8A- Solving the Problem

My selected opportunity was the need to eliminate missed/incorrect calls by NFL referees.  The service that I want to create is a third party officiating crew that represents the teams and players, and is unaffiliated with the NFL itself.  The third party officiating crew will be in the booths and will work with team representatives as well as NFL representatives during games to ensure that there are no missed calls.  In order for this to be effective, the NFL must make the rule that all plays, even penalties, are able to be reviewed.

7A- Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

1)  The opportunity that I would like to pursue is the mistakes by referees in NFL games that change the outcome of the game.

2)  The Who:  Referees, coaches, players, and fans
      The What: Missed/incorrect calls during NFL games
      The Why: NFL rules are sometimes left up to the interpretation of the referee; It is difficult to              make a call while watching the play live

3) Everybody in the current who shares the need.  However, the feeling that occurs from the missed calls differs for each "who".  The referees suffer heavy criticism from the fans, coaches, players, and the league itself.  The coaches and players are denied the opportunity to advance to certain games, which can cost them their jobs.  The fans are upset by the their teams suffering.  The boundaries of the need is that not all missed or incorrect calls determine the outcome of a game.  Some people believe that they "why" occurs because of favoritism showed by the referees.  For example, in the New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams game, it was found that four of the referees were from southern California.  Others believe that the "why" is due to misinterpretation of rules. 

4)
Interview #1: The first person that I interviewed was a middle-aged man.  He is an avid sports fan and agrees that there is a need to eliminate missed/incorrect calls.  He said that he was lucky in that his team had not suffered from a call that determined their future.  The man believes that most missed calls are due to misinterpretation of rules or human error.  He ruled out the fact that missed calls are based on favoritism because they are professional referees and know how to eliminate bias from their jobs.

Interview #2:  The second person that I interviewed was a middle-aged woman.  She occasionally follows sports, but her life does not revolve around it.  The woman had her of some missed calls, but could not name specific incidences, even though one occurred very recently.  She believes that the referees are under a tremendous amount of pressure and have a difficult task at their hand, so they should not be faulted for missed/incorrect calls.

Interview #3:  The third person that I interviewed was a man in his early twenties.  He followed sports very closely and happen to be a fan of the team that suffered from the recent missed call.  The man was furious that his team missed their chance at a Super Bowl because of a blatant missed call.  He agreed with the theory regarding favoritism, citing the four referees that originated from southern California.

Interview #4:  The fourth person that I interviewed was another man in his early twenties.  He is an avid sports fan and is familiar with the recent missed call that cost the Saints the Super Bowl.  Even though he was not a fan of either team, he admitted that he felt sorry for the Saints because of the missed call.  The man stated that their should be some kind of protocol in place to address issues such as these.  The man believes that the cause of this missed call was due to the difficulty and pressure associated with calling a football game of this magnitude.

Interview #5:  The fifth person that I interviewed was a woman in her early twenties.  Much like the other woman, she occasionally followed sports but was not familiar with the recent incident.  Once I explained to her what happened, she based the missed call on human error and believed that the referees should not be faulted for it.

Summary:
What I found in the interview that I did not know was that the theory of favoritism was actually taken seriously by some fans.  I knew the theory existed, but assumed that most people knew that at that level of sports, bias is most likely eliminated.  I also learned that women are more likely to contribute a missed call to human error, rather than outright blaming the referees.

6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Economic Trend: Rebounding from Natural Disasters
Source: https://commercial.jpmorganchase.com/pages/commercial-banking/executive-connect/six-key-economic-trends

• I found this trend on JP Morgan's website.  I think an opportunity exists here because of the severity of recent natural disasters.  Natural disasters of many kinds occur all over the world every year, yet it often takes years for habitats to recover, if at all.  The Florida Keys were destroyed by Hurricane Irma and are still struggling to regain their strength.  Unfortunately, Haiti did not have the resources necessary to recover from the earthquake in 2010 and are still struggling.  The prototypical customer would be an area of the world that endures natural disasters regularly, such as Florida or California.  The opportunity would be difficult to exploit because of the difficulty to predict and prevent natural disasters.  I was able to identify the opportunity because I grew up in Florida where hurricanes are common and can be detrimental.

