13A Reading Reflection

You read about an entrepreneur:

Shoe Dog By: Phil Knight

·       What surprised me the most was how long it took for him to get the company off and running. As an outsider, and someone who knows who Phil Knight is and what Nike is to date, I would not have imagined that the company would have taken so long to take off. I was surprised that it took so long for people to invest in a company that was selling shoes, especially because back then the only other competitor was Adidas, and now Nike is arguably better than Adidas. I was surprised that it took so long for people to invest and for Nike to officially take off.

·       What I most admired about Phil Knight was his passion for selling shoes. Throughout the book he writes from year to year, and what each year possessed. I admired his determination from year to year and how he never gave up on his dream, regardless how no one believed in him and his business. From when the bank told him he would not make it, to his father not signing as his guarantor, he never gave up on his business. I admired this because he was passionate about his dream, and regardless of what other people believed, he had so much passion for his company and that is what I most admired.

·       The thing I least admired about Knight was his relaxed demeanor about his company. I enjoyed that he stuck with it, but I did not like how he did not live and breathe for his company, much like his first full-time employee did. He described how much he felt like Nike, or Blue Ribbon, would make it, yet he got annoyed with the one person who lived and breathed for his product, Johnson.

·       Knight definitely faced adversity, much like almost every entrepreneur does. The bank told him that he was not welcomed, did not get money from his father, and stopped receiving letters from his partners in Japan. Yet, he did not let any of these things dissuade him from following his dreams and making shoes for everyone. He did not listen to anything anyone said, especially when it would have been so easy for him to quit and use his education to make a solid career for himself. Rather, he stuck with his passion and pushed through it.

2) Knight’s biggest competency he displayed was his drive for selling his shoes. He showed passion, along with lifestyle for his company, because he refused to let anyone tell him no. Even though he goes on to get another job while also working for Nike, he never quits. He shows how his passion is the driving force for him selling shoes, especially when he compares to selling shoes to selling encyclopedias. He shows that he loves to sell shoes for people, and that was what made him so successful.

3) One thing that was confusing was his timeline. I understood that he wanted to go to Japan and travel the world while giving his pitch, yet the beginning when he discusses his timeline really confuses me, mostly because he is all over the country, yet doing nothing pertaining to Nike.

4) Why did you think that your idea of a Japanese style shoe, especially during a time so close to war, was something that would make it in the world? And allow you to make money? Now that you know what your business today is (one of the greatest, well-known companies in the world) did you ever know/ imagine what it would be today? What was the “aha” moment for you when you realized it would be what it is?

5) I think Knight’s idea of hard work aligned directly with passion. Throughout the book he often describes how he did not like selling things, and was not good at it, but this shoe thing came easy and he accredits it to passion. The shoes, following the entire company, were driven behind Knight’s passion of running and he often references this throughout the book. He viewed his company and job more as a hobby, and something that did not require work because it was fun to him and this I believe is what his idea of hard work was: finding something you are so passionate about it does not seem like work. I too share this opinion because I feel like it is important to find something you are passionate it about and then making a career out of it. I feel like if you do this, then you will change the world. Things come easy when you care about them, and you are often willing to go above and beyond when you are passionate about something, which is the ultimate driving force for hard work.

14A Halfway Reflection

1) I have learned that I need to watch the lectures every week in order to do well on the cupcakes. I have tried to speed through the lectures, but when I do that I end up doing poor on the cupcakes. I also realized I need to set away specific times to watch them, rather than watching them while also doing other things. For the assignments, I try and do them before the due date on Friday, since they are due at noon, rather than midnight. I try and get the assignments done in the beginning of the week, or even weeks ahead, so I do not need to stress about them the day they are due. 

2) Overall I am a person who does not give up at all, especially when I want to do well in it. In this class, I would say, it has tested my tenacity simply because of the heavy workload it possesses. A lot of times I do not want to watch the hour+ lectures and do the various assignments that are due. However, I know that I want a good grade in this class and the only way to get that is through doing the assignments and watching lectures to get good grades on the cupcakes, so I have to push through in order to do well on those. This class has tested me because I get tired and "lazy" especially during this time on the semester, but my tenacity and want to get a good grade is what pushes me. 

