30A- Final Reflection

This has been a very interesting, but fun, class. I have mostly enjoyed it, however frustrated I got at some of the assignments on occasion. Picking what to finally work on was especially hard. Perhaps the biggest low for me was randomly reading the syllabus one day like two weeks ago. It seemed to imply that I might get an E in this class for falsely declaring on an assignment which I accidentally did not turn in. Very worried, I emailed the professor, who quickly informed me that I was fine. That was a terrifying ten minutes.

Recalling all of what I did this semester, a few things stick out to me. The first is making Elevator Pitches. I used to love making videos in high school, but now that I’m in my second year of college I don’t have as much time to do anything like that. Just being able to be a little more theatrical and editing a video gave me a rush of excitement and sort of nostalgia. I also really enjoyed reading the third book, which really opened my eyes towards a number of things. Had it not been for this course, I never would have read Mindset.

I honestly do not see myself has an entrepreneur. I do not have the toughness required or will made of stone to get through the world like this. I would much rather live a more humble life than the one that I pretended to have throughout this course. I don’t see myself doing anything like this in my future, but it was cool to learn this about myself. This has been an eye-opening course, and I’m glad to have found out so much about myself.

Students in the future should ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT THEY TURN IN EVERY ASSIGNMENT. On several occasions I did the entire assignment and forgot to submit the URL. To foster an entrepreneurship mindset, I encourage them to get out of their comfort zone and look at the world in a way that they might not have ever seen it before. That’s what I attempted to do, and I really did learn quite a bit of myself.

I’m not sure what picture I should include, so here’s a picture of me shortly before this course and one just after finishing this final assignment!

Before

After

29A- Venture Concept no. 2

INTRODUCTION

               Innovation is an opportunal force. It comes and goes in the world, passing from person to person as it tries to find a home in a single mind. Innovating is a hard-enough task to learn, but for it to come to one person numerous times shows a true gift. That’s why inventors and developers are becoming more and more sparse and few between these days- it almost seems as if everything’s been discovered already. But, every once in a while, a true spark of genius comes out and a person can truly be glorified as an innovator, typically once, but sometimes two or three plus times!

               Opportunities can be hard to find, but they come so frequently in the music world. The music industry as a whole needs a lot of fixing, but perhaps it is in the songwriters that it needs the most help. Between fees, not getting paid enough, and trying so hard to find the perfect sound, it can be hard for someone to even want to be a songwriter, and those who do will merely do it for the love of music. This small group of people are constantly bullied by the market and those who run it, unable to find footing or afford something to help them. That’s why I wanted to work with this group.

WHAT IS OUT THERE????

               As industries everywhere seem to move forward and find new ground to cover, the music industry seems trapped in the past. Just look at some of the most popular cheap recording software. Audacity, for instance, is a great program that runs smoothly, but, aesthetically, is entirely barebones and looks just like it did ten years ago. The music industry needs more innovation, and that’s why I wanted to create a program to help songwriters get off of the ground and truly discover a love for music.

                                                                               Audacity

             There’s not much out there at the moment to help budding songwriters, and everything that is is either expensive or doesn’t work. I remember when I first started up, I found a book that was supposed to help with songwriting, but the book was just so long and uninteresting. A program that walked me through would have definitely been more interesting. This market is an ever-changing one, and I’d like to be the forefront of a new style of songwriting and connection. This is a pretty big opportunity, as there is literally nothing cheap out there to help people like this.

                                                        Songwriting Book I have seen in libraries 

              

MY INNOVATION

            

             A program that allows you to input a song, and it will tell you all sorts of facts about the song- chords, keys, modes, melodic lines, etc. It will also contain “maps”, which will involve taking a chord and then offering you a selection of different chords that would sound good after it. It would help with keys and finishing up melodic lines, analyzing your songs for cool things that could make them better. I would sell this program for cheap ($5) once it got off the ground, although the inputting of songs part would be a more-expensive addon, about ($30+). I would donate 95% of the money I personally make from this (Not including money needed for supporting the project) to a nature conservation organization, so buying it would be very helpful to all aspects of the world and could excite musicians who really want to help the world that they live in while learning about writing songs.

                                        The chord chart I used when first learning about keys and such         

    

COMPETITION

             There aren’t many competitors, and I certainly have not seen a program like this in my years of songwriting and music production. Packaging wouldn’t play any sort of role in my program, as it is online. Customer support would be very important, as I would love for each customer to have all of their questions answered. The design of the program would also have to be very aesthetically pleasing, as I wouldn’t want people to be turned off by how it looks. A business would come up to support me and the program, helping customers and going through and fixing bugs and making sure that everything is taken care of within the program and within the songwriting community as a whole.

    

IMPORTANT RESOURCES

        

             My most important resource will be a community of musicians that I have built up around the world. They will help to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Up next for the venture, we would probably continue working on the program to make sure it is perfect for everyone. We would also probably move on to other ventures, involving music. For me, five years after this, I would personally love to take the money and travel the world, giving up many of my possessions and having a great time going to other countries and studying wildlife there.

               

CHANGES

I received some feedback in my last Venture Concept. My peers suggested that perhaps my price could increase as more features were added and that my writing could use more paragraphs and breaks between ideas, as well as adding images so that everything flows better and keeps readers interested and invested in what I have to say. Someone also suggested giving the proceeds I make from this to a charity relating to conservation, which was very exciting to me, so I added it in. 

28A- Your Exit Strategy

My exit strategy is simple. I would sell my business down the line and hopefully make a decent return, and go off and do whatever I want to do in my life. I wouldn’t want to be held down by something like this, which would inhibit me from doing anything that I really want to do.

