Blog Post #30: Assignment 30A - Final Reflection

Honestly, I will remember this entire experience as a whole for years to come. From having to create a unique service/business out of nowhere to finding customers and a market to creating a business plan and elevator pitches, I will never forget this experience because this most likely be the only time I ever do anything like this. Prior to this semester, I never imagined that I would ever have to or be able to accomplish the tasks that were presented to me in this class. Therefore, the fact that I was able to complete this course with a passing grade is a major accomplishment for me alone. In addition, I now also feel like I can loosely call myself an "entrepreneur". Although I may not be a very good one or ever become one in my real life, I believe that the skills and knowledge I've acquired from this class allow me to be able to call myself one and, further more, developing an entrepreneurial mindset.

For all of the students who will take this course in the future, I wish them good luck and recommend that they 1) never suggest creating a new app and 2) complete each assignment and take each of them seriously. Although it may not seem like it, but by completing each assignment and learning as much as you can from each of them, you come closer and closer to developing that entrepreneurial mindset.

Blog Post #27: Assignment 27A - Reading Reflection No. 3

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

1. The general theme of this book was that there are two systems of thinking that different people use every day that help us make decisions, but at the same time can also cause us to make mistakes.
2. In my opinion, this book is connected with and has enhanced my learning in ENT3003 because it can show the different ways that customers think, allowing entrepreneurs to more effectively communicate with them.
3. An exercise based on this book that could be used in this class would be to have students identify which type of thinking system a customer uses based on their characteristics.
4. My biggest surprise from this book is that people tend to spend most of their time using System 1 thinking.

Blog Post #28: Assignment 28A - Your Exit Strategy

For my exit strategy, I intend to stay with my business for as long as possible until I no longer feel a passion for the work I am doing. Once that day comes, I will sell my service for a (hopefully) large enough return so that I can retire and live comfortably for the rest of my life. I have chosen this strategy because I truly care about my business. I want it to succeed for as long as possible by having the most capable people doing their best work for it. However, if I lose my passion or for whatever reason can no longer do my best work, then it only seems fair to the company to sell it someone who can do a better job than me. I also chose this strategy because I would like to retire early and make as much money from my business as possible. With that being said, I believe that the only thing this decision has influenced about my company is that I want the best, hardest-working, most passionate employees working for me and my service.

Blog Post #26: Assignment 26A - Celebrating Failure

This past semester, I failed to successfully complete a task that was given to me at my job. My boss asked me to thoroughly clean all of the equipment at our office before his 30-minute meeting was over. Although the amount of equipment I needed to clean was a pretty large, I still should have been able to clean everything in the time I had before my boss came back. However, I got more focused on making sure each and every single piece of equipment was absolutely spotless rather than simply making sure everything was cleaned. Therefore, by the time my boss returned, I was not finished cleaning everything. When he came back to see that I was still cleaning, not only was he very disappointed, he gave me a pretty stern warning that if it happened again, I would not last at my job very long. After that, I was pretty disappointed in myself, but I learned from it, left it in the past, and moved on.

After failing to complete that task, I learned that everyone has different wants and needs and that they can be misidentified. In this particular scenario, I thought that my boss' main need was to have the equipment as clean as possible. However, what he really wanted was to have all of the equipment cleaned as quickly and efficiently as possible. In other words, he was more focused on the speed of the task being completed rather than the quality of it.

Personally, I have never been a huge fan of failure. With that being said, when it does happen, I accept it, learn from it, and move on. You learn more from failures than successes. Therefore, I think failures can be a good thing, as long as you learn from them, don't let them affect your performance and work in the future, and make the same mistakes again. Being a part of this class this semester has helped me understand this lesson even more.

Blog Post #25: Assignment 25A - What's Next?

Existing Market
I think what the next step for my service would be to pick up and deliver both marijuana products for local dispensaries and food from local restaurants. I think that this would help my service acquire a wider range of customers.

After interviewing 3 members of my existing market about my idea for the next step of my service, they were all very excited about it and thought that it would be a great addition to my service. Since one of the medical uses of marijuana includes helping those with eating disorders, I believe that by adding food to the list of things that my drivers pick up and deliver, this can benefit both my service and customers greatly.

Based on my own expectations and the feedback I received from a few customers in my existing market, I believe that the best way to expand my service would be to add food as an item that my drivers pick up and deliver to customers. Consumption of marijuana products, whether for medical or recreational usage, induces hunger. Therefore, I think that the addition of food delivery would be very beneficial for both the customers and the success of my service.

New Market
A new market that is different from the one I plan on targeting is to grow and manufacture marijuana products. This will create value for our customers because, by eliminating the need to go to dispensaries and pick up the products from their and pay the dispensaries, customers will be able to order products directly from my service. This will result in lower costs for our customers.

After describing my service to the customers of the new market and my new idea on how to expand and improve my service, they seemed quite enthused. By being able to lower the prices of my service by selling products directly instead, the customers said they would be more likely to use my service.

I was able to learn a lot from this new market. I learned that, although customers prefer to pay lower prices for my service, it is still very important to them that the products they purchase are of very high quality. However, since I do not know a lot on how to grow and manufacture marijuana products, I believe that it is in the best interest of my service to stick with simply picking up and delivering marijuana products.

