15A- Figuring out Buyer Behavior

Three Interviews about Limiting Traffic around UF campus

1. My first interviewee was a sophomore male at UF.  After asking him a series of different questions about my idea he gave back some interesting feedback.  The alternative evaluation for him was regarding the price. If a way to limit traffic was implemented he said that it depended on how much it would cost for people to be able to be a part of the group that can skip by other vehicles.   He also stated that the quality must be great if he is going to be willing to invest in this service of another lane.  It seems these are the two things that are most important to him.  He would have to use a credit card or cash to pay for the service via online services, which is expected and not an issue.

2. My second interview was a girl who is a junior.  She said that she would not pay for a service to increase the lane because she thinks it is a waste of her money.  She stated that she would rather walk or use the bike to try to bypass the traffic jams.  It seems like the price is the biggest obstacle for her.  In her case, since she was not liking this idea at all, it makes sense that she would not buy this product anywhere.

3. The third interview was a sophomore male that was very supportive of this idea.  He loved adding a bus lane or a third lane for cars.  He said quality and style is his main concern and that money is not an issue for him as long as he can effectively save his time moving through/around campus.  This person wants a nicely done way to make traffic less bad.  He said he was definitely able to pay online via credit card.


Conclusions:
All in all, it seems that the idea of road expansion would be a good idea for most people.  Out of all the people I have interviewed regarding this subject, I have gotten a much larger amount of people that support this rather than dislike.  I believe as long as the idea is carried out efficiently and effectively then there should be no problem.  It would also be smart if UF could fund this or at least help pay a majority since these students do not have money to spend on roads (although they will if needed).

14A - Halfway Reflection

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

I have definitely used time management skills and taking this course has helped me manage my time even more efficiently.  With assignments due on a strict deadline it forces me to plan out my time and finish my work in an effective manner.  Another behavior is thinking outside of the box.  For this class, I had to think of different ideas and then continue to think about the idea in different ways that allowed me to view things in a new viewpoint.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude. 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 during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?  

A moment I felt like giving up was when I failed an exam last year.  This really hurt my grade and I thought about switching majors and dropping the class.  Ultimately it came down to the final exam, but luckily for me, I prepared the right way and survived the class.  I think this comes down to having confidence and self-perseverance to push past the adversity.

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

One tip I would offer is to be organized because keeping track of assignments leads to a more productive overall situation.  It will allow you to be aware of all the work that needs to be done and help you plan out when you will complete it.

Another tip would be to have self-perseverance because there will be obstacles that you need to be able to overcome.  If you feel bad for yourself and have a bad attitude it will be hard to do that and be successful.  

Lastly, I would say it is important to have confidence because if you don't believe in yourself then how will anyone else believe in you or your idea.  

13A - Reading Reflection No.1

I read the autobiography Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, the founder of Nike inc

• What surprised you the most?

I was surprised that Phil Knight started from nothing and originally did not even think of Nike as the next huge company.  Back then people did not even enjoy the look of running shoes so it goes to show how much of an impact Knight had on the industry when he introduced his world famous Nike running shoes.

• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

I admire his passion and grit.  He is the pure definition of an entrepreneur and everyone can look at his story and take away things that he used to become successful and implement them in their own entrepreneurship journey.  

• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

The one thing that I admired the least would be that he manufactured the product overseas rather than domestically.  I can not fault him for this as the process is much cheaper for someone trying to start from scratch.

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

Yes, he had multiple failures, like any great entrepreneur faces.  For example, he initially had trouble selling and marketing his shoes even though he had a lot in stock.  He learned from these hardships and turned them around.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

He was an excellent leader and also problem solver.  It is very important that he could look at his own product and see the fault in it and have the ability to make the necessary adjustments.  He was a smart CEO and knew exactly what he needed and how it should be done which helped keep everyone on the same page.