I have selected this because, while I am incredibly passionate about music, it is not something that I expect to do with my life. I intend to actually go out in the world and explore nature and deal with animals, helping them as mankind continues driving the Earth into the ground. This is where I truly want to make a difference, and I feel like sticking to a computer program like this would not allow me to help in the areas that I truly want to.

Having this exit strategy has definitely influenced my decisions in this project. I was probably not as serious about everything as I should have been, as I knew the whole time that this wasn’t something I would want to stick to long-term. I’ve helped people with music before, and while I’ve always enjoyed it, I don’t feel like my ideas are the most extraordinary or necessarily helpful. 

27A

I went over Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential, by Carol Dweck. This was a powerful book that discussed the power of people’s beliefs. Everything we think and do is shaped by our beliefs, and there is a specific belief within you that has been guiding you throughout each and every part of the life which emasculates you. The novel is based off of years of research and includes numerous examples, many from the author’s own life.

This book greatly enhanced what I was learning in this class, and, to be honest, very well might be the best book that I’ve had to read since starting school at the University of Florida. His science is gripping, his tales are moving and often funny (some even using celebrity names, like Tiger Woods), his writing is relaxed and personal. The only reason I had picked this book was because it was highlighted on the reading list, but it surprised me and took me by the hand. I started it last night and couldn’t put it down. I usually hate reading books on my computer, but I honestly didn’t mind this one.

Sorry for the review, I’ll get back on track now. As I said before, it greatly enhanced what I was learning in this class, and goes along well with both failure and trial-and-error. It makes you take a good look at yourself and your past to see what truly affects you in your life, and I feel that I am more improved after having read it. The fixed vs. growth mindset, which describes the two mindsets most people have, was especially intriguing to me. I mostly viewed myself as a fixed-mindset person, but I sort of realized, early on in the book, that I can change myself and my mindset to be more growing. I can work on myself, change what I do and who I am, and keep growing. It was all very exciting! People with the growth mindset thrive and accept failure especially well, which is a great trait to have.

Perhaps a sort of a-ha moment was Carol’s comment that we always keep a running account of what’s happening to us at any given moment. Our minds constantly monitor what’s going on and interpret the world. It made me realize how much our minds do, and these sensory inputs and such can lead to numerous responses, such as anxiety, anger, ease, depression, excitement, etc. I had never thought too much into that before, but it was really cool to read.

If I had to design an exercise of some sort, it would be as follows. Each person in the class would have to label themselves as either a “growth” or “fixed” mindset-type person. It would be an ongoing assignment, and at the beginning of the semester they would declare themselves to be either one or the other, and comment on what they could do to change themselves and better themselves in thinking. Throughout the semester, they would keep a log and update it every week, discussing what they did to change themselves that week, and how they felt they grew as a person. At the end of the semester, they would have a reflection and look upon themselves as either a changed person or the same. It’d be fun and easy!

26A

One time that I failed this past semester was when I took a chemistry exam. I had been doing surprisingly well in Chemistry until I got to the third exam, which I got a 64 on, despite studying for nine days in advance.

I learned that sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you are just not prepared for what comes up in the end. I should have paid more attention in class instead of cramming in the last few days!

Usually, when I fail, I lounge about and act miserable for a bit but get up and move on pretty quickly afterwards. I am always looking for new ways to do something and try again, just as long as it’s still within the realm of possibility.

I don’t really think this class has changed much, but maybe I am a little bit more ready to get out there and experience failure firsthand. 

24A

               Innovation is an opportunal force. It comes and goes in the world, passing from person to person as it tries to find a home in a single mind. Innovating is a hard-enough task to learn, but for it to come to one person numerous times shows a true gift. That’s why inventors and developers are becoming more and more sparse and few between these days- it almost seems as if everything’s been discovered already. But, every once in a while, a true spark of genius comes out and a person can truly be glorified as an innovator, typically once, but sometimes two or three plus times!

               Opportunities can be hard to find, but they come so frequently in the music world. The music industry as a whole needs a lot of fixing, but perhaps it is in the songwriters that it needs the most help. Between fees, not getting paid enough, and trying so hard to find the perfect sound, it can be hard for someone to even want to be a songwriter, and those who do will merely do it for the love of music. This small group of people are constantly bullied by the market and those who run it, unable to find footing or afford something to help them. That’s why I wanted to work with this group.

               As industries everywhere seem to move forward and find new ground to cover, the music industry seems trapped in the past. Just look at some of the most popular cheap recording software. Audacity, for instance, is a great program that runs smoothly, but, aesthetically, is entirely barebones and looks just like it did ten years ago. The music industry needs more innovation, and that’s why I wanted to create a program to help songwriters get off of the ground and truly discover a love for music.

               There’s not much out there at the moment to help budding songwriters, and everything that is is either expensive or doesn’t work. I remember when I first started up, I found a book that was supposed to help with songwriting, but the book was just so long and uninteresting. A program that walked me through would have definitely been more interesting. This market is an ever-changing one, and I’d like to be the forefront of a new style of songwriting and connection. This is a pretty big opportunity, as there is literally nothing cheap out there to help people like this.

               My innovation is as follows. A program that allows you to input a song, and it will tell you all sorts of facts about the song- chords, keys, modes, melodic lines, etc. It will also contain “maps”, which will involve taking a chord and then offering you a selection of different chords that would sound good after it. It would help with keys and finishing up melodic lines, analyzing your songs for cool things that could make them better. I would sell this program for cheap ($5) once it got off the ground, although the inputting of songs part would be a more-expensive addon, about ($30).

