5A - Identifying Local Opportunities

Opportunity 1:
Title: Man stabbed in the back at Gainesville bar over remark on a hat
Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190202/man-stabbed-in-back-at-gainesville-bar-over-remark-on-hat
My Description: Something as small as a derogatory comment on a hat is apparently enough to put
yourself in real danger nowadays to the point of getting stabbed. This was likely a drunken incident
since it occurred downtown one night, and people are unpredictable.
Article Description: A Gainesville man was stabbed at a downtown bar one night when making a
comment on another man’s hat, which enraged him to the point of stabbing his back. The victim didn’t
realize he was stabbed until noticing blood on the chair he was sitting in.
Who has the problem?: The victim, his family, and the friends he was with have the problem, since he
had to be transported to the hospital for substantial blood loss, which is not only a mission for him and
his friends but also a financial burden on him and his family. The suspect also has a problem, since he
was arrested and is facing prison time.

Opportunity 2:
Title: Motorcyclist dies after Waldo Road crash
Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200127/motorcyclist-dies-after-waldo-road-crash
My Description: A man died while driving his motorcycle when an SUV accidentally pulled out in
front of him.
Article Description: A man aged 32 died when his motorcycle collided with a car, shutting down NE
Waldo Rd for a few hours. The man was wearing a helmet during the crash.
Who has the problem?: The man’s family, the SUV driver who must have this on his conscience, and
the drivers who had to avoid the accident all had problems deriving from this accident.

Opportunity 3:
Title: Twenty-year-old UF student dies after being struck by a car
Link: https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Community-raises-money-for-UF-student-who-died-crossing-the-street-567412541.html
My Description: A fellow UF student was killed in a terrible accident, in which a car struck her while she
was crossing the street.
Article Description: A 20-year-old UF student was recently struck and killed across the street from
campus. The incident is being treated as a traffic homicide, and there is an ongoing investigation.
Her GoFundMe page has already surpassed its goal.
Who has the problem?: The student’s family and friends have the problem, since they must grieve the
sudden death of this poor girl.

Opportunity 4:
Title: Pilot dead after plane crash near Lake City home
Link: https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200125/pilot-dead-after-plane-crash-near-lake-city-home
My Description: A plane crashed dangerously close to a Lake City home early one morning. The pilot
was killed and the house sustained some damage.
Article Description: A small plane crashed in the front yard of a Lake City home, killing the pilot and
starting a fire in one corner of the home’s roof. It is reported that the plane was not trying to land, but
that it suddenly nosedived and crashed.
Who has the problem?: The pilot’s family and the homeowners who must deal with insurance and pay
for the damages are the ones with the problem in this bizarre situation.

Opportunity 5:
Title: Three Ocala teens face felony charges after stealing a car
Link: https://www.wcjb.com/content/news/Three-Ocala-teens-face-felony-charges-after-stealing-a-car-567427891.html
My Description: Three teens in Ocala stole a car likely by hot-wiring it, and now have felony charges on
their hands after the vehicle was discovered in a Walmart parking lot.
Article Description: Three teens are accused of stealing a Kia Spectra, which they took to an Ocala
Walmart. After leaving Walmart and seeing cops around the car, they made a run for it. One of the
teens gave up and turned himself in. All three are facing felony charges.
Who has the problem?: The person whose car was stolen, the parents of these teenagers who must
deal with lawyers and such, and even the teenagers themselves who will serve jail time all have
problems regarding this incident.

4A - Forming an Opportunity Belief

I have a belief that there is a transportation problem in the Gainesville area that creates an opportunity for me to develop a universalized solution. The transportation problem is caused by UF’s faulty parking system; there are decals for everyone who would need to come to campus, but there is not nearly enough parking for the actual students. In places where there is parking for us, you will likely have to take a bus after you park to get to your class. This is why students heavily rely on scooters, which are usually upwards of $1,200. Primarily, students who live off-campus face this problem the most.

I believe Gainesville is the perfect place to implement a ride-sharing service in the form of electronic scooters and bikes. Companies like Lime and Bird would thrive from this parking discrepancy, which has existed since my mom went to UF in the 80's. Furthermore, Gainesville has plenty of room for the scooters since there is an abundance of bike lanes on and near campus. I will interview three fellow UF students who own/want scooters to ask questions regarding my opportunity belief.