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

One part of the reading that was confusing was when they were talking about his manufacturing process and how it worked.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

I would ask him what is his number one tip in becoming successful because he has made it himself and to receive knowledge from someone that like is invaluable. I would also ask him what his personal favorite product is and why he enjoys it so much.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

His opinion was probably that hard work is essential to success and I definitely share the same opinion because if you don't work hard then someone else will.

12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

For this assignment, I interviewed three different people who shared the issue of traffic around UF campus.  I asked them a series of questions about my idea.

The first person I interviewed strongly supported my idea and definitely was looking for a way to help limit the traffic.  This person said he is always stuck in bad traffic around noon and around 4:30, right before dinner time.  These are peak hours he said and that he hasn't found a solution that works besides leaving early.

The second person I interviewed said that she only has a car in Gainesville so that is her only means of transportation.  It is unfortunate because car parking is very hard to find around campus so she says she is looking for a way to limit the traffic because of gas money and the time it takes.

The third person I interviewed said he drives a scooter around campus and is constantly tempted to drive in the bike lane to skip the bumper to bumper traffic on Museum road.  This is very relatable and he has been waiting for something like this to happen that finally puts an end to the miserable traffic.

I think this was very good when thinking about how I would plan out my business.  It makes me think about more than just the general concept and focus on the smaller aspects that have to be present in order to make this idea work.  It was definitely helpful for creating a good business plan for my idea.

11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

1) You: I am a hardworking person who has skills in communication, problem-solving, and adaptability amongst others.  If I were to start this business I could definitely see it impacting my life.  To have the ability to help decrease traffic around UF campus would be amazing and I would directly be impacted as well as thousands of other students.  I aspire my company to start at UF and become a traffic solving company for other places in the future.

2) What are you offering to customers?:  I am offering a way to implement ideas that would decrease traffic around campus like the busy streets of 13th and Museum Road.  For example, adding a bus lane to the right that is strictly for buses would be an amazing addition because it would reduce the waiting time of the people who are unfortunate enough to be caught behind them in traffic.

3) Who are you offering it to?:  I am offering this to UF students, faculty, and visitors primarily because they are the people who would be around campus in their vehicle.  My customers all have that in common because they are always around campus.

4) Why do they care?: People would care about this because it would help them if they are trying to commute around the campus.  Everyone has been affected by the issue of traffic so it would definitely resonate with a lot of people.

5) What are your core competencies?: My company would be separated from others because there has never been a service that does this.  This would be a unique service that would help decrease traffic around busy roads.

I believe these elements fit in well together when looking at the overall picture of the service.  I think that there is a lot of demand for something like this and that the community will definitely appreciate and enjoy lesser traffic around campus.  The only challenge would be implementing this because of UF's very strict rules about changing the campus.

10A - Elevator Pitch

Heres a link to my elevator pitch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g443cGkoPvo&feature=youtu.be

9A - Testing the Hypothesis

Who: After speaking with many people who seem to be in the same situation as myself, I discovered that most people are aware of the issue of traffic around campus.  After analyzing my interviews it became apparent that some students completely avoid the traffic altogether.  They do this by walking, biking, skateboarding, etc.  These students said that after experiencing the traffic themselves they turned to alternative methods to never have to deal with it again.  Even though they may be sweating by the end of their journey to class, they know they can get to their destination much faster than the backed up roads.

What: After interviewing people I typically received the answers I expected, but a couple mentioned the reasons why they do not use the roads.  These outsiders said that people who use the roads are trying to limit the commute time, but ironically they are increasing the time it takes of travel.  There is not really an underlying factor here that makes people do this except the fact of wasting/utilizing their time wisely.

Why: The underlying cause of the outsiders' needs does not differ from the people inside the boundary because at the end of the day the primary objective is commuting as efficiently as possible.  Perhaps an underlying cause could be that some students are lazy and want to drive to their destination instead of walking there.  Most people may not admit that but other than that it is a pretty universal need.

