Finding an opportunity belief

    I think that in a time of increasing importance of electronic storage and privacy concerns, the desire for personal network attached storage (NAS) services exist. A NAS is a way of storing information on one's personal home network. If set-up and software were open and easily available than in the face of ever increasing privacy and security concerns would make such a product desirable. Currently you can purchase a NAS but the bar for set-up is still relatively high for a tech illiterate individual. Making a “plug-n-play” bundle of hardware and software I hope to fill a gap in people's storage needs.

Prototypical customer #1

My grandmother

Are you worried about the security of your data?

No, why?

Are you a tech person?

No, I use you to make sure everything works.

What do you use to store data?

I have a old desktop computer that I just store my important things on.

What would be the perfect storage scenario for you?

I could look at all my pictures from my phone.

Prototypical customer #2

My little brother

Are you a tech person?

No, I can't do much without asking for help.

What do you use to store data?

Flash drives

Do you trust this method?

Yeah? Why wouldn't I?

What would be the perfect storage scenario for you?

I don't know, a 128 GB flash drive.

Prototypical customer #3

My mom

Are you a tech person?

No, but I get by with what I need to use.

What do you use to store data?

I keep a hard drive with all my data saved on it. It's getting a few years old now.

Do you trust this method?

No the hard drive could stop and all of the data could be lost.

What would be the perfect storage scenario for you?

I'm not sure, probably an iCloud for everything.

Reflection

Everyone has a method they use to store their data, even if they are all vastly different. Additionally, they state that security is important to them but they don't seem to want to make the changes to a better solution. The convenience and inexperience they currently have seem to be the most they are willing to look into. This varies from individual to individual but on the whole it seems to be a general lack of concern that keeps them stagnant.

Summary

I don't think my idea has the legs to survive. People don't care enough about security to make the changes from what they are doing now. Unfortunately privacy is something people say they are concerned about but convenience takes precedence. Current solutions provided by large tech companies are more likely to gain traction than a small business looking to place the responsibility of security on an individual. Not everyone can or cares to learn what it takes to maintain their data. Hopefully Amazon, Apple, and Google do as they say and put the security of an individual over the profitability of selling said data, hopefully.

Bug List

1. The buses that Gainesville uses have confusing numbering, especially any of the single and double digit buses.
1. I haven’t cared enough to read the entire list of buses so numbering may never make sense to me while I remain ignorant to the whole system.
2. Fresh Food Company only makes good food for the Students on preview and the IA students who still need to eat get scraps.
1. I got tricked into paying money for a service that isn’t up to the same standard that I was previously given.
3. The skate park at UF is lacking in basic parts of a normal park, additionally there are pieces that are so old and run-down that they just take up space.
1. Skating has been on a downward trend since the 90’s and there are better places for the money to be spent.
4. The washing machines at Beaty Towers are expensive, as well as not even capable as providing a decent wash.
1. The machines are old, but not old enough to warrant purchasing new ones.
5. The closest library near me closes too early for it to be useful to be, so I have to walk to Marston to do anything in a library.
1. Marston isn’t really that far and my room isn’t that bad of a place to study.
6. Fresh Food company can’t cook rice correctly, it’s always undercooked.
1. They have to feed a large number of students, to expect them to cook everything well at that scale is unreasonable.
7. I’ve run out of socks but I don’t want to pay all that money just for some socks to wash and dry if my other clothes aren’t ready to wash yet.
1. Suck it up laundry boy, while the school is trying to make money off of your need for clean clothes it doesn’t mean you need to wait as long as you do to wash everything.
8. There isn’t a comfortable and reasonably priced way for me to get back to Fort Lauderdale.
1. Buses aren’t always the most comfortable way to travel but they are cost effective.
9. I destroyed my skate shoes and I have to wait for new ones in the mail.
1. Next time use products to extend the life of the shoes.
10. I dropped my textbook on my foot.
1. Move over to ebooks, can’t drop those. (Unless I drop my laptop)
11. My new pants still have the anti theft device on it.
1. If only there were a way to make a product that defeats the purpose of the anti theft device without getting sued.
12. French Fries never taste good reheated.
1. The need the crisp outside and soft inside, a microwave doesn’t crisp the outside, and an oven can only do so much.
13. I have to use snapchat in order to coordinate my study groups.
1. Snapchat is a horrible chatting client but it’s the most popular app in my age group so it’s the one that gets used.
14. Someone tried to talk to my while I was in a public bathroom.
1. Can we legally force silence in a restroom, asking for a friend.
15. I forgot to wear a long pair of pants for my chemistry lab because it’s so hot today, luckily I had time to run back to my room.
1. I think buying  pair of scrubs will solve this problem because I can just carry the scrubs around and not forget them.
16. Having to pay tip for services that have minimum interaction with a person.
1. This is a product of employers not paying their workers correctly, if only there was some way for workers to join together to ensure that they are all respected and compensated for their work.
17. All my friends are having fun, meanwhile I’m writing gripes.
1. Not only do I need to take this class but I think it could be very informative, plus they aren’t doing the work they are supposed to be doing anyways.
18. I haven’t seen any of the movies people are excited about because I always seems to have school work due at the most inconvenient times.
1. Getting to the movie theater is difficult without a car, especially when you are juggling classes.
19. The news is getting more depressing by the day, but I want to remain informed.
1. “This too shall pass” is a Persian adage reflecting on the temporary nature of the human condition. Worst of all however would be to just dig my head in the sand when democracy demands that each and every citizen do their part in ensuring the continuation of justice.
20. Messy dorm rooms make my feel gross for being near their rats nest.
1. People get lazy with their living space and don’t feel the need to clean as thoroughly as me or my roommates.

Refection

I found this difficult because I could get annoyed with something but not really understand in a concise way why it made me as annoyed as it did. This assignment had me questioning why things that annoy me do so in the first place. I had plenty of gripes that I deleted simply because I couldn’t answer the simple question of WHY.

Additionally, not all of my gripes can be solved through a new innovation from a single entrepreneur. Rather they are systemic issues on the part of the university that can only be substituted with third party companies. Unless some form of consultation counts, if it is that may just be my goal for this class.

My Entrepreneurship Story

Many of my family in Jamaica are entrepreneurs, whether it’s in the music business or the tourist industry. My Grandfather actually just sold his three-day festival to a Canadian millionaire, yet he’s already looking to start another festival, not even bothering to find out if he would enjoy retirement. I wonder if I should have told him from when I was younger that I would want to take over for him, would he have held onto it for when it would be my time to take it over? A business I watched grow from my first memories all the way to today, something he spent a lifetime on, would go from his capable hands to mine. I don’t think I could do it, maybe by the end of this class it would seem closer to reality but for twenty years it always seemed impossible. I hope this class could give me the confidence to think I could have taken over and made it my own.

BIG TEST

Test, test, Mary had a little lamb.