Venture Concept No.1

Opportunity

• My targeted customers aren't out there unsatisfied with their unmet needs because they want to, but rather because they have no choice. This unmet need is clean water and a clean source of energy. The people who are in need of this can be found all over the globe, mainly in impoverished areas and villages. 
• This opportunity unfortunately exists due to political and economic reasons. Moreover, it has existed for centuries, only it seems more visible today due to new standards of living. 
• This bottle can also be sold to survivalists.

Innovation

• A water bottle with a filter already exists. None the less, they are made of plastic and can only filter water. My bottle purifies water (yes, there is a difference) and can provide light (LED strips that are solar powered). Instead of plastic, I am currently seeking out a different material that can be tough and durable yet cheap to manufacture. 
• Regular bottles with a filter sell for somewhere between $20-$30 dollars. My asking price would lie somewhere between $40-$50 dollars. 
• That is expensive, but what other bottle could do the same?

Venture Concept

• The customers would switch over to my product because it simply offers more. Lightweight and portable, think of this bottle as a powerful solar powered flashlight that you can drink clean water from. My competitors can only filter water, which does not address the biologically organisms (bacteria and microbes) living in the water. My bottle purifies the water, hence taking care of those variables. As a result, this bottle can prevent you from contracting diseases. 
• Interestingly enough, I intend to sell the bottles in bulk to NGOs (in the beginning at least). I do this because they already have some sort of established relationships with the locals. NGOs could distribute the bottles more effectively than I can because they know who and where needs the bottle.
• My plan is to give prototype bottles to local NGOs for free in exchange for feedback on the bottle. From this feedback, I can modify the bottle until it is ready to be sold. This final product will be the version to hit the shelves when I cater this bottle to survivalists as well. 
• Manufacturing could take place in the USA and distribution points could be held in cities nearby the highest concentrations of NGOs.

My greatest assets are my connections that have actually worked with NGOs and have worked closely with locals in impoverished areas. Through these connections, I can be granted an audience and I could attempt to pitch them my idea. The future of the company is to make the bottles more efficient. Also, I want the bottles to be a temporary solution, meaning that I don't want people relying on them forever. The point is for impoverished areas to receive some sort of temporary relief until a permanent solution could be found, My company seeks to create cost effective permanent solutions (solar panels, water pump,water purifiers, etc). As for me, I want to work for Peace Corp, go to graduate school and then work for a think tank or NGO. 

Or at least, that's the current plan. 

Week 11 reading reflection

1. I already knew from the get go that there were SOME companies out there that suffered from mismanaged and unorganized innovative strategies. However, it did surprise me that far more suffer from this than I originally anticipated.
2. One part that was confusing to me was finding the "ideal" innovative strategy.
3.  This is an elaboration of my previous confusion. Could you elaborate on the landscape map you provided? Also, how soon does all this pay off. Perhaps a well established company could endure years of heavy spending in the innovation department, but what of a small, new company?

4. Not so much in disagreement, but rather another question: You earlier mentioned that not every company can use the same strategy. Does this mean that each company has to search it's own unique approach? 

A.M.A.Z.O the Amazon Whisperer

As of now, my primary revenue driver is the bottle itself. I prioritize the bottle because it makes sense (for me at least) to focus on the area you are strongest in. I actually have this bottle designed and prototype-ed so I will stick with it for the moment. My bottle currently offers clean water and solar powered energy. For future designs, I can add in a flint/magnesium rod and styptic pencil to suit survivalists. 

There is a product out there that is similar to mine. If you could so kindly direct your attention to the right, you will see this bottle. 

Anyways, reviews are pretty good for the most part, however, it does have an Achilles's heel: durability and filtration. This bottle only filters water and even it's own filter has an expiration date. Moreover, this filtration has its limits because it only deals with particles, not biological organisms. That is called purification. Also, this bottle is made of plastic. After reading this, I will modify my product to purify, not filter. As for this bottle, I would make it purify and be made of something stronger than plastic. This bottle offered by Amazon would make a good collection for those who really just need a water filter, not the additional light energy and other accessories.  

