19: Idea Napkin #2

Me: I am a management major and an IA student. I have past experience of creating things; taking my ideas from sketches to physical products. I do have past experiences with coding, although minor, I could pick it back up plus more sophisticated additions. I love having a clean and organized planner and find I am more productive and active if I log everything, but have little time to do so. 

My Offer: A calendar app that automatically syncs a students schedule, along with assignment due dates, club meeting times and locations, sports events, and more depending on what works for them and what they want to participate in. 

Who: Busy university students that have multiple calendars and not enough time to plan. Perfect for those in multiple clubs, works or volunteers, and is full time students.

Why do They Care:  Having several calendars that only serve one purpose is frustrating and inefficient. The top used online calendars like Google Calendar and Outlook cannot sync calendars from Canvas, MyLab, and other regularly used education applications because of accounts and passwords. Universities always want to reach greater standards from their students, and can only be done if the students themselves participate and achieve higher grades. Keeping an organized space and plan can help improve student involvement and grades, at no cost and no extra effort for the students. 

What are Your Core Competencies: I am an extreme organizer, I cannot work unless my space and mind is stress free. I found myself having a major problem with Canvas, as my assignments from MyLab don't show up on the Canvas calendar, leading me to miss a few assignments. I had to look for alternative ways to organize but found none that worked for me and my lifestyle. I have website building experience and a good sense of organizing and design, making it easy for me to actually create this product. 

Evaluation:

I think these parts fit well together. I know my abilities and know now that there is a market out there that could benefit from having a zero effort all in one calendar for their busy lives. This was one of my bugs from my list and I still have a bit of stress trying to remember due dates for things on MyLab. The more I work out the idea the more I see possibility as well as roadblocks, but there is time to learn and grow my "ugly baby".

Feedback:

I didn't get much feedback from my first post, so I kept it generally the same. One things I completely changed was why do they care bullet. My first idea napkin I only explained how hard it is to have multiple single use calendars, but forgot to mention how the leading competitors in online calendars cannot sync dates from Canvas and many other education websites. I also changed my evaluation, as my ideas and information has changed and improved, and feels more put together than before.

17 Elevator Pitch 2

With my second elevator pitch, I changed a lot compared to my first one. I memorized my pitch, dressed up in a blouse and blazer, used my phone instead of my web cam for better quality, and increased the length to be closer to the 90 second limit.

*Note - The sync is off. I tired fixing it but every time I upload it it's the same thing.

18: Custom Avatar

I want to sell my product to Universities instead of individual students, as my previous interviews showed me how unlikely students would purchase a calendar app, and would be more likely to use it if their university provided and endorsed it. 

My ideal universities to sell this app to are those with medium to larger sized student bodies, somewhere between 25,000 to 50,000 students. I prefer to start small and grow bigger, but ultimately large universities like UF have a greater need for a product like this as they would have a larger variety of educational applications the students use and a larger amount of clubs and events happening around campus to keep track of. Another goal would be to zero in on top rated public universities, as these are places that thrive on student involvement and student achievement, which can be increased with a more organized space. 

Take for instance the comparison between University of Florida and University of Tampa. UF has 52,367 students and over 1,000 clubs, where as UT has only 8,310 students and only about 200 clubs. It would be in my best interest to start at a small university like University of Tampa, but my app should have an end goal of being a regularly used product at a large university, a place where students can use all of its features and greatly improve their academics. 

✅                                    ❌

16: What's Your Secret Sauce?

Five Ways That Make Me Unique 

1. Creativity: I have a past in making products from sketches to physical models and objects. I am constantly looking for new opportunities for my products and looking to start new projects.

2. Time Management: I am very good at time management and can balance a lot at once. With a full class schedule, a job, and extracurricular you kind of have to be! I prefer to stay busy but have learned to manage all my promises and make them all happen. 

3. Problem Solver: A lot of times problems arise quickly and you have to think on your feet to make a decision. I am not necessarily a leader in most situations, but can give my advice on how to move forward that could be a win for everybody. 

4. Motivated: When I set my sights on something, I don't let go. I work until I reach that goal and will continue to set new goals along the way. Most importantly though I will not quit, I may get stressed or frustrated, but I take a walk to get my mind clear and get back to it.

5. Friendly: I really enjoy being their for others and being someone they can talk to and feel safe around. Being personal with others around you is important to be closer and work well as a team, makes it less black and white and more enjoyable. 

Five Ways People Think I'm Unique

1. Others First: One of my close friends at work said that I always put others before myself, whether that be customers or fellow co-workers. She notes I'm often the last one to clock out and the first to offer my help.

2. Humorous: My Dad has always said I have a witty sense of humor, always being able to change the mood and provide an ice breaker in awkward situations. 

3. Empathy: My close friend from back home said that I show a lot of empathy towards others. Constantly being their for them and using my own experiences to understand how they feel and never making them feel wrong for being sad/mad. 