Economic Trend: Cyberattacks are a silent killer
Source: https://commercial.jpmorganchase.com/pages/commercial-banking/executive-connect/six-key-economic-trends

• I found this trend on JP Morgan's website.  I believe an opportunity exists because of how common it is for people to be hacked and have financial and personal information stolen.  With today's technology gathering so much information about us on a daily basis, it is difficult to keep it all safe.  I think a prototypical customer would be somebody with a weak grasp of technology, more specifically the elderly.  Because a majority of the elderly population does not have a strong grasp on how to use technology, they are often targeted by hackers and scammers.  The opportunity would be difficult to exploit because of how difficult it is to keep your information safe from hackers.  I was able to identify this opportunity because I am constantly helping my grandma with her devices.  She is constantly getting spam e-mails and is unsure of how to figure out if they are real or not.

Regulatory Trend:  The Age to Buy Tobacco Products in Gainesville Has Risen from 18 to 21
Source: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190122/county-raises-tobacco-buying-age-to-21

• The reason that I believe that an opportunity exists is because of the vaping epidemic that exists in our country.  Children as young as high schoolers have managed to get their hands on these dangerous products.  Social media and advertising geared towards younger people have spiked the use of tobacco products across the nation.  I believe that a prototypical customer is those within the age range of 18-30.  The opportunity is easy to exploit because of the already existing popularity.  However, more and more regulations are being placed on tobacco products which can hinder the opportunity slightly.  The reason that I identified this opportunity where others haven't is due to the fact that these products are used by many college students, so I am constantly around these products and see the popularity that they have amongst my peers.

Regulatory Trend:  Drones are becoming more regulated and easier to use

Source: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/motoring/motoring-news/new-laws-drones-data-pay-14072498

• I believe that the use of drones is a fantastic opportunity.  The ability to deliver packages and record birds-eye view footage is awesome.  Our generation is always intrigued with new gadgets and a drone has tremendous potential to impact many areas of our day-to-day life.  Amazon has already made use of drones in their delivery services which has cut down significantly on costs and time.  I think a prototypical customer is somebody who enjoys new technology and enjoys playing with radio controlled cars, planes, etc.  The opportunity would be easy to exploit because it is already being regulated and acknowledged by governments across the world.  With companies like Amazon regularly utilizing drones, it leads me to believe that the use of drones will skyrocket in the near future.  Growing up, my dad and grandfather instilled in me a passion for flying small planes.  We would drive to an open field and fly RC planes for hours.  Having this background allowed me to identify this opportunity.

5A- Identifying Local Opportunities

Title: Cubans right to want freedom of religion to be in country's constitution

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0122%21January%2B22&f=advanced&format=text&docref=news/1711FBE4186698E8

• This article discusses the issues that many Cubans face in trying to freely practice their chosen religion.
• Unfortunately, not everybody gets to enjoy the freedoms that we take for granted.  In Cuba, the government does not place importance on protecting the Freedom of Religion or Belief.  In fact, they are constantly creating obstacles in an attempt to hinder some religion's abilities to practice their beliefs.  There are many third world countries that are struggling with governments that try to "control and divide churches".  Cubans are seeking a new constitution which will be voted on on February 24th.  
• The church that is in fear of being demolished by the government is the Familia Cristiana Baptist Church.  Christian Cubans are looked down upon the most by the Cuban government and are on constant distress about the state of their freedom to practice Christianity.