My Unfair Advantages

1. Prototype
- This is an advantage because instead of having an idea, I have an actual functioning prototype. The designs are in a flashdrive and just need extra tinkering. I have something concrete  instead of something abstract.
2. Spanish
I speak spanish fluently, therefore giving me access to an untapped market.
3. Team
I have a group of people who each specialize in a different aspect of the cup. They would be willing to continue working on this project
4. Fieldwork
One of my connections has conducted fieldwork in Haiti and she could help me introduce the project to the area
5. Cheap Supplier
My friend can cheaply produce the item in bulk, especially since he needs to just plug in the data, not actually build it from scratch.
6. Nonprofit connections
My other connection has worked in multiple nonprofits and has worked closely with the UN. Remember, its about who you know. This is my best weapon in my arsenal. I'll explain later.
7. Swiss Knife
Someone commented that my venture already exists...anstart.'s right it does. However, this model particular does krpe than filter water. It can produce clean light, start fires and heal cuts.
8.  Flexibility
This bottle can appeal to survivalists instead of only improvised people. This is another untapped market my bottle can potentially have a hit in.
9. Military?
If I made some extra modifications to this bottle, it could potentially be useful to soldiers, particularly to the infantry soldiers.
10.  Domestic
This bottle doesn't just have to serve those abroad, but also to the ones in need here in this country. We could work with homeless centers and Gainesville could be an excellent place to start.
My best unfair advantage is my connections affiliation with non profits. He could direct me to an organization that is willing to experiment and that could actually be in need of this product (they just don't know it yet). My other connection that has conducted fieldwork in Haiti could help me because she has a personal connection with them. Trust is key, and with this foot in the door, I can access an audience.

Week 10 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? 
What surprised me the most from this reading is how much I don't know about finance. All this jargon made my head spin a little and to be honest, I had to read slower than I am used to. Nonetheless, this knowledge will be useful as the organization I work for (Hopping 4 a Cure) is currently trying to figure out the necessary budget needed to run all the planned activities. 
2.  Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
What I found confusing about the reading was the fixed cost assumptions. How much of a role do "variables" play in this model?
3.  If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?
If I am starting out a company, chances are that my operating budget will underestimate the total costs. This typically happens when one decides to open a restaurant. My first question is: what methods are there to better forecast my expenses, especially when I haven't made sales yet?
My second question is: Do the financial formulas take into account external variables. For instance, what if the company faces an unexpected lawsuit or disaster. Will it have the budget to deal with such crisis?

4.  Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?
It is difficult with me to disagree on a topic I know very little about. Reading one chapter that really is just a vague summary on a complex topic does not give me enough information to be able to raise questions. As a result, I do not disagree with the author at the moment. 

Growing my Social Capital

Industry:

My expert for this category is Diego Valderrama. Mr. Valderrama is the professor for this Humanitarian assistance class I currently taking. In terms of his background experience, my professor has experience in international development. He has worked in impoverished areas in Africa and South America. Moreover, he has worked in projects led by the United Nations. As mentioned earlier, I met him through this class he is teaching. I simply went up to him, introduced my "business venture" and asked for his help. I sent him an email afterwords with more information. Reception wise, he thought my idea was excellent and referred me to Vestergaard, the company that invented the life straw. How Mr. Valderrama could assist me is by steering me into certain non-profits that could benefit from my idea.

Market:

My market expert is Crystal A. Felima. She is part of the Department of Anthropology staff and is my instructor for Cultural Anthropology. She specializes in Disaster anthropology and has conducted fieldwork in Haiti for twenty months. Again, I met her through my class. However, this time I initiated contact through an elaborate email. Like Mr. Valderrama, she supports my venture, especially since she knows that clean water and electricity are hard to come by in Haiti. Ms. Felima has frequently interacted with people living in impoverished areas in Haiti and because of this, I can further modify the bottle and receive direct feedback from the people themselves. 

Supplier:

My supplier is actually a personal friend of mine that I met through kickboxing. Now while he doesn't own the company, Herman works for a business that "prints" metal. Think of a it this way: you design something on autocad, save it on a flash drive and plug it into a 3D printer. Instead of plastic, however, it is aluminum. Now, this company does not exclusively work for a certain type of industry, but it can be useful for my venture, especially when I have someone on the inside. He said should pursue this path, t will be cheaper for me because I already have the design ready. 

Reflection time!

I feel that I may have been luckier than most for this assignment because I already, for the most part, somewhat already established contact. Think about, what are the chances that both of my teachers have experience in international development? The UN? Twenty months of fieldwork in Haiti? Then there's the fact that my friend casually mentioned that he got a job at the metal printing place without him knowing about my venture. In the end though, I still had to reach out and ask the question, which is not as intimidating as it seems, especially when they can potentially have interest for your cause. 

Elevator Pitch #3

Hey guys! Reflection time!

The commentators from the previous post pointed  out that the biggest flaw with Elevator pitch #2 was sound. Hopefully you could hear me better this time around. Aside from that, the product remains the same (but I'm open to any new advice!). I also mentioned that it is not a permanent solution, but more of a temporary relief. Moreover, I took advice from a person (different post) that mentioned that the bottle could be tailored to survivalists. Any other concerns please tell me below. Till next time.

