Thursday, January 30, 2020

Timmy's Assignment 5A: Identifying Local Opportunities


Identifying Local Opportunities

Story 1:
Title: Woman sexually assaulted in Love Park heading to work
Description of the story: On January 25th at 5:20 am a 41-year-old woman was getting off the train at 15th street in Center City when a black male that is about 30 years of age came up from behind her and attacked her. He got her onto the ground and then proceeded to sexually assault her. This is when people heard the screams and called 911. The police came onto the scene, chased him and got close to capturing him but eventually was able to escape by jumping 20 to 30 ft down onto the concourse. 
Description of problem: Women riding the train going to work are going to feel vulnerable when exiting the train. Then the police could not apprehend the suspect, so he is still roaming the streets.
Who has the problem? All Women traveling alone, the Police department, Citizens of Philadelphia because this criminal has not been caught and is still roaming the streets.

Story 2:
Title: 9-month-old overdoses on Fentanyl
Description of the story: An infant in Bensalem, Pennsylvania consumed Fentanyl in its parent’s apartment. It was near a bottle of acetaminophen with codeine, and fentanyl is a big part of the opioid crisis in Pennsylvania. When medics arrived on scene the infant was in cardiac arrest, so the medics gave the infant naloxone. Eventually, the child became stable after the child was given continued doses of naloxone in the hospital. Infants parents were charged with endangerment of the child, and still are in jail after the failure of posting bail.
Description of problem: The problem is that a toddler overdosed on a drug because there is a drug problem in Philadelphia. Parents are careless with the drugs that they have in the house and need to make them not accessible to kids.
Who has the problem? Residents of Philadelphia, Police department, emergency services, young kids that get into the drugs. It all starts at the drug problem people have in the city.

Story 3:
Title: Contractor charged after man's body was found inside burning jeep
Description of the story: A 39-year-old man shot a 43-year-old man in the back of the head. Then he proceeded to stab him a couple of times before wrapping his body in a blanket and putting it in the back of a burning jeep. The 39-year-old man was hired as a contractor, but eventually took the other man’s life because of the quality of his roofing job. Now he is facing multiple charges, one including murder.
Description of problem: The problem is that the contractor took someone’s life because he didn’t like the critique he received from his customer about the quality of his work. This could have been avoidable if the person is not so prideful and accepts the comments and fixes it next time.
Who has the problem? People hiring anyone for an external service, Police Department, Emergency services. Also, organizations human resource department because they’ll have to see how the hiree reacts to feedback to make sure that person can represent their company in a positive light.

Story 4:
Title: Possible case of coronavirus being investigated at William Penn Charter School
Description of the story: One of the Chinese exchange students that went through ground zero of the virus in Wuhan City started to feel sick at a Philadelphia campus. The student was placed into isolation and had tests done on him. The tests are pending from the city’s health department, however, the student is feeling better now.
Description of problem: An exchange student from China passed through the City in china where the virus started then flew to the U.S. for school in Philadelphia. That person then began to feel sick, then was isolated. If this case is confirmed then it will be the first one on the East Coast which means the virus is spreading.
Who has the problem? People traveling through Wuhan City, Philadelphia Health Department, U.S. Travel agencies. The students of that college are in danger because that’s where that exchange student came over to go to school.

Story 5:
Title: Philly declares all Indego e-bikes as stolen property
Description of the story: This is because on Friday, January 17th, Indego stated that all of the e-bikes will be unavailable because they are undergoing routine maintenance. A lot of these e-bikes have gone missing by people stealing them or just getting misplaced. So, Philadelphia has made it to where all Indego electric bikes are stolen property and told police to stop anyone riding one. The people found with these bikes will not be arrested but the bikes will be confiscated. This measure makes sure that people can keep on riding them in the future.
Description of problem: Several Indego e-bikes have gone missing, either by stealing or misplacement. Indego is recalling them for routine maintenance and to make sure the bikes are harder to steal. Now, police have to stay alert and help recapture these bikes from people.
Who has the problem? Indego, Philadelphia Police Department, People that still have possession of these bikes, Citizens of Philadelphia that rely on the bikes as a method of transportation.



