibly large task obviously, yet he approached it and did everything he could to try and develop a path towards this end. This included but is not limited to large contributions to charities and to President Taft and his platform.      
•  What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
• The thing I least admired about him was also the thing I most admired him for, his drive to try and tackle giant challenges. A prime example of this was the attempt to reach world peace. I do not admire this trait because of the fact that it wastes time and resources that can further other goal that are much more reasonable. While I believe that it is a good thing to aim for challenging goals, I also maintain that it is a better thing to reach for actually attainable  goals.
• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
• He most assuredly ran into failure. The largest was most likely the time he used new British methods for creating stronger steel railroads but these methods ended up being useless. The biggest problem with this was the fact that he used the family's money. He did eventually recover this money through many underhanded tactics that were legal at the time but are not now. He just continually moving forward at any cost and by any method.
• What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
• He had many competencies. The most noticeable one by far though was his ability to bend the rules and regulations to be able to do what he wants to. The things he did where not even close to the most straightforward or fair but he always managed to get away with it and make a large profit. Another of his competencies was his skills in mathematics. This skill allowed him to assess the risks and rewards of his decisions so that he could go into an opportunity fully aware of the consequences.
• Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you. 
• One part that I found confusing was the decision to lie to his brother about obtaining the patents for the techniques to create the rails for the railroad. This confused me simply because of the fact that he could have been able to assess the plans more carefully had he not been worried about hiding the way he obtained the patents.
•  If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?   
• The first question I would ask him is why he thought that he needed to use such underhanded tactics so often when it came to new ventures. I would ask him this because there are plenty of less risky ways to accomplish these goals and ventures. He could have been more transparent and forth right so that he could avoid gaining an unsavory reputation. The second question I would ask him is what the transformation from poor immigrant to wealthy almost american hero. I am incredibly curious how much this factored into his drive and passion. I know he was very proud of what he became, but i'm more curious as to how much this goal drove him forward and upward.
•  For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?  
• I think that his definition of hard work is to use anything that you can to your advantage and propel yourself forward at any cost. I think he would say something like "you have only worked hard when you have obtained success" or something along those lines. I do share this view to a certain extent, but I also believe that one has worked hard even if they haven't achieved success, fame, and fortune. I believe that many people work incredibly hard every day but are not well known and awarded.

Assignment 14A- Halfway Reflection

• What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 
• One skill that I have developed is a way to effectively communicate with people that I don't know. Before these first two months of class I was kind of shut in and shy, but having to do multiple interviews and reflections on those interviews I have further developed my communication skills. Another skill that I have used is public speaking in the elevator pitch assignment. You can't simply talk to the camera about your product, you need to sell it without being to overbearing. Most importantly you need to have emotion when you speak and make it relate able because no one wants a product they can't see being used and one that no one is excited about.
• Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?  
• The moment I felt like giving up over the last two months was when my exams occurred. I was really busy studying and preparing to the point where I was neglecting this class and others that were not the ones I had exams in. I simply had to put my head down and get through it. I think I have developed a bit of a tenacious attitude over the last two months. I would say getting through the time period where I wanted to give up was the thing that developed it the most. I just knew that things would be better on the other side of it so I kept going.
• What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?  
• The first tip I would give is that no matter what you think you are capable of always try to do more. If you force yourself to go past where you think you can it will slowly but surely expand what your capable of and what your comfortable with. I think this is what helped to develop my "tenacious mindset" the most. The second tip I would give is to understand that as resilient as you may be, reach out to others for help when you really need it. There is no reason to break yourself when you can have someone help you. They can help in many ways, even in small ways like telling you their opinion on some of your thoughts. The final piece of advice I would give is to enjoy the challenges you are presented with. This may be the most important tip I will give. If you enjoy the challenge then you are able to see it in many different ways and this allows you to tackle it easier. The way that you view things allows for many more opportunities throughout life and this class.  

