Assignment 10a - Elevator Pitch #1

https://youtu.be/hSjgDEuTu1U

Assignment 9a - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Assignment 9a

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

To reiterate the opportunity I am presenting, it is a service where individuals, who are addicted to vapes and such nicotine substances, can go to seek help and motivation from others by talking to others and sharing their difficulties all the while being in a comfortable environment. The vaping industry has taken our society by storm and is posing serious health concerns to many. All the while, individuals are having a hard time stopping this destructive habit.

I interviewed five individuals. One being a sophomore who vaped for a year who believed that he would not need such a service because he can do it on his own. Next interviewed an individual who owned a vape shop who believed such a service would be useless because the addiction is not the same as that of drugs and alcohol making the service inefficient. I also interviewed an ex-cigarette smoker, asking him whether he thought this type of service could've worked for him. He said that today it could since people have seen the health risks. However in the beginning, he thinks that not many individuals would've believed the need of such a service. Next, I interviewed another student who has friends who used to vape but who have now quit. Basing it off what he saw them do, he feels the service is not necessary as well. Finally, I interviewed another student who vaped. He said that he had no reason to quit because he does not believe in the health concerns that they have been said to cause.

Who:  There are people who believe that vaping and the addiction to nicotine products is not a serious addiction and that it can be overcome individually through determination and one’s own will power. I interviewed five different individuals, ranging from current vape users to individuals who had addictions with other substances such as cigarettes. The all seem to be of the same opinion that a service such as this is not necessary for this type of addiction since it has no visible effects on the body and mind so individuals would be less inclined to make a commitment to it.

What: The need I identified is that individuals will need support to overcome such an addiction. These individuals have made it clear that such a need is not true because it is not a strong addiction. People can overcome the addiction easily with their determination instead of needing a service to motivate them.

Why: The need is different because I think it depends on an individual’s personality. If an individual is determined and strong willed, they might be able to overcome this addiction on their own without any support. However, if one’s personality is the opposite and isn’t as strong, they might be unsuccessful in a solo endeavor.

	Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who	Individuals who do not have the will power or who feel they need support in order for them to successfully overcome the addiction.	Individuals who are determined, strong willed, or who believe the addiction is not as strong as perceived and can get over it by themselves. Also individuals who believe the health risks are not true and will keep going.
What	A support system which will motivate and help them overcome an unhealthy addiction.	These individuals would have no need of an extra service backing them.
Why	They do not have the determination or will power to do it themselves and appreciate support.	They believe they can achieve it on their own without the help of others or they do not believe in the health risks posed by vape products.

Assignment 8a - Solving the Problem

Assignment 8a

Solving the Problem

The service I propose to help individuals get over their vaping and nicotine addiction would be similar to the services provided to alcoholics and drug addicts but a lot more casual. This service would allow people to come to a place, feel comfortable and relaxed, especially when they are tense, and express themselves. It would allow them to speak not only to people who are knowledgeable on the subject but also who have experienced what they are going through. Receiving such feedback and motivation would allow people to learn and get rid of the obsessive thoughts that drive their addiction. I also believe this service can go further and organize activities and create a sense of togetherness within different groups. Having a professional service guide through a process to get rid of an addiction is always reassuring and would make people more motivated into stopping. Providing them with the necessary elements and method needed to stop unhealthy habits would be essential. Tailoring services towards each individual and making them as comfortable as possible would also be necessary. We must remove the notion of the service and make them seem surrounded by regular people talking about a common issue.

Assignment 7a Testing the Hypothesis Part 1

Assignment 7a

Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Many people deal with different types of addictions. Nowadays, a large part of the US society has been gripped by a new addiction, vaping and nicotine. Now that there are findings coming out of the possible dangers of vaping, individuals are trying to give up an addiction that was controlling them. Giving up such addictions can be very demanding and difficult if done alone. That is why I believe there is an opportunity in helping these people stop this addiction by providing them with the same services as alcohol addicts receive. The services where they won’t feel like they are alone and will feel motivated to keep going. 

·     The Who: Individuals who are hooked to vape products and nicotine. Mostly the younger generations.

·     The What: They are unable to successfully give up the unhealthy addiction.

·     The Why: Vaping may lead to severe health risks in the future and is already causing problems.

Testing the Who: Although for this specific proposal, the who encompasses all vape addicts already however there are many more addictions which can be focused on and provide services for. In addition, the who states that younger generations are targeted because they are those who vape the most but there are also older individuals who can use this service.