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Timmy's Assignment 4A: Forming An Opportunity Belief

Forming an Opportunity Belief

1) My beginning point: I believe a problem that I discovered that there is an opportunity in providing more education for all street-legal two-wheel transportation vehicles, specifically scooters. The opportunity is to offer classes about scooter safety/etiquette to students or anyone that owns a scooter. These scooter courses will be offered in Florida and will be required for students at Florida Universities.
2) My belief:
●     What is the unmet need: The poor knowledge that students and people have riding scooters with and without traffic and proper safety while driving a scooter on the street. This results in scooter accidents in which the rider gets injured. Also, other drivers can get upset with scooter riders either with their driving or parking.
●     Who has the need: The people that have this need are anyone that owns a street-legal scooter, mainly college students across the country.
●     Where did the need come from (is it new, or has it always existed)?: This need has always existed for a long period of time. There is more of an urgency to focus on this problem is expanding as more college students are owning scooters.
●     What are people doing to meet this need now: Many people and students can take the motorcycle course and get their endorsement. Scooters are slower than motorcycles, and you don’t need to shift at all. This course would make riding a scooter even simpler.
●     I am 80% sure that this opportunity exists
3) The prototypical customer: Any person or student that owns a scooter currently or looking to buy a scooter in the future, and college students as well
4) Iteration No. 1
Person/Customer: Male, 19 years old; College student at Santa Fe
What is the exact nature of the need? This consumer is thinking about buying a scooter but hears about people getting hurt on scooters, and not being smart while riding on them. He said that the demand for this need is very high, especially since he is considering buying a scooter.
When do they become aware of the need -- that is, do they experience their needs all the time or only sometimes? He becomes aware of his need when he is looking at scooters to buy since he wants to be safe when riding on the road with it.
How long have they had the need? He has had this need only recently because he started college about a year ago.
When did they first become aware of their need? Why? They first became aware during his first year of college because he had some friends own scooters already. His friends didn’t possess enough knowledge to ride a scooter and he eventually got into an accident and got hurt.
How are they currently addressing their need? They are not addressing his need, there are no classes offered for only scooters specifically in Florida.
How satisfied are they with this solution? He would be really satisfied with this solution as he could take the classes and then buy a scooter for better transportation.
4) Iteration No. 2:
Person/Customer: Female, 20 years old, College student at UF
What is the exact nature of the need? This consumer believes that there is a need for this because she owns a motorcycle and hates that scooter drivers don’t know how to properly ride, park and be safe on the road.
When do they become aware of the need -- that is, do they experience their needs all the time or only sometimes? She experiences this need only sometimes when she is riding on her motorcycle and sees a scooter on the road.
How long have they had the need? She has had this need for about 2 years when she started to ride motorcycles.
When did they first become aware of their need? Why? She first became first aware of her need when she started college two years ago and bought a motorcycle. This is because she interacts with scooters on the road and on-campus parking. She hates when they try to park up on her motorcycle and she won’t be able to get out. Also, she notices that they are riding with the proper technique when on the road, which can cause them to get hurt.
How are they currently addressing their need? They are not addressing his need, there are no classes offered for only scooters specifically in Florida.
How satisfied are they with this solution? Even though she is a motorcycle rider, she is excited about the solution that was proposed because riding on two wheels is dangerous and people need to be as educated as possible to stay safe.
4) Iteration No. 3:
Person/Customer: Male, 21 years old, College student at UF
What is the exact nature of the need? This consumer already owns a scooter. He has determined that with more traffic coming onto the road that better scooter driving knowledge is vital to all scooter drivers’ safety and well-being. He said he wanted to do the motorcycle certification course to become more educated but feels it would be a waste of time since he only owns a scooter.
When do they become aware of the need -- that is, do they experience their needs all the time or only sometimes? He experiences the need all the time because when he rides his scooter and doesn’t know all the ins and outs of scooters.
How long have they had the need? He has had this need for about 4 years now with being around scooters more, and now he has it even more now since he rides his scooter all the time.
When did they first become aware of their need? Why? He first became aware of the need during his second year of college when he hears about the problems that people have riding on the road with scooters. Now since he owns a scooter and rides it more, he wants to make sure he knows how to ride it properly.
How are they currently addressing their need? They are not addressing his need, there are no classes offered for only scooters specifically in Florida.
How satisfied are they with this solution? He is okay with the solution as he has been already riding a scooter for a decent amount of time. He feels like it will help him sharpen his driving skills and make him more defensive on the road.
5) Reflection of all Iterations: I learned that this opportunity would be a big help to people thinking about buying a scooter because it will give them the security that they could be safe while riding on two wheels. Also, this opportunity could help motorcyclists, other drivers, and even current scooter riders because they realize that the need is there for further education about scooters. Additionally, with scooter only classes it can help eliminate scooter injuries caused by lack of riding knowledge and safety. The most surprising thing I learned was that all the people I interviewed were interested in the opportunity I proposed to them. Furthermore, something else I learned that was surprising is that people ride scooters but don’t know that they could receive further education on it, Finally, some people are just lazy and don’t know about the real dangers of riding a scooter on the road with other cars.
Summary: Even with some current scooter riders that won’t take the classes, I still believe that a lot of my original opportunity is still there. The opportunity is there because there is still a market to be able to help people ride scooters smarter and safer. This will help riders avoid getting injured because of their lack of knowledge. I think my opportunity has stayed the same since I started because with more knowledge, I will know which market to focus on more. I think it is vital that entrepreneurs adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback because the market is very sensitive, and the opportunity needs to adapt to those changes to stay competitive with competitors. Entrepreneurs should be firm at times but more adaptive to the changing market needs. Adapting will help entrepreneurs stay in business and be successful with the opportunities that they come up with.
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Timmy's Assignment 3A: Your Entrepreneurship Story