Title: Gruden: Saints losing Super Bowl shot due to official's gaffe will ‘sting forever'

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0122%21January%2B22&f=advanced&format=text&docref=news/1711FB7476D840B0

• This article discusses the heartbreak and ramifications of a missed call in an NFL Conference Championship Game.
• The problem that is discussed in this story has been around for as long as sports have been played.  The job of a referee is to create an equal and fair playing field for both teams.  When one team gets away with a missed call that hinders the other team, it can drastically affect the result of the game.  Most recently, this occurred in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, January 20th.  A blatant Pass Interference call was not made at a crucial point in the game.  As a result the New Orleans Saints were not able to make it to the Super Bowl.
• Those who have to deal with this problem are coaches and players around the world.  Sports teams at all levels struggle with referees that tamper the result of the game with a missed or incorrect call.

Title: Government shutdown is hurting Florida's farmers — and the people who eat their food

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0122%21January%2B22&f=advanced&format=text&docref=news/1711FB743B4E6368

• This article discusses the ramifications of the government shutdown that affect Florida's agricultural industry.
• The problem posed in this article is that farmers don't have access to the resources that they need in order to successfully do their job.  Farmers need access to permits for exporting, loans, grants, disaster relief, etc.  Due to the government shutdown, none of these resources are available.  Not only are the farmers suffering because of the shutdown, consumers are as well.  The food that is being sold has not been properly inspected which means it is susceptible to diseases.  
• Floridians are suffering the most from this shutdown because agriculture is Florida's second-largest industry.  People are losing jobs, and unsafe food is being eaten.

Title: VENEZUELA - Military could turn against Maduro, according to officials in exile - Venezuela's armed forces are distancing themselves from President Nicolás Maduro after he won an election that is viewed by other democracies as being illegitimate, say former officers in exile.

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0121%21January%2B21&f=advanced&format=text&docref=news/1711A81AC6BB7ED8

• This article discusses the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and the controversy surrounding his reign.
• The problem posed in this article is that the recently inaugurated President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, is slowly turning his presidency into a dictatorship.  The issue arose when it was announced by members of the military that the public should being protesting their President.  Many members of the military believe that Maduro holding office is unconstitutional.  Their reasoning behind this is because of the widespread belief that Maduro won an illegitimate election.  
• The group that has the problem is the people of Venezuela.  At this point, the Venezuelans need to stand up against their illegitimate leader and seek a constitutionally sound election.

Title: Shutdown is costing our economy billions. But the cost in lost faith in our democracy is incalculable.

Link: https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AMIHB%21Miami%2BHerald%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0124%21January%2B24&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/1712A48D5A6216E0

• The article discusses the issues that the government shutdown has caused in regards to lost faith in our government, as well as economic issues.
• The major problem posed in this article is that many Americans are losing faith in the government that they will always do the right thing.  The shutdown is causing lots of problems for many Americans, yet the government sticks to its own agenda.  Rather than end the shutdown, many Americans are not being paid, not receiving the help they need, and are thus losing faith in our government.  Since 1950, the amount of people who believe in the government's ability to do the right thing has dropped from 80% of people polled to 20% of people polled.
• As Americans, we are suffering from this problem.  The more we start to lose faith in our government, the harder it will be to get things done as a country.

Assignment 4A- Forming an Opportunity Belief

I believe that there is an unmet need for people who want to go to a store, restaurant, bar, etc, but only want to go when it is not crowded.  There could be an app in which businesses offer their current capacity so that customers can pick the perfect time to go.  People who have busy days and need to be quick when running errands would benefit in a big way from this app.  This need came when I tried to go get a haircut between two classes.  I went across town to the barber shop, and there was over an hour wait.  Since I didn't have enough time to wait without missing my next class, I headed back to campus and waited until the next day to try to get a haircut.  If I had known that the wait was so long, I could have spent that time being productive.  As of now I would assume most people call places to ask about a wait time.  However, you wouldn't call a place like Walmart and say "How busy is it?"  The app would tell you the average wait time of people at cash registers for stores such as these as well.

