12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

For this assignment, I decided to make my segment younger crowds who are attending sporting events and other events at stadiums.  By younger crowds, I refer to people with the ages ranging from 18-30.  The three people I decided to interview was a 28 year old who attends several New York Giants games a year, a 21 year old who attends multiple New York Giants, New York Yankees, and New York Ranger games a year, and a 24 year old who goes to several New York Yankee games and concerts a year.

My first interview was with a male who is 28 years old who attends several New York Giants games a year.  He had stated how he believes that he thinks being able to purchase drinks and food from your seat without having to get up is an awesome idea.  He also believes it is a smart business move because people will be more tempted to purchase more while having the screen put in front of them.  What he did mention about the alcohol purchases is that it may allow fans to get too "rowdy" which can lead to more fights in the stands of the stadium.

My second interview was with a male who is 21 years old who attends multiple New York Giants, New York Yankees, and New York Ranger games a year.  He also thought it was a great idea.  He thought that the purchasing of alcohol at the seats could make someone like him and his friends more tempted to get drinks because they just turned of age.  He also thinks being able to purchase future tickets at his seats is a good idea.  He thought this because if they have alcohol in them, they will be more tempted to buy them there if the team is doing good than if they were to be at their house weighing out the options of getting tickets or not.

My third interview was with a 24 year old who goes to several New York Yankees games and concerts a year.  He stated how he does not think having the tablets at concerts would be that good of an idea.  He mentioned how depending on the concert, there is a possibility that the tablet would break or become damaged.

What I learned
I was able to see more opinions on my idea as I continued to engage into it.  I was also able to see different possible ideas.  One idea that I found interesting was in my third interview with taking the tablets away for concerts.  Typically at concerts, people are more engaged into who is playing than what they are drinking and future tickets they will be able to purchase.  Taking the tablets away for events like these would be able to save a lot of money incase they were to become damaged in any kind of way.

How I would describe this segment
I believe that there are a lot of people who would benefit from this idea.  I also believe that there are many additions that would be able to be added to the tablet itself.  The more people I talk to about this subject the more ideas I am able to get to broaden the perspective on it.

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

What surprised you the most?

What surprised me the most about Phil Knight's road to success was that he originally began selling Japanese shoes out the back of a truck and that his original company name was "Blue Ribbon".  I feel as if this can come off as less surprising to others if they knew more about Knight and Nike compared to me.  I have always worn Nike ever since I could remember and had never known this.  What I also found interesting was all of the different ways of work he went about before creating Nike.

What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

What I most admire about Phil Knight is his will to fight and his will to always finding a way while experimenting.  From reading Shoe Dog, I was able to understand all of the struggles that Phil Knight had went through.  I think coming from a state and city that in the 1960's didn't have much and attempt to become an entrepreneur was a bold move.  To show the impact that Knight had on the state of Oregon, in today's world, it is more relevant because one of the greatest sports company is from there.  It makes both the University of Oregon and Stanford University more relevant as well because those are the universities he comes from.  His impact on the world is truly what I most admire because of his hard work and will to never give up.

What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

If I had to pick one thing that I least admired about Phil Knight, I think it would be that in a way, he let others opinions about how to go about business influence him and that he was not very "strict" with the way he went about his business.  For example, he had stated, "One lesson I took from all my home-schooling about heroes was that they didn't say much.  None was a blabbermouth.  None micromanaged.  Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results."  This had made Knight go a different way about his business rather than doing what his heart was telling him to do.  I think while running a business or attempting to start up a business you have to be strict with the people you are working with.  In Knight's book, he states how he was not like this.  Obviously his company skyrocketed and is such an admirable company so he did it all right, but if there was one thing I had to least admire about him that would be it.

Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Phil Knight encountered a lot of adversity and failure in his Nike career.  Knight was constantly told by people that they did not think that he was going to make it.  He also thought to himself that coming from Oregon was going to be a struggle for him because nothing big ever really happened in the state of Oregon.  He had graduated from the University of Oregon while getting his masters at Stanford and did not come out of college with a job.  He had stated, "We knew we could fail, we just didn't think we would."  This was a common quote made by his team as they continued to fight for Nike.

What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?

I think the skills that were most important to Phil Knight's success goes back to the beginning of the entire book when he talks about being up before others, the birds, and even the sun.  I think this work ethic goes a long way and that is why I share the opinion as you can see in my response below.  I think this work ethic is what truly shows people their true colors.  Knight continued to use this strategy even when things weren't going his way.  He continued to fight and eventually was able to find a path to success.

Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
I don't really believe that there was anything in this book that I found confusing.  If I were to say something was confusing it would be just following his path and being able to connect the littlest of details.  I found that I would be thrown off a little if a missed a smaller detail earlier on in the book when it came back later in the book.  Even though this was a small issue, I was still able to figure everything out and follow the book.