               There aren’t many competitors, and I certainly have not seen a program like this in my years of songwriting and music production. Packaging wouldn’t play any sort of role in my program, as it is online. Customer support would be very important, as I would love for each customer to have all of their questions answered. The design of the program would also have to be very aesthetically pleasing, as I wouldn’t want people to be turned off by how it looks. A business would come up to support me and the program, helping customers and going through and fixing bugs and making sure that everything is taken care of within the program and within the songwriting community as a whole.

               My most important resource will be a community of musicians that I have built up around the world. They will help to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Up next for the venture, we would probably continue working on the program to make sure it is perfect for everyone. We would also probably move on to other ventures, involving music. For me, five years after this, I would personally love to take the money and travel the world, giving up many of my possessions and having a great time going to other countries and studying wildlife there.

               

25A

EXISTING MARKET

What’s next: I think the market is going to keep expanding. There’s already loads of great opportunities and products in the music world, and I’d be excited to be a part of it. Up next, I would probably work on some cool affordable analog synthesizers.
Person 1- (ADAM) wants me to have an app where I can hum a song into it and I can recognize the song based off of the progression of my sounds.
Person 2- (ELIJAH) wants a device that you can put on an object and allow it to record and modify a sound from it.
Person 3- (SHAWN) wants a “clippy” for music, like the infamous Microsoft word mascot. He would come up and recognize what song you were making, then offering tips about what to do from then on.

I would most likely go more into designing physical objects and cool instruments, like what Elijah suggested.

NEW MARKET

I would work in animal conservation and protection.

Helping animals would always be a dream of mine, and I think that my idea of helping people in music could shift to helping animals in the world. Both want to create something greater, and be a part of something greater, and I’d be happy to accept.

I interviewed a veterinarian, a brother of a neighbour. He says that more people need to be more careful in the pet trade, not selling illegal or invasive species. They think that to be successful, I should have a large campaign.

I did not learn much from here, as world conservation was my original idea. But I am glad to know that I already have a firm grasp on how to help boh people and nature out in the world. Most of my expectations were correct, but this is a much harder market to offer a product in. I’d be lucky to even think of  a real one!

22A elevator pitch 2

Last time, I was told that I lost energy towards the end. So I tried my best to make it somewhat consistent and keep it sort of energetic throughout. That was very difficult to do, as I get nervous as it goes on, but I tried to do so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSWdKAbDq_Y&feature=youtu.be

23A

Ten resources

              
               Human capital- I know many people who play instruments. This is valuable because I can get              their input and get their help with doing everything. This is also rare because it’s hard to get   musicians together on anything!
               Financial capital- I can finance things with the help of my friends and my job. Many friends and         family would be willing to help, which is valuable.
               Customer service- I will be sure to help everyone with help and provide a comprehensive guide     about playing and make sure I have people ready to answer anything extra that might come up.
               Chord Guide- a guide of all chords. Many services have things like this, but I would like to    produce a fun and comprehensive, as well as aesthetically pleasing, guide to every chord. I have      yet to come across any that make it necessarily fun to look up. I already have many chords           known and could easily do something like this, with the help of someone to work on the more   technical aspect. 

               Keys- Many programs offer a key chord progression generator, but I would like to take it a step f             further and offer people the ability to incorporate modes and even some cool sounding chords     outside of the keys. This key generator can help people get song ideas off of the ground. This        might be sort of easy for others to copy, but I think I could offer a fun and new way to do this.

               Not-well developed market- the market I’m working in is very badly developed, plagued with      expensive or cheaply-made items. This gives me an advantage to corner a section with       something that/s never been FULLY done before, only attempted.

               Social Capital- Like above, musicians coming together work well when they all have the same             goal and don’t let personal interests get in the way. This is the perfect opportunity to do this.

               Knowledge- I am already well-versed in all of this stuff and have seen every corner of the    market and what people have intended to do. This is valuable since some people go in not really   knowing what people want, but I am on the side of people wanting this I am ready to work to            make everything better. 

               Organizational Culture- Lots of people would be willing to work on a program like this and        would be excited to use it, and I intend to get people ready for all of this to go down. A good      organizational culture is very valuable and I’m excited to get it ready. 

               Maps- Mapping out the program from each section to section will be very helpful. This is what I      plan to be especially special, getting you from chord to chord and key to key. It can play you two                chords next to each other to see how they sound.
                 

              

My top resource is social capital. A good network of musicians to have helping around like this is very important to help anyone using the program and helping me get it off of the ground. 

I read the book Cognitive Surplus

1.       The book had a general theme involving the amount of time that many people can spend freely. It argued that a cognitive surplus was coming about, which involves the amount of time we can use to search for and learn things on our own. This is a global resource that impacts almost everyone.

2.       The book was definitely all about a sense of connection and networking, using your modern resources to get ahead. Getting ahead is a huge part of entrepreneurship, and the book really connected well with that theme.

3.       An exercise I would like to make could go as follows. One section of the book discussed means and the impact of media on civilians, companies, and governments. I would like to see how different people react to different sites when the sites look more or less malicious and shoddily constructed, to see if that deters people from accessing. This could put into conflict his idea of the cognitive surplus.

4.       When reading the book, it discussed cognitive surplus. I had never heard of this or considered it, but all of a sudden everything made sense. This generation is much different than the last, and thanks to the internet, much more willing to learn about anything. This is definitely an upside to the future of entrepreneurship and thinking as a whole. 

