19A- Idea Napkin No. 2

1) You:  
I am Andrew Foege, a second year Marketing major at the University of Florida.  I enjoy sports, hanging out with friends, and learning as much as I can through schoolwork.  I am a hard-worker and strive to achieve anything that I put my mind to.  My strengths would include dedication, playing off of the strengths of those around me, adapting to obstacles with creative solutions, and striving for perfection on everything I attempt.  My aspiration for this business would be that it is utilized my as many professional sports leagues as possible in order to ensure that there are no incorrect or missed calls by referees.  This service would change the quality of professional sports for the better.

2) What are you offering to customers?: 
What I am offering to customers is the insurance that they will be allowed an even playing field.  The players and coaches have the right to fair game where the rules are properly enforced in order to let the skill of the teams determine the outcome of the game, and not the referee.  When professional athletes and coaches step out onto the field, their career is on the line.  They are judged based on the success of the season.  Too many times, teams are denied the opportunity to advance in playoff games due to missed or incorrect calls by the referees that drastically change the outcome of the game.  I did not receive feedback pertaining to this segment of my first idea napkin.

3) Who are you offering it to?:
I am offering this service to the players and coaches in the world of professional sports.  The players work extremely hard in preparation to play these games, and the coaches put in countless hours of prep work in order to ensure that their team is ready for success in a game.  My main focus would be the NFL, as they are one of the most prominent leagues in the country.  After the service gains popularity and is continually improved upon, I am hoping to expand to most of the professional sports leagues, as well as college leagues.

4) Why do they care?:
For players and coaches, this service is very much necessary.  The referees in that are employed to officiate these games are employees of the parent league and the players/coaches get no say in how they are officiated or how calls are reviewed.  In order for players and coaches to get a voice in the officiating process, they would be able to hire their own third party officiators (my service).  The service would be paid for by the teams, and will represent the players and coaches in officiating matters.  Essentially, the players and coaches would be paying for a second set of eyes in order to ensure that there are no incorrect or missed calls.  Players and coaches would do anything to ensure that their team is allowed a fair playing field, as their career depends on their success on the field.

5) What are your competencies?:
One of the things that sets me apart when it comes to this service specifically is my love for sports.  I played sports my whole life and I love to compete.  I have dealt with referees that miss calls or make incorrect calls.  Professional athletes should not have to deal with poor officiating.  Once I set my mind to something, I make sure I complete it.  I don't quit once I have started something, even if I have to deal with a lot of adversity to achieve something.  This sets me apart because failure usually discourages people.  I take failure as an opportunity to grow and make something better.

I think these elements fit together very well.  There is an obvious need for this from the perspective of the players and coaches.  The service is feasible and could be implemented within a few years once agreed upon.  The only weakness associated with this idea is that the NFL may be reluctant to accept third party officiating.  Based on the feedback I received I elaborated more on why the coaches and players would care about this service.  I also put more detail into what my strengths are as opposed to general characteristics.  I added in the possibility of expanding the service to college leagues in the future.