#1: Early twenties college male

• What is the exact nature of the need?
• "Many people are busy and information about the time required to go to any given business may interrupt their schedule, and this app will allow them to choose most efficiently what fits into that schedule."
• Do you experience the need all the time or only sometimes?
• "Sometimes depending on my needs at any given time of the day."
• How long have you had the need?
• "Since I began to drive and began to do more things on my own rather than depending on somebody else."
• When did you first become aware of the need?
• "I became aware of this need during this interview."
• How are you currently addressing the need?
• "Taking chances and keeping in mind the time of day when you need to accomplish these tasks."
• How satisfied are you with the solution?
• "I think that this solution would solve the need, as it would give me a better idea of how to schedule my day."

Reflection:  I now realize that this app would be affecting people from an early age.  If people start using this app as soon as they are able to start driving, then this will allow them to develop time management skills from an early age.  This interviewee is at the age range where he would benefit a lot as college classes and involvement take up a lot of time.

#2: Middle aged mom

• What is the exact nature of the need?
• "Every day during the week I have to worry about picking up and dropping my kids off at school as well as their sports practices.  It would be very helpful to know when I can squeeze in some small errands between drop offs."
• Do you experience the need all the time or only sometimes?
• "I experience this need every day, I never really have a slow schedule so I could use anything that will help me better manage my time."
• How long have you had the need?
• "Probably after I had my first child, thats when my schedule really started to get crazy."
• When did you first become aware of the need?
• "I realized the need when I picked up my son from middle school and had about an hour before I had to get my daughter from elementary school.  I tried to make a quick run into Publix but when I got in there all of the lines were at least 10 people long.  I realized I didn't have time to wait in the lines so I left and had to do my shopping after I picked up my daughter."
• How are you currently addressing the need?
• "Basically trial and error.  I just run into whichever store I need to go to and hope that I get lucky with short lines."
• How satisfied are you with this solution?
• "I like the idea a lot, I think it would really help me cut down on lost time and allow me to get more done during the day."

Reflection:  This is most likely the clientele that would benefit the most from the app.  Parents that have to juggle their schedules as well as their children's need to make sure they are taking advantage of all the opportunities that they have to run errands.  Most parents would probably prefer not having to wait in long lines if they have their kids with them, as they must be watched closely in public.

#3: Elderly, retired woman

• What is the exact nature of the need?
• "I get most of my errands done early in the day so the lines are usually short."
• Do you experience the need all the time or only sometimes?
• "Only sometimes if I decide to do my shopping in the afternoon."
• How long have you had the need?
• "I don't think I have really been in a situation since I retired where I didn't have enough time to run my errands."
• When did you first become aware of the need?
• "There was one time I tried to do my shopping after I met my grandson for dinner and the lines at the supermarket were ridiculous."
• How are you currently addressing the need?
• "I just do my shopping in the morning when most people are at work or in school."
• How satisfied are you with the solution?
• "I think that this app would help if I find myself with a busy schedule."

Reflection:  Since this woman does not have a lot of obligations throughout the week, she most likely would not have a strong use for the app.  I thought that elderly people mostly running errands in the morning was a stereotype, but it seems that this is not the case.

Summary:

My original opportunity is still at play, as the majority of the population has obligations and time restraints throughout the week.  I think there is a greater need for this than I realized, as I did not include people that just started driving in my original target.  I believe that entrepreneurs should adapt as much as possible to the needs of their customers, within reason.  Once a company has an established customer base and is profitable, then they can start to be firm in not changing their opportunities. 

3A- Entrepreneurship Story

Throughout high school, I was part of a group that created a service project every year in order to better the community.  Our group was formulated outside of school and competed in competitions where our projects were judged.  My junior year of high school, our project was to create awareness of the needs of the homeless population in our county.  In order to get a better understanding of their needs, we interviewed many homeless people and tried to understand a day in their lives.  We volunteered at soup kitchens, spent time talking to the homeless, held fundraisers and food drives, and created a “Just Say Hello” campaign.  This campaign wound up being the main focus of the project.  After spending time with the homeless, we found out that most of them just wanted to be treated as human beings, and wanted us to “Just say ‘Hello’” to them.  We made bumper stickers, banners, and even created a website to promote our campaign.