20A

Person One- Matt. A guitarist and singer, as well as a promoter, of several bands.
Domain Expert
I have known him for a while and just texted him.
He writes a lot of music, and would absolutely use a program like this, especially with chord changes. He says he would ask other people in his “domain” whether or not they agreed with him, but seemed to be positive that they would think so.
They know a lot of musicians, some of whom are big and have ties to the industry and songwriter corporations.

Person Two- Johann. A public relations employee for a well-known music software brand, who instructed that I could use him if I didn’t reveal any information about what he works for.
Important Supplier
I found their company through a website and emailed him.
He will be able to get me into contact with some more higher-ups and pass along ideas and such. He doesn’t really want anything in return other than privacy.
This is great for me to have, as I can be more closely connected to the people who could distribute programs such as these.

Person Three- Tony. Works with a lot of songwriters and an expert on chords and keys.
Market Expert.
Really understands music theory and could help make sure everything’s accurate.
Known him for a while as well, but not too well.
He thinks the idea is fun and would do anything to help!
They will be able to make sure everything is perfect and easy-to-use.

This will be a great networking experience, and I’m glad that I already know a decent amount of people who write songs. They will be very helpful as I go forth in my opportunities!

19A Idea Napkin

1.       I am Daniel Barrios. I am a musician who is very passionate about the oceans. I made it to the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. I aspire to unite the world in caring about our environment and hope that together we can work to rescue our dwindling planet. This grand scheme is obviously important, but at the moment, I feel as if I’d be better at bringing more superficial and temporary joy to people. That’s why I’ve decided to work on this music/songwriting program.

2.       My service is a software that helps identify keys in music. When I first started songwriting, I had a difficult time learning keys, and found no program that helped me. What was helpful, however, was a chart that listed all of the keys and the chords in them, as well as the I II III IV V V VII configuration. A program would have greatly sped up the learning process, as well as easily helped me learn songs by ear by telling what key it is in, as opposed to me playing every chord until one matches.

3.       I’m offering this to musicians and songwriters, as well as people who are simply just interested in music theory. All of my customers want to be able to recognize keys and learn songs, so they all have in common a desire to learn. And people who already know chords are always on the lookout for more ways to play them, so I can help with that!

4.       This would have greatly helped me, and I spoke to some of my songwriting friends. They all agree that a key recognition software is something truly lacking on the market.

5.       What sets me apart from everyone else-

There is no program that will both provide the key of any song you input and also teach you about the structure and keys while listening. I am offering not only a learning software but a helpful tool that will aid in songwriting for any aspiring musician.

I feel like all of these ideas definitely fit together and run in a common theme. Some of my accomplishments and personal facts might not seem to have much to do with a program about making music, but be assured that each and every one of them has helped me become the person that I am today- whether that’s being an Eagle Scout or being passionate about the environment.

The feedback I received for my original Idea Napkin was very positive, so I didn’t change much about it, although I tried to edit it to be geared more towards music lovers and more fleshed out. 

16A

1.       Five ways in which my human capital is truly unique.
I enjoy things a lot of other people don’t. Whether that’s music, certain foods, or movies, I find myself at odds with many people over certain things.
I don’t feel happy but I know that I am.
I still occasionally obsess over dinosaurs despite being almost twenty years old. I try to keep my excitement about them within me so my homies don’t get too uncomfortable. As long as I release it in small doses, they get excited too and are willing to freak out about them conmigo.
My entire family speaks Spanish, but I don’t. I can understand it fine, but instead I chose to learn ASL when I was younger to communicate with a friend of mine.
I own over twenty-five instruments, but have only mastered six or seven of them.

2.        

INTERVIEW ONE- with My girlfriend

https://vocaroo.com/i/s1MelvalAxdQ

INTERVIEW TWO WITH SHAWN (ROOMMATE)

https://vocaroo.com/i/s0owZJvmIxjU

INTERVIEW THREE WITH ROOMMATE 2 (ADAM, NOT IN TOWN AT THE MOMENT, OVER PHONE)
Shawn referred to me as very interested in many things, but only obsessed with four or five. He talked about my love for music, as well as movies and some books, and how I was always getting on people to clean their dishes.

INTERVIEW FOUR  WITH BANDMATE, RECORDING ACCIDENTALLY DELETED

Talked about how I was very passionate and eager to get things done, as well as ready to tackle any problems. She thought that I knew how to work through problems and could easily find solutions without making everything overly difficult.

INTERVIEW FIVE WITH MOTHER (OVER PHONE)

She found me to be especially creative and funny, as well as clean. Commented on how I tried to stay clean the best I could, even if that involved just shoving everything under a bed. She talked about my songwriting and how passionate I was in music making and writing. However, she said I wasn’t the best at telling the truth all of the time and was a little too “brooding” occasionally.

3.       They see me pretty closely to how I see myself. I am eager and excitable, but also very lazy and set in my ways about numerous things. I enjoy exploring when I have time and play a lot of instruments, and watch shows. They all seem to think I’m creative but I worry too much about the opinions of other people, which I had never really considered. They’re right, though. However, I didn’t agree that I’m overly clean. My room might be clean, but half of the stuff strewn about in the rest of the apartment is mine. 