Blog Post #23: Assignment 23A - Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

Resources

1. Drivers
1. V: Yes because they provide an easy and quick form of delivery.
2. R: No because a lot of people know how to drive.
3. I: No because it is easy for similar companies to hire drivers.
4. N: No because there are other ways our products can be delivered to customers, such as drones.
2. Cars
1. V: Yes because they provide an easy and quick form of delivery.
2. R: No because many cars are used and manufactured every day.
3. I: No because it is easy for people to purchase cars.
4. N: No because people can use other forms of transportation, like scooters or bicycles.
3. Access to Marijuana Dispensaries
1. V: Yes because drivers will be picking up desired products for customers from the dispensaries.
2. R: Yes because dispensaries have regulations that only allow certain people in.
3. I: Yes because it can be difficult for some people to access dispensaries.
4. N: Yes because dispensaries are the only places where the products our customers desire are legally sold.
4. Outside Investors
1. V: Yes because their investments were able to get the service off the ground.
2. R: No because anybody can become an investor.
3. I: No because other companies can gain investors.
4. N: Yes because only they can invest in my service.
5. My Own Investment
1. V: Yes because it helped start my service.
2. R: Yes because I only invested in my service.
3. I: Yes because I will only ever invest in my own service.
4. N: No because I can replace my investment with an outside investor.
6. Bill, my father's friend, from GrubHub as an Advisor
1. V: Yes because he can provide advice on how to improve my service.
2. R: Yes because not many people have his level of expertise.
3. I: No because other people can get advice from him.
4. N: Yes because few people have his level of expertise.
7. Knowledge of Marijuana Product Trends
1. V: Yes because we can market certain items more to customers if we know they really want them. 
2. R: No because other people have this kind of knowledge.
3. I: No because other people can gain this type of knowledge.
4. N: Yes because you cannot replace this kind of information that we know
8. Loyal Customers
1. V: Yes because they make up a large amount of our sales.
2. R: Yes because must customers are not loyal to only one service.
3. I: No because all companies and services have some loyal customers.
4. N: No because we can replace customers with other ones.
9. Excellent Customer Service
1. V: Yes because customers appreciate quality customer service.
2. R: Yes because not all companies have good customer service.
3. I: No because any company can have good customer service.
4. N: Yes because you cannot replace excellent customer service.
10. Low Costs
1. V: Yes because customers don't want to pay a lot of money.
2. R: Yes because most services of this kind are costly.
3. I: No because other companies have low costs.
4. N: Yes because you cannot replace low costs.

My Top Resource

My service's top resource is my access to marijuana dispensaries because without access to them, my service would not be able to deliver products my customers desire.

Blog Post #22: Assignment 22A - Elevator Pitch No. 3

https://youtu.be/ElD6Ug97lxY

What really stood out to me in the feedback that I received was that I did a really good job of being direct and detailed in my elevator pitch. However, I needed to do a better job of being more enthusiastic.

Based on the feedback I got, I didn't change much. I kept what I said mostly the same. However, I tried to be more enthusiastic and passionate in how I delivered my elevator pitch.

Blog Post #21: Assignment 21A - Reading Reflection No. 2

How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams

1. The general theme of this book was that making mistakes and failures can be positive because you can learn from them and make your products and services better and more effective.
2. In my opinion, this book connected with and enhanced my learning in ENT 3003 because whenever someone is trying to create a new product or business or service, it is important to go through rounds and rounds of trial and error to see what works and what doesn't and why.
3. An exercise based on this book would involve students doing a simulation where they go through trial and error to try to make a product or service successful.
4. My biggest surprise from the book was that Scott Adams advised that entrepreneurs complete tasks that require the most creativity first. 

Blog Post #20: Assignment 20A - Growing Your Social Capital

Person #1

1. Bill is my father's friend from college who currently holds an upper level position with GrubHub at their corporate office
2. Bill is filling the role of the domain expert because he knows all of the logistics behind a third-party delivery service, which is what my service would be doing. However, instead of delivering food, like GrubHub, my service will be delivering medical marijuana.
3. Bill met my father in college and they have been close friends ever since, so I've met him multiple times. To get in contact with him, my dad gave me his cell phone number and email address.
4. As a favor to me, Bill listened to my elevator pitch and was able to give me a lot of great feedback on my idea for my service.
5. By including Bill in my network, I now have an expert on delivery services, which is going to be a crucial part of my service. As a result, he will be able to give me tips and advice on how to improve that aspect of it.

Person #2

1. Nathaniel is a close friend of mine who is marijuana dealer back in my home town in Massachusetts, where recreational and medical marijuana usage is legal for people 21-years-old and older. He buys marijuana at dispensaries and then sells it to others of age for discounted prices. He often delivers the products to his customers. 
2. Nathaniel is filling the role of the market expert because he has a lot of experience with picking up, delivering, and selling marijuana to those who can legally use it. This concept is very similar to what my service will be doing.
3. I've been very close with Nathaniel since high school, so all I had to do was call his phone to get in contact with him.
4. As a favor to me, Nathaniel listened to my elevator pitch for my service and we discussed the details and logistics of it. In return, he gave me some great feedback on whether or not there is a legitimate market for my service.
5. By including Nathaniel in my network, I now have an expert on the kind of market my service will be targeting, which is very important.

Person #3

1. Gage is the owner of a medical marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts. He is an expert at selling marijuana to people who need it and can legally have it.
2. Gage is filling the role of the supplier, since he is the owner of a store that sells medical and recreational marijuana to people, and it will be stores like his that my service will be picking up products from for our customers.
3. My friend Joseph works at the dispensary that Gage owns. As a result, Joseph was able to give me Gage's phone number so I could get in contact with him.
4. As a favor to me, Gage listened to my elevator pitch for my service. In return, he told me he loved my idea and thinks that by working together, we could both become very profitable.
5. By including Gage in my network, I now have an expert on who the drivers of my service will be picking up products from.

Reflection

This experience was very fulfilling and helpful for the development of my service. I have never participated in a networking activity where I was pitching an original idea of mine. I thought it was fun and gave me some great feedback!

