Week 4 Reading Reflection

1. What surprised me was that there are 4 phases in the creative process. It sounds contradictory because creativity, to me, is something that pops up out of your head from nowhere. Although, this section made me realize that there is a general step-by-step process for the most typical creative development.d
2. One thing I was confused with was under the principles of innovation section, the author said that innovators need to start small. I get that point because you shouldn't always be thinking of a world problem fixer, but I feel like this idea might prevent people from thinking of the big idea. It's confusing because the author then contradicts himself because then he says innovators should aim high for success.
3. If I were to ask two questions to the author regarding this chapter I would ask: 1) Which type of innovation is easiest and/or most successful? I would ask this because there's many different types of innovators, and wondering what they are like compared to each other. The next question I would ask is 2) Can entrepreneurs be successful if they are not really creative? I would ask this because although he says everyone can build their creativity, I think many entrepreneurs find other strategic ways in being successful. 
4. What I didn't agree with was the idea about developing your creativity through recognizing relationships. Not that I didn't agree with his point about it, but I think that ability is something more so natural than what you can build on. Although you can try and find those complementary pairs, I think people with great skills can be able to do that naturally and unconsciously. 

Customer Interview No. 1

The opportunity that I believe exists is how the Marston Science Library seems to be very old and dilapidated compared to the modern and new Library West because of its lack of outlets and computers. I think the person who tends to have this problem is college aged kids at UF who use libraries to study which excludes the students who use their apartments or dorms to study in instead. Although I've personally been frustrated at Marston, other people have this unmet need that there are so few outlets on the upper levels of Marston when they're trying to study that they just end up going home where they can't get as much work done. This is why I asked each customer these questions:

1. Do you enjoy going to libraries to study?
2. Do you like Library West or Marston better? And why?
3. Would you go to Marston if it had more outlets and was more technological?

I learned that people have the same trouble I have at Marston which is the lack of outlets on mainly the upper floors. Although there are other reasons choosing each library, this is still a main concern I hear from not only the people I interviewed but my friends as well. I think Marston would benefit greatly if it had improved technological resources in the library such as more outlets at each desk, more computers for researching, and interactive group study rooms. 

I didn't find interviewing customers to be too hard or nerve-wracking just because I knew they weren't personal or long questions. I did find some trouble though because it took me a total of 11 people to say yes to do an interview. Then, even when I succeeded there, 3 people said that they've never been to either library to study so I had to move on because they had no experience in answering these questions. I still found this to be a fun and valuable exercise because I got out of my comfort zone but also was able to identify a problem that people had similar to me.

Top 5 World Problems

Most to Least Seriousness

1. Global terrorism
2. Availability of energy 
3. Pollution
4. Political instability 
5. Climate change

I ranked global terrorism at the top because personally, I think national security is the biggest concern in our lives as well as the up most importance for our government. Also, right now, global terrorism is very high with many recent and large attacks. For the rest of the list, I chose these other four because the mainly run along the lines of the environment and global political instability. I find the environment to be very important as I cherish my times out in nature, which is why it would be such a shame for it to be destroyed with our energy crisis and pollution causing dramatic climate change. Then, political stability can cause global terrorism which is why I think that political instability needs to be a big focus as it also leads to many other harmful things.

Most-Possible to Implement to Least-Possible to Implement

1. Pollution
2. Climate change
3. Lack of drinking water
4. Global terrorism
5. Overpopulation

I ranked pollution as my most possible global problem to implement a solution for because I think it can be decreased if we use more renewable energy sources as well as having stricter rules in production with cleanliness and guidelines at big factories and other places. I think this can be done the easiest out of all of mine because simple guidelines can be put in place for these things to be accomplished. I think climate change can't be changed quickly, but I think it can be fixed if we decrease our reliance on energy sources such as oil and coal which produce harmful gases. I think overpopulation can be solved if you put a limit on children, although I can't decide how ethical that is. Then, a lack of drinking water can be solved if we have a global focus of countries try to help provide for these poor, nutrient-enriched countries which I think is possible. Global terrorism can't necessarily be solved completely, but I think it can be diminished if we form a giant group of alliances and surround the enemies until they give up, which I think can be done if we put in a practical plan. I think overpopulation can be solved if you put a limit on children, although I can't decide how ethical that is, which is why it's last on my list of implementation chances. 

Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Politicians say Miami ‘slums' prove need for new laws    http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A8E3CD20CD1840?p=AWN. This story is talking about how poorly kept and disgusting some of the apartments are in Miami due to landlords taking advantage of their tenants. Tenants are having a problem with these bad conditions because they think they are being robbed essentially with these almost unlivable conditions as their landlords sit back and collect the money. This article is pressing for some sort of change/ new law to put into place so that landlords can't take advantage of their tenants by keeping their building up to date. 
2. Car2go pulling out of Miami on March   http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F856AF5D168?p=AWNB. This story is talking about how the car-sharing service, Car2go will be suspending their operations in Miami and Miami Beach. Their reasoning is that although Miami has a need for a car-sharing service, Miami is one of the most expensive cities in America for this service. Car2go is also taxed more as a rental car service which will make them to turn to other cities with more profit available. This will affect the people of Miami as Car2go had 300 cars helping people get to places they needed to be. 
3. Crocodile found lounging in pool at Keys house    http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F792D85F610?p=AWNB. This story is talking about how a homeowner in the Keys found a 8 foot crocodile in their pool one morning. This problem of animals getting into the properties of homeowners is growing to be a problem in South Florida as a woman found a half-dead shark at Mariner's Cay condo in Hypoluxo the other day too. 
4. Scared cops                http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F86467A6E98?p=AWNB. This story comes from the editorial page and the writer is upset because for the second year on MLK Day, bikes, trikes, and ATV's ran throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties uncontrollably. His problem is that the police did nothing and were afraid to take action unless they committed a felony, but then will still go sit in the bushes and pull you over for going just a couple over the speed limit. He is arguing that police need to be taking more fighting action instead of sitting back and doing the least amount of work possible.
5. Cable dispute            http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A88F87184BAA60?p=AWNB. This story also comes from the editorial page and the writer is upset because WSVN- Channel 7 and AT&T U-Verse decided to not broadcast the NFC playoff game on the local channel. Obviously he wasn't the only one with this problem in his area as many people subscribe with AT&T, but he states that if he is unable to watch the NFC Championship Game, then he is going to switch providers from AT&T to Xfinity. 

Week 3 Reading Reflection

1. I think what surprised me was the chapter's emphasis on the dark side of entrepreneurship. Not that I found this information completely new to me, but I was surprised the detail and effort they put into that section. At the same time though, it was nice to see because you can't sugarcoat all of entrepreneurship because there are negative side effects. What I found most interesting that I never thought about before was the entrepreneurial ego which causes an overbearing need for control, sense of distrust, overriding desire for success, and unrealistic optimism. I thought this was a great point because it outlines what an entrepreneur needs to stay away from to be most successful. 
2. What I found most confusing was the section on entrepreneurial cognition. Although I understand entrepreneurs have a different mind-set on how they approach things, they started going too scientific and it seemed to lose my focus. It seemed very wordy when describing the cognitive adaptability and the metacognitive model and the differences between them. 
3. Are entrepreneur's innately born with the specified, typical characteristics? I ask this because I wonder if you can gain these qualities and become an entrepreneur over time or if it's a simple mind-set some people just don't have. Secondly, do you feel that this entrepreneurial ego actually helps entrepreneurs in certain situations/increases their success at all? I would ask this because although the 4 things he lists seem to be negative, I feel like those are the reasons why these people became entrepreneurs and boosted them to a level of success.
4. What I did not agree with was the figure on classifying decisions using a conceptual framework. I did not understand what the classifications of manifestation and codification meant in the diagram. Also, although I agree there's no clear cut answer to some problems, what's the point of defining a decision if each person has different ethics. 

Very Short Interview No.1

I interviewed Sarah Fitzgerald who is the founder and owner of Healthcare Financial Group, LLC in Tampa, FL. This business provides consulting and accounting services to the hospital and healthcare industry since 1992 in the state of Florida. I believe she can be categorized as an entrepreneur because she saw an opportunity to provide this service to all of these hospitals that wasn't there before. She started this business because each hospital was using different companies, and her objective was to be able to create relationships within these hospitals in Florida. Then once she gained the trust of a couple hospitals, it slowly grew to now where they cover a lot of hospitals.