Testing the What: Although these services are mostly directed towards helping individuals get over addictions, they can be used for other reasons such as directing individuals into new paths and teaching them how to help others in their position. They can be used as launch pads to educate the public about certain issues. In addition, these services aren’t necessary for everyone, some individuals will be able to combat their addition on their own.

Testing the Why: It is necessary to combat this addiction as soon as possible because of the risks it presents to individuals who do it. The FDA is releasing information from research that shows the possible dangers of vaping. If individuals aren’t able to quit, then they continue to put themselves at risk. Some people may not believe in this information and would rather take the chance to continue but others would rather quit.

Interviews:

1.    For my first interview, I spoke to my friend and roommate who has been vaping for several years now but has recently took it upon him to quit. He took this decision because of his health concerns after seeing what the FDA released as well as coughing for several weeks. He said that he’s trying several quitting techniques and that it is working out for him. However, sometimes he feels the need to hit a vape and that’s when he feels it would be nice receive support and motivation from others going through the same thing. He said that talking to people with similar thoughts and feelings allows him to really connect and develop new ways of stopping. Receiving that extra motivational boost from individuals, he says, would greatly aid when one is on the brink of going back to the addiction. He says somedays its unbearable and being restrained with the help of this service would be a great plus.

2.    I also interviewed a freshman who was introduced to such products recently. He says that he hasn’t been hooked on it yet but that he plans an restricting his usage. He talked about how many of his friends are doing it and how they are becoming worried with the possible risks. However, his friends can’t seem to put their mind to quitting vaping because of how addicted they are. He says that if such service existed, at a reasonable rate, his friends would probably be willing to try it, especially if it creates a comfortable environment for them to be in. He said that the service has to be as enjoyable and relaxed as possible for people in our generation to consider. We need to really lose ourselves in the process and thought without getting carried away.

3.    I interviewed my little sister, who is still in high school, asking about how she feels about the product and proposed service. She talked about how widespread it was in the high school and the efforts made by the administration to stop such habits. She said that a vast majority of her friends has recently took it upon them to quit. In addition, she added that her friends were following the same concept of the service in that they would support each other and not let each other continue. This group motivation, she feels, is really what is keeping them all away from continuing. For that reason, she feels that establishing a professional service to help this addiction would be greatly beneficial.

4.    In addition, I interviewed my girlfriend, who vaped a lot in high school but has since slowly decreased her usage. She said that the health concerns have always been there for her, but she easily got addicted to it after being introduced to it by her friends. She has been able to slowly quit because she lives in New York and financially she feels it is not worth spending her money such products. She says that her brother is currently hooked on it as well. As for the services, she feels that she wouldn’t be able to speak to strangers about such problems since she’s shy and not comfortable in public. However, she said that if there was a way to slowly introduce someone to the service and not make it uncomfortable for them, she would consider it if her addiction had continued.

5.    Finally, I interviewed a parent at a Publix. His kids were still relatively young in middle school, but he’s scared about when they’d be introduced to such products. He knows about the health concerns they pose and doesn’t want them getting hooked on them. He recalls about his cigarette addiction when he was young and how hard it was for him to stop. He feels that a motivational service which would help educate individuals about the risks and support them in quitting would’ve been highly appreciated when cigarettes were a thing. He says that when an individual is fighting against something alone, and keeping everything in his mind, the addiction will invade and win the over. However, if the feelings are spoken and people receive support against such feelings, they are more likely to not succumb to their addiction.

I learned a variety of things to help develop my opportunity. One thing is that people seem to believe that combatting an addiction together with others would be beneficial. They also believe that receiving such support and motivation would help them speed up the process and allow them to help others. However, it is apparent that the services should be tailored and different depending on the individual’s necessities and personalities. The more comfortable each person is, the more they would be willing to receive the support and really work with the people in the service. If they don’t have that open mind and only focus on the addiction, the service would be useless and would be of no help to that person.

Assignment 6a - Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Assignment 6a

Opportunities in Economic Trends and Regulations

Opportunities in Economic Trends

1.     With healthcare inflation incredibly high, US citizens are still paying huge prices for their coverage. Between the government and private companies, individuals feel overwhelmed by all the prices. I found this on a Vistage article referring to upcoming trends in the market. There is an opportunity to provide not only an easy platform to show people each company’s coverage but also create a new company which provides a more affordable healthcare plan. It has been an ongoing issue in the US how healthcare has been so expensive and there have been no solutions. Many complaints have ensued because of this and from these is where the opportunity has arisen. This opportunity can be used universally by businesses and individuals and would require efforts and collaboration to get it up and running smoothly. I’ve seen this problem reoccur especially listening to the news over the years as well as my parents talk about it which is why I’m able to see this opportunity.

