Testing the Hypothesis Part 2 9A

Who: There are some people that seem like they share a lot in common with others that have the opportunity, but actually fall outside of the opportunity. This is for two main reasons. The first reason is that some people simply feel that they could not afford the technology. They seem to have the impression that the technology would be rather expensive and it simply wouldn't fit in with their budget. The other reason is that some people do not seem to think that driving with a tail light out is a hazard. They would rather drive with a tail light out for a while than have to bother paying for a device that could let them know.

What: I would say that some people feel the need to be safe more than anything and some people feel the need to make their decisions from mainly an economic standpoint. Either of these types of people could benefit from the product I described earlier but for slightly different reasons. A more economic person would value the time saved and possible return on investment, while the person concerned about safety would value the fact that it makes them more safe.

Why: The outsiders usually tend to fall in the economic category. Either their need for money is too great for them to consider purchasing the product, or they are satisfied with their current situation and don't think enough value would be added by a tail light sensor. People concerned mainly about safely however tend to always fall into the "inside" category.

Inside the Boundary	Outside of the Boundary
Who: People who drive or ride in automobiles that believe that faulty tail lights could jeopardize their safety or recognize a return of investment	Who: People who don’t drive or ride in automobiles, people who don’t believe that it is unsafe to drive with tail lights that aren’t working, and people who could not afford the device
What: The need is that people would like to feel safer while driving or riding in automobile and would like a more convenient way to check if their tail lights are working properly	What: Although there is the potential for a return on investment due to the possibility of prevented accidents, some people don’t buy into this.
Why: There is an inherent need for people to feel safe. Safety is number one priority for a vast majority of people, so anything that will help people to feel safer is usually something that people will want.	Alternative Explanation: There are some people who don’t buy into it, but still like the idea of being safe. So, the need may not be as much a way to save money or time as much as it is about being safe

 

Solving the Problem 8A

Selected Opportunity: Automobile owners and people that ride in automobiles are unable to easily and conveniently identify when the tail lights in their car are not functioning properly, leading to safety hazards and avoidable traffic stops. This is because automobile manufacturers have not implemented a technology that notify drivers when their tail lights are out.

The Product/Service: The product would be a sensor that, when installed properly in a vehicle, can detect when a tail light or brake light is not functioning as it should. There would also be a small device connected to the sensor via Bluetooth that could be placed anywhere in the front of the car. As soon as the sensor detects a problem with one of the lights, the device in the front of the car would emit a sound, letting the driver know that there is an issue with a light that needs to be fixed immediately. My company could sell just the product, or, if the installation process is difficult enough that the average consumer would not be able to install it themselves, my company could also sell the service of installing the product.

Testing the Hypothesis Part 1 7A

Opportunity that I would like to pursue:

Who: Automobile owners who care about their safety
What: They are unable to easily and conveniently identify when the tail lights in their car are not functioning properly, which leads to safety hazards and avoidable traffic stops.
Why: Automobile manufacturers have decided not to include any technology that would notify drivers when their tail lights are out.

Opportunity Hypothesis:

Testing the Who: Technically, anybody that rides in an automobile may have this need as well because their safety could be affected as well as the person that owns or drives the car.
Testing the What: Anyone who often checks their tail lights already every time before they step into a vehicle may not have this issue, but it would certainly save them time.
Testing the Why: I believe that the reason why this need has not been fulfilled is because automobile manufacturers are always working hard to design the next model and none of them have bothered to implement a technology to satisfy this need.

Summary of What I Found From the Interviews:

Out of the five people that I interviewed, one important thing that I noticed is that none of them had heard of any car that has the technology to fulfill the need or any device that would fulfill the need. They seemed to be in agreement that the technology should not be difficult to implement and in general they were surprised that it has taken this long. When I was first writing up about the opportunity, I figured that the main way that fulfilling the need would affect people is by keeping them safer, but one person that I interviewed offered a different perspective. He mentioned that that if a tail light sensor could keep you from getting into an accident, it would also save you a lot of money. Much more so than the cost of having the technology. With this in mind the opportunity seems even greater because I could definitely see how this could add value to a consumer, there is a return on investment.

Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends 6A

Economic Opportunity 1:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/19/severe-labor-shortage-has-houston-homeowners-begging-for-help.html

This opportunity is that there is currently a shortage of workers in Houston to fix up houses following Hurricane Harvey. I found the opportunity on CNBC and I was led to form a belief about this opportunity because anytime there is a shortage in a market there is usually a way for sellers to take advantage of this shortage and begin to sell their products or services until the market equalizes. In this case, there is a shortage of workers, so any company that can supply workers to Houston should be able to do so at a reasonable profit. The prototypical customer would be a homeowner in the Houston area who's home was damaged by the hurricane. I believe this opportunity would be relatively easy to exploit because services already exist to fix up homes, they simply need to move to the Houston area temporarily. I saw the opportunity because I've been paying more attention to the aftermath of hurricanes lately after being affected by hurricane Irma. 

Regulatory Changes Opportunity 1:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/19/gun-stocks-rise-on-report-that-trump-is-preparing-to-ease-rules-for-overseas-sales-of-us-guns.html

This opportunity is that since Trump is expected to ease up on the sales of US guns to overseas, any company that manufactures and sells guns can look to expand their market internationally. I also found this opportunity on CNBC which is my main source for news related to the economy. I was led to form a belief about this opportunity because the demand for US guns overseas has been present in the past, but laws have prevented this demand from being met. If Trump gets rid of some of these laws, gun companies will be able to take advantage of the unmet need for guns internationally. The prototypical customer would be a person that lives in a country that is not the United States who has wanted to purchase a gun from the US for a long time but hasn't been able to because there are laws against it. I believe this opportunity would be very easy to exploit. The demand is already there, so once the laws are removed companies simply need to meet the demand. I saw this opportunity because I'm familiar with selling products overseas and the difficulties associated with it. Obviously, making the sale of guns overseas easier will increase profits for gun companies if they capitalize on the new opportunity.

Economic Opportunity 2:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/12/workplace-crime-costs-us-businesses-50-billion-a-year.html

This opportunity is that because employee theft has become such a big deal for companies and it is beginning to cut into their profits, companies can work on implementing strategies that will prevent employee theft in the future, which will restore those lost profits. I found this opportunity, surprisingly, on CNBC and I was led to form a belief about this opportunity because when I realized how much employee theft was costing employers after reading the article, I also realized that if there was some way to combat this, it would be a good way for a company to increase their profits. The prototypical customer would be large companies in the United States that are losing significant profits due to employee theft. I believe this opportunity would take some work to exploit but it could definitely be done. I think I noticed this opportunity more than a typical person because I used to work at a grocery store chain that actually used effective strategies to combat employee theft.

Regulatory Changes Opportunity 2:

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/18/gore-says-us-will-meet-paris-goals-even-without-trump.html

This opportunity is that since the United States is still moving in the direction of preserving the planet and limiting activities that lead to climate change, if companies can make their products or processes more environmentally efficient now, they could gain more approval from the american public and it may be easier for these companies in the future when regulations relating to climate change tighten up. I also discovered this opportunity on CNBC and I was led to form a belief about this opportunity because I recognized that since the United States will be working towards strengthening regulations related to climate change, it would be in the best interest of companies to begin to make the transition to more environmentally friendly processes now so that they can prepare and do so efficiently rather than waiting for the last moment. I believe this opportunity would be easy to exploit because there is still a lot of time left for companies to make this transition as long as they use their time effectively. I noticed this opportunity because I've had to study climate change and its effects for the last several years in my marine biology classes.  

Identifying Local Opportunities 5A

Opportunity #1:

Article Title: Pols must grasp why teachers oppose testing

Article Link:
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/166C47BAF0C02DC8?p=WORLDNEWS

Description of the Story: Author Marion Brady is discussing his opinion that special interests have gotten too involved in our education system and that standardized testing is not effective at all. He believes that standardized testing is intentionally made so that many students in our education system will fail, causing people to lose faith in public education and want to move to more privatized education, which would not work in Brady's opinion.