• What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
• The first thing that comes to people’s minds, is the “risk-taking” aspect of being an entrepreneur.  Although it can be risky, the reward can easily outweigh the risk.  The key is to seize an opportunity, or meet an unmet need.  You don’t necessarily need to invent something in order to be an entrepreneur.  Being an entrepreneur means instantly becoming the boss instead of the employee, working until 10:00 at night, and borrowing $6,000 from your grandmother to buy your first computer like I had to!
• What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneurship course?
• Passion is a bonus.  Understand the difference between a hobby and a business.  In other words, doing something you are passionate about may not be enough to create or sustain a successful business, but seizing an opportunity and creating a successful business may give you the means to provide for those you are passionate about! Timing is key. You need to develop technical skills in your area of interest, that gain the respect of others.  There will come a time when an opportunity presents itself, and when you will have the gravitas to make a break.
• What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?
• Technical skills are important, but so are relationships. Relationships with co-workers and clients/customers matter. Be a good listener. You don’t need to constantly “sell.”  Business opportunities will present themselves if you listen to the concerns of your clients/customers.

Although I know being an entrepreneur doesn't necessarily mean inventing something, it was nice to hear that confirmation from an entrepreneur because all she did was fulfilling an unmet need. Her answer to my second question was surprising because although it's tough to specifically teach entrepreneurship, she suggests to teach people to build businesses around their own passions. That was very inspiring because most people try to think of some out-of-the-box idea, but it's usually at your fingertips. Also, the idea of "timing" was something I never thought of, but it makes sense because sometimes different services are goods are required or most wanted at different times. Lastly,  it was interesting to hear her stress of relationships because at the of the day, you have to be able to work with people and have them respect you.

World's Biggest Problems

• Global terrorism 
• This has probably become one of the biggest issues over the last 15 years starting with 9/11 to the more recent ISIS attacks. Most of these problems, although not exclusively, are stemming from the Middle East and it's believed that they are angry due to the spread of Western culture and foreigner's need for their oil. This is a complicated problem to fix as people argue that fighting fire with fire isn't a good idea, but if it was up to me, I'd form an alliance with a group of stable, peace-keeping countries to try to stop and eliminate these groups such as ISIS.

• Availabaility of energy 
• Another big problem, especially evident in the United States, is the need and thus lack of availability of energy. Currently, Americans and the rest of the world are dependent on oil to power their cars and other machines. We're also dependent on coal and fossil fuels which like oil have a limited supply on earth. The way to fix this is not a fast process but is one we can succeed in if we slowly start using renewable energy sources such as wood, municipal waste, and agricultural crops. We can also use natural energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal energy in replacement of these limited and harmful gases and fuels. 
• Lack of drinking water
• Although we don't always see it in America, the lack of drinking water across the globe is astonishing with facts stating 1/10 people lack access to drinking water and 1/3 lack access to a toilet. Water is absolutely vital to a person's health so thus we have to find a way to provide more water to these places. One of my suggestions is to build desalination plants across the coasts of countries such as Africa and India who have some of the biggest problems. This is obviously very costly and I think the only way to achieve this besides asking their government to do so, is a long process of donations and businesses set up to build these plants.
• Infectious diseases 
• Infectious diseases have always been a problem especially in less developed countries. We saw this most recently with the Ebola outbreak a couple years in Africa. Obviously you can't fix diseases worldwide with one big idea, but I think one way to slow these down is to educate the people in these countries by integrating these science concepts into the political and social life of the people. Then, I think like the last problem, getting doctors to these countries is costly so I think we have to continue and create more businesses to receive donations in funding these doctors.
• Climate change 
• Climate change is one of the biggest environmental problems the world faces due to the rise of global warming. Global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and harmful gases from factories and other industries. This climate change has affected the polar ice caps, the change in seasonal temperatures, as well as the more frequent occurrence of floods. The way to fix this rise in global warming connects to my earlier point of changing over from oil and gases to renewable energy sources because these don't cause the atmosphere to change. 

