Testing the Hypothesis 2

Who: Are there certain people or certain businesses that, although they share a lot in common with the others in your opportunity, nevertheless fall outside the boundary? Why?

What: At what point does the need you identified differ from another need? (Is thirst the same as hunger? Or is the desire to appear fashionable the same as the desire to be loved by others?)

Why: Is the underlying cause of the outsiders' need different than people who are inside the boundary?

Interview 1: Alyssa L (college student)

Why don’t you have this need like many other college students do?

“I really just never got into using marijuana.  It’s never been that attractive of an option for me and I just haven’t tried it.  I’m not against others using it, though.”

How does this need differ from others like it?

“The need itself really doesn’t differ from others like it, other than the substance itself is illegal.  College kids drink when they are underage and that’s illegal, too.”

So what are your thoughts on marijuana as opposed to alcohol?

“I’m 21, so I can legally drink.  No one in Florida, other than medical users, can legally use marijuana.  Other than that, they aren’t very different.  Both are depressants and they both put you in a different state of mind than when you aren’t using.”

Interview 2: Tomas R (student)

What do you have against the use of marijuana?

“For me, it’s a personal thing.  I don’t mind others using it, but I want to do the best I can in college without distractions like weed.”

Do people smoke for the same reason others drink?

“In some situations, yes.  I think weed is usually something a close group of friends uses as a relaxing, calm bonding experience.  I sometimes see people have similar experiences just drinking beer with their boys.  But alcohol seems to have many more different situations to use it in.”

Interview 3: Jojo C (college student)

Do you have anything against using marijuana?

“Kind of.  I’m not really a big fan of it.”

Even though you’re a regular, stressed-out college student?

“Yeah, I just don’t see the need.  If other people want to do it, they can.  But I just relieve stress differently.”

Do you think other people’s stresses differ from your own and that’s why they use?

“Everyone has their own reasons for being stressed, but I don’t think I’m a minor case.  Everyone just has their own method for fixing that stress.  There isn’t much of a difference in the base problem.”

Interview 4: John K (injured)

Why don’t you smoke?  It’s common for people with injuries like yours.

“It would probably be a really simple way to ease my pain, but I think I’m almost healthy now.  I don’t think I’ll have to get to that point.”

How do others handle pain like this?

“Most people I know end up smoking weed.  It’s easy and they say it’s the most effective option they’ve tried.  I just use the prescribed painkillers the way I’m supposed to.”

Interview 5: Melissa S (parent)

I said that stressed parents may make great use of smoking weed to relieve that stress.  Why don’t you?

“I don’t want to have to rely on a substance to ‘get through’ parenting.  I drink every now and then, but that’s for fun with friends.  Not to escape the stress of my children.”

What do you do instead?   There must be something.

“I prefer exercise or a hot bath, but I understand why some people would want to use marijuana.  They’re just alternative solutions for a similar problem.”

Inside	Outside
Who is in? -Still college kids, parents, people with injuries, etc.  But, method of fixing their problem is preferential	Who is not? -Those who prefer methods other than smoking weed
What the need is -A method of stress relief, a substance for recreational use, and a pain reliever	What the need is not -A perfect answer to everyone’s stress, fun, and injury-related concerns
Why the need exists -Known for its effectiveness in all of those areas	Alternative explanations -Some people just prefer different methods.  The mom likes baths and exercise, the injured guy just uses his prescription, the college students just don’

Elevator Pitch No. 1

Elevator Pitch 1

The Same Video, Just From My Files

Solving the Problem

How to Solve this "Problem"

• Although this doesn't apply to Florida yet, it definitely will in the near future
• Instead of just a product or service, my solution would be the full package
• It would consist of 
• Individual, licensed shops that produce and sell the marijuana
• An UberEats-like delivery service for said marijuana
• Obviously, it's good to see a product before you buy it, and that's true for all types of products!  This means that a physical location is important for the success of a business like this
• However, people like convenience.  Especially in college towns.  So you can either,
• Purchase it in stores that would be conveniently placed
• Or you could just download a phone app that will process your order and deliver the product to you

This would, of course, only go into effect in areas that this practice is legal.  However, I predict that it will soon be legal nationwide and a business like this could definitely be successful.  Maybe even the delivery service would move forward, but under these circumstances, a physical store would be an easy way to get into the market.