Assignment 12A- Figuring out buyer behavior number 1

• Segment:
• For this assignment I choose a segment of college students looking for apartments to get of the dorms. My first two interviewees are guys from my floor currently that are looking to move to apartments next year. My last interviewee is a female student that is living in a single room. All of them are fed up with their current living situations and are wanting to move to a better option.
• Interview information
• In my first interview I found out that my friend on my floor finds himself thinking about this need every time he uses the bathroom. He thinks about how he wants to move because of the nasty conditions within the communal bathroom. He also thinks about the need to move when it comes time for him to go to sleep at night. This is because the walls in the dorm are not capable of keeping noise out and the people on my floor like to be loud late into the night. He told me that the first thing he does when he realizes this need is go to multiple sites and find the prices for local listings on apartments. He goes to multiple sites in order to figure the price that is most agreed upon between all these sites. He primarily uses apartment finding sites that are heavily advertised because he finds that these websites are often the ones with the most accurate information, but not always. He also then goes to visit the place in order to make sure that the prices and what is offered is actually accurate.
• In my second interview I asked my other friend on my floor what it is that makes him want to move out of the dorm. He told me that the primary reason is that he doesn't want to deal with people he dislikes on a daily basis. He also added that the bathrooms played a role in his decision. He stated that with an apartment he can control who he interacts with to a certain extent. In the dorm he is forced to interact with people he doesn't want to if he is hanging out in the lounge or with people that he actually wants to interact with. He told that the first thing he did when he realized he had this need is almost identical to my first interviewees process. He goes onto multiple websites gets as much information that he can from them and then visits the places he decided on.
• My final interviewee told me the reason they are searching for an apartment is for more freedom. She told me that she has an intrusive RA and this severely limits what she is able to do for fun and how she would like to live. She is reminded of this need every time she has an interaction with her RA. The first thing she did once she decided she wanted to move was to go visit local apartment complexes. She did this because she is not as trusting of the websites as my other interviewees. She did say that she would be willing to use a product such as mine if she knew that the information would be accurate. She is still looking for a place to live because of the amount of time that her method takes.
• What I learned:
• I found out that many people are constantly looking for not only a better living situation for themselves but also are constantly looking for a better way to find these new places to live. The interviews I had told me that this is a very sought after product. The problem is that there are so many other products that are out there that promise what my product is promising but don't live up to that promise. This is why many people are so distrusting of websites to find new living accommodations. I also learned that many people do not like living in the dorms for a variety of reasons.
• Describe the segment:
• I would say that there are a lot of college students that are thinking of moving out of dorms and into dorms. Many of the individuals that I interviewed in this segment said that they are fed up with wasting their time constantly searching for accurate information. Many in this segment would be willing and ready to use a product such as this one.

Assignment 11A- Idea Napkin Number 1

1. Who you are? What your talents are? What your skills and experiences are? Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

• My name is Cameron Matos and I am a second year general chemistry major. I have a talent for talking and connecting with people while also connecting them to others. I have had many experiences with approaching people in a sensitive situation and being able to help them to resolve their issues. I have many experiences in bringing people together and creating new connections. My aspiration is to simply live a sustainable and comfortable life. So if I were to begin this business it would most likely play a large role in my life. I would want it to succeed to the fullest extent. In the long run I would most likely build this business to the point where I could start other ventures and put myself into a position to continue to accumulate profits and continue building.

2. What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs).

• With this product I am offering individuals the ability to find new living accommodations, specifically apartments, in a streamlined and accurate manner. The product itself will be solely online for convenience of the users and will be accessible through some kind of payment or subscription. The unmet need I am exploring is an accurate and convenient way of finding a new place to live. Many websites already say they offer this but their information is on many occasions inaccurate and almost seems fabricated. This forces people to go to multiple sites and spend hours trying to get an idea of what the actual prices are and whats offered in that price. This becomes a hassle as people can be very busy with many things and they are forced to delegate time else where. This product will either go to or contact the location directly everyday in order to make sure the most accurate and up to date information is available to those searching. 

3. Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?      

• This product is primarily focused on individuals looking to find a new place to live, with a focus on apartments. This group is incredibly diverse as it can deal with the entire spectrum of incomes and backgrounds. These individuals can be first time searchers or frequent movers. People will be happy to have the ease to search for a place to live without as much worry as many before them have faced. Most of these potential customers have one primary thing in common, and that is the preconceived notion that finding a new place to live is difficult and stressful. 

4. Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

• I believe that people will use this product because of the convenience. No one likes wasting time and having to redo things they have already done. Anything that makes difficult tasks easier for someone is something people will want to use. With my product people don't have to double check their research and can feel content with the decision that they came to. People can also use this site to check and see what people think of the places that are being considered by people. With day to day updates on prices and features individuals can rest assured that they have made the right choice.