• Increase of weapons of mass destruction  
• In this rise of global terrorism, countries have started to create more weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear, chemical, biological or other types of weapons. Americans have seen this most recently with the Iranian Nuclear Threat because Iran is already a leading state in terrorism, and nuclear weapons would further pose a threat to our national security. This is another problem that is very delicate and tough to fix because you're trying to fight fire with fire. My most practical solution would probably to once again form an alliance with stable, peace-keeping countries and intimidate that country with our weapons as that would be the way with the least amount of fighting.
• Pollution
• Pollution is another large environment problem and it stems from mainly industry and motor vehicle exhaust. I already discussed the harmful effects of oil on the air, but heavy metals and chemicals that are used in big factories also cause pollution. Water and soil pollution are also problems and these can be caused by oil spills, urban runoff stemming from industrial waste. Like most environment problems, the best way to fix this is through the increasing use of renewable energy sources instead of harmful gases and toxins that are released. 
• Political instability
• Political instability has always been a problem and we are once again seeing it in the regions of political and religious unrest. Countries around the world are falling to extremist groups and dictators because of their political instability. We are seeing this heavily once again in the Middle East as they fall to extremist Islam groups. My fix to political instability would mainly separate the church from the state because most of these countries problems stem from religion. 
• Unemployment 
• One of the biggest problems in the world as always is unemployment. Simply put, the world economy is not creating enough jobs especially for young people. Unemployment limits the world in generating economic growth, and this perpetuates inequality causing a small percentage of people to hold most of the the wealth. A fix to this would be to retrain the people who have been previously been put out of work and to make labor markets more flexible raising productivity and the quality of the job.
• Overpopulation
• Overpopulation is a huge environmental problem right now that I think goes unnoticed sometimes. The population of our planet right now is reaching incredible numbers which causes shortages of key resources such as water, fuel, and food. Overpopulation also is worsened in countries that are less developed as they already have limited resources. This is a tough one to fix because the simple solution would be to limit families' children which I think is wrong in doing but at some point, it might become necessary.

My Bug List

1. Talking to a voice recording for a technical problem 
• This happens because it's costly to have actual people answering all the questions of callers.
2. When people drive too slow in the left lane
• This happens for no particular reason besides people but maybe because they don't realize or because they're trying to slow down traffic.
3. The traffic in Gainesville on Museum Rd. and 13th street during rush hour
• This happens because rush hour is a busy time on the road, but also because the light systems are poorly timed. 
4. Having to shave
• This exists for everyone and its just a nuisance that takes time out of your day.
5. Hair in public bathrooms 
• This exists because people are messy and don't care enough to pick it up.
6. When people try to get on an elevator when people are still trying to get off 
• This happens because people may be in a hurry and not caring of other people's feelings.
7. When the spirals of a notebook come out of place
• This happens because they are cheaply made.
8. People that tap their pen/feet in class
• This happens because of a variety of reasons due to nervousness or just it being a habit.
9. How easy iPhones screen shatter
• This happens because they're made of glass and because I'm sure Apple doesn't make them that well so you have to pay for more money. 
10. Advertisements on YouTube videos
• This exists YouTube is trying to make money and companies are trying to advertise their company.
11. Confusing phone system menu options 
• This exists because of these automated voice messages and don't specify which number you should press. 
12. Unskilled service representatives 
• This exists because it's not a desirable job and its low pay.
13. When you're in your bed, and you want to turn the fan on 
• This bugs me purely out of my laziness.
14. Getting blisters from new shoes 
• This happens because your foot hasn't molded into the shape of the new shoe or the material the shoe is made out of isn't comfortable for your feet.
15. When your phone or computer freezes
• This happens for a variety, but usually unspecified reasons sometimes which is why it bugs me. 
16. Having to cut your nails 
• This is simply just another annoying task that takes time.
17. Apple headphones that tangle so quickly 
• This happens for unknown reasons which is why it frustrates me and the rest of the world, but maybe because of the material Apple uses.
18. Super expensive textbooks for college students 
• This exists because of of companies overcharging as they know college students need these books to pass classes. 
19. When umbrellas fly open when it's too windy 
• This happens because they are poorly made and can't handle wind. 
20. People having sweaty hands 
• This happens for a variety of reasons maybe due to someone's nervousness, their internal body temperature, or etc. 