17A-Elevator Pitch

I actually realized that I must have missed the last elevator pitch, as I did not do the assignment. So this is my first

18A- Create a Customer Avatar

A twenty-something year old man or woman who composes a lot of music in their spare time would be my customer's avatar. This avatar also enjoys reading books, watching movies, and hanging out with his friends whenever he gets the chance, whether or not they're playing music. He drives an old SUV with plenty of storage for lugging musical equipment around. He really tends to enjoy shows such as Bojack Horseman, Arrested Development, and Blue Mountain State, but only to make fun of the characters! He usually listens to a lot of indie stuff, such as Animal Collective or the Mountain Goats, but will often pretend to like critically acclaimed hip-hop just so he can stay up to date with the times and what music is being well-received in this day and age. He has no children, but is in a long-term and long-distance relationship that is surprisingly going well. He supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 election, but became much less outspoken and political when Donald Trump won. He enjoys hiking and nature, as well as scuba diving and basketball. He has a group of friends who often follow his lead in trends, but he has never been especially popular or well-known. 

I have some in common with this avatar, such as enjoying nature, music, and TV. I based some of these facts on me, in fact! Therefore, it is not a coincidence, since I would greatly love the product that I am creating. 

15A figuring out buyer...

I interviewed three people- Simon, Claudia, and Adam. All three of them play some sort of instrument. They all agree that the thing that matters the most in this product, a key recognition/chord transposing software, is a description of each chord and how to play the exact same thing on each instrument. For instance, a barred G chord on guitar will sound different than an open G chord on guitar. They would like to replicate the sound of each style of G chord on, say, a piano.
They agreed that they are more likely to purchase it online than ever going to a store to buy something like this. As long as the program works, they will consider it a good purchase. Simon said that he thought that the program must be able to be used on a daily basis and work reliably and well.
Price doesn’t matter too much to them, as long as they don’t overpay. For instance, about ten dollars would be a good price point. Quality, meanwhile is very important. It must work reliably. Style isn’t as important, but they’d like a good-looking product. Adam recommended a blue colour scheme.
I have learned that people want a relatively inexpensive program that looks good and works. As long as these bases are hit, they will be satisfied. To stand out among competitors, I’m going to have to make sure that mine runs as smoothly as possible. 

14A Halfway There

To keep up with this course, I’ve had to set timers and do things in advance. Each assignment takes time and must be looked at at the beginning of the week, in case you have a book to read or lecture videos to watch.
At some points, I’ve felt as if the amount of work was too much, but I pulled through, got the interviews/read the book, and completed it. I got myself through it by thinking of goals in life, and how if I can’t do just simple assignments, such as these, where will I end up?

The three tips I will offer are the following-
               look at the work in advance. Do not save it all for the last minute.
               No matter how hard it might look, it won’t be that bad, and soon will all be in the past.
               Other people will review your work, so make sure it’s professional and ready to be shown off. 

12A Figuring Out Buyer Behaviour

The segment I picked today were guitarists. My program could be used by all musicians, but I decided to interview guitarists for the purpose of this assignment.
I found three people: Josh, Theo, and Maureen.
When each of them realizes that they would like to write a song, they usually start with a riff or a melody. All three agreed that the program would be greatly beneficial, especially in finding chord shapes and working in certain keys. Usually, they’ll google a chart or not worry about keys at all. Not worrying about keys is usually an innovative and interesting way to shape songs.
Also when trying to learn a song, they’ll become flabbergasted at trying to find out what chords are being played, and will often have to play all twelve notes just to find a chord that’s plays for not even two seconds, requiring them to rewind the song and listen to the part again and again.
I learned from these programs that this program should focus on scales and modes as well as the main keys, so that people can write in whatever scale/mode they want, or figure out what mode a song is using.
Guitarists are definitely a fairly large portion of my research. They are fairly representative of your average music player, as they’ll teach themselves other instruments and try to write songs. This segment helped me learn quite a bit about what they really want, and I will work to incorporate modes into my program’s plan.

13A-The Wright Brothers

1. Honestly, through reading the book, one thing that really surprised me was how Wilbur died. I had no idea that Orville went on to live for so long after his brother, or also that Octave Chanute was such an influence upon them. He should really be remembered more for his accomplishment.
I really admired how dedicated to their craft both brothers seemed to be. They would spend days, weeks, months working on something. Propellers were especially difficult for them, but they both came through and designed something to be proud of that would evolve into something truly revolutionary and used throughout the world. They were determined, set themselves on a mission, and accomplished the seemingly impossible.
One thing that I didn’t really admire was how the brothers seemed to be somewhat arrogant. Both brothers, especially Wilbur, seemed quick to put down the accomplishments of others.
Yes, the Wright brothers encountered adversity and failure. There was a lot of bad press about them, especially in Europe. The book states that “For a long time, for too long a time, the Wright brothers have been accused in Europe of bluff…” (Coming from the French). However, their detractors would go on to provide the brothers with much acclaim.

2. They were both hard workers and made sure that everything came through, relying not on luck but on completion and dedication. Nothing came necessarily easy to them, and they earned the admiration and respect of billions. They were very competent in presentation, but not so much in social skills. They were both able to concentrate extraordinarily well, which the author attributes to their father.

3. I didn’t really not understand anything in the book, but I do wonder why the Wright Brothers are so well known for their work, but rarely for their personal life. I feel like this book bridged the gap and discussed everything about them in great detail, which was truly wonderful.

4. How were you able to stay so dedicated, even in the face of adversary and failure? I often find myself unable to stick to something for more than a week at a time, and I am just amazed at how you were able to devote so much time and energy to one cause.
How were you able to deal with the risk? Flying would be very dangerous, how did you deal with going about it and making sure that you wouldn’t die?

