Assignment 4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief

1)    I believe that there is an opportunity to improve the size of Southwest Recreation Center at UF and include more gym equipment in it.

2)    The unmet need in this opportunity is that there is not enough equipment in the gym for a school the size of UF. This need is felt by students who regularly workout and end up getting stuck waiting around for machines to open up or even waiting in line to enter the gym. This has always been a problem at UF as far as I am aware of and I believe that this exists because the gym is not the correct size for the environment that it is part of. This opportunity 100% exists.

Iteration 1: Jack A. Junior

1)    Do you work out at Southwest Rec? If so how many times per week?

Yes, about three times per week.

2)    Do you ever have issues with the gym being to packed or having to wait for equipment? If yes, when does this usually happen?

Yes, usually around 4:00 pm on most days.

3)    How has this affected your ability to exercise?

It gets me out of my groove. I spend too much time resting and there’s not enough intensity. It kind of makes me tired.

4)    How would you feel about an increase in gym size or added equipment?

I think it’s definitely needed.

Iteration 2: Ben K. Junior

1)    Do you work out at Southwest Rec? If so how many times per week?

Yes, about 6 times per week.

2)    Do you ever have issues with the gym being to packed or having to wait for equipment? If yes, when does this usually happen?

Yes, all the time.

3)    How has this affected your ability to exercise?

Sometimes I don’t get the machines I want and my workout isn’t as good. I like to use a lot of different machines to get more volume in my workouts and when I can’t do this I feel like I’m not getting the workout I should be getting.

4)    How would you feel about an increase in gym size or added equipment?

Definitely needed. It would benefit the entire student body. It might even encourage more students to go to the gym if they didn’t have to worry about going to an over packed gym and wait around for equipment.

Iteration 3: Luke V. Junior

1)    Do you work out at Southwest Rec? If so how many times per week?

No. I run instead.

2)    Even though you don’t go to the gym do you have any insight into the idea that there isn’t enough equipment in the gym?

There definitely isn’t enough equipment. The few times that I have gone I have run into issues with it being too packed and haven’t been able to use all the machines that I wanted to.

3)    How has this affected your ability to exercise?

It hasn’t really, considering I don’t really go to the gym.

4)    How would you feel about an increase in gym size or added equipment?

It would be a nice addition for people that go to the gym, but it doesn’t really affect me.

Reflect:

            After completing these three iterations I realized that my opportunity is completely valid. I interviewed three different types of athletic students. One that rarely goes to the gym, one that goes a few times a week, and one that goes almost everyday and they all had similar input on the situation. The pain that I described in the beginning is being felt by UF students and even ones that don’t workout at Southwest regularly see the benefit in resizing the gym and adding more equipment to it. As a daily gym goer I was almost certain that this idea was right in my own mind, but it was really helpful to talk to other people and receive their input on the situation so I could realize the potential of this opportunity.

Summarize:

            I believe that the majority of this opportunity is still present, around 90-95%. Anyone who goes to Southwest experiences this in some way and it regularly has a negative impact on students’ ability to exercise in an efficient manner. Considering my opportunity was supported wholeheartedly I didn’t have to adapt it, however it is important to keep gaining insight from potential customers in order to modify the opportunity to fit the needs of those that one is catering to while staying true to one's cause.

Assignment 3A - My Entrepreneurship Story

            My exposure to entrepreneurship did not come from my family, instead it came from a close friend of mine that I met freshman year of college. He has started a few companies and currently runs a promotional item company. He has a variety of unique products such as a small fan that plugs into your iPhone charging port and a plasma lighter. I got to spend a great deal of time with him this past Summer in Europe as we both happened to be in Rome at the same time. This allowed me to be able to pick his brain on his entrepreneurial drive. He regularly attends business conventions and accelerator programs to continually increase his knowledge and skill in the business world. He has shown me the ins and outs of his company and how he came up with his idea. Spending time with him has opened up my eyes to a whole new world that I wasn’t really aware of and I see him as a mentor.