Blog Post #19: Assignment 19A - Idea Napkin No. 2

You
My name is Jack Hertz and I'm a rising senior APK major from Marblehead, MA. Although I would consider myself to be a typical, average, 21-year old man, I believe that I can be quite charming, very hard-working, detail-oriented, friendly, and confident without coming off as cocky. I am also very approachable, driven, and pride myself on doing the best work I can possibly do. I believe that all of these attributes and talents, along with my extensive experience with medical marijuana users, will help me make my medical marijuana delivery service. Since I take pride in doing the best work I can possibly do, I plan on putting everything I have into this service and making it the best it can possibly be. Specifically, I would love to see it become a nation-wide service, helping consumers in need of medical marijuana but are unable to access it.

What are you offering to customers?
My service will deliver medical marijuana to customers and patients who are in need of it for treatment purposes but are unable to physically acquire it due to their critical conditions. This service will allow more patients looking for alternative forms of treatment to use medical marijuana. Customers will be able to order specific amounts and strains of medical marijuana both online and/or over the phone. However, to ensure that this service remains 100% legal, it will be heavily regulated and only people with a medical marijuana card will be able to use it.

Who are you offering it to?
This service will be offered to all patients that own a valid medical marijuana card. Although most patients that will actually use this service will be those that are unable to access medical marijuana for treatment purposes by themselves, this service allows any patient with a valid card to use this service.

Why do they care?
Customers will use this service for a number of reasons. For example, many patients with chronic illnesses do not want or like to use traditional forms of medicine because of the negative side effects that accompany them. Therefore, these patients choose to look for alternative methods of treatment, such as medical marijuana. Another reason customers will choose this service is because it provides a simple, easy to use system that delivers the medical marijuana right to the doorsteps of its customers, making it easily accessible for all customers, not just those that are forced to stay at home.

What are your core competencies?
What separates this service from competing services is that this is the first legal form of marijuana delivery and transportation. Never before has there been a service that delivers medical marijuana, making it a unique service that no other company or organization can offer.

I believe that all of these elements fit together very well. By offering a service that has never been offered before, consumers with the unmet need are forced to use and purchase the service. There are many patients that are unable to access medical marijuana by themselves for numerous reasons. This means that there is a large target market and potential for this service to be successful.

Feedback Memo
My peers did not provide me with any sort of constructive feedback for my last idea napkin. As a result, I did not change anything or make any edits.

Blog Post #18: Assignment 17A - Elevator Pitch No. 2

https://youtu.be/4tWxg9DrY-I

In my last pitch, I received a lot of great feedback. I was told I was very enthusiastic and informative and did a great job. However, I was told to discuss who or what the service would be monitored by, which I did in my second elevator pitch.

Blog Post #17: Assignment 18A - Create a Customer Avatar

My prototypical customer is a 35-year-old man that suffers from glaucoma. He works from home and typically enjoys playing video games and drawing in his free time. He usually doesn't drive much due to his condition, but when he does, he drives a Black 2014 Audi Q5. He enjoys tv shows such as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rick and Morty, and The Office. He has a serious girlfriend but does not have any children. He doesn't enjoy reading or pay attention to politics, and when it comes to eating food, he always prefers ordering delivery. Although he is a full-on adult, he is up to date on new trends in society and has found that alternative methods of treatment work more effectively for him than traditional ones.

After creating my customer avatar, I realized that I share a few similarities with him. We both enjoy watching the same tv shows and playing video games. I also do not have any children and don't like reading or politics. I do believe that this a coincidence.

Blog Post #16: Assignment 16A - What's Your Secret Sauce?

1. Ways I think I have human capital that is truly unique
1. Hard-working: I believe that I am one of the hardest-working people I know. No matter what the task at hand is, no matter what the circumstances are, I always try to do my best work possible. I've always put everything I have into everything I do because I believe that's the only way things should be done.
2. Approachable: I like to consider myself a very friendly and approachable guy. I always try to treat everyone I know and meet with the upmost respect and kindness because that's how I want to be treated. I always welcome new people into my life and love talking with them about anything, especially things I'm passionate about.
3. Coachable: I'm always looking for ways I can improve myself and the things I dedicate my time towards, so I welcome feedback and constructive criticism. I like knowing what things I'm really good at and where I need improvement because, in my opinion, if you're not actively trying to get better, you're getting worse.
4. Well-rounded: I've always found myself to be exceptional or adequate at a lot of different things. I've never been the absolute best at anything, but I've also never been terrible at anything either. I always seem to be pretty well-rounded and good at most things.
5. Passionate: When I really enjoy doing something or find something I love, I develop a passion for it and really sink my teeth into it. I devote all my time to whatever it is until I make it the best it can be and I do the best job I can possibly do.
2. Interviews of 5 people who know me the best
1. Mom: https://soundcloud.com/jack-hertz-121330406/mom-recording
1. My mom discusses how I've always been someone who takes feedback very well. She talks about how I'm always open to suggestions and never pretend that I know more about something than I actually do.
2. Dad: https://soundcloud.com/jack-hertz-121330406/dad-recording
1. My dad discusses how one of the qualities that makes me different is my perseverance. He goes into further detail how I'm able to accomplish anything I set out to accomplish, even if the task appears daunting or seems difficult to complete.
3. Sister: https://soundcloud.com/jack-hertz-121330406/sister-recording
1. My younger sister discusses how I always appear to be very level-headed. She talks about how she admires how, even in the most stressful situations, no matter how much I have going on in my life, I always seem very relaxed and handle the pressure very well.
4. Brother: https://soundcloud.com/jack-hertz-121330406/older-brother-recording
1. My older brother discusses how I'm very confident. He talks about how the fact that I carry myself and speak with a lot of confidence and don't always care about what other people think of me is a very unique and special quality that I have. 
5. Grandpa: https://soundcloud.com/jack-hertz-121330406/grandpa-recording
1. My grandpa discusses how my presence is what makes me different and unique. He talks about how people notice and are drawn to me when I enter a room, which is a very special characteristic that a lot of people do not have.
3. Reflect on the differences
1. After listening to what my parents, siblings, and grandpa had to say, I think it's clear that they see me in similar way that I see myself. Although I may not have mentioned it in the first part of this assignment, I also consider myself to be a confident person. I think there are so many similarities between how I see myself and how my peers see me because I'm very open and honest with who I am. 