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Acting on the Legalization of Marijuana in Idaho

Now that marijuana is on the verge of being legalized in Idaho and many other states, there are opportunities for businesses in that field to boom because of the injured and disabled people who use marijuana for relief, stressed-out parents and workers, and the obvious, typical recreational users.

(Names shortened and abbreviated for privacy)
Interview 1: Chan C, 15

1) Are there others who have this need?  Or does everyone in my current "who" share this need?

"I'm in high school, so I really don't know who else would have the need.  Maybe teachers do.  We mess with them sometimes.  I think there are people in each of those groups you named that would like a marijuana shop."

2) To branch off of what we just said, do you think that everyone in those groups has this need?  Or do only some of them want a convenient marijuana shop?

"They could probably all use it, but I don't think they all need it.  I know some parents that would like it, but not all of my friends' parents would."

3) Do you think my "why" fits well here?  Do you think it's a good reason for this opportunity to exist and do you think it holds true across the board?

"Yeah I do.  It's illegal in most places, but there are lots of shops where it is legal.  I don't see any reason for the opportunity to exist other than it being legal and people wanting to feel high."

Interview 2: Moe K, 49

1)  (Same question as above #1, will indicate with " " when questions repeat)

"In my line of work, I see a lot of people who I think would need something like this.  Sure, medical marijuana is legal in a lot of states now, but it would be a lot more convenient for them to not go through the process of obtaining their cards."

2) " "

"Not all disabled or hurt people need it.  There are alternatives to using marijuana, but I think the majority will prefer it.  Definitely not all parents want it, but I think they need it, ha ha!"

3) " "

"Yes it definitely does.  There aren't many other reasons that you would have one of those shops if it wasn't legal, and with legalization nearing in Idaho, that's definitely a good opportunity."

Interview 3: Andy S, 20

1) " "

"College kids would love this.  I don't know if you meant to include them or not.  I think you covered most of the potential customers, though.

2) " "

"No, everyone has their preferences.  I think it's a good alternative to drinking after a long day of work though, so it could definitely benefit workers, teachers, and stressed parents."

3) " "

"Yeah.  Legal marijuana means a lot of marijuana shops popping up.  We don't get to see it in Florida because its illegal, but when I traveled to Colorado, they were everywhere.  You just have to be quick.

Interview 4: Johnny Z, 23

1) " "

"I mean, you didn't really include all of the specifics.  There were some, though.  To break down the recreational users, I'd say there are college kids, millennials, old Rasta guys, business owners, and a few more probably."

2) " "

"Of course all recreational users would have this 'need', but no.  Not all teachers, parents, and disabled people would particularly want this.  Many likely would, though."

3) " "

"Your 'why' is a combination of who needs it and the legalization, so it's kind of broad.  But yes, I do think it fits.  You have to legalize it before you can make a business out of it."

Interview 5: Chad M, 21

1) " "

"I think there are users in most demographics, so it's kind of hard to say that your 'who' encompasses everyone who could have the need."

2) " "

"Because of what I said in the last answer, I'm not sure.  You'd have to take some kind of survey probably.  I'm sure many of the people in your 'who' would likely have the need.  Just not all of them.  The only issues with this would be legal ones."

3) " "

"Your 'why' is pretty much the only reasonable 'why' in this situation.  It's being legalized by popular demand, so there will be a lot of opportunities for business."

Summary
I thought all of my interviews were interesting.  I enjoyed speaking with my interviewees.  I thought it would be fun to interview someone who was underage and definitely wasn't in my "who".  He gave really good answers and helped me gain insight on some demographics that I can't easily observe now that I'm in college.  The others were good as well.  Johnny gave me good criticism in my methods of picking "who's" and helped me to think about how I should reword or rethink my "why".  Other than that, I was happy to get good feedback from the rest of the interviewees.

Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Regulatory Opportunities:

Legal Weed in Idaho:
https://www.mpp.org/states/idaho/
Recently, the recreational use of marijuana was decriminalized in Idaho.  A petition to put it on the 2020 ballot has been passed.
A huge opportunity exists here.  The popularity of marijuana, even while illegal, is very evident.  Once legal, businesses will pop up everywhere throughout the state, ready to sell their stock.
Customers such as college students, people with medical issues, stressed-out parents, and many more will likely be very attracted to this type of business, due to the nature of marijuana and its effects.
This opportunity could be very easy to exploit if you have money and are quick enough to start up your business.  However, if you don't have a good plan well ahead of time, you might miss your chance.
I saw this opportunity because of conversations I regularly have with my grandfather.  He is very up-to-date on regulatory and economic trends and happened to point things like this out to me.  So, I decided to look states that have recently legalized marijuana.

Wall Material Production:
https://www.npr.org/2019/01/11/683920624/once-a-fence-later-slats-almost-always-a-wall-trumps-border-wall-contradictions
The page that i came across wasn't exactly about the opportunity, but it definitely made me consider this opportunity.  In order to construct a wall across the southern border, the U.S. needs a lot of materials.  This raises an opportunity for companies to either produce concrete and other current materials or create a completely new, cheaper material to build the wall in order to decrease federal spending.
It's not the biggest opportunity in the world, but, because of the construction of the border wall being a new subject, it is definitely a possibility.
The main customer will be the federal government.  Following that, customers could include construction companies who want to lower their costs and big businesses who wish to do the same.
Because it will be a limited initial project and because the initial customer would be the federal government, this opportunity would not be very easy to exploit.  However, if you are lucky enough to be the one who takes advantage of this opportunity, you can very easily exploit it.
I saw this opportunity because I am very interested in politics.  A major topic on everyone's mind is President Trump's wall.  It's a huge deal, whether you support it or not.

Economic Opportunities:

Renewable Energy:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2018/12/30/6-renewable-energy-trends-to-watch-in-2019/#2ae4911e4a1f
As the Earth and its people get older, concerns about preserving the planet begin to grow.  These past few years, especially, huge innovations are being made in the field of renewable energy.
Again, there is great opportunity here.  Many people are very passionate about keeping the environment intact.
Again, many college students will likely be customers of eco-friendly products.  Following them, much of the younger generation that will live for the next 3 or more decades will likely be customers as well because the changes made today will have an effect later in their lives.
This opportunity is definitely easy to exploit if you have a good idea.  If you just advertise a new, eco-friendly startup on a college campus, you're bound to get at least some customers.
This opportunity became evident to me because I understand the current state of the environment and people's concerns for it.

GDP Growth and Business:
https://www.bea.gov/news/2019/gross-domestic-product-1st-quarter-2019-advance-estimate
Trump's presidency has led to massive increases in the nation's GDP, which means massive increases in production.  This means that many opportunities related to production may be taken.  However, more production means a need for more points of sale.  Retailing and resale businesses could take great advantage of these increases in production.
As I said before, this is a great opportunity.  The U.S. needs to be able to keep up with its production if we want to keep businesses in the U.S.
The general population will be customers of these businesses.  Because it is a wide category, there are many potential customers.
This opportunity is easy to exploit.  Even when the economy isn't exploding, resale is relatively easy to exploit.  I did a little bit of shoe reselling in high school and it was some of the easiest money I've ever made.  Had I made it into a business, I could be living off of the revenue now.
When I found the opportunity about wall materials, I continued looking into the effects of Trump's policies.  I was then reminded of the major jump in GDP and considered the effects that it could have.

