Sunday, January 31, 2016

Week 4 Reading Reflection

The thing that surprised to me the most in this chapter was the story in incongruities.  What surprised me is how Fred smith was the first person to ever come up with the idea of over night delivery, and how the government had never thought of this.

One thing confusing to me was the incubation process. I did not really understand this concept in its entirety and would it need it explained to me further.
A question I would ask the author is what his favorite concept of identifying opportunities is.  There are plenty of these concepts and knowing which one the author thinks works the best would be interesting.

There is nothing I disagree with in my readings.


Customers Interviews No. 1


An opportunity I saw was how frequently people forget headphones at the gym.  Working out without music is a pretty mundane task for most, so I came up with the idea of putting vending machines containing disposable headphones inside gym's for those working out to purchase if they forget their headphones, or wish not to use there nice headphones while they workout.  I went around my apartment complex and knocked on the doors of 3 different rooms, and interviewed a few random tenants about the potential of this product.

What I learned about this opportunity is that it has the potential to actually be an implementable service for a product that people prefer to have when they are at the gym.  No one really likes working out without music and would be willing to throw a couple of dollars to avoid the dullness of working out in silence.


What I learned about interviewing customers is that it can be a tad awkward at first.  It is especially awkward interviewing strangers, and possibly interrupting their leisure time. However a found that it is a great way to get genuine feedback and a product or idea.









Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Top 5 World Problems

11.    War
a.     War is by far the oldest problem the earth faces.  While it is important to have a strong military and national defense, war still devastates individuals and can impact any nation in a negative way.
b.     This is the number one problem in the world I believe, because it is the oldest problem and has been the biggest impact on the earth as a whole.  War devastates entire nations and funding these wars negatively impacts the economy of the nations of those involved and those who are helping out their allies.

22.    Terrorism
a.     Terrorism is a major issue because it happens on all different scales. There is international terrorism, such as ISIS, that knocks out hundreds of people per attack and devastate many areas and families.  There are also smaller forms of terrorism such as domestic terrorism.  This effects usually smaller amounts of people but still is a serious issue that needs to be handled better.
b.     Terrorism is the 2nd biggest problem, because like war, it can still devastate nations and take a large amount of innocent lives.  Although terrorism does this on a slightly smaller scale than war, it is still a major issue, and is in fact a major cause of war. 
33.   Poverty
a.     Approximately 50% of the world population is living off of less than $2.50 per day.  Poverty also leads to other major world issues such as hunger, and death caused by preventable illnesses due to the inability to afford care.
b.     This problem is ranked 3rd in my opinion, because such a large amount of people all over the globe are affected by it.  Poverty is also a big part of the problem of medical issues and not being able to afford proper care for treatable illnesses.  Poverty does not effect the entire globe as much as war and terrorism do in my opinion, in this current time period.

44.   Medical Issues
a.     Medical problems such as non-communicable diseases are the cause of approximately two-thirds of the global population each year.  Other medical problems such as physical and mental handicaps, mental illness, and other chronic health problems are a major issue that many people have to deal with through out their whole life.  The lack of treatment for all of the above in third world countries is also a very big issue that causes those with treatable illness to lose their lives.
b.     Medical issues is 4th because all though it is still a major problem in the world, it does not affect as many people as my first 3.  Many people can receive the proper care for medical problems, but there still is a major portion of the global population who suffer from various conditions that are unable to have them treated.
55.   Species extinction
a.     Species that we use as food and resources are becoming extinct.  This limits the amount of resources on earth that we as humans need to survive.
b.     Although this problem has the potential to one day be the biggest problem the earth faces, it is currently not at the point to where the world is suffering from the extinction of species.  This is a problem that could be prevented from developing into a worse problem in the future, and I believe that problems that are immediately affecting the world should be addressed first.



11.   Medical Issues
a.     A practical solution to this would be more funding for research and development of medicine. Also, the possibility of exporting medical professionals to other countries to help those countries that do not have much medical assistance.
b.     This solution could be implemented the best because we already have the resources to achieve it.  There are plenty of citizens all over the globe in prospering countries that are qualified professionals in medicine whom are currently unemployed.  These medical professionals could be outsourced to 3rd world countries who do not have proper medical care, given the proper equipment.
22.     Poverty
a.     Poverty could be practically resolved by increasing available jobs, and increasing the economy. 
b.     This solution is the 2nd most likely to be implemented because it involves just making adjustments to the economy.  While fixing the economy is not an easy task, it is a more practical solution then the bottom 3, and could be relatively achievable if the right person for the job ever finds themselves leading the nation.
33.     Species extinction
a.     Species extinction could be cut down by using fewer resources for things non-essential to survival.
b.     This solution falls right in the middle because it is a very simple adjustment to society, but not one we as humans would be willing to accustom to.  We have grown used to having all these resources readily available to us, and the economy has benefited greatly from things such as paper from trees, making clothing from animal fur and skin, and many more. However, if we continue to use resources for things of leisure as opposed to using them for survival, the world could find itself completely dry of the things we need in order to live.
44.     Terrorism
a.     A practical solution to terrorism would be to stop funding countries who are responsible for terrorism, and to resolve issues with countries who are primarily responsible for it.
b.     This is the 2nd hardest solution to implement, because it requires a lot changes as well as making amends with countries whom we are enemies with.  While people may believe things like gun control may decrease domestic terrorism, this is un likely to happen as there are many citizens who own guns and use them properly that are unwilling to give them up.  Terroristic acts from foreign countries are also at times part of religious practices.  In order to limit this, these religious practices would have to proven ineffective to those involved, which is near impossible.
55.     War
a.     War could be practically resolved by reducing terrorism, as well as decreasing debts to other countries.
b.     War is the hardest solution to solve because in order to solve it, it requires solving other non-probable issues first such as terrorism.  On top of this, there will be always be differences and disputes between nations. It is human nature.  A country will always owe another country something, and countries will always disagree with another country or have an issue with them, which will result in war.  I believe war cannot be resolved until the majority of the world’s problems are solved first.