5. Hard work was very important to the Wright Brothers, but they didn’t treat it like a chore.  Working kept them happy, and they worked together, aware that each brother had his own skills to bring to the project at hand. They worked for the “great aim in life”, putting their whole heart and soul into an idea and working to make sure that it comes through successfully.v 

Idea Napkin

1.       I am Daniel Barrios. I am a musician who is very passionate about the oceans. I made it to the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America. I aspire to unite the world in caring about our environment and hope that together we can work to rescue our dwindling planet. However, this is far too grand a scheme that would require great devotion and care, so I’ve chosen to shift my focus over to music for the time being.

2.       My service is a software that helps identify keys in music. When I first started songwriting, I had a difficult time learning keys, and found no program that helped me. What was helpful, however, was a chart that listed all of the keys and the chords in them, as well as the I II III IV V V VII configuration. A program would have greatly sped up the learning process, as well as easily helped me learn songs by ear by telling what key it is in, as opposed to me playing every chord until one matches.

3.       I’m offering this to musicians and songwriters, as well as people who are simply just interested in music theory. All of my customers want to be able to recognize keys and learn songs, so they all have in common a desire to learn.

4.       This would have greatly helped me, and I spoke to some of my songwriting friends. They all agree that a key recognition software is something truly lacking on the market.

5.       What sets me apart from everyone else-

There is no program that will both provide the key of any song you input and also teach you about the structure and keys while listening. I am offering not only a learning software but a helpful tool that will aid in songwriting for any aspiring musician.

I think all of these elements fit together pretty well. Maybe some people would not entirely care, but I think this would be a very helpful and fascinating tool that would aid in songwriting for anyone willing to learn! 

testing2

Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Who is In- everyone	Who is Out- no one, although some think they are
What the Need Is- better environmental regulation and more protection for our fragile planet	What the Need Is Not- it is not a good time for doubting what our planet needs or hoping that climate change isn’t real
Why the Need Exists- because humans have not treated Earth with respect and have used many questionable tactics to ravage its beauty	Alternative Explanations

Everyone has the unmet need of a well-regulated and taken care of environment, whether or not they realize it. So I interviewed five people, which was hard, because I know like 3 people-

Person 1 felt that a lot of corporations and big companies fell outside of this unmet need. They were doing everything in their power to continue hurting the environment. I mentioned how even they needed a well-respected planet to continue living, and the person agreed. We discussed how there didn’t really seem to be much of a boundary, as this affects everyone.

Person 2 also agreed with me that there wasn’t a boundary, and no human should be excused from this responsibility. They even listed some businesses that seemed to think that they fall outside of this boundary, such as coal companies and even some energy corporations.

Person 3 was confused by the questions I asked, and seemed to think I was referring to some conspiracy that the government was actively trying to sabotage the environment. I would like to clarify that I do not think that this is the case, I just think that a lot of the public is misinformed.

Person 4 looked over the assignment and informed me that I should probably be describing a product and not something as vast and difficult as increased environmental regulation. I agreed, and then we discussed that a huge nationwide campaign was necessary. Lots of environmental groups don’t seem to have the funding or the public support to really get the message out there, and most of the ones that can afford to do so use shady business practices and have a focus on animal rights (PETA).

Person 5 did not want more environmental regulations. In fact, they felt as if the government was still doing too much and we as a society need to move on and accept that information needs to move faster and energy needs to come faster. They did mention how they admired national parks, which showcased a lot of plant diversity and were good places to camp and fish nearby.

What I learned from these interactions is that a campaign like this is impossible for a single person to pull off. One needs quite a bit of influence, money, and political friends to get anywhere. While everyone has this need IN THEORY, a lot of people believe that it’s not necessary and think that they fall outside of the “boundary”. 

solving the problem

The problem was that innocent, loving, and hardworking people are being deported, sometimes by mistake.

The solution is to stop with having such a huge campaign that centers around deporting people. If someone needs to be deported, than so be it. If they’re not causing nay trouble and are making an effort to live a better life. And so, we shall create a campaign that gives people better options in this country. Through us, we can help them get back home if they must, and we can help them work towards citizenship or with any troubles that they might be having.

i'm not usually this political, none of my past ideas have been very good :( 

testing

Preserving nature in some way, helping wildlife

The who: Nature conservation centers in the United States

The what: They are unable to collect the funding or rally the government to give them the support they really need and must look to private companies and the public’s support.

The why: A lot of other issues involving humans have taken prevalence and the government does not seem to care much about conservation or wildlife at the moment.

All humans and animals, along with nature itself, have this need! I would have to ask myself if this is something that the government even wants to do. There are obviously some people in our political world that fight for nature, but they are far and few between.

Person 1- told me that there were, in fact, better things that the government could focus on. They were supportive of natural conservation in general, but felt that there were more pressing issues that need to be dealt with.
Person 2- said something similar to Person 1, but felt that the government should NOT waste any money and should focus on the economy and mankind.
Person 3- Understood what I was saying and felt that the government was not doing nearly enough, especially under our current administration. They want to lobby the government and feel that they will listen if the full public’s opinion changes.
Person 4- Felt like the government needs to do a lot more to help the planet that was given to us, but wasn’t sure that this administration would be the best to listen.
Person 5- They felt that the current administration had rolled back protections on endangered species and land. They want to protect corporate interest before land and resource conservation efforts, and something must truly be done.

Public opinion is mixed, but most people agree that nature needs to be helped in some way. So, this is a very hot topic, but people need to realize that our world is in peril and we are only hurting it by not helping. 