3) I would advice people to stay on top of their work and not wait for the last minute to do the assignments. I would also advice people to plan out their weeks for this class, rather than putting it off until the last day. Personally, I would map out a set schedule for this class, and watch the lectures on certain days at certain times, like going to the actual class in order to keep order and a schedule for this class because it is a lot of work/ lecture if you do not stay on top of it. I would also advice for you to work ahead on easy assignments that do not require watching lectures in order to do them. Some assignments are easy, common sense assignments and those are the ones I would advice to do early in order to get them out of the way. Lastly, I would advice you to start reading the books well in advance, even if you just read a little every day, it will be done with and easy to do, rather than cramming in the book in the week it is due. 

12A Figuring Out Buyer Behavior #1

Segment:

Restaurant customers in Gainesville, Florida.  

Interview #1: 

Need awareness: They do not like to texture of a paper straw, and steal plastic straws in cities that have them and keep them in their car so that they do not need to use them when they are in Gainesville. Their need needs to be met when they go to a restaurant in Gainesville and need a straw, but do not want to use a paper straw. 

 Information search: They believe the way to fix this is simply bring plastic straws back. They are tired of paper straws and do not see why they need to be used when plastic straws do not cause that much harm to the environment, in comparison to so many other things. They think that paper straws are horrible and want to keep plastic straws in use. 

Interview #2:

Need awareness: They go to Starbucks at least 4 times a week, and get iced coffee. They absolutely hate the paper straw and feel like it makes the drink taste way worse. They believe that it makes no sense to get rid of plastic straws when the drinks come in plastic cups, with plastic lids. They described how their coffee tastes much better in a plastic straw. They also described how it takes them a long time to drink their coffee, and when the paper straw is in their for a while, it becomes soft and you can barely use it after a while. They feel like their paper straw really takes away from the experience of their coffee.

Information search: They have thought about getting a metal straw so that they could stop using the horrible paper ones. However, they felt like the straw would be such a burden, having to carry it around, washing it, and especially paying for it. They described how they felt like it was dumb to buy a metal straw when they are expected to get a straw with their drink. They believe that the paper straws need to go away quicker than the plastic straws got banned because they are horrid. 

Interview #3:

Need awareness: They believe that paper straws are horrible. They have changed their usage of a straw and simply do not use them at all. They go out to eat a lot and specifically love polar pops from the gas station. Ever since the outlaw of plastic straws they do not even take the paper ones because they dislike them so much, they would rather not use one at all. 

Information search: They have really looked into why plastic straws got banned so fast and for what reason. They have tried to figure out why the world decided to go against them so fast. They have even wanted to try and start a movement to bring normal, plastic straws back. 

Findings of your research:

In my interviews, I have learned just how much of a market their is. I have learned that since the straw ban, there is an opportunity for me to discover. People are very unhappy with the straws that are presented to them and they are complaining of having a worse experience because of it. They believe that the paper straws ruin a good Starbucks drink, and especially milkshakes. I found that people are extremely unhappy with this new law in Gainesville, and they want to find a better solution to get rid of paper straws. 

Conclusions:

There is a need for a straw alternative, since plastic straws are banned, and paper straws are disliked by all consumers. I believe that my product of a plant-based straw with a plastic straw consistency would be a crowd favorite in all categories. With the people who want to save the environment, along with the consumers who are tired of gross, soft plastic straws. This product can be invested in and will make customers and restaurants happy because they will be saving the environment, but they will also be happy using this product. 

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11A Idea Napkin

1) My name is Danielle Romanello and I am from the state of Florida. I pride myself on being a hardworking, organized person who is wanting to make a mark on the world. I love to travel around and appreciate the pure beauty that the world has to offer. My aspirations are to make a mark on the world because I feel like we, as human beings, abuse the beauty we have been given by nature. I want to start my business because I want to make my mark on saving the world. I think this biodegradable straw business will allow me to feel like I make my mark. I want to phase out the plastic straw, and create the norm of plant-based straws in every place that contains straws, and get rid of plastic straws in all.