If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
If I had the chance to ask Phil Knight two questions, I would ask when getting married and starting a family in 1968, how did you handle this with your pursue to continue working day in and day out for Nike?  I would ask this question because when living life, there are many distractions.  Not that marriage is a distraction but I am curious as to how he handled it all for his success with Nike.  Another question I would ask would be what was the most challenging part of your life to chase Nike?  I would ask this question because I want to know the main struggle that almost made a successful man like Knight crack.

For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? I believe Phil Knight's opinion of hard work is found on the very first page of the book.  "I was up before the others, before the birds, before the sun..."  This statement by Knight implies how he was the very first one up and the last one to go to bed.  You could also imply that he was constantly tired but continued to push through it knowing it would pay off.  In my opinion, I would say that I do share this opinion with Knight.  I believe that the hardest workers in the room are the ones who eventually find major success.  Waking up really and going to bed late at night is a perfect example of this.

10A – Elevator Pitch No. 1

11A – Idea Napkin No. 1

• Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?
• My name is Billy McEnroe and this is my second semester at the University of Florida majoring in Sports Management.  I have a huge passion for sports and see myself being involved in them in some way for the rest of my life.  I was involved in three sports in high school and played one sport in college for a short period of time. I have experience in working with professional sports behind the scenes and being able to hear what some people have issues with.  I see my business role playing a huge role in my life because I know there will be 100% effort put into it.  I want to be able to make the change of people getting more enjoyment into their activities at sporting events and think it is a chance to bring in a lot of revenue.
• Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 
• The product I would like to design is pretty simple but I really believe that it can work effectively and efficiently.  I would like to make a tablet for stadiums that is installed into the seats.  On the tablet, you will be able to order food and drinks along with being able to pay for them at your seat so that an employee will be able to bring them to you without any hassle.  This will limit lines and will make it easier to move on the upper levels.  On this tablet, you will also have the opportunity to purchase tickets for future games or concerts.  If you get up in the middle of a sporting event to use the restroom or for another reason, you will be able to sit back down and watch replays that you might have missed on the tablet.
•  Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?
• I am offering this to one main group which is people who typically go to sporting events and concerts that range from the ages 16 and up.  They are my target market because after my research, around the age of 16 it is common for them to get some kind of card that they would be able to use on the tablet to purchase.  The tablet highlights could also target another group of younger kids who love watching replays at the games.  What they all have in common is being able to have the ultimate experience at events.
• Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 
• Customers will actually pay me money to use this product because they simply will not have to get up from their seats to miss action unless they have to use the restroom.  If they do choose to get up to purchase their food or drinks with cash, the lines will be very slim and if they miss an action play they will be able to sit down and rewatch it.  If a team is doing well, they will also be tempted to purchase more tickets right at their seat.
•  What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 
• To my knowledge, this is not something that someone has fully installed into their stadium which is why I think it sets me apart from everyone else.  Jumping on top of this opportunity will give me the chance to make the trend big.  If it is successful in stadiums, more and more are going to want to use it.
• In addition to these five elements, please spend a paragraph evaluating whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others. 
• For the most part, I believe that these five elements fit well together.  One future issue that I can see is having to come up with the tablet and being able to make the investment into it.  Obviously this type of technology costs a lot of money but if I am able to do it, there is potential for a lot to come back over time.  My second issue is that it does not target a younger market for the need of a card to pay for it at their seat.  My reasoning why I do not think it is that big of a problem is that if they are that young, they are most likely coming with a parent or friends parent that would be able to make the payment.

9A- Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

• Who: While interviewing another five people, I was able to come to the conclusion that there definitely is a market that this need does not fit.  The individuals that my product does not fit can be mothers and younger kids.  While talking to one of my interviewees, he had mentioned how he does go to a lot of sporting events with his family so he does not believe that all of them would need the device because he would be doing the majority, if not all of the purchasing.
• I then decided to interview a mother and explained the product to her along with the situation above.  She had thought about it and went on to say how she thinks it could work because sometimes if the father is not there in the moment, the mother would still have the opportunity to order food etc. for her and her kids.  She also then went on to explain how if couples would be going together, sometimes the women in the relationship would want to purchase something for the man or maybe something in the future like tickets for whatever the occasion might be.
• I interviewed two 21-year olds and they had stated that they thought it would be an awesome idea especially if sports betting would be legalized in all states including the ones that they had lived in and typically attended events in.  They did note though that for the sports betting, the people would have to be of age which could take out a lot of people that were attending the sporting events since sports bring in such a broad range of ages.
• After interviewing my last participant, a current worker in the sports industry, I was able to get another opinion on my idea.  He thought it was a really good idea and thought that there could be more potential in it.  By potential, he meant there could be other activities to be brought to the tablet system such as game highlights and other scores throughout the league.  This could be something that you see sometimes on scoreboards but it could be brought right in front of you that you can check at any time.
• What: In my first interview, I was able to have the idea brought to my attention that this will not fulfill everyone's needs in the stadium.
• Why: I think that this need will eventually be able to resolve a lot of problems once it becomes put it and people can see what can be added to it.

