Reading Reflection No. 3

Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirk

     The basis of the book and Shirky’s argument is that people have much more free time than in the past; hence cognitive surplus. Creativity originally plundered, but recently the motives and means have changed in the minds of many people. The book goes into detail about the introduction to television and the effect that came along with it. Living patterns were transformed, to the point that people relied on television to feel a social connection. In the book, Shirky explains there has been a response to other forms of media that are leaving TV in the dust. Although people may not be making the most creative things, Shirky says that this certain creativity has closed the gap between doing something, and doing nothing. It allows people to take part in something, rather than sit on your couch doing nothing. The book goes on to talk about the economics of publishing, which had a large impact on the public. According to the book, it was near impossible to make things available to the public. Shirky brings up Gutenberg economics, Gutenberg being the inventor of the printing press. Once books could be made for much cheaper, people began making books and sharing ideas. Next, Shirky began talking about the motives of people. Extrinsic motivations, are external rewards, while intrinsic motivations are based on desire. Shirky explains that this is critical to the notion of cognitive surplus, due to the motivations relying on people choosing to create without having to be paid with an external reward. I found this to be the most interesting part of the book because I see this everyday through social media. For example, I love photography and I love to post photos knowing I will not get paid for them. The book continues with the effect of collaboration. Shirky talks about how there are different types of collaboration, varying from personal to civic, with communal and public between them. The meanings of each were a bit unclear to me but the idea was that personal collaboration is simply individuals sharing ideas, while moving towards civic is more for society. Finally, Shirky tells about the ways to use cognitive surplus for the better. People and the way we connect are essentially fuel for cognitive surplus. I loved the way this book put importance in public creativity and collaboration. I think if people begin to come together and participate, the world will always continue to be better every day.

Final Reflection

     This semester has been a great journey that has taught me so much along the way. As I look back on my blog, to my first post, I can see how my entrepreneurial mind has been unleashed. There were by far more high points than low, but overall I learned so much regardless. My most formative moment was my first elevator pitch attempt. I would say the elevator pitches were my most awkward, joyous, and proud moment all in one. I have always been someone who is shy and being video taped, even by myself, is extremely uncomfortable for me. After that assignment, and the feedback I received, I feel way more secure about myself and abilities. I see myself acting as an entrepreneur every day. My mindset is as entrepreneurial as it has ever been and it is truly enjoyable. The one recommendation I would make to the students in the future would be to stay persistent and do not let anything hold you back. I personally felt I was holding myself back at first and once I embraced the mindset I felt much more open to everything in the class.

Venture Concept No.2

     My concept is a transportation system that provides freedom to disabled and elderly people by giving them access to a pool of drivers. The key to my concept is that my vehicles will be much more suitable for elderly people. As people age, moving is not as simple as it once was. Getting in and out of a vehicle is no easy task for disabled or elderly people. My concept will provide vehicles that are guaranteed comfortable and safe. Additionally, feedback has told me that in order to have vehicles that are suitable, I would need to buy the vehicles, rather than rely on a pool of random drivers like Uber does. The fact that I would need to buy the vehicles, means that I would need a place to hold them. This part of my concept is where I begin to question it. My initial idea was to have random drivers being accessed through an application who were on-call at all times. Based on what I’ve learned, I changed my concept to focus more on elderly people who want a more comfortable ride or an all day rental of a vehicle and driver. My concept, consequently, would turn to more of a database of drivers rather than the actual transportation side of the business. People have recommended that I differentiate myself from Uber in more ways than I have come up with. I would like to follow how Uber doesn’t have a centralized location and employs as many people as they can. The demographic I am targeting would likely be the middle age people who want to use the transportation for their parents who are elderly. Although Uber may be capable of doing the same job, I have heard multiple complaints from elderly people who say they end up with a car that is either small and uncomfortable or too large to step up into. I think the opportunity for my concept ultimately exists, it will be achieving it that will take some time and further developing. 
      My most important resource will likely be my vehicles. If I do decide to innovate my concept to owning my own vehicles, they will be the most essential and most expensive resource. They would also have to be specialized for the elderly or disabled if I stick with that. What's next with my concept is my exit strategy. I may look to quickly develop the last touches of the concept, before trying to sell it. What's next for me is to continue innovating and thinking of new and useful concepts. I feel like I am too new to the process to settle for one idea. In the future I want to have many concepts that I can ride any direction and build into a career. This first venture has been an eye opener that has taught me how much thinking I need to put into an idea. Also, it showed me that advice from others is extremely important to take into consideration and can lead to your best innovations.

My Exit Strategy

My exit strategy is likely to continue on for the next couple years with the development of the actual business side of the concept. Additionally, I would like to configure the logistics before I ultimately sell the business. I don't think the concept is capable of maintaining it's worth as a family business. I have chosen this exit strategy because I am unsure of how successful my concept will be due to the main competitors. My exit strategy has definitely held me back during the development of my concept. I made certain decisions with the thought of wanting to ultimately sell it to a competitor. Additionally, I believe it influenced me to not want to acquire resources at all, because the capital I would need is far too expensive and I would be selling the idea and application more than anything.

Make It Real

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B35mPLIZ_cBCTHVuWmRrZGFnYkE

Venture Concept No. 1

The problem many elderly and disabled people face is lack of freedom due to their inability to drive. I have thought of a service that caters to those who may not have the same accessibility to go places they want, when they want. Any Ride provides a fast, reliable, safe, and comfortable solution. With Any Ride, users can call upon comfortable or specialized vehicle that will take them any where they would like to go. Through an easy to use app or website, riders can be picked up wherever they are in a matter of minutes. The application will also have an online format, for those who may not use smartphones. Furthermore, I think in order to market the service properly, newspaper advertisement and phone calls will need to be made. The elder demographic is not always up to date on applications, let alone technology, so finding a way to market successfully will be a main focus. Customers would care about the service because my service provides freedom to those who usually feel trapped. People would buy into the service because it is a hassle to be on-call for somebody else, even if they are family. People live their own lives and as much as you care about your family, sometimes you are unable to drive them to the doctor or places they want to go. My concept is a productive and useful service that will contribute to society. I believe the customer base could potentially be huge. Any Ride is a service designed for the elderly, along with disabled people. With effective marketing that targets elderly and disabled people and their families, the return can be huge; however, I have raised a few questions about my service. The main concerns are whether there are other services that provide specialized transportation, and whether people would need it because Uber. To answer these in one response, Any Ride would be related to a unique customer base that provides unique benefits. An ordinary Uber does not take into consideration the age of their client due to the use of ordinary cars. Chances are that the car sent to pick you up will not be comfortable for an elderly person to enter and exit, let alone be accessible to someone who is physically disabled. The problem that I specifically heard from elderly people I have talked to is that Uber drivers do not have much care for the business, which translates to an unenjoyable experience for those who need a little extra help. Additionally, the question I have posed to myself is whether I would have an inventory of vehicles, or open it to drivers already on the road like Uber. In order to have an inventory of vehicles, I would need a large investment and probably not a centralized headquarter for the vehicles; due to the fact I would need to get to the clients quickly. One other option is to have riders schedule ahead, which would work out in the case of a centralized location. I believe this would be the best opportunity, even though a similar business exists, it is not as comfortable and convenient as what I am proposing. As you can see there are still questions about the business that need to be worked out. The cost for a ride will be based on distance and time, and depend on what type of vehicle is needed, and overall, shouldn’t be much more than a standard taxi.