Iteration #1: Justin, UF Senior

• "UF's parking system didn't really have an effect on me since I don't have my car here in Gainesville, but I do remember my freshman roommate running around campus at all hours of the night looking for a parking spot. I actually already own an electric scooter, so the need for a similar ride-sharing service isn't quite there for me, but I would definitely recommend them for transportation in Gainesville, so I think it's a great idea."
• Reflection: Right off the bat, I learned that my opportunity is a valid idea, since Justin already uses an e-scooter to get around Gainesville. That being said, the most surprising thing I found out during this conversation was that my idea has already been had, in a sense.

Iteration #2: Randell, UF Senior

• "I transferred to UF as a sophomore and instantly recognized this parking problem on campus. I want a scooter, but I'm only here for one more year so I don't see the need to spend that much money. I usually rely on street parking throughout the year, but this semester my friend has been letting me park at his house just north of University Ave. I think bringing companies like Lime and Bird to Gainesville would be a huge help to students like me who struggle with campus parking. Also, they're pretty fun!"
• Reflection: I learned that my opportunity would surely be fulfilled by the vast number of students who use the bus, street-parking, walking, etc. The most surprising thing I learned from Randell was that people go to lengths such as parking at friend's houses just to get to class.

Iteration #3: Nolan, UF Junior

• "I've known about UF's parking problem since my very first semester here, when my car often sat in the same spot for days just because I didn't want to give up my spot. I got a scooter last year when I moved off-campus because I really didn't want to rely on the RTS bus, and I knew my car would be no help. I would actually love if they brought Lime scooters to Gainesville, because I use them often in my hometown, Orlando, just for fun. On top of that, I could use them to get to class, which I could see becoming a trend here at UF."
• Reflection: I learned that my opportunity could potentially become a trend, meaning as new students come to UF, less and less gas scooters would be sold. The most surprising thing I learned from Nolan was that my opportunity might not only be used for the convenience of getting to class, but also for recreation.

Summary: I feel that 100% of my opportunity is still there. In fact, I feel even more certain that this idea would come to fruition. All three of my prototypical customers could and would use the e-scooters, especially from trusted companies like Lime and Bird, who distribute scooters evenly across the city. I believe it is necessary for entrepreneurs to adapt their company/idea based on customer feedback, but it is smart to make a final decision only when you have plenty of quantitative evidence supporting the suggestion.

3A - My Entrepreneurship Story

When I was in middle school, I realized there was a profitable market for popular sneakers like Nike Basketball sneakers, Jordans, and Adidas shoes. Sneakers with high demand will sell out and resell for sometimes double or more the price on the aftermarket. I got my first profitable pair in 2012 when the Jordan Bred 11s released; I bought them for their retail price, and quickly flipped them for over $300, which felt very gratifying especially at a young age. To this day, I try to continue this entrepreneurial "side hustle" as a hobby of mine, since this sneaker aftermarket is constantly growing in popularity. Most recently, I got the Off-White x Nike Dunks for their retail price this past December; I haven't sold them yet, because I know I can treat them as an investment and let their value rise with time.

Here is a picture of my current collection (a bit absurd, I know). Some will be sold off, but I like to wear most of them.

I enrolled in ENT3003 not only because the credits go toward my business concentration, but also because owning my own business is an idea that has always really resonated with me. Since I've been in this sneaker business for so long now, I have gained valuable entrepreneurial experience, and I hope to one day use this to create my own success story. Some things I hope to get out of this class are the stats behind a successful business, experience stories from both failing and profitable entrepreneurs, and how to grow a business from the local level to national.