Identifying Local Opportunities

County commission repeals plastic ban ordinance

https://www.alligator.org/news/county-commission-repeals-plastic-ban-ordinance/article_55470876-d448-11e9-8ff0-9fec549a3192.html

In short, local officials were trying to pass a ban on plastic in the community in an attempt to reduce the city's footprint.  However, The Alachua County Commision unanimously voted to repeal the piece of legislature which would've enacted the ban.  The story shows that a citizen agreed with the original ban, and shamed the state for trying to control the city.  The Gainesville City Commissioner said the city doesn't necessarily have to repeal the legislature, but the chances of the ban being passed are very slim.  The rest of the article slams retailers and big businesses for "trying to keep communities from being able to protect their environment."  

The problem is whether or not Gainesville will be able to reduce its footprint or not.  One method of reducing the footprint is with a plastic ban.  However, there are other ways to do so.

Everyone in Gainesville has this problem, but right now, it is in the hands of the local government.

Alachua County Jail hacker outsmarted system “just to prove” he could

https://www.alligator.org/news/alachua-county-jail-hacker-outsmarted-system-just-to-prove-he/article_bfd17294-d5dd-11e9-83af-5379a6d2d3d5.html

This story is quite an interesting one.  It tells of a man named Justin Lee Williams, who hacked into the Alachua County Jail's computers and freed his friends just to prove that he was capable of doing so.  It highlights his experiences with computers as a child, telling that his first computer hardly worked.  However, he learned the ins and outs of it, eventually picking up a useful skill: hacking.  He started off hacking online stores and selling the items from those stores for extra money.  His escapades quickly became more serious.  Eventually, he was arrested and slipped up.  But, continued with his lies and even was able to trick Sumner County into lifting his warrant for arrest.  From there, Williams began making deals with people to get their friends out of jail for a nice paycheck.  Williams was a genius con artist and was able to escape the grips of the law on numerous occasions.  5 years after his grandmother passed, Williams plead guilty and is now held in Alachua County Jail.

The security of the systems Williams was able to exploit are clearly flawed.  He was able to trick workers and bypass securities with ease.

The law enforcement and judicial branch of Alachua County have this problem.  It doesn't seriously effect many citizens, because he doesn't rob individuals, nor does he cause anyone harm.

UF Preview prices broke state law. How are they fixing it?

https://www.alligator.org/news/uf-preview-prices-broke-state-law-how-are-they-fixing/article_2daeae4c-d2b6-11e9-9c0c-9fca1017f082.html

This issue definitely impacted me and many other students at UF.  To summarize the story, for at least the past decade, UF has been illegally overcharging new students to attend Preview, UF's orientation.  It tells of individual families' experiences with this overcharging and explains what the state of UF's Preview prices are now.  All UF has done to fix this problem is separate Preview into 2 pricing options: a limited, $35 one and an all-inclusive, $200 experience.  However, people still say the mention of different options is very obscure and difficult to reach.

This is definitely a problem, because the state legal price for orientation is $35.  UF has been overcharging for years and now hardly fixes the problem after it receives backlash.

All UF students are affected by this problem, but the problem is in the hands of both the UF executives, students, and Florida residents alike.

Biker caught stealing plants from Satchel’s Pizza

https://www.alligator.org/news/biker-caught-stealing-plants-from-satchel-s-pizza/article_f8110938-d5c1-11e9-b240-63c79cc54825.html

I believe the editors missed a fantastic opportunity in titling this article.  It should've been "Pizza Parlor Plant Pirate".  Anyway, it's a silly story about a man who got caught stealing hanging plants on Satchel's Pizza's securities cameras.  The story is unfolding to show that this man has potentially been stealing plants for months or even years!  The owner of Satchel's decided to take to social media in order to find his pizza-plundering pirate.  No luck so far, but he just wants his pizzeria plants to be peacefully preserved on his property.

Even though they're just plants, this is still robbery.  The plant pirate is taking the property of a local pizza shop owner.

The owner is mostly affected by this, because it costs him money to replace the plants.  But, customers at Satchel's won't have the same, beautiful plants to look at every day.

