Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Venture Concept No. 1

Opportunity

The opportunity I have chosen is associated with texting and driving. There is a huge opportunity to stop this issue considering there are more accidents each year associated with texting and driving compared to drinking and driving. Since this is such a major issue that society faces, there are many potential customers. Parents are always worried about their children when they are behind the wheel of a vehicle. They are concerned that their child will inevitably be distracted. Although some factors may not be able to be prevented, texting while driving is definitely one of them.  

Technology is advancing with both phones and vehicles, yet there has not been an invention to solve this problem. Currently, parents have to trust their children enough to believe they will not touch the phone while behind the wheel. Realistically, this situation is not ideal because the child with inevitably look down at their phone when the beep goes off. Curiosity gets the best of us. The only way to prevent texting and driving all together is to take away the temptation, curiosity, and the ability to text while behind the wheel altogether.   

Innovation

My innovation that I came up with is not anything completely new, but it solves a major problem that nobody has accomplished yet. It takes away all temptation that may cause you look down at your phone for just one second. The product that I am offering is the text terminator. The text terminator is an app that can be downloaded on your phone that will block all incoming and outgoing texts while the ignition is on. The app can be controlled my parents as well as the person operating the vehicle. The app is easy to download and is very affordable.
There is no maintenance on this product and can be yours in a matter of minutes. You don’t even need to drive to the store or wait for your product to be shipped to you.  

Venture Concept

My product will directly solve the problem many face regarding of getting distracted from texting while you are behind the wheel. My product will stop texting and driving and ultimately limit the amount of accidents that are caused because of this distraction. Currently, there are no competitors in this product category. There are applications that will send a text for you via voice, but no application that stops incoming and outgoing texts altogether. My product does not need packaging, but requires great design both for the functionality as well as the appearance. My app can be downloaded for just $5.99 so it is definitely an affordable product. For my business, I would not need to maintain many employees. I would need a team of developers and designers to develop the app, but then I would only need a small team to upkeep the product.

Minor Elements

Most Important Resource:
I think that my most important resource will be its uniqueness. This product does not exist yet, so many will be attracted to it because it will be such a new concept. I believe many have thought of this idea but nobody has executed it in such a simple, easy-to-use way.

Next Venture:
My next venture is to conquer the issue regarding drinking and driving. I want my company to come up with a way to stop the vehicle from turning on if your alcohol level is above the legal limit.

Next for Me:

For me, I want to continue exploring this topic because I am very passionate about it. I want to actually figure out a way for this app to be developed or partner with someone who can help me. Ultimately, I want to continue exploring my entrepreneur side and help solve problems many face.  

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Week 11 Reading Reflection



Week 11 Reading Reflection:

1.     My biggest surprise was to read that most successful innovators have a hard time sustaining their performance. I would not expect this.
2.     I was confused at the part of how strategies are supposed to align with innovation efforts.
3.     If I could ask the author two questions they would be: “How do you recommend aligning innovation efforts with innovation strategies?” and “What is the best way to practice routine innovation?”

4.     I do not disagree with the author about any part of the article.

Amazon Whisperer

   Describe the revenue drivers you currently include in your business concept for this class. Revenue drivers are the different ways you make money. 
The main revenue driver for my product is that parents want to keep their children safe and stop all possible distractions that they may encounter. Therefore, this thought will drive the parents to purchase the product which will ultimately increase revenue.
   Describe what kind of product offering you believe should be next. What's the next thing your customers want?
I think the next product I will offer is a product that will determine alcohol levels and stop the vehicle from starting if the levels are too high. I believe my customers would want such a product for safety reasons.
   Describe how this "next" thing will enhance your existing product/service offering. Does it improve the user experience, does it increase customer switching costs, does it foster customer loyalty, etc.?
The next thing will enhance my product because it will continue to support the same message of safe driving while trying to stop all sorts of distractions.
   Go to Amazon and try to find a product that is similar to the one you want to offer next. Describe the product. Include a picture of the product.

The product I found on Amazon is a breathalyzer that tests the alcohol levels. This product however does not stop the vehicle from starting.
   What are the customer reviews for the product? What, exactly, do customers not like about the product? What do they like about it?
This customer has great reviews. Customers really like that this product is reliable and that it is accurate to the professional ones. They like that it is affordable and also portable.
   Describe what design/usability changes you'd make to the product. 
I would make it so this product is connected to the vehicle and had the ability to make the car not start if necessary.
   Describe why you think this product would make a good addition to your current product/service offering.

I think that this product would be a great addition because it will help promote our company’s message of safe driving.