I thought this was an extremely difficult assignment as it took me a while to come up with 20 tangible things that bugged me. For me, when I'm put on spot to list these sort of things, it usually takes me a while because sometimes they're so obvious to me in everyday life, that I forget about them. This assignment shows how tough it is to be an entrepreneur because they roles are to fix the unmet needs in society, and I could barely make a simple list of my unmet needs.

Week 2 Reading Reflection

1. I think what stood out to me the most was the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor that measured 250 million people were involved in early stage entrepreneurial activity. This was a startling statistic to me and I hope it continues to go up as I believe entrepreneurs are vital to a successful economy. 
2. I think one thing that I thought was confusing was the dynamic states approach. I thought the integrative approach made sense with the ideas of inputs and outcomes, but the dynamic states approach seemed very complicated, and he picture for it almost made it worse. I couldn't tell how it was different or why it was different that the integrative approach. 
3. Do you think anyone can be an entrepreneur? I would ask this because he says that you can teach people how to be an entrepreneur, but I still argue that some people just don't have those risk-taking, individually motivating personalities. Secondly, do you believe the macro or micro school of thought has more influence on an entrepreneur? I would ask this because one deals with the external and one deals with the internal, and I would want to know which is best.
4. The thing I disagreed with was the author's descriptions of entrepreneurs. He always made it seem like being an entrepreneur required earth-shattering inventions and creative ideas. In his comparison with a small-business, he almost made it seem like they weren't entrepreneurs because they wanted stability and less risk. Entrepreneurs just have to find a little niche in their community whether that'd be a small or big idea. 

My Entrepreneurship Story

      I've been exposed to entrepreneurship in a variety of ways which influenced me in taking this course. First, both of my parents are entrepreneurs in fields such as clothing sales and accounting. I've watched them over the last 20 years start and succeed in their respective fields and companies so I've seen it first hand. What I like about entrepreneurship and seen from them is the flexible hours and ability to create and control your own work. They've both had to take plenty of risks in a variety of ways and that is why I think entrepreneurship is such a fascinating field. Another way I've been exposed to entrepreneurship is that I started the entrepreneurship club at my high school with my friends. We brought in fabulous entrepreneurs to come in and talk to our club to give us insight on the process and attitude of being an entrepreneur. All of these factors motivated me to enroll in ENT 3003 because I'd love to be an entrepreneur one day, and I believe this is one of my first couple steps. In this class, I hope I can gain knowledge on the mindset of an entrepreneur as one can go through many ups and downs as well as starting to figure out how to build my own personal network. The picture below is of my high school entrepreneurship club with one of our speakers, Matt Miller, who is a life science entrepreneur who's founded three companies and has licensed technology from some of the top universities in the country.

My Introduction

        My name is James Daley Donigan Jr., but I go by my middle name Daley because my dad goes by James. Currently, I'm a freshman and a finance major. I still don't know exactly what I want to do in life career wise, but ideally I think it would involve business and sports because those are two passions of mine.  I was born and raised in Tampa, Florida and my main hobbies include golf, soccer, and fishing. I have one older sister named Mackenzie who actually graduated last year from UF, and I have a twin sister named Lainey who is currently at UF with me as well.  My family is a big part of who I am because I’m not only very close with my parents and sisters, but I’m also very super close with all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins who all live in Florida as well. Florida football for me, like a lot of people, is more than just a sport; it’s a way of life.  Because my family has season tickets for football, my dad and I have always cherished those Saturday afternoons in the fall cheering on the Gators. I chose UF because it’s been my dream school ever since I was born. This passion is due to the fact that the University of Florida has deep roots in my family considering my grandpa has lived here since the 50's as well as my dad, two aunts, two uncles, two sisters, and a cousin all attending UF. Although I have not traveled much, last summer I went to Italy with my family for two weeks visiting cities such as Amalfi, Rome, Venice, Tuscany, and Florence. It was an incredible trip as we immersed ourself in the culture as much as possible. Here is a picture of my family in Venice. 

My Entrepreneur's Mantra

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