4. Motivated: My Mom, without knowing my list, said I was highly motivated by things that interest me. She noted with all the jobs I've had, I worked hard to get promotions and everything I wanted to try I never gave up on, even if it included some hard days. 

5. Optimistic: Another friend said that I have a glass half full kind of attitude. She said I always tend to look on the bright side and never submitted to pessimistic people or thoughts. 

Reflection

Overall I see a clear difference between the two list. My own list looks more like a resume, and the list from those close to me pulls more emotional and personal. I never thought that humor or being positive could be a human capital asset, as from business your taught your best attributes are those that can be measured in work. Also, many things that other said about me were things I grew up with, like treating others the way you want to be treated. This exercise made me feel really good about myself and made me realize who I am to others. I think others agree with me that you always think people think the worst of you, they think your ugly or selfish or lazy, so it's nice to know others can see characteristics of yours that you don't even notice, and good ones at that! I think I would change my own list to be a little less work oriented and more personal, things that make me me. 

15: Figuring Out Buying Behavior Part 2

Alternative Evaluation: 

From my previous set of interviews, I was able to conclude that price matters. Two out of three of my last interviewees used the free calendar app on their phone. In my new set of interviews I asked how likely would they spend $1.99 on an app, all three said they wouldn't. I then asked why they use the type of calendar they currently use for school. Two used free online calendars (Google Calendar and IPhone Calendar app) for the price and having no need for different organization methods, just a calendar of dates. My third interviewee used a traditional paper planner, as she prefers to write on paper then type and like to organize any way she likes, no restrictions.  

How/Where They Buy: 

Those who use online calendars don't pay for anything, as it already comes free on their phones. One of the most popular online calendars, Outlook, is purchased by an organization and gives access to their employees or in this case students for free. From all of my previous interviews, people who use paper planners buy theirs at either Staples or Walmart (Staples for a wider selection and Walmart as it was convenient to buy). 

Post Purchase evaluation: 

With most of the interviewees there isn't post purchase evaluation as they use free calendar options. For the one who used paper planners, she has been using planners for years and has found, through trial and error, what type of planner works best for her. She knows what planner she likes and uses it daily, so she never feels bad about her purchase afterwards. I can see someone trying planners for the first time having a bad post purchase experience, as they can be disappointed with the organization/layout or don't use it enough to be effective. 

Conclusion: 

For this segment, I find the majority of people I interviewed have little time to dedicate to planning, and because of that they have learned how to organize quickly and efficiently in their owns ways. Price and accessibility plays a big roll in what they use, and don't look around for different calendars. Many don't have post purchase evaluations as their is no monetary transaction for their products, it's free to use. 

14: Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

Being an Innovation Academy student means I can take only online classes each fall semester, meaning I have become very efficient in taking a large load of online classes. Making a set schedule that I stick to just as I would with my Spring and Summer semester helps juggle multiple classes and tends to make me less lazy. No matter how hard I try though, classes I have little to no interest in get put to the wayside and I get lazy with the assignments. But thankfully for this class, entrepreneurship and creativity is something I enjoy and have been awarded for in the past. The assignments are pretty straight forward and not that much compared to my other classes. This class is an easy breather in between my stressers. 

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

I often find it hard to do peer reviews and comment on other people work. Not that I have a problem with giving others criticism, just most of the time there's nothing to comment on, or others have already said it. I also sometimes find it hard to articulate what I want to say. Especially when your giving others ways they can improve their product, its very important to get your full point across with no confusion. I tend to spend more time writing comments then completing my own assignments, reading through it and doing my own research to add something they can take instead of just writing "I don't like this", which isn't very productive. 

3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

- Get creative and have an open mind to ideas you haven't thought of.

- You get what you give, so do all the assignments fully! Even the interviews! 

- If you ever feel down or that you can't do an assignment, get up, take a walk, and get some fresh ideas flowing before coming back and finishing. There is no need to rush in this class.

13: Reading Reflection No. 1

1. What were your overall thoughts about the entrepreneur? (What surprised you, what did you most/least like, what were their failures?)

