14A – Halfway Reflection

1. What are the behaviors you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course?

• To keep up with the requirements of this course, working ahead was something that I became very familiar with. Since most of the assignments require you to really think about an unmet need and way to fulfill that need, it took time to formulate such ideas. I would read the assignment descriptions during the beginning of the week, and use the middle of the week to really think about and solidify those ideas. This time also included things such as interviews to help get the feedback that was needed. I believe that working ahead is the key to keeping up with this classes requirements.

2. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up"? What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude over the past two months? What experience(s) most contributed to this?

• I felt like giving up during this semester when I learned of my mother suffering a mild heart attack and being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I went into a period of depression in which I was not motivated to get anything done. What pulled me through this tome was the recurring thought that she wants to see me succeed here at school, and within life. Keeping this mind, I began to work again as I had done once before. This experience has made me even more tenacious than I was before because now I feel as though absolutely nothing will get in my way of becoming successful.

3. What are three tips you would offer next semester's students about (1) fostering the skills of tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset'?

• To foster the skills of tenacity, you must first find your reason for doing whatever it is that needs to be done. Once you find that reason, let it be a constant reminder and motivator to keep you going. Secondly, you must learn to face and accept failure. It's bound to happen, especially in trying to be an entrepreneur. Your ability to bounce back from these failures is what will foster your tenacity. Lastly, don't overwork yourself. Working hard is important, but too much of anything is bad for a person. Take some time to relax and destress so that yo don't become overwhelmed.

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

Segment
The segment that I've chosen is smart phone owners that have had to get their phone screens fixed due to dropping them.

Interviews
1. This interviewee was a college-aged woman that owns an iPhone 8. She enjoys her iPhone and all of its features and design, but has a large crack that runs across her screen. She had already gotten the screen fixed once before, which has costed her around $150. This time around, she decided to just deal with the crack. She believes that the software of her phone is amazing, but the hardware is a bit too fragile. She believes that my business opportunity would be something that she utilizes as she would rather buy a stronger screen form the beginning, then have to pay $150 again to get it fixed.

2. This interviewee was middle-aged man that owns an iPhone 7 Plus. When he purchased his iPhone, he also purchased Apple's warranty plan, Applecare. He once dropped his phone onto his driveway while getting out of his car, causing the screen to shatter. With his Applecare warranty, he paid $29 to get it repaired. He believe this warranty option makes repairing his phone very affordable.  He believes that my opportunity would be convenient, but it is unnecessary due to the availability of warranty plans to get phone repairs.

3. This interviewee is a Linebacker for the Gators football team. He has had to get many iPhones repaired in the past due to dropping them. He now has an iPhone X that he carries around in a bulky, protective case. The case that he uses does a great job at protecting the phone, however he would prefer to not have to use such a bulky device. He wants to be able to appreciate the design of the phone without a fear of breaking it. He thinks that my business opportunity would be perfect at fulfilling his need. He will no longer have to use a bulky case to protect his phone, and will be able to enjoy the phone as it was designed.

Summary
I learned that while there may be some uses for my business opportunity, the alternatives that already exist might be barring it from the competitive advantage that it needs. The option of having an Applecare warranty greatly reduces the price of getting your phone repaired. If more people were to buy it, my business opportunity would become obsolete. However, for those that don't want to buy a warranty my option might be viable.

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

1. I read about "Steve Jobs", by Walter Isaacson

• What surprised me most is that the name "Apple" came about due to Steve Jobs leaving an apple orchard recently before designing his first computer. Also, that he designed his first computer with a guy that he met in his friend's garage.
• What I admired most about Steve Jobs was his perseverance and his intellect. He was able to create great things in small periods of time. He also faced many failures throughout his lifetime, and did not let any of them stop him from becoming successful.
• I least admired that he was often too busy for his family. His work was important, but I believe that he should have invested more time into them as well.
• Steve Jobs encountered adversity and failure several times. Every time that he has encountered it, he simply bounced back with another idea or opportunity that he sought after and achieved.

2. Steve Jobs was an extremely hard worker. He immersed so much of himself into his work that he felt a personal connection, so much so that he felt that Apple needed its own retail stores so that the products can truly be appreciated. He also never gave up. When one thing went bad for him, he just moved on to another. This mindset is what got him to be as successful as he was.

3. A part of the reading that confused is how Apple reacquired Steve Jobs. After he initially left Apple and started NeXt, neither companies were doing too well. When the Apple decided to acquire NeXt, the role that Steve Jobs would now play at Apple was unclear. He settled for the title of advisor and even when offered the position of CEO, he refused.