Blog Post #15: Assignment 15A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

For this assignment, I interviewed my 21 year-old neighbor with anxiety issues, a 58 year-old man suffering from severe arthritis, and a 30 year-old woman that deals with depression.

1. In my first interview with my 21 year-old neighbor that deals with anxiety issues, I learned a great deal. I found that the price of the items she purchased typically played a large role in her purchasing decisions because, considering she is a typical, broke, college student, she cannot afford to pay the higher prices of higher quality products. However, she claims that she gets the same benefits from all products, so the quality and style of the products don't matter a lot to her. I also learned that, since she is from the younger generation, she more often than not makes her purchases online and uses her debit card to pay for it. In regards to her post-purchase evaluation, she makes her assessment entirely on how much the product reduces her anxiety. If she feels more relaxed after smoking or ingesting the product than before, then she will think that the purchase was a good idea. Therefore, if the product fails to reduce her anxiety, then she will believe the purchase was a bad idea. 
2. In my second interview with the 58 year-old man suffering from severe arthritis, that resulted in a lot of pain, I also discovered a lot of great information. I learned that the style of the product was the most important aspect in his alternative evaluation. He always preferred to use ingestible products, such as edibles, rather than use products that he would have to smoke and inhale because he coughed a lot when ever he would smoke. Quality was also quite important to him in that he preferred higher quality products rather than the lower quality, cheaper ones because he could afford them. Since he is of the older generation and prefers old-fashioned ways of shopping, he usually makes his purchases in a store and uses cash. However, as he has gotten older and his arthritis has worsened, he has been less able to go to the stores in person. For his post-purchase evaluation, he knows he made good purchase if his pain from the arthritis is decreased and if he enjoys the taste of the product he ingests. If he is still in a great deal of pain after using the product or doesn't enjoy the taste of it, he considers the purchase a bad idea. 
3. For my final interview, I talked to a 30 year-old woman that deals with depression. I learned that when she conducts her alternative evaluation, the most important aspect to her is the quality of the products. Since she can afford higher quality products, she prefers to purchase those instead of the cheaper, lower quality products that do not have as much of a positive effect on her depression. Therefore, price is not a very important aspect to since she can afford to spend more money on expensive products. She also doesn't have a preference on the style of the products, so that aspect is not very important to her either. When she makes her purchases, she prefers to do it online and pay with her debit card as a way of keeping her purchasing habits discrete. In her post-purchase evaluation, she knows she made a good purchase if she feels happier after using her product. 

After conducting my interviews, I learned that the younger generations prefer to make purchases online and use debit or credit cards while older customers prefer using cash and making their purchases in the stores. I also learned that, for the younger customers, price is the most important aspect when making a purchasing while the quality and style of the products aren't as important. However, as the customers get older, price begins to become less important while the quality and style of the products become more important. I will definitely take all of this into account when considering my service. 

Blog Post #14: Assignment 14A - Halfway Reflection

1. To keep up with all of the requirements of this course, I like to mark down all important dates and assignment deadlines for the course in my calendar in my iPhone. This way I'm able to keep track of all of my assignments and get reminded by my phone when certain due dates are approaching. I also like to space out all of my course work and do a little bit each day. Whether I'm watching parts of a lecture every day or completing an assignment over the duration of numerous days, this allows me to not fall behind in the course. 
2. There have been many moments where I felt like "giving up" over the past couple months. One day, after coming home from 14-hour day at my unpaid internship, all I wanted to do was take a shower, eat some food, and go to bed. However, I had a lecture in this class to watch and an assignment in another class that was due that night. Now even though every bone in my body was telling me to just skip all my school work and just go to bed, what pulled me through was imagining what my mom would say to me if she was there next to me. After imagining my mom nagging me to stop feeling sorry for myself and to just power through and get my school work done, I watched the lecture and completed my homework assignment. I would say that this moment and this same strategy that I've used to push myself to finish my school work whenever I don't feel like it has helped me develop a tenacious attitude. 
3. To foster the skills that support tenacity and to develop the "tenacious mindset", I would suggest to next semester's student that he/she think about why they're taking the course, to remember that they'll regret putting an assignment off until tomorrow when they could just get it done today, and that it's better to do a little at a time than to try to cram everything into one sitting. 

Blog Post #13: Assignment 13A - Reading Reflection No. 1

For this assignment, I read Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, which gives the most accurate and detailed account of the life of the man that made Apple what it is today. What surprised me most was that the reason Apple got it's name was because Steve Jobs loved apples and happened to be on an apple farm on the day he had to choose a name for the company for official filing to the government. What I admired the most about Jobs was that he was able to create a company that is so revolutionary that it has continued to be successful, despite the fact that he is no longer alive. What I least admired about Steve Jobs was that he experimented with LSD, a hallucinogenic drug that is now illegal due to how dangerous it is. Jobs encountered adversity and failure when he was fired from Apple by the Board of Directors. However, in response, he became a majority shareholder in Pixar and earned millions of dollars. I noticed that Steve Jobs' attention to even the tiniest details and perfectionism was what set him apart from everyone else. I was a bit confused why Jobs acted so violently and rudely when the quality of the work of his employees did not meet his expectations instead of acting politely. If I could ask Steve Jobs two questions, I would ask: 1) Why did you drop out of college and 2) Do you feel any guilt for taking full credit for many ideas that weren't entirely yours? I believe Steve Jobs' opinion of hard-work was that it was crucial to being successful in anything and that you can achieve anything if you are willing to work hard day-in day-out. I am a huge believer in this same philosophy.