6A

Economic Opportunities-

1. The amount of time people spend at work over time is declining.
A. This has been common knowledge for a bit.
B. With the rise of the internet and social media, people don’t have to spend as much time at work. This is an opportunity because it will open up more jobs connecting work people at home to management and to an office. We can promote a more healthy lifestyle of productivity with fewer work hours.
C. People who are employed would be the customers.
D. It would be difficult to implement, but it would cause a happier lifestyle for many and give some people more to do.
While this is an opportunity, it might not be the best one. People would be happier, but unless better methods of productivity and time management come about, I could see it leading to a lazier society and one that does not respect a work ethic.

2. Social media for companies has become an effective way to reach customers.
A. Just look at the Groupon and Wendy’s social media team. They have brought a lot of recognition. Good press like this will never hurt.
B. We can have people study trends to see what the public enjoys and promote them as the future of social media.
C. Businesses would be the customers.
D. It wouldn’t be too hard to implement. People could come out and show their expertise in this field.
This also isn’t necessarily a winning opportunity, but the social media presence in the customer-business relationship is so no that no one knows where it could end up.

Regulatory Changes Opportunities

1. 25 species have been denied endangered species protection by the Trump administration.
A. This was all over the internet in October.
B. The opportunity here is enforcing better environmental regulations and giving more help to endangered species. We humans have damaged the Earth[DB1] , and it is our duty to help get it back into shape.
C. The government would be the customer, as well as scientists and maybe even the species themselves.
D. It would be very difficult to lobby the government and do anything about this specific regulatory change.
Perhaps I see this as an opportunity because I am very passionate about the preservation of nature. Someone who doesn’t care as much about nature might not see this as an issue.

2. The Dakota Access Pipeline is in operation, despite decisions made by the Obama Administration. This is incredibly offensive, not only to nature, but to the tribal peoples of the area. A better system must be put in place.
A. This was also a huge deal last year.
B. The opportunity here is to do justice by both Native Americans and nature and to figure out a better system that could replace this pipeline.
C. The people who live around it would be the customer.
D. This would also be very difficult, as the pipeline is in operation. The president also owns too much stock in the company that runs it, which means that he probably won’t want to make any change.
People who put economy over public safety and natural conservation would probably not want to do anything about this issue. I see this as an opportunity because a better compromise could be made on all fronts.

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 [DB1]

Identifying Opportunities

With no tower, is airport safe? Crash at Peter O. Knight sparks concerns over risks to neighbors

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15C0D8121438BE18?p=WORLDNEWS

This airport does not have a tower or air controllers. Planes must rely on radio communications to signal their intentions. Due to this, two men lost their lives in a plane crash. Citizens and safety officers want to see a tower and traffic controller to increase safety for both the residents around the airport and the pilots. Others argue, however, that a traffic tower would not prevent traffic conflicts. Pilots must also effectively communicate.
The problem here is that, in smaller airports, communication is often lacking. And since these airports usually house smaller planes and non-commercial pilots, lots of people do not see the need for air traffic control as strict as in other airports.
This affects pilots, passengers, and residents who live at risk of a plane crash.

Trump said he'd round up 'bad hombres.' How did a Jamaican grandma get on that list?

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/169A1F8C442A4CA8?p=WORLDNEWS

Due to recent regulations and laws in this country, a Jamaican grandmother was put in detention by the Border Patrol. She was escorted off of the bus for one reason: she overstayed her tourist visa. While she was legally detained, the article argues that this wasn’t right or fair. Seveeral other similar cases are listed here, due to Trump’s orders to identify, detain, and quickly deport any undocumented immigrant whom agents come upon.
The problem here are the poor people who are trying to live their lives being deportd without fair process and not even getting a chance. It is reminiscent of other past societies that have not fared well and does not comply with our nation’s rich cultural diversity.
This is a problem for immigrants and people who come from other countries.

Ankle bracelet fails to stop violent offender Man flees while awaiting trial in sexual battery, kidnapping - Man flees while awaiting trial in sexual battery, kidnapping

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15C0D810D63EFA10?p=WORLDNEWS

Ankle monitors seem to be failing. Kevin McGruder was released from jail with one. He had been arrested with false imprisonment and domestic battery. The jail argues for ankle bracelets: saying tha they are economical for the jail. You save money with fewer people. The man was later found and arrested.
The problem here is that ankle monitors are failing and not as trustworthy as one would hope.
This is a problem for society and jails, as well as the justice system.

'We are numb to the suffering of animals, which makes us numb to the suffering of people'

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/1695DB6DD043F0C0?p=WORLDNEWS

James Cromwell argues that the world is too cruel to animals. Our lack of empathy for them translates to a lack of empathy for the suffering of people. According to him, violence towards animals “infects us as a species and corrupts our nature”. He describes eating animals, keeping them in zoos and aquariums and the mistreatment towards them there.
The problem here, according to him, is that people are too cruel to animals. Our society turns its head from the abuse, and that leads us to be violent towards other humans, as well.
This affects animals and everyone around the world.

A driving frustration Until new locations open, new drivers in Hillsborough can face monthlong delay - Until new locations open, new drivers in Hillsborough can face monthlong delay

http://infoweb.newsbank.com.lp.hscl.ufl.edu/resources/doc/nb/news/15BF89251885DCD0?p=WORLDNEWS

There is only one location in Hillsborough County for a road test to get a license. Up to 120 appointments are scheduled per day. The wait for a road test can take up to 30 days, so many people are going to Polk County. Tickets don’t guarantee an appointment, just a place in line. A new larger tax collector/DMV place will be built soon. The state will pay most of the construction cost.
The problem here is that the wait times are too long and people have to wait extended periods of time to get drivers licenses and road tests.
This affects new drivers, parents, and employees.