2.     With the rise of climate change, many locations are in danger of being put at stake due to environmental factors. I found this on The Balance which speaks about how climate change will alter the market in the coming years. This has developed an opportunity for more sustainable solutions and companies to arise in order to develop safer construction projects. With the increasing amount of natural disasters, the demand is increasing. I feel that this opportunity can be served for both personal services as well as businesses. Creating this opportunity and making it functional would take a lot of time and resources. However, it can prove to be very beneficial in the end. This again is an opportunity that I see because of the rise of climate change as a problem. My generation is very on top of this problem and are putting our efforts into fixing it.

Opportunities in New Regulations

1.     An opportunity that is arising with the introduction of new regulations is the need of services to help vape addicts quit. The FDA have just banned the selling of flavored vapes, which makes up a majority of this market. This information originates from articles referring to the FDA instilling this new ban and how society will be affected. This specifically can be found in the consumer reports recently released by the government. This information suggests that now that vape flavors will be gone; a majority of users will be more willing to quit which in turn suggests the need of a service to help them do so. The prototypical customer for this would be vape users, especially in my demographic where a lot of individuals have become addicted to devices such as the Juul. Although it would take a lot of effort and collaboration, I think that setting up such a service wouldn’t be relatively hard however making it widespread and more universal would make it more challenging. I saw this opportunity because I have several friends in my entourage that have become addicted to such devices which have affected their health. I feel that they would need such services in order for them to fully and successfully be able to quit and come over their addiction.

2.     I think that there is an opportunity with the introduction of new environmental regulations. With the government becoming stricter on environmental laws and regulations, especially on businesses, I feel that there should be a platform on which a business can easily track its carbon footprint so that it can see what it can do to make it better. It has been on many news outlets, such as Science Daily, that the government is starting to tighten up on environmental regulations. However, the majority of the emissions come from the businesses and their operations, to which they are carelessly not paying attention to. The problem is that it is difficult for them to come up with how they are affecting the environment. This is where the need of a platform or an organization is, in order to help the businesses, see what they are doing wrong and help them change it. This opportunity would require lots of work and collaboration in order to make a system that runs smoothly for businesses to use. Later on, the introduction of personal and individual platforms can be placed together. I feel that this is an opportunity that many people my generation have seen and are starting to really believe in this problem.

Assignment 5a - Identifying Local Opportunities

Assignment 5a

Identifying Local Opportunities

One dead after Brightline train and Maserati collide

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/oakland-park/fl-ne-train-incident-oakland-park-20190912-ls7tv2j7fbel7jvquouy3vtlxm-story.html

This article talks about a collision that occurred on the Brightline with a car that was found on the rails. It goes over how the event took place and details about the crash, covering the damage and how many people were hurt. This highlights a problem for the Brightline organization which opened its new railway not long ago. It shows that there are still problems and loose ends that need to be fixed to avoid other casualties. They need to find a way to make sure everything is going smoothly 24/7 and make it as safe as possible.

Dorian evacuees land in South Florida, but future remains uncertain

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-ne-bahamas-seeking-sanctuary-20190908-36csr7nudrhjhmkxymydbqurxm-story.html

After suffering the Category 5 Hurricane, Dorian, many Bahamas residents decided to come to Florida to seek shelter from the chaos. This article talks about what they went through during the hurricane and what they are planning on doing in the future. With everything destroyed and lost, many of them are out of options and have no plans as well as no belongings. Essentially, they have become homeless and are seeking help but are not receiving it. Most of the people that are in this situation are families with kids and who the parents have no idea what to do or where to go.

Gables heads to state supreme court on Styrofoam ban

https://www.miamitodaynews.com/2019/09/10/gables-heads-to-state-supreme-court-on-styrofoam-ban/

This article refers to an initiative started in Coral Gables to ban Styrofoam. It is an initiative to help the environment and reduce the materials being used and thrown out afterwards which can harm the environment. However, the city commission has received opposition from certain organizations that refuse to follow the ban because of the high product prices it causes them to have. It is city versus the private organizations who are unwilling to make changes due to the expensive prices these changes come with.

Skilled labor shortage may swamp marine industry

https://www.miamitodaynews.com/2019/09/10/skilled-labor-shortage-may-swamp-marine-industry/

This article refers to how big the Yacht industry is in South Florida and how it is about to grow with the addition of two new shipyards. It talks about what makes up a shipyard and why this industry is so important for Miami. However, recently the shipyards have been losing the skilled laborers it needs to function properly. Everyone is going to college instead of trades school and it’s causing a shortage of individuals certified to fill the vacant positions. This problem is persistent in most of the South Florida shipyards and it is starting to worry them more and more. They need to find a way to attract people to specialize in the skills necessary to work there.