I decided to read 'Miracles Happen' by Mary Kay Ash as I was curious about multi level marketing businesses and how those companies run and make their money. I came into this already having my own opinion on these companies (not a pleasant one), though I was taken aback by how intriguing her story was and how much positivity she has radiated and given to other women. I think the thing that most surprised me was how much the book affected me after completing it. Her level of ambition and simple pillars to life pulled me in and made me reevaluate my professional side and made me feel like I could do anything. Her writing was down to earth and felt like a friend giving me advice, she didn't add any bullshit which I deeply appreciate, just the things that helped her go from a saleswomen to a multimillionaire. I feel like a lot of times in business, people find stepping on others toes, backstabbing, and ass kissing is the way to the top which I do not condone at all. Everything I've worked for has been done by my sheer ambition, ethics, and skills, never wanting to lower myself to petty means of climbing the ladder. Mary Kay has done the same by using three cornerstones: treat others the way you wished to be treated, know your priorities, and believe in everyone's potential. One thing that I personally didn't much enjoy was she fell back on a lot of old fashioned habits, like insisting women should wear dresses and skirts to work and how it should be a women's goal to get a housekeeper in order to save her more time. I glanced over these without a second thought, but it was genuinely the only thing I didn't like. Throughout the book Mary Kay was always improving and becoming the best at whatever she could be, like typewriting or selling kitchen wear. She turned every bad situation into a positive learning experience, and never once backed down or cried. When she had the worst sales, she promised to be the best the following year, and I learned quickly that the women always kept her word. Due to the time period, being a woman also had its rough patches in work, but that didn't stop her, just ignited a flame that burned for years. 

2. What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

As I said before, Mary Kay always exuded positivity and was driven by personal improvement. She was a smart sales lady and knew her market well, as she was her own market. She had confidence that made people want to work for her and buy her products without a second thought; she even wrote about how she sold one of everything in her line to a women while on vacation without having the products with her, just used her enthusiasm and love for her product to make the sell. 

3. Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

I don't think anything really confused me in the book. It was well written and her professional life was linear, everything falling into place gradually and made sense with her profession. Her personal anecdotes gave a look into the woman she was and showed how she lived every aspect of her life using her pillars to raise herself and others up. 

4. f you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

I would have loved to meet Mary Kay Ash, her words were a fresh breath of air and made me feel something, and just seemed like a nice lady to sit and chat with. I would ask her what she would have done of she lost her arms/hands; losing a persons most productive limbs and what that would mean to her and her career. I would also ask more about how she felt about her competitors. Ask if she ever felt like her company was in danger or if they learned from other cosmetic companies, whether that be management or products. 

5. What do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

She made it clear, if your not working your missing out on an opportunity. Mary Kay was created after she retired, the woman didn't know how to sit and enjoy her retirement! To accomplish so much required someone who wasn't afraid to work and knew that anything worth wild would have to come before pleasure. I think some day I'll reach her level, I would like to be old and look at all I've accomplished, not being able to count all of them on my fingers!

12A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment - 'The Over Achievers' - Students who participate in multiple clubs/organizations

Through my interviews I found out a lot about this segment. Each person I interviewed felt it was hard to keep track of their club meetings and events like volunteering, especially when dates change or they are misinformed. Problems like this is especially a problem at the start of Fall and Spring semester when events are more prevalent. Unlike my last batch of interviews, two of them used online calendars, and the other used a planner bought from the store. For the online calendars they don't include assignment due dates, just their extra circulars. The planner includes both assignment dates and club schedules. I found that they plan in peaks, not over time. Meaning certain weeks are left blank as they forget or are too busy to log anything. I was curious on how they keep track of events then, they said they get the memo either from others, or the clubs website/social media pages. I asked them how they felt about the Canvas calendar, none of them had a problem with it, as they felt they didn't need to access it unless they are on Canvas.

'The Over Achievers' = This segment doesn't necessarily need Canvas and MyLab calendars on the regular, but could benefit from having one place for all their club schedules. This segment is always on the go, so they need an online calendar for their busy lives. Something new about these certain types of people is that they use whatever they already have available to plan, like how 2/3 used the free calendar already provided on their phones. This tells me how likely they would want to pay for a service, so I think my best bet would be to offer this to Universities, not individuals. 

11A Idea Napkin No. 1

Me - I am a management major and an IA student. I have past experience of creating things; taking my ideas from sketches to physical products. I love having a clean and organized planner and find I am more productive and active if I log everything. 

My Offer - A calendar app that automatically syncs a students schedule, along with assignment due dates, club meeting times and locations, sports events, and more depending on what works for them. 

Who - Busy university students that have multiple calendars and not enough time to plan. Perfect for those in multiple clubs, works or volunteers, and is full time students.

Why - Having several calendars that only serve one purpose is frustrating and inefficient, and often leads to students missing assignments or events and being completely disorganized. 

My Secret Sauce - I am an extreme organizer, I cannot work unless my space and mind is stress free. I found myself having a major problem with Canvas, as my assignments from MyLab don't show up on the Canvas calendar. I had to look for alternative ways to organize but found none that worked for me, as I am very particular about my planner (weird I know but it matters). I have website building experience and a good sense of organizing and design, making it easy for me to actually create this product. 

I think my product and plan is solid. There is a need out there, especially as we move closer to a paperless world. I also think it fits well for me, as I face this problem everyday and can be the one to fix it if I want to. My weakest of the five would be the who, as there are so many subsets that could use this app, but have different needs and can be hard to define.