                             Inside the Boundary                                      Outside the Boundary

Who:                    People 21+                                                        Kids ages 5-16

                             Sports fans                                                        Non-sports fans

                             Concert fans                                                      Non-concert fans

What:                   Reduce lines                                                      Don't need lines

                             Not miss plays                                                   Don't want to miss plays

                             Buy future event tickets

                             Enjoy betting

Why:                    People don't want to miss parts of games

                             Enjoy seats instead of getting on line

                             Don't have to waste future time

                             Have chance to make money

Assignment 8A- Solving the Problem

• After thinking hard about my past two ideas that I have written about.  I had decided that I was going to put the two of them together.  I had done my 4A assignment on an idea that could have an easier way of paying for food and having it brought to you instead of having to wait on a line along with being able to purchase future tickets.  In our 7A assignment, I had done it on sports betting being legalized.  For this idea to work 100%, it is going to need legalizing of sports betting legal in all states.
• I would like to have a product that allows you to pay for and order food while you are at your seat.  Along with this, if sports betting can be legalized, I would want there to be an option to also be able to place bets.  While sports betting is not legal in all of the states in the U.S., I believe it would be able to start small in the states where it is legal.
• I have two potential versions of this
• My first version would be to install an iPad or Tablet looking item into the seats in the stadiums. 
• My second version would be to create an app on all devices that would be linked to the stadium itself.  

The tablet in my opinion would be a lot more successful than the app.  Since it is placed in front of the customer, I think it will be able to bring in a lot more revenue since they will be more tempted to use it.  I think not having to get up and wait in lines will also be a major factor in this.  I do not think the app would be as successful as the actual device being installed into the seats because it is not in front of the customer for use.  Also, when people go to sporting events, a lot of times, they are there for the entire day for tailgating and lose battery on their devices.  The tablet device would be better because if the customers phone dies, they will still be able to use what has been in front of them the entire event.

6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

• Economic Trend:U.S. Hiring Accelerates
• Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy/u-s-hiring-accelerates-annual-wage-growth-strongest-since-2009-idUSKBN1FM0EW
• This opportunity exists, because there are so many jobs being created and offered to citizens of the United States.  According to this article, the job rate has not been this high since 2009.
• The prototypical customer in my opinion would be anybody without a job currently or anyone who is unhappy with where they are in life as far as working goes.  This is giving them a chance to get a job that can make them happy or be able to get a job in general.
• I think this idea is easy to pursue because there are a lot of people who do not have jobs. In this case they are now able to go online or walk around given the opportunity to find one and pursue it.
• I believe this will be successful because with people continuing to get hired and business making more money, so will the economy.
• Economic Trend: Oil Boom Gives U.S. a New Edge in Energy and Diplomacy 
• Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/business/energy-environment/oil-boom.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FEconomic%20Conditions%20and%20Trends&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=collection
• I believe that the opportunity exists, because there are so many issues going around the world especially with the United States and Middle East which is where we get most of our oil from.  We will be able to save a lot more money if we are able to produce our own oil.
• The prototypical customer would be anyone who is driving a car or any kind of product that needs oil to run in the United States.  This is a big market of people which means a lot of people would be saving money.
• I think if we had the right ideas and strategy, it would be easy to pursue because oil has been around for a very long time so if the United States can figure out how to make it themselves, they will have more money to spend on other needs.
• I believe that this would be successful because the United States would not have to get the oil from the Middle East who they currently have issues going on with right now.
• Regulatory Trend: Legalize Sports Betting
• Source: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2018/02/01/draftkings-sees-opening-with-legal-sports-betting-on-horizon.html
• I think the opportunity exists, because there are many people in the United States who are always looking to bet on sports.  It happens illegally all over the United States because there are only a few that have it legalized.
• The prototypical customer would be a sports fan that enjoys gambling and potentially bets on sports when in the states it is legalized in.  If the opportunity arises in more states, they will need to use it like expected for other states to realize to expand it.
• I think this is an idea that would be tough to pursue.  I think this because it is something that will need government approval but once approved I think it will bring in millions.
• I truly believe that this could be successful because of the sources around me.  I am always watching sports and this topic consistently is being brought up but not many people are doing anything about it.
• Regulatory Trend: BP to Install Charging Points for Electric Cars at UK Petrol Stations
• Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/30/bp-charging-points-electric-cars-uk-petrol-stations
• I think the opportunity exists, because as time goes on there are more and more cars coming out that are electrically charged.  One of the main car companies seen doing this is Tesla.
• The prototypical customer would be anyone interested in purchasing one of these cars or someone who already has one.  If they become more popular, I could also see more and more companies doing it until its more electric than gas cars.
• I think this is an idea that is tough to pursue because cars are a lot of money and not everyone just decides to buy one at any moment.  As time went on I could see more people turning over to this side of the car industry.
• I think this could be successful because it would be helping the economies tremendously and it can also save money over time along with saving the planet.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Sports Betting