My Secret Sauce

How to make a Gus

For whatever reason you want to build your own Gus, all I have to say is Thank you and Good luck. I think one crucial element to my "secret sauce" is being quiet. Seriously, I don't talk much. Perhaps it is because I place an extremely high value on listening. When I'm with my friends, I do my fair share of talking, but when I'm with people I don't know too well, I choose to remain quiet because it is my way of trying to understand who they are. I feel like if I talk too much, I may be missing out on what the other person has to say. Another important ingredient you need to build a Gus is dark humor. I am an avid fan of Louis C.K. Black comedy is sometimes frowned upon because it can be deemed "inappropriate" The way I see it, black comedy isn't meant to make fun others, but rather to put a "positive" spin on situations. I know that it is a difficult to grasp, but for me at least, it offers a unique perspective and some humor. The third thing that makes me, well, me is my willingness to cooperate and compromise. It is ideal to have things always go your way, but the reality is that that will mostly likely not always be the case. Compromising and cooperating can get you further. At the same time, I know my limits. It is one thing to compromise and give up something, but it is another thing to sell out and contradict your own morals. Number four on the list is helping others. I used to be a biology major but switched over to political science. I used to think that being a doctor was the only way to help others, but through this major I could also reach that goal. I want to work at a think tank and help people through policy. The final component of Gus is my attempt to empathize with others. I don't always succeed, but I keep on trying. In conclusion, all of these ingredients to my "secret sauce" may seem to appear to only focus on emotions, but the truth is that these qualities I work on will help on me on the path I pursue. Hopefully, I'll get there. Peace.

1. Dakotah

Dakotah explained how I attempt to connect with people on a deeper level and how much I love movies and my major.

2. Derek

He brings up my empathy and how I always try to help others. 

3. Tyler

I apologize for the profanity, but I chose to keep this video not because he says that I am trying to get ahead in life or that I want to help people. I am keeping this video because that he who he is and I don't want him to pretend who he isn't. Again, I apologize if anyone gets offended (three bleeps). 

3. Bella

She talks about how we met along with other details.

What genuinely surprised me was that I'm succeeding in what I'm striving to become. For instance, some people out there believe that they are funny when in fact they are not. In this case, I'm happy that my ego isn't getting the best of me and that the results are there. Hearing this gives me hope that I am on the right path and that the message I am trying to get across is getting across. I have to say, I'm surprised the dark humor wasn't mentioned. Oh well.

Week 9 Reading Reflection

1. It is odd how just the other day I was reading about how outdated and ineffective surveys are (in relation to the election polls). As it turns out, I am just as surprised that customer surveys are ineffective as well, especially if one considers how much more interaction there is between customers and businesses.

2. What I found confusing was why surveying and polling methods are still outdated, especially when we have the technology to do the job properly. I know I earlier mentioned that it surprising, but to me it is also confusing as well.

3. How do you classify what data is useful and what isn't. Shouldn't there be a way to make all the data useful? I mean, wouldn't there be risk in missing data to capture the overall picture?

4. I don't find myself disagreeing with the author. If I had more knowledge I could perhaps offer better insight. I do agree that surveys, whatever niche it covers, should be updated in in order to capture a better picture of what the public wants. 

Here's a napkin...with an idea on it (part II)

I'll start with the basic reiteration of my business idea.

I have experience with product designing and entrepreneurship due a invention showcase competition I participated back in the summer of 2016. Moreover, I have worked with charities before so I have a general idea of what they seek and how they operate. Then there's the fact that I am fluent in Spanish, which greatly expands my ability to seek clients. I'll admit though that this plan, should it ever come to life, would operate best with the help of my old team. What I am offering to impoverished villages ad slums is a durable, lightweight bottle that can filter clean water and act as a source of lighting (the lid of the cup would have bright LED lights that is solar powered). Although there are long term solutions that could be implemented, they take time to execute. Until such projects can go into effect, these bottle would provide temporary relief. This bottle offers lighting and clean water, which I believe are basic necessities and rights that people in need won't deny. However, the middle man of this operation would be NGOs and non profits, as they know the areas that require aid and assistance. One idea I had in mind is to start by giving free bottles to non profits and request feedback on their effectiveness and such. Once improvements could be made, I'd start selling them (those that participated in trials would receive generous discounts).

It is important to note that this business idea would only temporary as the core goal is to provide temporary relief until a more viable and permanent solution could be found. In spite of good intentions, there has to be ways to keep the company going (without violating ethics!) .To keep the company running, we could also tailor to survivalists and provide other services for non profits. Heck, we could become a non profit and have our own refugee camps. But if that were the case, then eventually have to solely rely on donors and international aid. Yeah, there are kinks that still need to be worked out...

Feedback

The primary feed back I got is that I should also tailor to different audiences (survivalists etc). Aside from that, I didn't receive anything else. I would appreciate more feedback and welcome constructive criticism. 

Seriously, this was the feedback I got: http://blazingllamas.blogspot.com/2016/02/heres-napkinwith-idea-on-it-phase-1.html