            Throughout this course I want to grow as an individual. I want to have a more knowledgeable perspective so I can go out in the world and overcome adversity and become successful in all of my endeavors. Adding an entrepreneurship skillset to my background will be beneficial in the long run and might even help me start my own business.

Assignment 2A - Bug List

Bug List

1.     At night the McDonalds on University is extremely slow and usually messes up the order.

a.      I think that this problem exists because of poor management and lack of customer service training.

2.     When people drive slow in the left lane on the highway and don’t move over.

a.     This problem exists because of a lack of proper schooling for driving. Compared to Europe the highways here are a lot more hectic and traffic does not flow as well and European drivers have to go through a much more difficult driving school and testing.

3.     When people use the last bit of toilet paper in the apartment and don’t replace it so you’re left stranded.

a.     This problem exists due to laziness and a lack of regard for others. There are few things worse than being stuck on the toilet bowl.

4.     When the chip reader at the CVS on 34^th street doesn’t work and you have to try three times before swiping the card.

a.     This exists due to a flaw in the card reader technology that this particular store utilizes.

5.     When Chevrolet Bluetooth doesn’t connect to my phone.

a.     This exists because a flaw in the coding for Chevrolet’s Bluetooth.

6.     When my key gets stuck in the ignition of my car and doesn’t come out.

a.     This is a problem because of the Camaro’s ignition design.

7.     When the hand sanitizer dispenser at the Chipotle on University is empty almost every time.

a.     The workers don’t check the dispenser to refill it regularly.

8.     When the line for Chipotle on University is almost out the door.

a.     I believe that this bug exists because of a lack of efficiency throughout the serving line. Usually it seems as if that particular Chipotle is understaffed and that could be the cause of this problem, but at least half of the time there are plenty of employees working on the line, but they don’t seem to have a sense of urgency. This could be due to a lack of training or just an overall lack of focus.

9.     When you turn on the sink faucet and water splashes all over the place.

a.     The water pressure is too high.

10. When you can’t find a high quality barbershop in Gainesville.

            a. It’s not a fashion hub or a popular location for them to exist.

11. When you plug your phone in, but it doesn’t charge.

            a. Sometimes you need to check the cord to make sure it’s in correctly and charging.

12. When you’re at Southwest Rec and it’s so packed that you end up waiting 15 minutes for a bench.

            a. This is because the gym is not big enough and/or doesn’t have enough equipment for a school the size of UF.

13. When you have to park at the top of the Standard parking garage and it take at least five minutes to drive all the way to the bottom.

            a. This bug exists because there isn’t a faster way to get to the bottom/top of a parking garage.

14. When you forget to turn your lights out before getting into bed.

            a. Because you didn’t think about it before you got in bed.

15. When your iPhone battery starts to diminish in quality after about four months.

            a. Apple wants you to buy a new, more expensive phone.

16. When I need to park my car on Campus but there is nowhere to park.

                        a. There aren’t enough parking spots on campus, even for red one.

           

            17. When you go into the bathroom and the seat is covered in urine.

                        a. People are too lazy to put the seat up.

           

            18. When it rains and you use an umbrella, but there is no way to dry it off when you get home.  

                        a. Umbrellas don’t repel water.

            19. When you go to Library West to study, but end up walking around for 40 minutes looking for a place to sit and end up having to go home.

                        a. There aren’t enough seats at the Library, especially during finals.

           

            20. When the water fountain spout is covered in mold and you don’t want to drink from something so disgusting.

                        a. This problem exists because of a lack of daily maintenance on the water fountain.

I found this assignment to be particularly difficult until I started actually paying attention to my everyday life. At first I could quickly thing of bugs and I thought that I would breeze through this assignment, but I quickly realized that I would need to actively think about the things that bother me throughout my day in order to create a list of 20 of them. Most of these are small annoyances that could easily be fixed, but I honestly didn’t think of them immediately. It took some thought to really figure out what bothers me.