Thursday, September 26, 2019
9A: Testing Hypothesis Part 2
Who:
After interviewing three people that I know that goes to music festivals and partake in ingesting drugs, there are some who are nevertheless afraid of giving up their drugs to my service to test, which is completely reasonable. In the environment of a music festival, it is hard to trust strangers with illegal substances.
One interviewee was afraid to find out that their drugs would be tainted by something else, and would rather much take the drug than give it up for they fear that it would ruin their festival experience. Many people spend hundreds of dollars on music festivals that include the ticket, housing, and plane tickets, and would rather enjoy the festival to the best that they could than to look at for their own safety.
Another interviewee believes that if people were to do drugs, then there is no point testing, because every drug is bad in its own way. He believes that even though it poses a danger to people, people know the risks of taking the drugs.
What:
The need that I identified is different from the need that people need to test their drugs, because in the setting of a festival, this service is a safe haven for people to keep people safe instead of needing people to test drugs in the open where they could be reprimanded. In addition, those who buy drugs at the festival are also putting themselves at risk.
Why:
The needs of people outside the boundary is the same as inside. It just happens that they do not trust the people handling their drugs, and also do not think about their own safety.
Inside the Boundary
Who: Those who are looking out for their
own safety and allowing their drugs to be tested.
What: A service that could test drugs in a safe way
Why: There are many cases of people overdosing
on drugs at music festivals.
Outside the Boundary:
Who: Those who do not trust the service,
and don’t care about their well-being
What: Those who think they don’t need the service
Why: There is a distrust for the service.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
8A- Solving the Problem
Instead of a product, I want to create a service where people who frequently consume drugs are offered a safe place to test their drugs at music festivals. Because people are going to consume the drugs anyway, why not set up stands at music festivals with attendants testing the drugs of festival-goers? The policy would be that there would be no reports from any attendants and if a drug were to be deemed “safe” then it would be given back, and if not, then the drug would be discarded by the attendant. No law enforcement would be involved, and this would ensure the safety of the festival-goers. This service would be extended to all music festivals across the nation, and event planners would definitely buy into this service to improve their reputation and ensure the safety of its people.
Testing the Hypothesis Part 1
Testing the Hypothesis Part. 1
Music Festival faulty drug overdose prevention.
Opportunity: At every music festival, people expose themselves to harm when they consume drugs that enhances the festival experience, but many drugs are not what they seem to be.
The who: Those who attend music festivals and consume drugs such as MDMA, LSD, etc.
The what: Consuming drugs that are of one kind when in reality, they are not.
The why: Many dealers “cut” their drugs with other harmful drugs or substances.
Testing the who: Many festival-goers consume an exorbitant amount of drugs to enhance their festival experience at music festivals, raves. Many also consume them in clubs and bars, but festivals are less controlled, so it is very dangerous.
Testing the what: Dealers often “cut” the drugs with harmful substances to increase profit margins. For example, methamphetamine could be sold under the guise of MDMA. That is just one example, but other drugs could be sold the same way. When these drugs are “cut” with other substances, there could be a larger risk of overdose.
Interview #1: 22 year old male who frequents music festivals.
“I think people are uneducated about the drugs that they take and they don’t know what they are taking because they do not test their drugs. They may not even be overdosing on certain drugs, but rather take a different drug than they thought they did.”
Interview #2: 20 year old male college student
“People overdose on drugs because they don’t know their limits, make bad decisions, and other factors such as peer pressure. People don’t test their drugs because of the prices of drug kits, and they also don’t want to diminish the effects of the drugs. Also, people are not themselves on drugs and can lead to serious injuries between themselves and others.”
Interview #3: 22 year old male college student.
“People overdose on drugs because it is never certain what people are taking. I don’t think drug dealers deliberately cut their drugs with substances, but rather they don’t know what are in their drugs themselves sometimes.”
Interview #4: 21 year old male college student who frequents music festivals.
“People overdose on drugs because they are influenced by their friends to take more and they have not done their own research about the drugs that they take. Drug dealers do not want to cut their drugs, but rather the suppliers. They are simply the middle men for those who want to buy the drugs.”
Interview #5: 22 year old female who frequents music festivals
“I think people overdose because they’re not aware of how dangerous it can be when you take too much or you get something that is created with something that is deadly so they don’t know what the drug actually contains. Also, when they are under the influence, they make poor decisions and think that they can probably take more. Or they could be mixing the drug with other substances and they don’t realize how bad it is.
Reflection:
Most of the people that I interviewed agreed that a lot of times, those who overdose on drugs do so because they are misinformed and they are peer pressured by their friends to take more than they should. Many also do not know the capabilities of the drugs.
What I found interesting was that people who were interviewed did not think the drug dealers deliberately “cut” their drugs. The dealers were just ignorant of what was in the drugs themselves by not testing their own drugs or doing prior research for the suppliers.
6A: Identifying Opportunities.
Four Opportunities
Economic Trend: The Housing Market is stuck
in a recession.