Outside the Boundary                                                              Inside the Boundary

Who: Students who walk/bike to class and                        Students with road vehicles (cars, scooters) 

 do not use the roads to commute to places 

around campus

What: The need is to continue to commute              The need is to find a solution that can help                                                                                                eliminate/limit the traffic around campus

via off-road transportation methods

Why: Many students have class at the same time      Everyone tries to use the roads at the same times

and want to arrive on time

8A - Solving The Problem

This problem of very bad traffic around UF campus is something that affects almost everyone that has to move to another destination.  My proposed solution to this issue is to create a bus lane.  This would create a smaller lane that is strictly for busses only.  This would be a huge help to the traffic because busses are one of the primary causes of the backups.  The constant stopping to pickup/drop off students causes unnecessary stops and kills the flow of traffic.  If busses have their own lane to maneuver in it would provide a win-win situation.  Students that use the bus system would arrive to their destinations faster and with less stops and the people that do not use the bus system will be able to use the roads more efficiently.  The people on the scooters will be able to move within the flow of traffic and not have to worry about dangerously passing busses.  If busses are eliminated on the main roads of cars it would provide a much smoother transportation system around campus.

7A - Testing the Hypothesis

1. Opportunity: The traffic in and near The University of Florida is horrendous and is filled with lines of cars, scooters, and especially busses on the roads.  This is important because people are on a schedule and trying to move from different places at a slow rate hampers movement significantly.


2. The who: UF students, faculty, and anyone using the roads near campus (13th and Museum primarily)

The what: The traffic is slow and there are many massive backups on the roads

The why: One of the primary roads is a 1 lane road and the other primary road is a 2 lane road which limits the movement


3.  Testing the who:  Are there others that have this need?
After speaking with people it seems that only people that live or travel near UF campus are bothered by the bad traffic.  I'm sure other college campuses might share this problem as the roads have too many people.


Testing the what: What are the boundaries of the need?
After thinking about the need, the boundaries of this need depend on the time of day.  Typically during busy hours (after class, dinner time) the traffic is awful, but if it is early in the morning or late at night the roads are clear and easily accessible.


Testing the why:  What are the different reasons for this need?
After testing the why situation for this need, it is clear that traffic is a problem around campus.  People simply cannot get where they want to on time, or they have to leave especially early to make it on time.  The 1 lane road on one of the busiest roads near campus is definitely a key reason for this need because of the number of people that need to travel that road every day. My why holds true for everyone that experiences this need because it is something that greatly effects them.

4. Interviews

After interviewing 4 different UF students and 1 bus driver I realize that this need is clearly something that would benefit from some change.  The 4 students I interviewed were a freshman boy, sophomore boy, and 2 junior girls.  The freshman boy did not seem too bothered by the traffic and said that he rode his bike to help navigate the campus quickly because the roads would take too long.  He said he uses the sidewalks and that allows him to move quicker than the vehicles on the road.  The sophomore boy I talked to said his method of transportation around campus is via his scooter.  He said that he has thought about driving straight down the bike lane to skip the long line of still cars on the road.  He said he was definitely affected by the traffic and has been repeatedly late to his classes.  The third student I interviewed was a junior girl that only had a car on campus.  She lives near the Norman area strategically because she knows the traffic is horrendous.  She said she walks to class because trying to drive a car around campus is annoying and difficult.  The other junior girl I interviewed said she drives her Jeep around the streets and plans her day so that she can make it to her destinations on time.  She says that around dinner time she will never even try to drive on Musuem because it is always backed up.  Lastly I talked to a bus driver because people always seem to be stuck behind the busses.  He said that people on scooter routinely pass by him illegally when he is picking or dropping off students at the bus stop and that this is very dangerous because he can not see them until they are already whipping past him.  He said that if something could be done to help change the flow of traffic then it would be a huge help to everyone.

5. Summary
After talking with all these people and personally experiencing the problem myself, I can say that this need is definitely something people want changed.  The traffic is so bad that it keeps people from getting to work, class, or gym on time.  People have said that sometimes the traffic can alter their whole day plan as they will not make it to a certain location on time.