I enrolled in this class because I can see myself creating a unique product/service at some point in the future, and I felt like this class would teach my the proper way to go about that.  I hope to see how the process of being an entrepreneur works, as well as how to overcome common challenges that entrepreneurs face.

2A- Bug List

1. When I order online at Chipotle, and then I go pick it up and it isn't ready yet.                                                   -During Chipotle’s busy hours, they often forget to fulfill online orders and instead they prioritize the people           who are in line.

        2. I go to pick up a Study Edge packet and the parking lot is full.

     -The parking lot for study edge can only hold about 3 cars.

       

        3. Coming back from class to see that my roommate has left a mess.

     -My roommate is also busy and doesn’t have time to clean up right after everything he does.

                                                                                                                                                                                            4.Trying to park my car and somebody parked over the line.

     -The person is either not very good at parking or is inconsiderate.

         5. When people aren't paying attention at a red light and don’t go when the light turns green.

     -Cell phones are often the cause of people not paying attention while on the road.

                                                                                                                                                                                            6. I always hold the door for people who are behind me and it bugs me when they don't say “Thank you.”

     -People are either distracted and don't think to show gratitude, or don't think that it is an act that warrants               a “thank you”.

                                                                                                                                                                                            7. I get annoyed at myself when I let myself get unorganized.

     -At the time I tell myself that I will put something back where it belongs ‘later’, however, I forget to put                     said item back and I let various things accumulate on my desk due to laziness.

                                                                                                                                                                                            8. When I make plans with people and they cancel at the last minute.

     -The person most likely forgot about the plans and had obligations to something else.                                                                                                                                                                                                                            9. When people aren’t on time for meetings.

      -Most likely if it is a formal meeting, then the person had other obligations that kept them longer than expected.

                                                                                                                                                                                                            10. I tend to lose my train of thought when I am telling a story and somebody interrupts me.

      -I start to focus on what the other person is saying as opposed to keeping my 

      own though in my head.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             11. The parking lot next to me has a few spots that are “reserved” but are almost never occupied.

      -The spots are occupied for people who need to show up every once in awhile, but for important matters.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             12. My roommate usually sleeps through his alarm and it goes off for awhile.

      -My roommate is a heavy sleeper.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             13. Some people at the library carry on loud conversations with their peers and it makes it difficult to study.

      -While around their friends, people can forget that they are in a library, and start 

     to engage in conversations that aren't appropriate for the library.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             14. When it takes too long for the water from the sink to warm up.

      -Living in a fraternity house with lots of people, there is a lot of water being used and the water must travel a lot to                reach the sinks throughout the house.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             15. When people use things of mine without asking.

      -Some people forget to ask for permission.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               16. During rush hour, when people think that they can make it across the intersection and instead they cause                             gridlock.

              -With all the traffic, drivers get greedy in order to avoid waiting at another light.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              17. People usually wait for me to ask for the money I loan them, as opposed to being adamant about paying me                        back.

      -Most likely the person is taking a long time to collect the money that they owe me.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              18. Professors sometimes go over the allotted time for the class, which can make me late for my next class.

      -The professor was caught up in discussing topics that they did not plan on or 

      had crucial information that had to be told to us that day regardless of the time.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              19. People that click their pens throughout lecture.

      -The person may have anxiety and clicking the pen is a nervous tick.

                                                                                                                                                                                                              20. During group projects, sometimes people contribute less than what is required of them.

      -The person is either incapable of completing their part of the project, or they are not confident enough in their                      work to contribute what is necessary.

Reflection

The first 5-10 bugs were easy to discover.  As I went throughout my day, I jotted down little things that happened that bugged me.  Once I got through these, I had to look closer at the behavior of others around me to determine more bugs.  It was fairly difficult to discover the rest of the bugs, because I did not consciously realize what annoyed me.  Instead of ignoring these little things, I had to look at them closely and determine what the bug was.

Test Post

Hey everybody! I'm a sophomore who is majoring in Marketing and I'm excited to learn about entrepreneurship!