·
I believe that this is an opportunity to be
capitalized on by those who want to enter the housing market because of the low
mortgage rates and the low costs of housing.
·
It states that mortgage rates have fallen more
than a quarter of a percent in just the last couple months, and that is a
pretty large amount.
·
I saw this opportunity because with lowering
prices, those who have not been in the market can have a way to break into it. However,
the opportunity is difficult to exploit because the housing market is very complex.
·
The customer would be those who are willing to
invest in the housing market.
Economic Trend: America is declining
in global economic power.
·
Because of the recession in 2008, America has
lost much of its economic power because China, Russia, Brazil, and India
regulated their banks to avoid derivatives.
·
There is an opportunity for foreign investors
and companies to take advantage of this economic downfall.
·
I think it is hard to pull off because even though
America is declining, it is still one of the most dominant economies.
Regulatory Trend: Trump
organization announced Tariffs for many countries around the world
·
Tariffs have a ripple effect on economies
throughout the world and can impact a lot of industries at once.
·
I see that there may be an opportunity for domestic
industries because the tariffs are meant to raise prices for foreign investors
to the point where they do not want to conduct business in the U.S that could
steal U.S industries’ market share.
·
This opportunity is moderate because even though
the industries are protected, international trade is large part of any corporation.
·
The customer would be businesses in the U.S
Regulatory Trend: Paid sick leave and minimum wage policies at
local and state levels.
·
There is a trend calling for increased minimum
wage at the local and state levels and there is an opportunity for employees to
capitalize on because many are not paid enough for their work.
·
The customer would be almost all employees
because they would also all benefit from paid sick leave.
·
This opportunity is easy to make work because
anyone can benefit from this change.
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Identifying Local Opportunities
“Vaping-Linked
lung problems surface in Florida” by Christine Sexton of the Gainesville Sun
· Recently, there has been an
increase in electronic cigarette or e-cig use throughout the United States,
especially in the youth because of the prominent advertising of e-cigs and its
flavors that appeal to the youth.
· The problem with this is that there
has been an increase in respiratory illnesses in Florida that doctors have
traced to the use of e-cigs. Many patients have reported recently using e-cigs when
they have contracted their illnesses.
· The people who has the problem are
those who use e-cigs regularly, and the parents of the youth who use it.
“UF Student
reports sexual assault, Police say” by Emily Mavrakis
·
A
student has been assaulted on the UF campus near Jennings Hall that took place
at around midnight. The student was in a relationship with the assaulter.
·
The
problem is that there has been a rise in the sexual assault cases at UF lately.
Notably, a case by Ian Milaski, who was released because of his academic
standings at the university. Those who have been reported have not been held
accountable for their actions.
·
Those
who have the problem are those who have been assaulted and those who might be
assaulted in the future.
“Florida boy
bullied over homemade U of Tennessee shirt; UT makes his design official”
· A boy made a make-shift
UT(University of Tennessee) t-shirt to support his favorite team and wore it to
his elementary school, but his judgemental young classmates made fun of him for
it, causing him to be upset.
· The problem with this is the
culture of elementary school kids could be very mean, and people’s interests
are squandered because they think it’s “weird.” However, UT was able to make
the boy’s day by delivering a care package with a bunch of UT logos, t-shirts,
and other UT items.
· The person being affected is the
boy who made the shirt.
“It’s
great to be No. 7, but there’s more to be done” by The Alligator Editorial
Board
· Even though UF has risen to 7 in
the rankings of national public universities, there are many problems that the
university overlooks because of how much focus they have on that goal.
· The problem of reaching the goal of
No. 7 in the nation is that the focus is put away from the well-being of the
students in terms of underrepresentation of minority groups, and the mental
health of its students. Recently, there has been suicides on the UF campus due
to academic pressures that the students face and the underfunding of the
student wellness center.
· The people being affected are all
students who feel underrepresented and suffering from mental health at the
University.
“American Airlines mechanic accused of sabotaging flight”
by David Koenig and Curt Anderson
https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190907/american-airlines-mechanic-accused-of-sabotaging-flight
https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190907/american-airlines-mechanic-accused-of-sabotaging-flight
· An
American Airlines mechanic was charged with sabotage because he was upset over
the company’s stalled labor contract negotiations with a local union. The man
has been upset because of the reduced pay as a result of this. The man was
fired years ago from Alaska airlines due to multiple errors in his work.
· The
problem with this is that American Airlines’ workers are being affected by this
stalled contract. Even though there is no excuse for the man, this is the direct
result of withholding benefits that the employees desire.
· This
affects all the workers that the contract tries to benefit, and the customers on
the airplane that almost took a flight on a sabotaged flight.
Thursday, September 5, 2019
4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief
Forming an Opportunity Belief.