2) I am offering customers a better drinking experience, while keeping their conscience clean. Nowadays, in various cities in Florida, along with other states, plastic straws are outlawed, forcing restaurants to use paper straws. However, paper straws become soft, flimsy, and give off a "papery" taste when used. Therefore, I am offering a 100% plant-based straw that has the consistency of a plastic straw, yet is also 100% biodegradable.   

3) I am offering this product to customers who live in climate conscience environments. I am specifically selling to the restaurants who have outlawed the use of plastic straws, along with restaurants on beaches, near zoos, or nature reserve locations. All the customers will be wanting to use more economically-friendly products. They will want to use this product because it is just like paper straws when pertaining to the environment, but has a much better liking by the clients. 

4) They care for three main reasons. One reason is that plastic straws are outlawed, forcing them to find an alternative in their restaurants for customers. The second reason is they want their customers to be happy, and they are not happy with plastic straws, which is why they want my product, to make their customer happy. Lastly, they want to use my product because they care about the environment, want to save the turtles, and use less plastic. 

5) What separates me from everyone else is that I make a product that gives you the best of both worlds, its good for the environment, yet it has the consistency of plastic. Right now, the issue is that paper straws are not liked by the customer. Yet, they are forced to be used because plastic straws are looked down upon, and even illegal in some places in the United States. Therefore, I am offering a plant-based straw that gives the customer the good feeling of saving the environment, while also enjoying their beverage through a sturdy straw. 

I feel like all these aspects fit together in my business because my product is simple, yet complex because it does not exist. This straw epidemic is a new concept for the restaurant industry, which is why I am making a product to counteract it. The first idea was a paper straw, which is what is used now, but not because it is a fan favorite, but because it is the only option. With my product, I am giving the customer something they will enjoy, while also saving the environment at the same time. 

10A Elevator Pitch

https://youtu.be/8U-e9zHupMM

9A- Testing the Hypothesis

Inside the boundary
Who is In: Restaurants who buy paper straws
What the Need Is: a straw that the customer actually likes
Why the Need Exists: Because a new Alachua county law outlawed plastic straws, leaving customers upset with paper straws Outside the boundary Who is Not: People who are not in a county that has outlawed plastic straws, therefore they can still give out the plastic ones What the Need is Not: Biodegradable plastic straws because they can use plastic ones without being fined. Alternative Explanations: This market does not affect them yet, at least, because they can continue to use plastic straws hat customers love.

I found that my opportunity definitely exists because there are a lot of unhappy customers in Gainesville compared to people who reside in places like Clearwater who still use plastic straws. I interviewed people from different parts of the state for this part because I wanted to see how they felt about the straw crisis. It was interesting to learn that most, especially when they live in a place where straws are not discussed, did not even know about the straw epidemic. They discussed how they did not even think about the use of their straw, because they know they can use as many plastic straws and they want and they will be easily accessible for them. When I interviewed people prior, they were upset about the straws, but the common denominator was that they lived in a place with paper straws, which clearly made them mad. From my research I found that my business would target the restaurants who were forced to use paper straws, and supply them with my biodegradable, plastic straw textured straw, which would make their customers happy. I do not think my market would be the restaurants that are not affected by the outlaw of plastic straws because they already have an abundant amount of straws, and a supply. My straw would cost more than what their plastic straws did and therefore they would not be a good customer. I would want to target places on the beach, also, because they would not be allowed to use plastic straws as well. I think there is a market out there for me, specifically to the restaurants because they want their customers to be happy.   

7A: Testing the Hypothesis

1) Opportunity: creating biodegradable straws out of plants, that have the same texture of plastic straws, but are not harmful to the environment.

2) Restaurants in the city of Gainesville, or any city that has outlawed straws, need an alternative for their drinks, so that their customers are happy and content with the product they are consuming

·      The who: Restaurants in Gainesville (or any city that has outlawed straws)

·      The what: They are forced to use paper straws, yet they are not productive in their use and no one likes them.

·      The why: customers are unhappy with the paper straws

3) Biodegradable straws will be more beneficial and give customers a better experience.

·       Testing the who: There are tons of people who are the ‘who’. Specifically customers are the direct ‘who’ because they are the ones who would buy the straws. But less directly, the customers of the restaurants are also the ‘who’ because they are also using the product.