Description of the Problem: Standardized testing is not an effective way to evaluate a student's performance in school. I pulled a quote that I believe best explains the root of the issue: "Schooling's bottom-line purpose isn't to master the contents of school subjects but to improve learner ability to think clearly and productively - to abstract, adduce, analyze, anticipate, articulate and so on. Thinking clearly and productively exercises dozens of thought processes, only two of which standardized tests are able to measure - learner ability to recall secondhand information, and apply it to a problem chosen by the writer of a test item."

Who has the Problem: The public school system has the problem, but our students suffer as a result, so indirectly it is also our nation's children that have the problem.


Opportunity #2:

Article Title: Why cities flood: Could Orlando look like Houston if Irma hits?

Article Link:
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/166BF536689396A8?p=WORLDNEWS

Description of the Story: Author Michael Rich describes the way that cities are built, specifically Orlando, and why they are susceptible to extreme flooding.

Description of the Problem: In a suburban or rural area, there are lots of areas that have open fields and normal ground where lots of water can be absorbed. In a city however, there are "many impervious surfaces like pavement, concrete and rooftops that do not allow water to soak into the ground."

Who has the Problem: Cities in general, but for Orlando it is St. Johns River Water Management District that is directly facing the problem.


Opportunity #3:

Article Title: More Resources Needed for Problem Gambling

Article Link:
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/1625C65FFA818A00?p=WORLDNEWS

Description of the Story: Local casinos are dealing with increased problems with gambling addictions. Local counseling centers designed to help those with gambling issues are having trouble keeping up with the mass quantity of addicted gamblers.

Description of the Problem: The local area has some casinos which has drawn in a lot of people with gambling problems. Centers designed to help individuals with gambling addictions are already having trouble supporting all these people. Soon, a new casino is being built in town that will be bigger than the rest. This will only enhance the problem and rehabilitation centers are concerned that the new casino will entice their clients to gamble.

Who has the Problem: People with gambling addictions and companies designed to help those who have problems with gambling.


Opportunity #4:

Article Title: Miami Lawyer Whose Pants Caught on Fire During Arson Trial May Be Off the Case

Article Link:
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/1632655457E42E30?p=WORLDNEWS

Description of the Story: A lawyer in Miami was in the middle of a case when an E-cigarette that was in his pocket caught on fire and forced him to leave the room. As a result, he may be dismissed from the case. The story then focuses on the safety of E-cigarettes as a whole.

Description of the Problem: E-cigarettes have the potential to set on fire and as a result the U.S Department of Transportation is considering banning them from air travel.

Who has the Problem: E-cigarette companies


Opportunity #5:

Article Title: Sperm donors from South Florida advised not to donate due to Zika risk

Article Link:
http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/1631FC48044BE638?p=WORLDNEWS

Description of the Story: The CDC has advised men living in South Florida not to donate sperm because there is an increased risk of spreading Zika. Most people infected with Zika have no idea so it is difficult to reduce the spread. Since sperm donation from Zika-infected males could rapidly increase the spread of the disease, the CDC is doing what it can to prevent it.

Description of the Problem: Sperm banks are experiencing a reduction in the amount of sperm donors due to the spread of Zika and the advice of the CDC

Who has the Problem: Sperm banks in southern Florida

Forming an Opportunity 4A

Beginning Point: I believe that an opportunity exists and I first became aware of this opportunity while I was working on the "Bug List" assignment last week. When a standard automobile has a burnt out tail light there is no way for the driver to know until somebody tells them or they get pulled over.

Describe Your Belief: The unmet need here is that there needs to be a way for the driver of a vehicle to easily be able to tell if their tail lights are working properly. As of now, there is no way to know. Anybody that owns a vehicle has this need, or even just people that drive cars in general. It is a safety hazard to be driving around if all of the lights are not working properly. Before the invention of cars, this need obviously did not exist but ever since people started using cars this is a need that has still not been satisfied. Especially now that there are sensors that come in cars that can tell you if your tires are low on air for example. A sensor for the lights sounds relatively feasible. As of now, people are meeting this need by driving around in an unsafe vehicle until either somebody lets them know that they have a tail light out, or they get pulled over by a police officer that could potentially write a ticket. People manage, but this is not the most efficient way. At this point I would say that I am about 95% sure that this need exists.