‘We’ve had enough.’: Students organize protest on Fraternity Drive

https://www.alligator.org/news/we-ve-had-enough-students-organize-protest-on-fraternity-drive/article_699fab64-d107-11e9-b2c2-b38c5b626004.html

This is actually a very important issue.  Blue lights are essentially emergency speed-dial stations for anyone on campus to use.  They are spread across campus, but there are none on Fraternity Dr, or "Frat Row".  Frat Row is where many fraternity houses are located and where many of the big game day tailgates are held.  At the end of Spring 2019, UF Student Government failed to pass a resolution that would propose adding blue lights across Frat Row.  A massive gathering of students will be across the street from the SAE fraternity on Sep. 17th at 5PM to protest the inaction by UF SG.  The goal of the protest is to "allow students to have a voice when it comes to their safety".  The movement isn't to raise awareness for previous victims or to point fingers.  It is to protect the students of the present and future.

The protest itself isn't a problem, but the inactivity of the Student Government on this issue is absurd.  We should've had blue lights along Fraternity Dr. just like the rest of campus.  It makes no sense to only not have lights where many of these emergencies may happen.

This inactivity effects all students and even all people who spend time around Frat Row.  Anything can happen and if one is in an emergency situation, alone with no phone, there isn't much hope.

Forming an Opportunity Belief - Southwest Parking

There are many issues related to parking on and around campus.  There are more decals issued than parking spots on campus, there are very tight parking spaces on campus, parking at the Southwest gym is always full, and I don't even want to start to rant about how terrible the parking options are around midtown. 

I believe that I have an idea to at least smooth out the process of finding a parking spot by Southwest Rec.  It's extremely stressful to look through the entire parking lot, only to find that there are no spots and you need to go home to catch the bus.  Also, skipping a parking spot in hopes of finding a better one is almost equally as stressful.  Anyone who drives to the Southwest Recreation center to work out has the need for a smoother parking experience.  I would assume this need has existed since Southwest opened, because it is the largest gym on campus.  Since I've been a student at UF, I haven't seen any changes to the system.  Yet, I and many of my friends still find parking at Southwest extremely stressful.  Everyone still pulls into the parking lot in hopes of finding a spot and many of them are left without a spot.  I'd say I'm 90% sure that this opportunity exists.  I've only seen a similar idea implemented in a couple of parking lots around town and even then, I believe it could be executed better.

Here's how the idea goes: there will be a system for checking into the parking lots at Southwest.  You could download a phone app or check in at a kiosk located at the lot.  It will show available spots.  You simply click the spot you wish to take, that spot will then be assigned to you for a specific time frame (likely 2-3 hours).  You can claim the spot early by using the app, but you will have 10 minutes to arrive at the parking spot.  A GPS system will track whether you have arrived in the parking lot within the allotted time or not.  If you fail to reach the parking lot within that amount of time, you will have to wait out a "cooldown" of 5 minutes to choose another.  Upon leaving the parking lot, you will check out at a second kiosk located at the exit of the parking lot, freeing up the spot.

Interview 1: Joseph Colarusso

What is the exact nature of the need?  Why do needs like this exist?

"Southwest is very busy.  People want to drive their cars there for convenience, so parking is scarce."

When do you become aware of the need?  How often do you experience this need?

"I don't experience this need very often anymore, as I only go to Southwest to play basketball every now and then."

How long have you had this need for a better parking system at Southwest?  When did you first become aware of the need, and why?

"I think I noticed this need my freshman year at UF while I was trying to get into a regular gym schedule.  Parking was always cramped or full.  I've had it since.  Not much has changed."

How are you currently addressing the need for parking at Southwest?

"I usually just hope for the best when I go.  It's not that often, so I don't have to address it very often anymore."

How satisfied are you with the solution I proposed?

"I think it sounds really good.  I think it would take a lot to implement, but it does sound useful.  I can't think of many ways to make the plan more efficient."

Interview 2: Andrew Shaw

What is the exact nature of the need?  Why do needs like this exist?

"People need a spot to park.  People need to get places and do things, and it's convenient to use a car to get there."

When do you become aware of the need?  How often do you experience it?

"Pretty much every time I go to Southwest, I experience it."

