Reading Reflection No. 1

I read Steve Jobs, Walter Issacson

The thing that surprised me the most about Steve Jobs was that he dropped out of college after one year. I found this hard to believe. This is extremely inspiring and shows how far one can go with determination and hard work.

The thing that I most admire about Steve Jobs is his grit and determination for success. He could have given up so easily when things were not going his way; however, his passion and drive for his work and overall success caused him to prevail.

There are not many things that I can say that I least admire about Steve Jobs. One thing mentioned in his autobiography was that he used some of his employee’s ideas as his own. This takes away from his credibility and sets a negative example as a leader of a company.

Steve Jobs encountered much adversity and failure. When Jobs’ wife was pregnant, he claimed that it was not his child and struggled with the issue for time which distracted him from furthering his innovation in his products. In addition, dropping out of college is any obstacle to face when it comes to making a name for yourself in the world.

Jobs exhibited many competencies that displayed what kind of worker and man he was. Some of these competencies include drive, grit, confidence, adaptive, persistent and innovative.

None of the reading was confusing to me. There were a few instances in which actions Job’s completed were implied and things jumped from idea to another, but the thing that baffled me was the chapter on his childhood. I was unaware of his family situation and what kind of child he actually was.

If I could ask Jobs two questions, they would be:

What kept you determined in your product and could you imagine your product was going to be

as successful as it is today?

What are some pieces of advice you would give to an aspiring entrepreneur who is struggling with their current product and wants to give up?

I would ask these questions because with a visionary such as Jobs, I think he would give great advice and I want to know what kept him determined through all of his failure and hardships.

I think Steve Jobs’ opinion on hard work is that it is necessary if you want to be successful in any career path you decide to pursue. He worked countless hours and was a perfectionist which helped him in becoming a successful entrepreneur. I share his opinion and agree that if you are not working hard you won’t be successful in what you are trying to achieve.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

For this exercise, the one segment I chose to target was students living on Fraternity Row. 

I decided to interview three students who live on different sides of Fraternity Row. One student is in Alpha Epsilon Pi, one student is in Theta Chi, and the other student is in Phi Gamma Delta. Each student I interviewed has either a car or a scooter and feels that a better solution needs to be made regarding the current parking situation on Fraternity Row.

When the people I interviewed discussed how they felt about the parking situation on Fraternity Row, they all believed that it is flawed. They said that there are way too many cars or scooters parked there throughout the day to find a spot. In addition, when they find an open spot sometimes they are unable to park in it due to the size of it. When they became aware of their need, the only solution they thought about was complaining to their friends but not actually trying to bring about changes. All the people I interviewed feel the same way about the situation but were not active in bringing out a real solution to the problem. They discuss the parking with their friends and it is forgotten about until the next day when they realize that they are going to have to find another spot once they move their car/scooter to get food or go to class.

I found that the need is real throughout my interviews based on the segment that I targeted. All three of these students despise parking on Fraternity Row but have nothing to currently do about it besides complaining. They all really liked the solution I provided them; however, this change is necessary now and some cannot wait for a new parking lot to be built over the next year or two. While some people cannot wait for a lot to be built, this need will be existent until the parking changes. This segment finds the need necessary and are tired of paying money for a decal in a parking lot in which it can be difficult to find an open spot or even to park in an open spot.

Idea Napkin No. 1

1. I am Blake Rubenstein and I am a business major from Miami, Florida. I have a passion for sports whether it is watching or participating. I am good at communicating and work very well with other people. My aspirations include someday opening up a sports-related business or taking on other entrepreneur-type of ventures. If I were to start this business concept, I would see this as a side venture compared to something I have an actual passion for. I would think this business as a short term option as a career choice in my life.

2. The service that I am providing to customers is giving students on Fraternity Row more spots to park in. This will be achieved by building a parking lot near the houses on Fraternity Row so it can be easily accessed by the students who live at these houses.

3. My customers can be categorized as male students who attend the University of Florida. These students are in fraternities and specifically live on Fraternity Row. Their ages can range anywhere from 18 to 22, depending on what student year they are classified as by the University of Florida. These students are also the ones who have either a car or scooter or both.

4. Customers will pay money to use our service because they are currently extremely frustrated and dissatisfied with the parking on Fraternity Row. Parking on Fraternity Row is a hassle, there is a lack of spots and the spots are small for certain vehicles. The service I am providing these fraternity students solves all the problems that they encounter with their current parking situation. There will most likely be extra spaces in the lot and the spaces will be able to fit a wide variety of vehicles that students drive.

5. The lack of parking on the campus at the University of Florida makes it easy for this service to succeed. Students who park on Fraternity Row must have a red decal and pay $80 per semester to obtain a potential spot (a spot that is not even guaranteed). The spots that are going to be provided with the lot that will be built will guarantee students spots and larger spaces than the current ones on Fraternity Row. Students frustrations will turn into content when it comes to my solution.

I think that the combination of all these elements would fit very well together. I believe that my skills correspond well with the types of customers that my service targets. In addition, I think that the service I am providing is extremely relevant to students who live on fraternity row and the timing of a new parking lot could not be better due to all the information I gathered from my interviews. I believe that each aspect of my business concept work hand-in-hand with each other, which will bring much success.