Identify The Prototypical Customer: This is the beauty of my opportunity. Anybody that drives a car is essentially a prototypical customer. I believe that all drivers would benefit from a tail light sensor in their car. I interviewed a young driver, an older driver, and a manager at an auto mechanic shop.

Iteration Number 1:
For this interview I spoke with my next-door neighbor, Ricardo. He's 33 years old and owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. I asked him about his experience with tail lights burning out and introduced to him the idea of a built-in sensor that could notify a driver when the tail lights aren't working. He told me that it's not something that he thinks about often but "I guess it'd be nice to have". He said that he has had a tail light go out in his car before and that somebody notified him while he was backing out of a parking lot. "At that point I suppose it would've been nice to have something like that in the car because who knows how long the thing had been out at that point." His experience with having to change his tail light was the first time he recognized the need. Before then it had never crossed his mind. I asked him how he's dealing with this problem now. "Honestly, I just hope it doesn't happen. And I figure if it does somebody will let me know eventually." He appears to be somewhat satisfied with the current solution, but not entirely. He also mentioned that if cars began to implement the new technology that it would probably be a while until he has a new car anyways.

Iteration Number 2:
For this interview I spoke with a family friend, Gary Meyers. He's 70 years old and owns a 2017 Buick Regal. Again, I asked him about his experience with tail lights burning out and introduced to him the idea of a built-in sensor that could notify a driver when the tail lights aren't working. He seemed intrigued with the idea. "You know, you're absolutely right. It seems like they should have come up with something like that a long time ago." He told me that he has been pulled over for having a tail light out before and that he's also had other tail lights out where people have told him in parking lots. He said that being pulled over is the first time he recognized the need. He was annoyed that the police officer gave him a warning for something he couldn't have known about. When I asked about how he deals with the problem now he said that he checks his lights every once in a while but it's not perfect. He is not entirely satisfied with his solution to the problem.

Iteration Number 3:
For this last interview I spoke with a manager at a local auto mechanic shop, Melky Guzman. He is 43 years old and owns a variety of vehicles. I asked him about his experience with tail lights burning out and introduced to him the idea of a built-in sensor that could notify a driver when the tail lights aren't working. "No doubt in my mind car manufacturers will begin to implement this technology soon," he said, "there are already sensors in newer models for numerous reasons so it's only a matter of time." He agreed that it is a good idea. He said that he checks the lights on his cars weekly and that he's happy with the solution but he can understand why most people wouldn't want to go through the trouble since it seems trivial.

Reflection:
I came to the realization that even though it would be nice to have a tail light sensor, it seems that it is not something that most people think about, which is probably why car manufacturers are waiting so long to implement the technology, because they feel like consumers wouldn't want the car much more because of that feature. What surprised me most was that out of the three people that I talked to, none of them even mentioned anything about safety. It is more unsafe to drive a car with a tail light out but none of the people that I talked to seemed to view safety as a factor.

Summarize:
Most of my original opportunity is still there, the main change that I would make to my opportunity would be to have the tail light sensor as an option instead of just included in the model. People seem to share the opinion that it is annoying not knowing the status of your tail lights and there is no easy way to check, so I definitely believe that if the price was right many people would pay a little extra for this option in their vehicle. I believe that this new opportunity is more accurate than what I started with because people that aren't as bothered with tail lights or don't have a problem checking the lights themselves can choose to exclude themselves from the option. I firmly believe that an entrepreneur needs to adapt to customer feedback as much as possible. When it comes down to it, the success of a business relies on customer satisfaction. Only the customer can tell you what they want, you can't create a need for them. Once you have a better idea of what exactly the customer wants, opportunities should be adapted to reflect the customer's desires.