My Entrepreneurship Story
A time in my life that I was exposed to entrepreneurship was when I met an entrepreneur in high school about five years ago. I was walking outside and was talking to my friends about preparing for college standardized tests and AP exams. We passed his table that he was advertising and he overheard us talking. Then he recommended this website that he help make to help us all prepare for the exams. He informed me of a few insights about becoming an entrepreneur. One insight was to set aside your pride and ask for help if you need it so then you can accomplish your goals. The second insight he suggested to me was to focus on your academics either in high school or afterward. Another tip he told me was to not be afraid to take considered risks. He said that he looked up to Elon Musk because of all the risks he took to get to where he is. This is important because the successes and failures contribute to your life experiences and they will help you make better decisions in the future. I took the tip about taking more calculated risks to the heart and applied it to more of my life. Now, I consider Elon Musk to be a role model for Entrepreneurs everywhere.

Next, I enrolled in ENT 3003 because I wanted to learn more about being an entrepreneur and all the opportunities in the different markets. Also, what process entrepreneurs go through to be able to help certain groups of people solve a problem. Additionally, the possibility of starting my own business in the future after completing this class. I hope to get at least a B or higher in the class by trying my best in the class at whatever I complete. Finally, I want to gain more insight into the business world and what it has to offer me as I finish up my degree.

Below is a picture of the idol, Elon Musk, of the entrepreneur I met in high school.

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Thursday, January 23, 2020

Timmy's Bug List


1. The annual increase in rent paid at apartment complexes

Why the bug exists: Due to the increasing supply and demand of apartment complexes in Gainesville and inflation of money, this causes the prices of rent for apartments to rise. Additionally, it is in the company’s best interest to increase prices to make a profit off the people living in the apartment complexes.

2. Trying to park between 10 am and 2 pm in motorcycle/scooter parking near Library West
Why the bug exists: The limited space of parking near a popular location that is also surrounded by buildings in which students have classes in. The lack of parking causes students not being able to park and eventually being late for a class or an exam. The University should add more spaces to the motorcycle/scooter parking area near Library West to help avoid this issue. Also, UF could add more spaces near the area of Heavener hall.

3. The way students parks their scooters right up on your vehicle just so then they can park
Why the bug exists: The lack of parking that the university offers makes people park their scooters all up on each other’s vehicles. People do this so they will be able to make it to their location on time. This could cause damage to yours or the other person’s vehicle.

4. During the day, certain buses have horrible run times and only show up every hour thus either making you an hour early for class or 10-15 mins late.
Why the bug exists: The profit that RTS makes is not enough to pay extra bus drivers to drive these routes to increase the frequency of these buses. Also, the bus system could just be allocating their resources to different and more popular routes. The university could send RTS more money, since a lot of students use this service, and this will help more buses fix the bad frequencies of other routes.

5. Slow drivers in the left lane holding up traffic
Why the bug exists: When coming up to an on-ramp on the highway, this causes the tractor-trailer truck to move over into the middle lane and then the slower traffic from the middle lane to move into the left lane. These slower cars slow down the faster upcoming traffic in that left lane and bogs down traffic. This is a safety hazard that could cause accidents and injuries.

6. The number of people inside bars at midtown on a Wednesday night
Why the bug exists: The bars try to get as many people inside so they can make more money off the large crowd. Then the bar will become overcrowded with the people they let enter. This becomes a fire and a safety hazard for everyone inside because of the lack of space inside can cause people to be injured or not be able to move in the event of an emergency.

7. While at the gym, people that grunt loudly
Why the bug exists: People push themselves hard when working out and they are forcefully pushing out the air that they are breathing. This will make them grunt, but they are most likely wearing headphones, so they are not aware that they are making those sounds. They also don’t know that they are bothering the people around them, so they keep making those sounds.

8. My roommate that doesn’t clean his dishes after using them
Why the bug exists: People are raised differently where some kids don’t do their dishes when finished eating and their parents do them, or kids do their dishes after using them. Also, a different reason this exists is that the person is just lazy and doesn’t want to do their dishes at the moment and then they just forget in the end. When they don’t do their dishes, it causes clutter in the kitchen and the sink, and then it will attract bugs to the dirty dishes.

9. People that don’t clean up after themselves
Why the bug exists: The people that do this sometimes think they’re different and other people will clean up after them. This causes more work to be done by others to help keep an area clean. Additionally, this could just as easily be because those people are lazy as well and just don’t want to clean up after themselves.