2A - Bug List

1. It is nearly impossible to approximate traffic before my 5:10 class in order to get there on time.
1. This bug exists due to rush hour traffic; people leaving work causes huge traffic jams right at 5pm.
2. At night, the Wi-Fi at my apartment complex (The Retreat) becomes noticeably slower, which sometimes forces me to go to the on-campus library late at night.
1. This bug exists because everyone uses up the bandwidth at the same time at night, when people do homework, use streaming services, etc.
3. My roommates who open the door to enter my room then forget to close it on their way out.
1. This bug exists because sometimes my roommates can be negligent towards my preferences, since bugs like this are so minor.
4. My roommates who leave their trash/wrappers on the kitchen table, instead of taking 2 seconds to throw them away.
1. This bug exists because my roommates do not care about cleanliness as much as I do.
5. The garbage truck comes to my apartment almost daily at around 8-9am, often waking me up on days I wanted to sleep in, because our complex’s dump is across the street from my building.
1. This bug exists because garbage trucks come in the mornings nationwide, and also potentially because my complex produces so much trash.
6. The sheer amount of clickbait articles that exist across social media / the internet nowadays, begging me to click.
1. This bug exists because clickbait is a shady yet profitable business, and also it is becoming more and more tolerable as a whole.
7. The amount of people glued to their phones when you look up in almost any given public place.
1. This bug exists because cell phones are a pretty revolutionary technology that put the internet, entertainment, instant messaging, etc. all at the convenience of our fingertips.
8. Having to wait on people for anything more than 5 minutes bugs me a lot. If I am courteous enough to pick you up, you should return the favor by not making me wait.
1. This bug exists for a number of reasons: someone is not ready yet, someone is careless enough to make me wait, etc.
9. The rise of movie spoilers in totally random places, such as comment sections of social media or even memes.
1. This bug exists because people on the internet are inherently trolls. The reason behind this is that anyone can say anything publically while their identity is hidden behind a screen name.
10. Children screaming in restaurants is one of my biggest pet peeves, because it annoyingly distracts from your conversation.
1. This bug exists because children are naturally loud, especially when they don’t get what they want, which is very possible at a restaurant.
11. My roommates who ignore doing simple daily chores, like refilling the Brita or taking out the trash, even when I ask.
1. This bug exists because (again) my roommates are lazy and not as hygienic as myself.
12. Mobile advertisements that have two “X” buttons, one that actually works and another fake one that links you to the brand’s website.
1. This bug exists because companies believe any site traffic is good; however, knowing you just got exploited into going to their page makes 99.9% of people close out of that page anyways.
13. The Publix in Gainesville on University Ave has around 30 parking spots yet is constantly crowded with students; therefore, if you show up any earlier than 10pm, you will have to fight for a parking spot.
1. This bug exists because this Publix did not plan well for how busy their store would get during the semester.
14. The Retreat has merely 15 guest parking spots that are always in high demand, compared to their hundreds of residential spots (many of which are never taken).
1. This bug exists because of poor planning by The Retreat; however, I feel they don’t care because they make so much money from towing companies.
15. Foot traffic is another one of my biggest pet peeves. When walking in crowded spaces like malls or even campus, do not walk in a line of people taking up the whole sidewalk/walkway. It inconveniences not only those behind you but also those walking the opposite direction.
1. This bug exists because in social situations, people become inconsiderate of others, since their focus is on conversation.
16. People who take a trendy new word/phrase and attempt to apply it to every conversation constantly. (ex: “on a spiritual level)
1. This bug exists because people want to feel trendy and influential; however, little did they know, they are effectively making sure no one else says that phrase ever again.
17. People who talk over you while you’re in the middle of a conversation.
1. This is more than a bug since it genuinely aggravates me, but it is an issue because the person talking over you not only interrupted but also shows they didn’t care what you had to say.
18. People who ask a hundred questions during their first time watching a movie. There is nothing wrong with a couple of questions, but we all know that friend who doesn’t get the gist.
1. This bug exists because some people are very inquisitive when they don’t understand something. If you just keep watching the movie, your question will probably be answered.
19. Drivers who aggressively try to pass you in traffic just to be 1 car ahead.
1. This bug exists because some drivers are really uneasy and see traffic as a race.
20. My roommates who play loud music through all hours of the day.
1. This bug exists because they don’t know or care that I’m working on my homework in my room, where I can hear their music clear as day (This is happening right now as I type).

I definitely ran into some trouble while writing my bug list, because it is exhausting to try to remember 20 annoying things that occur on an almost daily basis. Normally when I am in a situation in which one of my pet peeves comes up, I will either try to ignore it or ask someone to stop; I never really thought to make note of the pet peeve and answer why it’s happening. Many of the bugs I listed are inevitable and some of them are even unfixable; as for the others, I learned something. I feel that with this assignment I will be better not only at recognizing my pet peeves but also at preventing them after they start.

1A - Introductory Post

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