Blog Post #12: Assignment 12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior

Pick a Segment
For this assignment, patients with chronic illnesses and are in search of alternative methods of treatment.

Interviews and Findings
For the next part of this assignment, I interviewed a 60 year old woman with Glaucoma, a 21 year old male suffering from Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, and a 26 year old woman with anxiety. After conducting all three of these interviews, I was able to learn and hear some very interesting stories. For example, the male with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma originally started using medical marijuana as a way of treating the side effects of the chemotherapy, such as puking. He told me that once he started using medical marijuana, he would be able to do his rounds of chemotherapy and be able to function with much more ease. I also discovered that medical marijuana was the first form of treatment he used for dealing with the chemotherapy side effects. This was unlike the other two people I interviewed who both used traditional forms of medicine to treat their illnesses but found that they were not useful. As a result, they then scoured the Internet in search of alternative methods of treatment and home remedies. For example, the 26 year old woman with anxiety had tried many different traditional medications and relaxing activities in attempt to reduce her anxiety and make her more relaxed. However, she mentioned that nothing had seemed to work until her friend introduced her to CBD oil, which according to her "worked like a charm". The 60 year old woman with Glaucoma had a similar story, as well.

Conclusions
After conducting my three interviews with typical members of this segment, I believe that this segment is definitely aware of the problem they have in that the traditional methods of treatment they were using were not working the way they wanted them to and needed a change. In regards to their information search, due to their access to the Internet and the numerous states that have legalized marijuana usage, patients have enough resources to discover that medical marijuana is a great option for alternative forms of medicine.

Blog Post #11: Assignment 11A - Idea Napkin No. 1

You
My name is Jack Hertz and I'm a rising senior APK major from Marblehead, MA. Although I would consider myself to be a typical, average, 21-year old man, I believe that I can be quite charming, very hard-working, detail-oriented, friendly, and confident without coming off as cocky. I am also very approachable, driven, and pride myself on doing the best work I can possibly do. I believe that all of these attributes and talents, along with my extensive experience with medical marijuana users, will help me make my medical marijuana delivery service. Since I take pride in doing the best work I can possibly do, I plan on putting everything I have into this service and making it the best it can possibly be. Specifically, I would love to see it become a nation-wide service, helping consumers in need of medical marijuana but are unable to access it.

What are you offering to customers?
My service will deliver medical marijuana to customers and patients who are in need of it for treatment purposes but are unable to physically acquire it due to their critical conditions. This service will allow more patients looking for alternative forms of treatment to use medical marijuana. Customers will be able to order specific amounts and strains of medical marijuana both online and/or over the phone. However, to ensure that this service remains 100% legal, it will be heavily regulated and only people with a medical marijuana card will be able to use it.

Who are you offering it to?
This service will be offered to all patients that own a valid medical marijuana card. Although most patients that will actually use this service will be those that are unable to access medical marijuana for treatment purposes by themselves, this service allows any patient with a valid card to use this service.

Why do they care?
Customers will use this service for a number of reasons. For example, many patients with chronic illnesses do not want or like to use traditional forms of medicine because of the negative side effects that accompany them. Therefore, these patients choose to look for alternative methods of treatment, such as medical marijuana. Another reason customers will choose this service is because it provides a simple, easy to use system that delivers the medical marijuana right to the doorsteps of its customers, making it easily accessible for all customers, not just those that are forced to stay at home.

What are your core competencies?
What separates this service from competing services is that this is the first legal form of marijuana delivery and transportation. Never before has there been a service that delivers medical marijuana, making it a unique service that no other company or organization can offer.

I believe that all of these elements fit together very well. By offering a service that has never been offered before, consumers with the unmet need are forced to use and purchase the service. There are many patients that are unable to access medical marijuana by themselves for numerous reasons. This means that there is a large target market and potential for this service to be successful.

Blog Post #10: Assignment 10A - Elevator Pitch No. 1

Blog Post #9: Assignment 9A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: After conducting my second set of interviews, I was able to find a few demographics that, although they should have the unmet need, do not and therefore, fall outside of the boundary. One demographic includes those with very close family members and friends. Even if the patient is unable to purchase the medical marijuana from a dispensary by themselves, they are able to rely on their friends and family, especially those who are above the age of 21 years old and live in an area where marijuana is legal, to pick up the treatment for them. Therefore, these people have no need for a service that delivers medical marijuana to them directly. Another demographic that should have this unmet need but does not are people who know others who sell marijuana illegally, also known as drug dealers. If a patient in need of marijuana for medical usage is friendly with a drug dealer who sells marijuana, the patient can just have the dealer come to their house to deliver the marijuana, and usually sell it for a cheaper price than what the dispensaries are charging.

What: The way the needs differ are due to what the consumer wishes to use the marijuana for. Most people that purchase medical marijuana use it as a form of treatment and a way to relieve pain and improve daily living. However, there are also many people purchase medical marijuana for recreational usage, whether it be their own, their friends, or others.

Why: The underlying cause for those on the outside of the boundary is due to the lack of regulation of illegal marijuana usage. Since nowadays, just about anybody over the age of 21 can purchase marijuana legally in some states, and drug dealers who sell marijuana are still very common, there are many people who do not require a medical marijuana delivery service.