Their Metrorail trips were already annoying. Then came broken elevators and escalators

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article234775897.html

This story deals with the public transportation of Miami, more specifically the Metrorail and the problems it faces on a daily basis. These problems make taking the metro a hassle and even more if it’s the elevators and escalators. It prevents the public from taking advantage of the services and really makes it annoying to travel using the metro. The article gives detailed examples of problems the transportation method deals with. The problem is that the city of Miami can never be on the same page and have everything run smoothly when necessary. There is always a defect in its services which makes it inconvenient for its users, who are everyday commuters who use it to go north and south along US1.

Assignment 4a - Opportunity Belief

Assignment 4a

Opportunity Belief

I believe that there is an opportunity regarding the prevention of the use of vape products such as the Juul. More specifically, services that would help individuals stop this bad habit such as the Alcoholics Anonymous services provided for alcohol abuse. This need is mainly present in the younger demographics, between high schoolers and college students. Over the last few years, the younger generations have gravitated to these products due to the “buzz” they receive from using them. This has come from the introduction of higher percentage nicotine products as well as flavored nicotine products which make it easily to be hooked on. People are starting to realize the harm this habit can cause and have started to stop in several way such as adopting the use of nicotine patches or chewing on nicotine candies. I am almost 100% sure this opportunity exists since the Federal government has begun to take action against vape products.

Prototypical Customer #1: 19-year-old college sophomore

My roommate has been an avid user of the Juul and similar products for several years now. He has recently become aware of the problems it could lead to when he heard about the government issued warnings. However, quitting is easier said than done. Although he’s tried the nicotine patches and the nicotine candies, he can’t seem to really get over his addiction. This is when he became aware that he needed and exterior help and motivation to quit. If he had the same type of talks and meeting given to drug addicts of alcoholics, he said he’d feel more motivated and more easily convinced that all those products are as bad as he is being told. He feels that being able to express his feelings with others that have the same issues would help him find other ways to combat it and make him get over it faster.

Prototypical Customer #2: 17-year-old High School Senior

My sister, who is in high school, does not use such products but sees her friends using them. She told me that it had been taken up by kids her age a few years ago and has gotten worse and worse each year. She says that none of them are aware of the problems these products can lead to in the future and is scared for them. She said that the ones that have quit, had a difficult time doing so and that it was a whole process. She feels that giving them services where they can talk about it with others and feel like they are not alone in their fight would make them more inclined to quit and facilitate it as well. She said that most of them started because it was a trend and they all followed suit. If they see everyone stopping, they’ll follow suit and stop. They just need to be motivated in doing so and helped along the way.

Prototypical Customer #3: 22-year-old college senior

This individual, who is a little older than the two other individuals interviewed, says that he personally had given up vaping about a year ago. He said that he saw how it was affecting his breathing and his endurance when running since he played sports. He decided to stop by using nicotine patches for several weeks and slowly weaned himself off. He also said that if he had received attention and was spoken to by someone who was an expert on the matter, he would have been more easily convinced into quitting the products. He feels that being motivated by someone and not being alone when combatting against something always makes it easier. He said that a lot of his friends still use them and that he has tried to get them to stop too but they always end up going back to them. If they received the services and the talks for addicts to share the feelings they were having, they’d be more likely to get out it of their heads and talk it out with similar people. 

Reflection

After interviewing each of these individuals, each of them in different age groups and situations, it became clear that everyone felt the same way. Everyone believed that it would be beneficial to have some sort of service which would put them in a comfortable setting where they could speak with other people dealing with the same problems. From the active user who said he’d be willing to sign up for such a service to a high schooler who believes it would help her friends stop to an individual who has already quit but who feels such a service would’ve made it easier for him to stop, everyone believed that the motivation and support given from these types of services would help individuals quit vaping products. I was surprised that the idea received this much enthusiasm and agreement. It seems that people look for support when doing such acts and need to feel motivated to quit at times.

Summary

Honestly, after completing the interviews, I felt that the opportunity kept getting bigger and bigger. This vaping problem has become such an issue in our society and people are looking for help to quit. All they need is a helping hand and some motivation, however, there are no such services. Services that are provided to alcoholics and drug addicts should also be provided to vape users. I feel that the opportunity has become more real after these interviews and my knowledge on the problem has deepened greatly. I feel that it is important for entrepreneurs to really gauge how successful a product or service would be if it were released. This allows them to adapt it and perfect the opportunity in front of them, minimizing possible complaints or problems.