5. What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has?   

• I do know that there are many services like this already out there, however many of them only update prices when new prices are created at the end of a leasing period. This does not help people however as the apartment market is incredibly fluid and is ever changing. That is why my product updates day to day so that people using it are able to see exactly what it is they would be paying and getting with what they sign up for. The primary thing that sets my product apart from the rest is the constant updating and accuracy of the information. 

In addition to these five elements, please spend a paragraph evaluating whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others. 

• I believe that these are elements that blend very well together. The only weakness I could think of currently is the way to make the service stand out from other services like it. This is because the market is close to saturated but it is with inferior products that are frustrating at best. Another potential weakness is the limiting of my potential customer base to those looking for apartments and excluding those who may be looking for something other than apartments to live in. Past these issues I am hard pressed to find anything else that does not mesh well with the rest of these elements. 

Assignment 10A- Elevator Pitch 1

https://youtu.be/RKyJAt0KKLQ

Hope you all enjoy.

Assignment 9A- Testing the hypothesis 2

• Who: My first interviewee was a home owner who is considering moving currently. He told me that he is only considering moving into another house and not an apartment. He told me that he would most likely not use this product seeing as how the housing market does not fluctuate as much as the apartment market. He also brought up a great point that you can not really buy a house without a real estate agent, who will do close to what my product is offering and then some. He told me that it would be most useful to those looking for an apartment because you don't need to go through as many legal procedures as you do with a house.
• My second and third interviewees are two guys who live in my dorm. They brought up that not everyone who lives in a college town is looking to live in an apartment. They told me this because they are going to continue to live in dorms the rest of their time at UF due to them receiving financial aid that allows them to live at the dorms without paying out of pocket. They did say that if they had been looking they would have considered using the product.   
• My last two interviewees were people looking to find an apartment but do not trust using websites and prefer to go to the physical location. They told me that they do not trust in websites or services that offer to do the research for you. They said that no matter what the product or service may say they are inaccurate more than three quarters of the time. They continued to stand by this point even after I continued to explain to them that the product would be updated constantly.
• What: My interviews helped me to realize that this service is going to almost be exclusively used for apartment seekers. This is due to the fact that there is more legality's that need to be handled by someone such as a real estate agent who will do what my product does currently.
• Why: I believe that  the need is not entirely different. What I believe it is, is that depending on peoples preferences and area or type of living accommodations they are searching for drives them to other sources and away from places like my product.

                                            Inside the Boundary                                Outside the Boundary
             Who:                Those looking for apartments.                       Those looking for houses.
                                       First time searchers for living                        Those who are not trusting of
                                       accommodations.                                            online services.
             
             What:              Take away the stress and long search              Replacing someone like a real
                                       time associated with apartment searching.     estate agent.
                                       To provide a place for accurate information  Taking away any need to search
                                        as a starting point.                                          beyond one site.

             Why:                Many people are overwhelmed by the
                                      amount of time and effort it takes to find
                                      a place to live.

Assignment 8A- Solving the problem

My product is one that provides accurate and up to date information on possible living spaces for those looking to move. 

• While there are many products like this out on the market already many of them fall into the same issue. They are unable to keep reliable and accurate data on the places they have listed. This product aims to focus on this aspect the most. It is understood that this is a difficult task but it provides a much needed service for those looking to move.
• The main version of this idea is to create a website for the convenience of those looking to move, but to also have an office that will allow for people to come in and ask questions that they are curious about and to act as a place for employees to be based and gather the data that will be posted onto the website. I want this product to be available to all of those who need it regardless of status or background. This is meant to be a tool to alleviate the stress of searching for a place to move.
• I believe that people will want to use this product because of the fact that finding a new place to live can be such a hassle and sorting through tons of information that frequently can contradict itself. I understand that some  people will not use this product due to personal preference or due to lack of trust in products such as these. Regardless of this I believe it is important for this to be an option for them to consider.      

Assignment 7A- You have an opportunity, now what?