10. People not flushing the toilet after they use it
Why the bug exists: Some people if they are in a rush just forget to flush the toilet after they use it. Other people do not flush after they use the bathroom because they believe they are spreading fewer germs, saving water, money or the planet. Not flushing can leave the bathroom having an odor that disgusts people out. 

11. Drivers at traffic lights and not going when the light turns green.
Why the bug exists: The drivers are distracted either by their phone, other people or other drivers that are on the road. Also, the drivers could just not be paying attention to the road which is bad because this can cause accidents for the people that are behind this car. 

12. Slow scooter riders on a one-lane road that it makes traffic go so slow.
Why the bug exists: Most scooters that students have get up to about 40 MPH or less, so they can drive the speed limit and drive on the roadway. The way scooters are made is to be able to make short transportation easier, so they don’t go that fast. Which this holds up traffic, and they should make a different lane for scooters on one-lane roads to help ease the flow of traffic.

13. The two lights on 34th between 2nd avenue and University avenue goes so fast that backs up traffic
Why the bug exists: These traffic lights run on a timed schedule which makes the lights go at an even schedule for all ways to eliminate as much traffic as possible. The schedule for the lights is quick for certain sides, and they should be longer for the more popular and busy directions that people are driving. Organizing the light schedule better helps eliminate traffic during busy times of the day.

14. When you are trying to do an assignment or quiz for a class and your laptop freezes, and you must restart it.
Why the bug exists:  You have too many things open at once while doing the assignment/quiz, so your computer overheats, and you will have to give it a break. Also, your computer is due for an update, so it will get really slow after not getting restarted for a while. The computer’s battery might not be good anymore, so then this will cause it to freeze.

15. The bad reliability and speed of Cox Wi-Fi making it perform poorly in your house
Why the bug exists: One reason is that there are multiple devices connected to the router which is causing your Wi-Fi to be slow. Give out your password to a select amount of people or only connect certain devices to help it run smoothly. Additionally, the plan that you have with the company that installed your router could have some limitations that you don’t know about. Also, the router is too far away from you and the device that you are trying to connect to it.

16. The landlord of my house takes forever to respond to the problems and then doesn’t fix those problems until way later
Why the bug exists: The landlord doesn’t know how to fix some of the problems and so he won’t respond to the text messages about what’s wrong with the house. Also, the landlord could not have the money to be able to repair the current problem at the house, so a temporary fix is implemented. That landlord could be showing negligence towards his properties as well and thus won’t repair the problems. A landlord should try to take care of his properties and his tenants as well as he can because of that effects if they sign back to live at the house again.

17. People that fail to check their mirrors sufficiently for motorcycles when merging
Why the bug exists: Motorcycles are smaller than cars so then are hidden to most drivers on the road. They can be in a driver’s blind spot and that driver will not know unless they check twice for them. Also, drivers could be careless and just merge without even a good glance and that will negatively impact other drivers. 

18. When fellow employees don’t show up for work without advance notice
Why the bug exists: Those employees could have gone to bed late and then overslept the entire shift so they couldn’t have known they were going to miss the shift. Also, these employees probably are dissatisfied with the company that they work for or they would’ve at least let someone know they won’t be there. The employees have plans that they know they couldn’t get off from work for, so they just do it and not let anyone know. 

19. Going to sleep early the night before then almost falling asleep in class in the afternoon.
Why the bug exists: That previous night of sleep wasn’t a good REM cycle of sleep. This could mean you might be waking up in the middle of your REM cycle. A REM cycle lasts one and a half hours, so if you wake up before that then you could be groggy and then eventually get tired throughout the day. 

20. Driving over a pothole in the road when going home one night
Why the bug exists: After it rains when the water gets into the pavement and deteriorates the pavement from underneath it. When that water freezes and then melts and a car goes over it, the car will leave a hole in the road. This can cause blown tires and injures to drivers on the road.

Reflection:
   After writing this list of bugs I encountered a couple of challenges with coming up with this list. At first, after reading the directions for the assignments one of the challenges was thinking of the things that have bugged me previously. After sitting down and putting thought into things that got onto my nerves, I could think of more of them quickly. When coming to the end of the list is when it got more difficult because there were things that didn’t come to mind right away. The second challenge I came to is when writing my bugs were the part for “why” they exist. I found this part challenging at certain times because for some bugs some people won’t know why they exist without some research on the topic.
   However, the assignment, in my opinion, was not all that difficult. This is because once you started to get into the zone while doing the assignment then it became easier as you went along. This bug assignment was very interesting to complete because it got me to notice the world around me more and notice the problems that could be fixed. Then after noticing that problem that bugs you, I started to think more in-depth about a solution that could be implemented to fix the problem.
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