Sunday, January 24, 2016

Week 3 Reading reflection

1)    What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 
a.    The biggest thing that surprised me was the entrepreuner mindset.  I found it interesting and suprising how much you can change in your life just by your mindset.
2)    Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
a.    A part that confused me was the Need for Corproate Entrepreneuing. This concept was very hard to understand to me and was difficult to wrap my head around it.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why? I Could not think of any questions to ask the author
4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

I do not disagree with anything the author said

Identifying Local Opportunities


Are prescription medicines the new oil?
Prescription drug prices are currently on a high increase. The increase in these prices is due to the increasing demand for various prescription drugs.  The argument is that these prices are needed in order to develop to new treatments.

The problem in this story is the high increase in prices for prescriptions.

Those who have the problem are those who are dependent on prescription drugs, as it causes them to spend more money.





Smell of marijuana leads Feds to a drug-distribution ring

Three men were found in a police raid on Jan 6th linked to several drug cases.  One man was a federal fugitive with a warrant for his arrest.  These individuals all had other past cases and could spend life in prison

The problem in this article is that marijuana is still illegal.

Those affected in the article are the fugitives facing life in prison for something that grows out of the ground. 



Florida leads U.S. in new HIV cases after years of cuts in public health

Florida is leading the nation in new HIV infections.   Florida spends a record $34 million on HIV and Aids this year.  Last year there was 6,240 cases

The problem here is that AIDS is becoming a major problem in the state of Florida

Those affected are those who have contracted aids, and those who participate in risky sexual behavior.


Miami-Dade prison inmate death in shower ruled accidental, sources say

A mentally ill inmate was thrown into a shower at Dade correction Institute and later died.  The ruling was that this was accidental, and no death was intended. He died from over heating.  The autopsy showed that there was no intention of causing death, despite him being held up in the shower for two hours.

The problem here is the flawed prison system in the U.S. and that those within the system are protected from being punished for harming criminals.

Those affected were the man who died, and those who can be affected are the millions of inmates with the potential to be harmed in the same manner.



Study fins African-American children have low Hodgkin lymphoma survival rates in the U.S.

A new study on pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma shows that African American children and teenagers diagnosed have a much lower chance of living compared to Hispanics.  Lymphoma cancer is where white blood cells in the immune system grow abnormally.  It Is the third most diagnosed cancer in children and teens. 

The problem here is the high rate of death in African American youth diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

Those affected are the African American teenagers diagnosed with this illness.


Friday, January 22, 2016

Very Short Interview No. 1

The person I interviewed is my friend’s father who started his own irrigation business right out of high school.  What makes him an entrepreneur is that he found a way to utilize a service that many Americans need and figured out a way to make a successful living off of it by starting his own company in this field.  On top of this, he is the owner and the only boss of his company and saw that it would be better to work for his self as opposed to getting a job with another company.
·      What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
o   "It means that I have built my path. I never had anyone tell me to work or how to work because I know what I had to do to become successful and I did it. That is the most rewarding part of being an entrepreneur. The fact that I made it by myself. I make my own rules and guidelines as I go. When I make a mistake no one tells me how to fix it. I have to figure out how to fix it. It's called being self-reliant."
·      What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneurship course?
o   "You should learn in an entrepreneur class that if you want something to happen in life you have to make it happen. No one is going to be there forever to guide you except yourself, which is why you have to go out and get it. Never let a failure bring you down. Never give up and turn every negative into a positive."
·      What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur? 
o  " I wish I had taught that it's who you are that makes you, not a college degree. A college degree is a great thing... But it is a commodity. It simply adds to your resume. I wish I had taught that the most important thing in life is to keep learning. You are your own greatest teacher. The day you stop learning is the day you die."
I learned a lot from this interview about being self-dependent and figuring out what it takes to make your business start and take off.  I learned to always persevere and that the drive is what makes the entrepreneur successful. What surprised me the most is how he became successful without a college degree, and does not find one necessary.  While I believe it is possible to be successful without a college degree, I personally think it is important to learn as many things as possible in college to even further help you become an entrepreneur in the future, and that it will give you an advantage compared to those who did not attend college.