• Opportunity:
• All across the United States, there is sports betting happening legally along with betting illegally.  The only states where it is legal to gamble on sports is in Nevada, Oregon, Delaware, and Montana.
• The Who: Americans that live in the United States in states where sports gambling is illegal.
• The What: They are unable to gamble in their states because of the state laws that are set.
• The Why: People are capable of making tons of money while gambling on sports.  When it is done illegally, there are no taxes being taken out which is considered a federal crime and makes it even more illegal than it already is.
• Testing the who: There are many Americans who have a need for this that live in states where it is not legal.  If the United States were to legalize sports betting in all states, they would be able to tax the winning bets.  With them being able to tax out the bets, the United States would be able to make loads of money.  The people have a need for this because they feel as if it is an easy way for them to make money on the side of what they are already doing.
• Testing the what: Sports gambling is capable of bringing in a lot of money for the government which can be used towards so many options to benefit the country.  According to Forbes, legalized sports betting would be capable of bringing in $6.03 billion annually by 2023 (https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2017/09/27/how-legalized-sports-betting-could-bring-in-6-03-billion-annually-by-2023/#178cd64d79ec).  Legalizing sports betting would also lower the rate of "bookies" being used in the United States which is a major federal crime.
• Testing the why: People are doing sports betting illegally because it simply is not legal in majority of the states in the U.S.  People want to pursue legalizing sports betting so they have the chance to make more money legally while at the same time not committing a crime.
• Interview #1:
• My first interview was conducted with a 21 year old male who is currently earning his graduates degree.  His opinion on sports betting is that he believes that it should be legal.  He touched on thinking that the NFL and NHL made interesting and smart moves bringing teams to Las Vegas.  He believes that it is a smart idea because it is bringing more of a reason to come out to Vegas for a game.  With people being in Vegas, they are more attracted to bet on the sports games while being able to bet on the other sporting events that are going on around the world.  He had also stated how he knows how there are "bookies" and how bad it is to become involved in it.  He stated how he sees commercials of gambling apps as well that are beginning to become popular.
• Interview #2:
• This interview, I decided to speak with a man in his 50's that has been watching sports since he was a kid.  He as well believes that sports betting should be legal because of the money the United States would be able to get.  He stated that he does not see harm in it as long as it is made legal and people are doing it the right way.  He claimed that he knows of the NBA commissioner trying to make a move on it and believes that if more leaders step up, there will be a possible chance of it being legal in all of the states in America.
• Interview #3
• In this interview, I decided to speak with a female who claims she follows some sports but usually more towards when the seasons are coming to a close and the "big events" are happening.  She stated how herself would not care much about it because she does not see herself becoming involved in it whether it was legal or illegal.  She did mention how she does see it as something people enjoy doing and if it isn't as bad as what people think it do be than it should be legalized.
• Interview #4
• This interviewee is a older man who has been around sports for years.  He believes that there should not be sports betting in the United States.  He noted that he feels as if he is more old fashioned towards the law and everyone should live by the law with no exceptions to it.
• Interview #5
• In this interview, I was able to speak with a 21 year old student that grew up in England. He expressed how big sports betting was in England and sees no problem with it.  He strongly believes it should be legalized in the United States.  He explained how at sporting events there are ways to bet at the actual stadiums and events that are being taken place.  He also expressed how people in England love sports betting and find it to make sports more interesting and fun to watch.
• Given your interviews, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn't know before?
• One of the most interesting facts I learned was from my last interview with the 21 year old student that grew up in England.  I always knew how they were very passionate about soccer, but I did not know that sports betting was so big there.  I did not know that they have spots where you can place bets at the actual events.
• In my first interview, I thought a really good point was made when talking about the teams moving to Las Vegas.  It never came to my mind how a lot of money could be made since it it legalized in Nevada.  Having betting spots throughout the stadium would be an awesome idea since there will be tourists everywhere and it gives them another reason to go to Vegas besides the gambling part.
• I thought in my second interview it was interesting how the NBA commissioner claims he supports sports betting.  I found this interesting because as people continue to speak up, we could see more of a change in other states in regards to gambling.