4.If I were able to ask Steve Jobs two questions, they would be: "What is your biggest regret in life?" and "What is one thing that you would go back and change?"

I would ask these questions because Steve Jobs has seen a lot of success in his lifetime. However, he's seen a lot of failures too. I would like to learn from the mistakes that he has made and try to incorporate that into my own ambitions.

5. I think Steve Jobs' opinion of hard work was that it was necessary to get to where you need to be. He always worked hard when developing new ideas or working on projects and it has brought him well-deserved success. I share this position because nothing in life comes easy. If you want something, you have to be willing to put the work in to attain it.

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

1. My name is Brachari Howard and I am pursuing my degree in Finance here at the University of Florida. I grew up in a low-income, single-parent household so I've had to work for everything that I currently have. I am a go-getter, determined to earn everything  that I desire. As such, I am persistent in the things that I do. I am also able to learn quickly and adapt to different situations. I aspire to own my own business centered around the construction of technological devices. I see this business being the factor that sustains my family and I financially. I also want to eventually be able to pass it down to my future children.

2. I'm offering a service that makes parts for smartphones and other technological devices that are more durable than what is currently available. I am aiming to make these devices are strong as they can possibly be, while maintaining the same size and look that they currently possess.

3. I am offering my service to all owners of smartphones and other portable, technological devices.

4. The customers would care about this service because it will make their devices last longer and ultimately save them money in the long run. It is very common to drop your smartphone or other technological device and have it break. This leads to either replacement or repairs which can be quite costly. If the phone itself is more durable, the occurrence of this event will decrease.

5. What sets me apart from everyone else is my mindset. I grew up with nothing, so I'm aspiring to have everything. To me, failure is not an option. I have the grit that is required to build a business from the ground up.

I believe that these elements fit well together. Together they bring about a great business opportunity. However, I am concerned as to how exactly I will be able to find the materials to achieve my goal. Surely it will not be easy or cheap to find highly durable materials that can be used in today's technological devices. I will have to dedicate to research for this matter. Overall, however, I feel as though the idea is achievable.

9A - Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Who: After interviewing five people based on questions their smartphones being fragile, I see that some people who share similarities with my opportunity do fall outside of the boundary. Three of the people interviewed said that they believe their smartphones are too fragile. The other two said the phones are fragile, however it is necessary in order to keep the phones as sleek as they are now. They all believe that the repairs and replacements are expensive, however, not everyone wants the materials that the phone are made with to change. Three wanted stronger materials, while the other two preferred the phones to stay how they are. The two believed with the proper care, stronger materials won't be needed.

What: The need I identified differs from another need in the sense that it deals with how long smartphones last. Almost everyone has a smartphone, and it is not uncommon for people to drop them. When dropped, they break rather easily. This causes the owner to either repair or replace it, which is rather expensive to do, especially if it breaks multiple times.

Why: The cause of the outsiders' needs are different from that of the insiders' needs based on the fact that the outsiders believe that the problem can be solved simply by taking better care of their product. They feel as though being built from new materials is unnecessary and will ultimately change the product itself. The insiders believe the phones themselves are the problem and must be built to be more durable.

	Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who is in and out	People who would prefer that smartphones be made with materials that are more durable	People who prefer that the smartphones remain how they are and that owners take better care of them
What the need is and isn’t	The phone owners that would like manufacturers to build phones that last longer and can take more punishment	Phone owner believes that the phones may be fragile, but would rather be more careful in how they handle it than having the being made differently
Why the need exists and alternative explanations	The need exists because as humans, we make mistakes. No one is perfect and people drop their phones all the time. There is no way to stop people from dropping their phones, therefore phones will continue to break from being dropped. If the phones were built to be more durable, this problem can be solved	With phones being built from stronger materials, the design of the phone may he altered. Since the materials are stronger, the phone may be bulkier. However, this tradeoff is something that the consumer will have to decide is worthwhile. Some people may not think so and try other methods such as being more careful and using accessories such as phone case and screen protectors to combat this

8A - Solving the Problem

Opportunity: Smartphone owners in the U.S. have to constantly spend money on fixing or replacing their phones due to being built from materials that are fragile. Most times when someone drops their smartphone, the screen cracks or breaks completely.

Product/Service:  Create a company that specializes in the development of technological parts that are more durable than the ones that we see today. This company would research what materials would be needed to effectively to build such parts, and sell them to major technology manufacturers to be used in their products. The company can become rather large depending on the number of manufacturers it sells to. The materials used to make their parts will be tested extensively to ensure that the durability of the product is up to par. Ultimately, phones and other technological devices will last longer due to being able to take more punishment.