• Inside the Boundary
• Who is In
• Patients with chronic illnesses
• What the Need is
• A way to purchase and receive medical marijuana without having to leave your bed
• Why the Need Exists
• Patients want to use medical marijuana for treatment purposes but are unable/too sick to leave their homes and travel to a dispensary to purchase it.
• Outside the Boundary
• Who is Not
• Patients who can travel despite their illnesses
• People with other forms of access to marijuana
• What the Need is Not
• Natural or alternative forms of treatment and medication
• Alternative Explanation
• Having access to illegal drug dealers that can sell patients marijuana for cheaper prices than dispensaries and deliver directly to the patients at their homes

Blog Post #8: Assignment 8A - Solving the Problem

Millions of people all across the world are suffering from chronic illnesses and other afflictions that force them to live in pain or in a way that is not ideal for them. Although there many medications and forms of treatments used to deal with these problems, a lot of them can be very addictive or even do more harm than good. Medical marijuana has become a new and popular way of treating diseases due to its many benefits that many traditional forms of treatment lack. However, even though it has been legalized in various states and countries and across the globe, many people choose to stay away from medical marijuana due to its perceived negative benefits and the fear of what others will think of them if they find out that they're using it. There are also some patients who are too sick to travel to a medical marijuana dispensary whenever they require the treatment. My solution is to provide a service that educates patients on the benefits of medical marijuana and then delivers it directly to the patients who need it in a discrete manner. This service will spread the word on all of the good that medical marijuana does for patients dealing with chronic illnesses and in pain while also making it easier and more discrete for patients to receive this form of treatment.

Blog Post #6: Assignment 6A - Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

Hi guys,

• Opportunities Related to Economic Trends
• Opportunity #1
• Quick Reaction Natural Disaster Services
• I found this opportunity from an article on The Balance, where they discussed how climate change is causing an increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, causing areas at greater risk for such events to invest large sums of money to become safer.
• I believe that since more natural disasters are occurring, there is a greater need for services that provide people with necessities, such as food, water, shelter, etc., for surviving natural disasters.
• The prototypical customer would be someone who lives in an area where a lot of natural disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, or tsunamis, occur. I also believe that people who do not have immediate access to services that can provide necessities for surviving natural disasters would be customers of this opportunity
• I think this opportunity would be relatively difficult to exploit due to the fact that natural disasters can be challenging to predict. I also believe that this opportunity would be very expensive.
• I saw this opportunity because I have experienced many natural disasters. I have seen all of the time and energy that goes into preparing for these events and how by creating greater access to services that help people during times like these can be the difference between life and death.
• Opportunity #2
• Hiring Unemployed and Homeless People to Manufacture Products in US
• I also found this opportunity from an article on The Balance. This article discusses how the United States is declining in global economic power due, in part, to the increased amount of job outsourcing.
• I believe that by manufacturing products of American soil rather than overseas, the US would be able to increase their global economic power. Although, it is typically more expensive to have manufacturing occur in the US rather than in China or another foreign country. However, by hiring those who are unemployed or homeless, who would typically be more than willing to accept a job with any sort of monetary compensation, companies would be able to create more jobs for US citizens while also maintaining their low manufacturing costs.
• Prototypical customers for this service would be US citizens who are either unemployed or homeless.
• I think this opportunity would be relatively easy to exploit since homelessness and unemployment are such major issues in the United States.
• I saw this opportunity because I know that the United States is not only no longer the only super power in the world, but also losing global economic power. Also, since I currently live in Gainesville, I see a lot of homeless people everyday and I always think to myself, "If only somebody could hire them, even if it was for a low paying job".
• Opportunities Related to Regulatory Changes
• Opportunity #1
• More Traditional Retailers and Less Online Retailers
• I found this opportunity in an article on Business News Daily. It discusses how online retailers are expected to see an increase in sales tax, meaning that retailers will be losing money and/or consumers will be paying more for products when purchasing them online. 
• With an increase in sales tax for products purchased online, not only will more people be willing to buy products from traditional retailers, people looking to start their own businesses will be more willing to sell their products in person rather than online to avoid the higher sales tax.
• The prototypical customer would be someone looking to buy cheaper products and comfortable with going to an actual store and purchasing their desired product in person.
• The opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit because people today have a tendency to be very lazy and will sometimes buy a product online for more money rather than in person for a cheaper price simply because of the greater convenience.
• I saw this opportunity because I would much rather pay a lower price and have to go to the actual store to buy something rather than pay more money for an item online.
• Opportunity #2
• Insurance Companies That Make It Easier to Be Approved
• I found this opportunity in an article on Becker's Spine Review. The article discusses how the difficultly of some medical patients to have their appeals be approved by insurance companies may increase in the near future.
• By providing people with opportunities to have their insurance appeals approved at an expedient rate, they would be able to get the medical care they need and be able to pay for it.
• The prototypical customer would be a medical patient that has difficulty getting approved for insurance.
• The opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit because the insurance appeal approval process can be very lengthy to ensure that the right people are getting the insurance they deserve.
• I saw this opportunity because I recently had to try to get an insurance appeal approved and it was a lengthy and daunting process. 