Forming An Opportunity Belief

1.       I think that there needs to be more scooter-only parking spots throughout Gainesville, so that scooters can have designated parking spots without taking up room needed by cars on the sides of the street.

2.       Not only do car drivers have this need, but it would likely benefit scooter drivers as well. Too many times has a scooter driven into a spot as I was backing into it, meaning that I can no longer park there. This is not only a dangerous situation for them (what if I hadn’t seen them in time?), but it’s a major annoyance when I’ve already spent twenty minutes searching for a spot. Or, sometimes, I will be parked in a spot, only to come out to my car and discover that I can’t leave because there are two scooters almost leaning on my car. My roommates have complained about both of these exact experiences. This need has existed for as long as there has been joint car and scooter parking throughout town. People are just dealing with it at the moment.

3.       The prototypical customer would be both car drivers and scooter drivers who use street parking in Gainesville. I found three- Adam, Momo, and Chris.

4.       I interviewed my roommate Adam, who complains about this most often.

5.       Me: Tell me about your parking experience in Zone 1 here.
Adam: It’s awful. Sometimes I’m driving around for fifteen minutes looking for a spot. It’s not as bad on the weekends, but especially late at night I can never find a spot within ten minutes of our place.
Me: Do you feel like scooters contribute to your frustration?
Adam: Oh, hell yeah, dude. I mean, seriously, they are literally the most frustrating thing. They just drive up wherever they see the tiniest bit of room and leave their scooters around. Doesn’t matter if a car is backing into the spot, doesn’t matter if the car won’t be able to get out, doesn’t matter if the scooter is in the middle of two open spaces, rendering a spot that could fit two cars useless.
Me: What if the city were to implement scooter-only parking spots?
Adam: You mean like on campus?
Me: Oh, yeah, I guess they do have those scooter areas. Just like that. I mean, it would take some spots away from cars, but then you wouldn’t have to worry about scooters driving in and blocking your vehicle or whatever.
Adam: I bet they could do that, too. The city would probably never fund something like that, though. They’d be too cheap to buy the tiny bit of paint and too lazy to enforce the new rule.
Me: But hypothetically, you would support it?
Adam: Yeah.

6.       I also interviewed Momo, who parks here somewhat often.  She has a small car that can fit into spaces much more easily than mine or Adams’.
Me: How do you feel about the parking situation when you come visit me.
Momo: What do you mean? You do all my parking for me, I can’t parallel park.
Me: Yeah, but like how do you feel about the amount of time to find a spot?
Momo: It’s ridiculous. A waste of gas, too. I hate driving around for so long only to have to walk for like ten minutes.
Me: And what about the scooters? Do you think they contribute to the whole frustration of the experience?
Momo: Probably. There was that one time where like you literally couldn’t get out of that spot and your friend just moved one of the bikes back a few feet.
Me: Do you feel like the city adding scooter-only parking spots would make everything a little bit easier?
Momo: Oh, yeah, sure, I guess. I hadn’t thought of that before. But what do you mean, should they, like, make new spaces or replace old ones or what’s the deal?
Me: Like, turn some car parking spots into several scooter spots. They could have like ten-twenty spots per street, and it would only take up about three or four old car spots.
Momo: Yeah, then we wouldn’t have to worry about them blocking you out. Seems cool to me.

7.       I also interviewed my friend’s friend Chris, who rides scooters!
Me: How has the parking situation been for you and your moped off-campus?
Chris: Not bad. I can usually find a little opening somewhere.
Me: Do you ever feel like you’re blocking cars from getting out?
Chris: Yeah, totally. Sometimes I worry that they’re gonna knock my bike over or whatever, but it’s ends up fine.
Me: What if the city provided scooter-only parking?
Chris: You mean like the little striped spots on campus? Near Broward?
Me: Yeah
Chris: That could work. I feel like people driving wouldn’t be cool about that, though. Wouldn’t you be taking some of their spots?
Me: Yeah, but then we wouldn’t have to worry about being blocked in or almost fitting in a spot, only to be blocked out by a scooter.
Chris: Yeah. I bet that wouldn’t be too hard to do, either.

8.       My opportunity is very popular with the people I interviewed who park in the same area, as they all agree that the parking situation is mediocre at best and could be improved.

9.       My original opportunity still remains. Everyone seemed very into what I was suggesting, and most agree that it would be somewhat simple for Gainesville to enforce scooter-only parking spots around town, just like the ones that exist on campus. No one really gave any suggestions on improving the idea, as it’s pretty simple. I don’t actually feel like it changed at all, everyone seemed to agree that it was a good plan.
However, had the people given suggestions, I would definitely listen to their feedback and make changes accordingly. Staying firm will often lead to an unpopular idea if you don’t listen to customer feedback. Listening to customer feedback will allow you to work with the public and make decisions based off of what they want. 

Your Entrepreneurship Story

Perhaps the only time I really could consider myself an "entrepreneur" is when I had a band in high school. I personally worked on our "concept pirate album" and promoted it around school, financing the recording and doing most of it myself. It was a very interesting time or sure, but this leading and financing of a product helped set me up for future endeavors, and I look back upon it as a great time that helped me grow as a person! Here is the "purposefully terrible" album art I designed for the project:

I enrolled in ENT 3003 mostly for the credit towards the innovation minor. However, all of the innovation classes have been interesting so far, so I'm hoping for a class that I can get something out of that will further my development and be helpful as I work towards my career. Working on projects and on assignments in these classes have been especially useful, and I'm hopeful that I'll get to have a similar experience in this course.