I think that there is an unmet need for relationship counseling for those who are unmarried. I believe that those who are in a relationship often learn a lot about themselves and what they like in a significant other. A lot of times, people see that a relationship that is not a marriage does not need any counseling when things go sour, but for those who are very committed in a relationship, it is something that could save the relationship. Moreover, many believe that it is not worth it to go to a relationship counselor if the partners are not married. However, I believe that even when two partners have not been committed, and whether the partners are of older or even as young as sixteen years old, there could potentially be an opportunity for relationship counselors. I am 40% sure that this opportunity exists.
#1: 22 year old college female who is single but has been in a relationship.
Have you ever been in an argument with your significant other? What is one argument that you remember having?
“Yes, my ex-boyfriend and I had an argument about religion, and how that would go along in our lives when he is Christian and I am Buddhist.
What is your one rule of thumb in resolving an argument?
“Communication and talking to each other without raising our voices.”
Do you think there are times where a relationship would decline even without the presence of arguments? How so?
“Yes, if a couple has two different paths in life, has two different mindsets, or have even fell out of love.”
Do you think relationship counseling would help this?
“It could, but it is up to the two people, and it could give a solution that the couple did not think about.”
Do you ever think about going to counseling for a relationship that is not yet a marriage? Do you think it is worth it?
“I usually go to my friends to ask for advice, but their opinion is usually biased. However, it is worth it if the couple wants to be with each other in the end, and see themselves marrying each other.
#2: 19 year old female college student
Have you ever been in an argument with your significant other? What is one argument that you remember having?
Yes, I remember arguing about time that we would be able to spend together as it is sometimes hard to maintain a long distance relationship.
What is your one rule of thumb in resolving an argument?
“One rule of thumb is to always be open and listen to the other person's point of view before coming to conclusions. yes there were times in periods of stress or increased work that each of us would have in which we communicate less frequently and the quality of it would not be as solid, but we were always able to confront that issue and keep moving forward better each time.”
Do you think there are times where a relationship would decline even without the presence of arguments? How so?
Yes, I think over time things would become stagnant if there were no arguments. usually if there are no arguments that also means that someone or both of them are holding in their emotions which does not lead to a healthy relationship. no one’s going to be complacent 24/7, it just depends on if problems are brought up so if there are no arguments the individuals involved may feel anger towards the other for something that the other party is unaware of.
Do you think relationship counseling would help this?
“Personally I don’t think the arguments/problems we’ve had have been serious enough to the point where we would have needed intervention so i don’t think relationship counseling would have been necessary.”
Do you ever think about going to counseling for a relationship that is not yet a marriage? Do you think it is worth it?
“Although I myself haven’t needed to go to relationship counseling or thought about it I definitely do think that if a relationship is struggling and you really do want to be with your significant other and make it work even if you’re not married then it’s never a waste of time to go to relationship counseling. If anything it’ll make you see things clearer and help strengthen the bond, or it’ll show you that you’re not meant for each other and save time and effort on both ends.”
#3: 22 year old male graduate in his gap year.
Have you ever been in an argument with your significant other? What is one argument that you remember having?
“Yes, I have had multiple arguments. There was one time she got mad at me for hanging out with my friends because she wanted to spend time with me instead.”
What is your one rule of thumb in resolving an argument?
“Always let both people talk and try to understand each person’s viewpoint.”
Are there times where a relationship would decline even without the presence of arguments? How so?
“Yes, because sometimes there could be a lost of interest or feelings regardless of whether arguments are not.
Do you think relationship counseling would help this?
“No, because sometimes a person’s opinion even if its from a professional, would not effect how people feel.”
Do you ever think about going to counseling for a relationship that is not yet a marriage? Do you think it is worth it?
“I think it would be worth it for a long-term relationship and a middle person would definitely help a lot.”
Reflection on all iterations: I am most surprised by the fact that everyone supported the presence of a relationship counselor for relationships that are not marriages. Even though I saw this as an opportunity, I did expect there to be at least one interviewee that would object the idea. I think I learned a lot about how relationships work and what each person in a relationship expects from the other. In
Summary: The original opportunity is still there and is going strong. There is more support for the opportunity than I thought, so I think it is safe to say that the opportunity has increased by a total of at least 20 percent. For this opportunity, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement based on customer feedback. There is always a way to make the service industry better.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Entrepeneurship Story
I have a pretty far-fetched story of how I was first exposed to entrepreneurship in Middle School. In middle school, my classmates were obsessed with Big John’s pickled sausages. As you can see above, that is a jar of those sausages. Now believe it or not, I actually enjoyed the sausages myself from time to time, but because I was at school, the sausages were hard to come by. I came up with the great idea of selling these sausages to my classmates in an environment where there was no competition from the school cafeteria or anyone else for $3 for each sausage, even though it only costed me about $20 for the whole jar. In the end, I profited quite a bit, but my stunt ended when my parents caught me stuffing my backpack full of those sausages in Ziploc bags, and forbade me from selling it again for fear of maybe accidentally causing food poisoning to my classmates because they would be in my bag for hours at a time.
I enrolled in this class to find creative ways to make money in the world, because I believe that entrepeneurship is the basis of the growth of our economy.
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