·       Testing the what: the boundaries of the straws are that they cannot contain plastic, but they can be made of anything that is not plastic. The paper straws do not work the way they are suppose to, therefore no one wants to use them. The ‘what’ is an alternative to paper straws.

·       Testing the why: the why does in fact hold for everyone because literally no one likes paper straws, therefore they will be happy with any form of alternative as long as it works better than paper straws (not that hard to do).

4) Interviewees:

·      Kendyl Lindaman, 21, College Student

·      Cara Parker, 25, Resident

·      DC Fico, 4, Child

·      Jack, 50+, Owner of BTW

·      Abbey Guthrie, 18, on vacation from Athens, OH

I really wanted to get a combination of interviewees, so that they all had different perspectives. I asked people on the street, and people who were actual customers at restaurants to get their different perspectives, specifically people who were directly affected (at restaurant) versus people who knew about the straw outlaw, but were not being affected during that specific time.

  

5) Throughout my interviews I learned that regardless of age, occupation, and demographic, not a single person liked the paper straw and found it to be “disgusting, and a waste.” Specifically, the person I interviewed who was here on vacation had the most negative things to day about it. She was from up north, where they do not have a straw problem. She hated the paper straws and expressed how she had no idea how anyone used them all the time. The ‘who’ is tricky because it is both the customer, and the restaurant. Yet, specifically it is the restaurant because they are the ones who would be buying the product from me. Yet, the reviews from the customer are what matters to the restaurant, therefore, both of their opinions matter. I chose to interview not only customers, but also a restaurant owner because I wanted to see how he specifically felt about the outlaw of straws, as well as if he saw trends with customers and them buying less drinks due to this. The ‘what’ stayed the same throughout the interview process because it was very simple: no one likes paper straws. They simply are not the answer to the outlaw of plastic straws. Finally, the ‘what’ is all the customers are unhappy with paper straws. After my interviews, I have come to the conclusion that there is definitely a market in Gainesville for a straw alternative, specifically made of biodegradable material, so that they function like a plastic straw, but are good for the environment. The paper straws are not sufficient to the consumer; therefore an opportunity is definitely there.  

8A: Solving the Problem

Problem: Paper straws in cities that have outlawed plastic straws.

No one, and I mean no one likes paper straws. Yet, every restaurant in Gainesville uses them because plastic straws have been outlawed, and if they do give them out, they can be fined. Therefore, they are forced to use paper straws. Yet, those straws get soft, wet, and simply stop working properly if they are in the liquid for too long. These restaurants continue to use and give them out, however, because they have no other option. I know lots of people who are unhappy with the paper straws, and are even avoiding using them all together.

Solution: Biodegradable straws

This solution is so easy, and even goes along with the straw movement. I would create a biodegradable straw out of plants, and other material that is actually good for the environment. Therefore, if you were to throw it away it would just go into the trash, or if someone threw it on the ground then it would go away over time, causing absolutely no hard to the environment (specifically turtles). This would make everyone happy as well. The straw would have the exact same texture as regular, plastic straws, without all the waste and hazard of a plastic straw. It would make customers happy, and restaurants even happier. 

6A: Identifying Opportunities

Opportunity #1: Economic Trend in Credit Card Terms

https://www.thebalance.com/credit-card-terms-everyone-should-know-4687035

This article is about comparing various credit cards, annual fees, points, etc. and which one you get the most bang for your buck. It discusses annual fees, credit scores, and minimum payment on the cards. I think there is an opportunity in this because people always want to spend the least amount of money, while getting the most reward back. I believe there is an opportunity out there to create a credit card where you get rewards, cash back, and do not have to pay fees simply because everyone is always looking for something better, and I believe that I could create something better in the credit card industry. The fact that the article discusses all the expenses you have to pay for a credit card proves that there is an opportunity that exists. The prototypical customer for this would be and established adult who uses a credit card for many things. They would be most inclined to use this because they want a credit card that makes them feel like they are saving money and/or getting something in return. I believe the idea of this is relatively easy, yet it is more difficult to exploit simply because you would need investments, banking, etc.

