1.
Living in Florida the weather can be extremely
unpredictable. One minute its Sunny and 100 degrees and the next its pouring
down rain. This can make staying prepared difficult.
2.
No one wants to carry around an umbrella all day
and have it not rain. Imagine if there was a service that provided umbrellas
when needed so that you could pick one up at one location and then drop it off
somewhere else. Almost like bike sharing but for umbrellas. All students on
this campus have a need for this. This need is not new, Florida weather has
been this way for a long time.
3.
Prototypical customer would be all UF students.
4.
1. What is the exact nature
of the need? When it rains I want to stay dry
When do they become aware of
the need -- that is, do they experience their need all the time or only
sometimes? I don’t realize I have the need until its too late
How long have they had the
need? I’ve had it since I came to UF. I lived in New Jersey before and the
weather is much more predictable.
When did they first become
aware of their need? My first week at UF it rained everyday. That’s when I realized I had to start carrying either a
rain jacket or an umbrella with me at all times.
How are they currently
addressing their need? When I pack my umbrella or jacket it makes walking easier
but if I forget them then I just have wait or walk home in the rain.
How satisfied are they with
this solution? Not very satisfied.
2. What is the exact nature
of the need? I hate carrying around a rain jacket but I hate getting wet.
When do they become aware of
the need -- that is, do they experience their need all the time or only
sometimes? I become aware of the need when I am sitting in class and I hear it
start to pour outside.
How long have they had the
need? I’ve had it since forever. I grew up in south Florida where it rains
everyday in the afternoon like clockwork. I’ve notice that Gainesville rain
literally comes out of nowhere.
When did they first become
aware of their need? I guess when I first got to UF.
How are they currently
addressing their need? I ride the bus everywhere so that helps me stay dry.
How satisfied are they with
this solution? Decently satisfied.
3. What is the exact nature
of the need? I ride my scooter everywhere and when it rains there’s nothing I
can do
When do they become aware of
the need -- that is, do they experience their need all the time or only
sometimes? I become aware of the need when I see the storm clouds.
How long have they had the
need? Since I got a scooter I stopped taking the bus.
When did they first become
aware of their need? My first scoot ride to class I left dry and came back and
I swear it was a hurricane.
How are they currently
addressing their need? I just have to go home in the rain. The umbrella idea
really wouldn’t help me.
How satisfied are they with
this solution? Satisfied
5.
While I thought this was a great idea that
would help everyone my interviews revealed some flaws in my idea. One potential
customer brought up the fact that it would be very easy to steal the umbrellas.
It was clear that carrying around a rain jacket or an umbrella is inconvenient
to everybody. So I do still believe that this service would be useful to most
UF students.
6.
7. I still believe the opportunity is there and I believe that a
good amount of the student population can get use out of this.
Yes, I have a better understanding of how the opportunity would
work. When I first came in I thought that everyone would need it but some
people do not.
They must keep their idea intact but they must accept new ideas
and be able to learn from their peers and customers.
James, this was such an awesome opportunity to discuss. My opportunity was actually really similar to yours, and I compared my opportunity to bike share as well. I agree that students on a college campus all have some unmet need that they occasionally need at spontaneous times. I definitely think your opportunity is something that could be successful on college campuses, I'd definitely appreciate it. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi James!
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great opportunity that really needs to be looked into further. Ever since the craze happened with sharing with locals whether its with cars, bikes, or other services, the sharing craze has grown further and further along. A thought for preventing people from stealing umbrellas could be by charging the customer a very small fee to actually get an umbrella and if they do not return it, charge them a "theft fee" so you can both make money off of sharing umbrellas, but also not have them stolen. This way if they do end up becoming stolen, getting more wouldn't be a problem with the fee you charged them. Overall, I would definitely look into pursuing something like this!
Hey, James! So I actually really like where you started brainstorming your opportunity belief. First, it's super applicable for college students, making your idea relatable. Many times, I either forget my umbrella or don't wanna lug it around. I, too, agree that the weather here can change any second, and sometimes the forecast is straight up wrong. However, because umbrellas are easy to lose/steal, I think this would end up costing you more than making more.
ReplyDeleteJames, this is a genius opportunity! I have lived in Florida for my entire life and cannot stress enough how much of a difference this would make. This past summer I worked in downtown Tampa and it rained so often during my lunch break. While I came prepared with an umbrella on some days, other days I was not so prepared. Tampa has the rental bikes that you can take all around downtown. I think the umbrellas would be such a great idea for Tampa to have in the summer when thunderstorms can just pop up out of nowhere.
ReplyDelete