Blog Post #5: Assignment 5A - Identifying Local Opportunities

Hey everyone,

• Opportunity #1
• Title of Article
• Vote Yes for the new school
• Link of Article
• https://infoweb-newsbank-com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AZBBS%21Marblehead%2BReporter%252C%2BThe%2B%2528MA%2529&sort=YMD_date%3AD&maxresults=20&f=advanced&val-base-0=Problems&fld-base-0=alltext&docref=news/173C292EE3483DE8
• Description of Story
• This story discusses the inadequacy of public schools in Marblehead, MA, my hometown, and how many students have to deal with problems of the school buildings daily. The article goes in depth on how a new school building should be built due to the number of problems with the current ones, such as water with lead, musty smells, inadequate space for children to work with academic tutors, etc. 
• Description of Problem
• The current public school buildings in Marblehead, MA lack many basic amenities.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Marblehead Public Schools
• Students
• Parents of Students
• Teachers, Faculty, and Staff
• Opportunity #2
• Title of Article
• 'She was everything I had.' A mother pleads for answers after teen daughter killed
• Link of Article
• https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article230990483.html
• Description of Story
• The article discusses how a mother lost her daughter to a drive-by shooting one night out at a hookah bar in Miami. The girl was the mother's only daughter so she was very protective of her. 
• Description of Problem
• Teenagers always want to go out with their friends, without the supervision of parents, and have fun. However, it's not always safe, and can sometimes be very dangerous depending on the area and situation, for them. This can result in fatalities as unfortunately shown in the article.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Teenagers
• Parents of teenagers
• Other members of the local community
• Opportunity #3
• Title of Article
• Salem Diner closes after nearly 80 years in business
• Link of Article
• https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/05/31/salem-diner-closes-after-nearly-years-business/T5SA3Rjsqe0aDKUI9BVk0J/story.html
• Description of Story
• The story discusses how The Salem Diner, a local restaurant located in Salem, MA, has gone out of business after 80 years of service. It originally went out of business a couple of years ago but was bought and reopened by a local university. However, it was determined that the restaurant was "not cost effective for the campus", even though it was a historic landmark of the town that was said to retain it's old fashioned look and vibe.
• Description of Problem
• Many locally owned restaurants that decide to maintain their old-fashioned ways are losing business to more current, nicer, and technologically-advanced restaurants.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Owners of restaurants that don't renovate and update
• Customers of said restaurants
• Opportunity #4
• Title of Article
• Motorcyclist injured in collision with tree in Peabody
• Link of Article
• https://www.salemnews.com/news/updated-motorcyclist-injured-in-collision-with-tree-in-peabody/article_3a8e4dbe-83da-11e9-8737-579f6f5e407d.html
• Description of Story
• The story discusses how an elderly man lost control of his motorcycle and crashed into a tree. He was immediately taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, but no details on the extent of his injuries have been released yet. 
• Description of Problem
• Motorcycles can be very dangerous forms of transportation, especially for older people who ride them, and they need to be made to be safer. 
• Description of who has the Problem
• Motorcyclists
• Elderly people
• Opportunity #5
• Title of Article
• EPA fines local marinas
• Link of Article
• https://www.salemnews.com/news/local_news/epa-fines-local-marinas/article_0956d32d-212a-56d5-9794-9ce13e1ff91f.html
• Description of Story
• This article discusses how the Environmental Protection Agency fined marinas in Marblehead, MA and Beverly, MA thousands of dollars for the violation of federal clean water laws.
• Description of Problem
• Marinas can face difficulty when it comes to keeping water clean while disposing of unclean water and other products properly. Doing so can also be very expensive, as well.
• Description of who has the Problem
• Marina owners
• Boat owners

Blog Post #4: Assignment 4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief

Hey everyone,

1. My Beginning Point
I believe that people love going to see live music. Whether it's at a small dive bar in the middle of nowhere, a large concert in a big city, or a weekend-long music festival, it has been proven for many years that people will pay, sometimes a lot of money, to listen to their favorite musicians and bands perform in person. However, something that can make or break a fan's experience at a concert is the people that they are at the concert with.

2. Describing My Belief
When a person is deciding whether or not to attend a concert, one of the main factors that influences their decision is who else is actually going. People tend to find live music much more enjoyable when surrounded by people they know, meaning that they are more likely to go if they know someone else that is going. Therefore, what if you are someone that really wants to see a certain band perform but you cannot find anybody to go with you? Some people decide to go alone anyways, while others simply decide to not go and miss out on possibly one of the concerts ever! There are also some consumers who simply enjoy meeting other people with tastes in music similar to them. If only there was a way concert goers could find and meet other people going to the same concert before it even starts.

3. Identify The Prototypical Customer
The prototypical customer of a product that does this would definitely be someone who enjoys music and attending concerts, music festivals, and other forms of live music. Another characteristic would be someone who has difficulty finding people to go to concerts with and doesn't enjoy going to them alone. People who enjoy meeting and getting to know other people could also be prototypical customers.

4. Iteration

1. Iteration #1
1. What is the exact nature of your need?
1. I always find so many concerts that I want to go to when I'm home over summer. But none of my friends from home like the same kind of music as I do so I always have trouble finding people to go with. And since I'm not a fan of going to concerts alone, if I can't find anybody to go with, I end up not going at all. So I'm just looking for people to go to concerts with.
2. When did you become aware of this need?
1. During the summer after my freshman year in college, there was a really great DJ performing nearby that I wanted to see. But since I couldn't find anybody to go with, I ended up skipping it. Afterward I saw a video of it on YouTube and it looked amazing so I was mad.
3. Do you experience this problem a lot or only sometimes?
1. When I'm home I experience it a lot. But when I'm at school I rarely experience this problem because a lot of my friends at school like the same music as me.
4. How do you address this need?
1. I usually just try to stay near my friends from school so we can all go to concerts together.
2. Iteration #2
1. What is the exact nature of your need?
1. I always love meeting new people, especially at concerts because we have similar tastes in music, obviously! However, sometimes I'll meet someone and they turn out to be creepy. So I guess my need would be that I want to be able to see who's going to the concert beforehand so I can know who to stay away from and who to talk to.
2. When did you become aware of this need?
1. Last year at a concert.
3. Do you experience this problem a lot or only sometimes?
1. When I first started going to concerts I experienced this problem a lot. However, as I've been to a lot more concerts and I've become better at reading people and more experienced, it doesn't happen that much anymore.
4. How do you address this need?
1. I'll go on Facebook. Usually the concert will have a page on it where people can say whether they are going or not.
3. Iteration #3
1. What is the exact nature of your need?
1. I love live music and I don't mind going to concerts alone, but I definitely prefer going with other people I know. However, I don't have many friends that like the same music that I do and I'm terrible at going up to strangers and striking up a conversation out of nowhere in person. I wish there was a way I could interact and befriend people at the same concerts as me in a way that's more comfortable for me and less nerve wracking.
2. When did you become aware of this need?
1. My senior year of high school. I went to this concert by myself and I had a decent time, but I tried to hangout with some of the other fans because I thought if I was around friends, the concert would be more enjoyable. However, I ended up coming off as very creepy and socially awkward.
3. Do you experience this problem a lot or only sometimes?
1. Yeah this happens to me a solid amount of the time. 
4. How do you address this need?
1. I usually just go on Facebook and try to direct message some of the people that said they were going to the same concert as me on the concert's page. Sometimes it works, but other times I just feel very intrusive messaging some stranger on Facebook.