I saw this opportunity because I know how many have certain credit cards for certain reasons. For example, if someone flies a lot, they are more inclined to have that airline’s credit card to accumulate points, essentially justifying why they are spending so much money on the credit card. I feel like there is an opportunity out there to create a credit card that gives you rewards in various places, while also not charging you all those fees everyone else does, making my product more appealing than the average product.

Opportunity #2: With Fresh, Healthy Grocery Stores Closing, New Opportunity Emerges

https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-financial/lucky-s-market-reportedly-closing-most-its-stores

Recently the grocery chain, Lucky’s, has announced all of its stores are closing in Florida, except one, and others closing across the country. They were losing moneys, forced into bankruptcy, and thus closed its doors. They have been having sales until the product was gone, causing chaos at the stores. Now, these shops will remain empty, hoping for someone to take over them. I believe there is an opportunity for something like this, simply because the only other competitor in Florida is Publix, which can easily be competed with. I used to shop at Lucky’s and I loved their product. I think there is an opportunity for a store like Lucky’s to exist, but also to have common, cheap essentials that they did not offer before. As a customer, I needed to go to Lucky’s and Publix, simply because Lucky’s did not have the products that I needed, which is why I feel like they did not succeed. I think this is opportunity relatively easy because there is not a lot of competition in this field. The prototypical customer would be anyone who is buying groceries, specifically healthy, cheap products.

I saw this opportunity because there is not a lot of competition in this field, specifically in Florida. I think it is appealing to people to shop somewhere that is clean, fresh, and convenient. I think Lucky’s lacked the convenience aspect of it, therefore it failed. Yet I think if I apply the convenience side, along with the rest of the appealing aspects, then it could be successful.

Opportunity #3: Regulatory Marijuana Selling

https://www.hcn.org/articles/rural-economies-get-high-on-legal-cannabis

As marijuana becomes legal in more and more states, there is obviously a market for opening up these shops, specifically when it is legal for recreational usage. I realized in this article that this is an opportunity because it describes how rural places, in this case Colorado, are making large profits off of opening stores, simply due to access and location. Compared to big cities in Colorado, the rural areas do no have access to lots of marijuana stores. Therefore, they opened up a business in the rural parts of the state, to appeal to the local people and making it much more convenient for them. The prototypical customer would be someone that lives in the rural parts of Colorado, who do not want to drive to a city to get their marijuana. They would be much more willing to drive 10 minutes down the street to the shop, rather than 30-60 minutes to get to the city. I think this would be relatively easy for many reasons. One the customers are there because you are not competing with anyone really. Another reason would be because you are in a rural area, so you have lots of space to grow your product.

I see this opportunity because it is so new, that places have not thought of these ideas yet. And if they have, they are in popular cities. For example, Gainesville has 3 cannabis stores that I can think of off the top of my head, all within ~2 miles of each other. However, I doubt there is a cannabis store between Gainesville and Valdosta, yet there are definitely people who live in that area that would go there. Of course recreational marijuana is not legal in Florida yet, but when it is, it would be easy to open up a shop in between those two cities and have lots of customers.

Opportunity #4: Non-Plastic Straws

https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Gainesville-business-gets-warning-about-plastic-straw-ban-566389201.html

Gainesville recently outlawed plastic straws in the city, forcing companies to use paper straws. However, paper straws are horrid and become soft after a little time in the drink. I think there is an opportunity to make a straw out of recycled material, or simply anything other than paper because paper straws just do not work. There is an opportunity for this because no one likes paper straws, as well as they do not work, yet they are forced to be used because it is outlawed to use plastic. As someone who is a consumer, I personally know there is an opportunity because I do not like paper straws, and I know many other people that agree. The prototypical customer would be businesses that use straws, (ie restaurants) because they want to give out a product that their customers enjoy, rather than paper straws. This opportunity is relatively easy because there is a big market out there (every single restaurant in Gainesville) who would be interested in this because no one likes paper straws, yet everyone is forced to use them.

I see this opportunity because the only competition is paper straws, which no one likes. Therefore, I could make biodegradable straws, straws made out of wood, plants, or really any other type of material than paper. I would make them strong and not malleable like the paper straws become. There is definitely an opportunity simply because plastic straws are outlawed, and paper straws are not the answer.