How long have you had this need for a better parking system at Southwest?  When did you first become aware of the need, and why?

"I have had this need since I got here.  Probably day 1 of freshman year, I tried to park at the gym and was astounded by how busy it was."

How are you currently addressing the need for parking at Southwest?

"I try to plan my workouts at times that aren't very busy."

How satisfied are you with the solution I proposed?

"I'm pretty satisfied.  The only thing I would think about would be the cost of a GPS system vs the weighted parking spots that some other systems use."

Interview 3: Caroline Gaspich

What is the exact nature of the need?  Why do needs like this exist?

"There are many problems with parking at Southwest.  I've gotten tickets for parking at southwest, I've circled the parking spots for so long at southwest that I missed class and had to go home..."

When do you become aware of the need?  How often do you experience?

"I used to experience it a lot, but then I gave up and decided to go to the other gym.  I feel like its discouraging to students that want to work out and they can't because they can't find parking."

How long have you had this need for a better parking system at Southwest?  When did you first become aware of the need, and why?

"Freshman year.  I've been experiencing it for 4 years.  I got motivated enough to go there one day and I parked.  Then when I got back out, I saw that I had a $40 parking ticket.  I hate how much time I have to put aside just to make a simple trip to the gym."

How are you currently addressing the need for parking at Southwest?

"I just don't even try to take care of my body anymore.  I've just given up entirely."

How satisfied are you with the solution I proposed?

"I think it would be a very good solution to this problem.  I don't think I would change anything.  The app sounds very convenient."

Reflect

This was actually my second idea.  The first one didn't seem to resonate with my interviewees.  I'm happy with the reactions I got to my solution and I appreciated Andrew mentioning the costs related to implementing my strategy.

Summary

How much of your original opportunity is still there?

I am still fairly certain that the opportunity exists.  I realize that many people do face this problem, but have many different methods of addressing it.  I also realized new issues related to parking that I had not thought of before.

Do you believe that your new opportunity is more accurate than when you started?

I don't believe that I have a more accurate new opportunity, but I have more opportunities to consider.  I feel that mine was very specific and had a specific group of people that it affected.

How much do you think entrepreneurs should 'adapt' their opportunities based on customer feedback?

I believe entrepreneurs should definitely listen to customer feedback and apply it to their ideas.  However, it is important to be passionate about what you're pursuing.  If you stray too far from what you want to pursue or achieve, you may lose motivation.

My Entrepreneurship Story

I am very happy to have had a positive experience with entrepreneurship.  Actually, entrepreneurship led to me getting my first and most enjoyable job in high school.  I grew up in a small town full of local businesses.  Luckily, we were good family friends with one of those small business owners.  He and his wife realized a need for a great new burger restaurant that could beat out the big franchises in town.  So, they created Tasty's Fresh Burgers and Fries.  It was an instant hit.  A normal day included a line out the door!  They also chose to hire almost exclusively high school students in order to give many young men and women an exciting job opportunity.  I was one of the lucky few to be hired early on at this restaurant.  Their leadership was phenomenal and I never had a boring day working.  I miss being able to clock in daily with some of my best friends and have great experiences with customers.  Since then,  I have worked other part-time jobs.  I was a youth basketball referee, I worked at the midtown location of Relish (terrible job, don't try it), and I worked at a private ocean club as a server.  However, none of those could top my experience at Tasty's.

A Young Entrepreneur

Photo Credit: https://cheezburger.com/7456417024/that-kid-looks-trust-worthy

Personally, I enrolled in ENT3003 for two reasons.  First, I'm a business major and needed to pick up an elective (probably a reason for most of the people in the course).  Second, though, I'm new to the business school and am exploring different opportunities in many fields of business.  Entrepreneurship is extremely intriguing to me not only because of the basic "be your own boss" and "make your destiny" stuff, but also because I would have the ability to not only fix other peoples' problems, but fix my own as well.  An entrepreneurship idea could stem from one of my own day-to-day bugs.  Through this course, I hope to learn the basic methods of turning my ideas into businesses.