5. Reflect

After talking to some of my prototypical customers, I learned that their is already a platform where concert goers can meet others going to the same concerts as them; Facebook. However, I also learned that some people don't feel comfortable messaging random strangers online simply because they are going to the same concert. The most surprising thing I learned was how many people want to go to concerts and meet other people instead of simply just enjoying the show they are at. 

6. N/A

7. Summarize

Very little of my original opportunity remains after completing this assignment. For starters, there is already a way for people going to the same concerts to meet each other, but they don't feel very comfortable utilizing it. I do believe my new opportunity is more accurate than when I started. I think entrepreneurs should always be adapting to the needs of their core customer demographic in order to meet their needs.

Blog Post #3: Assignment 3A - Your Entrepreneurship Story

Hey guys!

So for this assignment, I would like to discuss an experience in my life where I was exposed to entrepreneurship. In 7th grade, as part of my "Mitzvah Project" that I had to complete for my Bar Mitzvah, I organized a sporting goods drive for the Plummer Home for Boys in Salem, Massachusetts, which is an all boys group home for underprivileged youth in the area without suitable living conditions. I was able to receive a large amount of donations and lightly-used sports equipment, such as sneakers, basketballs, baseball gloves, and many other examples, for the Plummer Home. It was safe to say that not only did I feel a great sense of accomplishment from being able to organize this project and have it be successful, but I was also happy to help those less fortunate than me.

On another note, I would like to discuss my reasoning behind why I chose to enroll in ENT3003. First, I chose this class because I need more credits from approved electives for my major and this class fit that criteria. Secondly, I have always pondered the idea of maybe opening my own exercise training facility for athletes of all ages some day. I figured this class would be able to give me the necessary information I need if I ever choose to pursue this dream of mine.

Blog Post #2: Assignment 2A - Bug List

Hey everyone!

Here is my "Bug List", a list of 20 things, occurrences, personality traits, etc. that annoy me:

1. When at a red light and driving in the far right lane and the car in front of you doesn't know that they can turn right on red!
1. Why: When drivers are stuck at a red light, they tend to go on their cell phones and not pay attention to their surroundings.
2. When you're having a conversation with someone and they tell the same story twice.
1. Why: Sometimes the speaker will forget that they had already told a certain story and have nothing better to say.
3. At work, one of your coworkers is being lazy and not doing his job well so you have to work twice as hard.
1. Why: Your coworkers passion for a particular line of work may not be on the same level as your own.
4. A person that acts too energetic and happy.
1. Why: The person may be trying to show a fake personality because they feel insecure about how they are perceived by others.
5. People that try to seem like a "know-it-all".
1. Why: People try to portray themselves as smart to their peers because they think it'll give them a sense of power and/or for the sense of appraisal.
6. A light being on in a room that isn't being used.
1. Why: People using the room previously forget to turn off the light.
7. People with terrible body odor when in public areas.
1. Why: People don't care enough about themselves to maintain good hygiene and/or cannot afford products necessary for avoiding poor body odor.
8. People with extremely high-pitched laughs.
1. Why: Genetics, where we grew up, and by whom are contributing factors to how our laughs are developed.
9. People who leave their dirty dishes in the sink and don't clean them.
1. Why: Cleaning your dirty dishes can be a tedious task that may not seem very important at the time.
10. When I have an itch I cannot scratch.
1. Why: There are certain parts of our bodies that we cannot reach with our limbs.
11. The Internet freezing while trying to type something.
1. Why: The device being used is trying to process and accomplish too many things at once.
12. Having to repeat myself more than once to someone I'm speaking to.
1. Why: The person I'm speaking to isn't listening to me or focused on something else.
13. Getting called the wrong name when first meeting someone.
1. Why: They thought they heard a different name being said when introduced.
14. Asking someone to do something and they forget to do it.
1. Why: They have a poor memory or what you asked them to do was not a priority for them.
15. Being woken up in the middle of night obnoxiously loud people.
1. Why: People go to bed at different times and speak at different volumes.
16. People that make plans to hangout with you, but then cancel at the last minute.
1. Why: They want to hangout with you, but it doesn't take precedence over other, more important things.
17. House pets that go to the bathroom inside of the house.
1. Why: The pets are not properly house-trained.
18. Restaurants that mess up what I order, causing the time it takes for me to get my food to increase greatly.
1. Why: The employees preparing the food are not paying enough attention to what they are making and/or do not know how to make the food.
19. People borrowing my stuff without asking.
1. Why: My peers are jealous/need what I have but are too uncomfortable with asking me to borrow it.
20. Sitting in the middle seat on an airplane and one of or both of my arm rests are being occupied by the people sitting next to me.
1. Why: Not enough people are aware of "plane etiquette".

Personally, I found this assignment to be quite challenging. When I'm out in my everyday life, it's easy for me to see something, be able to identify it, and say "That bugs me". However, when I'm sitting on my couch at my apartment, trying to recall certain instances where I have been annoyed in the past, it is much more difficult than I had anticipated.

Blog Post #1: The Test Post

Hey everyone!

My name is Jack Hertz and I'm currently enrolled in ENT3003, Principles of Entrepreneurship. I'm currently majoring in Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and I look forward to this semester and all that I will learn!

Thanks for reading!

Jack Hertz