• Easier and more accurate ways of finding living spaces
• Opportunity: Many people who are searching for a place to live have to deal with constantly changing prices and inaccurate information online and in person.
• Who: Anyone who is searching for a new living space that needs accurate and up to date information.
• What: Many websites and other resources available to use to find living spaces are often inaccurate or out of date and going to the physical location is a hassle for many people and the prices told constantly change.
• Why: The market for living spaces is one of ever shifting and changing demand and availability, so accurate and up to date information is often hard to come by.
• Testing the who: In many cases providing information for everyone will be difficult. Not only do people have their own preferences on how they acquire their information, but in some cases people may not be able to access this service. In general this service can apply to anyone searching for a new living space. However, it can be used by competitors to check prices, availability, and other factors that would bring in people interested in living in a new place.
• Testing the what: This is a market that has many services like this already available. This can cause many issues with people trusting the service and preferring it over another. However, many of these services are not as reliable and just add to the confusion of this process. This service can also have issues with the providers side as they may not want to divulge information on their properties.
• Testing the why: Many websites and services have issues keeping accurate information because of the nature of the market. It is constantly changing and adjusting to not only overall trends in the pool of possible consumers but also because of a reaction to the individual. In many cases those offering a place to live will change their mind about allowing certain customers to live in their area if their financial backing isn't strong enough, if they have had issues in the past, or any number of other reasons. For this reason an accurate service needs to be created so that people don't get into a situation that causes issues for not only themselves but also those attempting to provide the living space.
• Interview 1
• In this interview I talked to an executive of an apartment company. The first thing she told me when I told her my idea is that it would be difficult to pull off because of how the market is constantly changing not only from broader guidelines, but also many state and even county regulations on the way in which living accommodations can be managed and charged. Another point she brought up was the fact that many apartments have varied ways of charging based on the applicant that wants to live there. She did agree with the idea that many places from which you get information are not wholly accurate all the time. She did also say that not everyone will use websites or outside services to find the information they are looking for, many will still go straight to the source for information.
• Interview 2
• This time I interviewed a person on my floor that recently signed a lease to live in an apartment next year. When I asked him how he went about finding his information he told it was primarily through finding prices on the internet and then visiting the apartment himself to check and see if the information was accurate. He also had some concerns about the service I was offering. The primary concern was how people would know that the information is actually accurate. He told me that many places he looked had conflicting prices and information and this was true for the actual location and websites. He also said that the idea of a website or service like the one I am describing would be a very useful tool.
• Interview 3
• In this interview I talked to someone who was not currently looking for a new place to live. After I told him what the service would offer he asked if there wasn't something like that out there already. As I talked to him more I realized that for those not currently searching the preconceived notion is that all the websites out there have accurate information. He told me that he  would assume that creating a service that I was describing would be difficult because of the amount of information you would be providing and keeping up to date.
• Interview 4
• In this interview I interviewed someone who is in the midst of searching for somewhere else to live. She told me the same thing as the person from interview 2. She told me that many of the resources she is using do not match up and are often confusing. She also said that obtaining and maintaining the amount of information required for my service would be quite difficult.
• Interview 5
• This was an interview with someone who has owned a house for nearly twenty years. As I talked to him about how he found his house he told me about his limited options due to the time. While there was some internet to aid him, he primarily had to go to real estate agents and look at postings in the newspapers and other sources of information. He has thought about moving since getting this house and has looked at websites and traditional methods of finding a house. In his case many of the places he checked agreed on prices and had pretty accurate data. He told me that my service is possible but is going to be hard to succeed with because of how many sources are available in this field.
• New things I have learned from the interviews
• I was surprised by the amount of people that told me that information did not match from source to source. I was under the impression that it was an issue but didn't think it would be as severe as it is based on my interviews. These sources serve one purpose and that is to provide information that is accurate and reliable, but most seem to be unable to do that. Many of the people I interviewed were frustrated by this fact and wondered why it is so hard to do this.
• I learned from my interview with the executive that maintaining the information can and most likely will be much harder than obtaining it in the first place. I also learned that with all the restrictions that are place on and removed from how owners can manage and charge their properties how fluid and dynamic the market is. This adds a degree of difficulty when it comes to providing accurate information.
• I was also surprised to learn about the search for houses being seemingly easier from the one example I was able to obtain. The fact that information not only matched up source to source but also source to actual surprised me. Based on this it leads me to believe that houses prices and the information provided on them may be easier to maintain than those of say an apartment.