Reading Reflection No. 2: The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

The general theme of "The Long Tail" by Chris Anderson was that it could be more profitable if you offer a large amount and a wide array of products that appeal to the “niche” consumer market rather than one certain product/business or “hit”.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

This book connects with the course material and teachings through identifying (niche) markets and the opportunities within them. This enhances what I am learning in that it reinforces the idea of keeping my mind open to the opportunities that are available in niche markets. Opportunities are everywhere and with technology, it is easier to identify them.

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

If I had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book I read, it would involve researching and finding a niche market and finding 2 or more unmet needs that can become entrepreneurial opportunities.

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

When I first picked this book, I had no idea what “the long tail” meant in reference to the economy and businesses. I was surprised to learn the reason why businesses such as Amazon, Wal-Mart, and Netflix are so popular and effective.

Idea Napkin No. 2

You. 
My name is Wisheka. I have many technological skills and good communication skills. I know how to get my point across effectively and quickly while also not making it boring. I have been through different types of schooling. If I were to start this business, it would play a huge role in my life. Education is something I am passionate about and believe that every child deserves to have a good quality one. This business will give me the opportunity to do that for children regardless of any other factor.

What are you offering to customers? 
What I am offering customers has not changed. I am offering parents the opportunity to help their child build a better and brighter future for themselves. I will solve customers’ unmet needs through the service/product itself. Not every parent can afford to send their child/children to private school, pay for one-on-one tutoring sessions that actually help their child/children, or homeschool their child/children they just do not have the time and that is okay. POD Schooling will allow children to be educated in their home in addition to receiving one-on-one attention/tutoring that is learning and individual focused.

Who are you offering it to? 
This has changed somewhat. I am offering it to parents who want more for their children than what the current educational system can offer. The direct market is the children; however, you have to get to the parents in order to get to the children when it comes to education because they have the final say so. Therefore, though it is for students of grades pre-k to 12 who want to get more out of their education, the parents are my market. The thing all my customers have in common is that they care about a good education.

Why do they care? 
Well first, the only cost is the cost of the actual POD. POD increases the opportunity for students to get a quality education without all the “roadblocks”. If students truly care about their education and the parents truly care about their children’s education, then they will care about POD Schooling. As long as their child or children’s education is valuable to them, this product/service will be valuable.

What are your core competencies?
I use my compassion towards everything that I do. To my knowledge there is no one offering what I am offering right now. As time proceeds, there may be more and more concepts like mine. By that time I plan to have diversified my services offered and perfected my system to the best I could be.

Evaluate whether you believe these elements fit together or whether there are aspects of your business concept that are weaker / out-of-joint with the others. 
I believe that all of these elements work well together. The students are the key to my product/service. Getting the parents on-board could make or break my business idea. I have nothing without the parents.

Feedback Memo:

1.     In order for this product and service to be successful, it must be affordable to the parent and extremely useful to the students. Parents became my primary target market.

2.     The feedback solicited that trial runs are going to be necessary, as it would be with any technology. It can always be updated and nothing is ever 100% perfect, but I can always strive for it.

Create a Customer Avatar

She lives in Nevada, which happens to be one of the states with the highest dropout rates in public schools. Her hobbies include reading, baking, and Pilates/yoga. She is proud mother of two children (ages 11 and 14) and is 36 years old. She works full-time and drives a 2017 Grey Honda CR-V. She is a loving mother & wife, and strict when it comes to education. She is very protective of her family and wants the best for them. One of her children is very smart, just breezes through school and is not academically challenged, while the other child struggles and needs more assistance than the average child needs. Both children are socially involved and have extracurricular activities. She does not have the extra time to home-school both of her children and tutoring is not helping much with the second child. Her family is a medium income family and cannot afford private school. She would do just about anything to help her children, especially if it helps them to obtain a better brighter future. 

What do I have in common with her? I do not have much in common with my customer avatar. However, my mother does have quite a lot in common with her. My mother is a single mother and has always worked full-time sometime 2-3 jobs to make ends meet. Nevertheless, she still found a way to focus on her children’s education. It was always one of her main priorities. She could not afford to send me to private school, so she tried to challenge me academically outside of school through various activities. I have more in common with one of her children. I went through my pre-k – 12^th grade years breezing through school. I was never really challenged in school and my mother tried everything. I did online classes for 10^th grade classes my 9^th grade year along with my 9^th grade classes, 11^th grade classes my 10^th grade year, and dual enrollment my 11^th and 12^th grade year. Those courses provided me with somewhat of a challenge. It was not until high school that I began to be challenged in my school curriculum. My mother did what she could to challenge me; however, it never did much. 

I do not think this is a coincidence. This product is based on my own experience and what I wished was out there for me during my school years.

Elevator Pitch No. 2

A reflection on the feedback you received from your last pitch. 

I did not get a chance to complete my first elevator pitch due to the volume of tasks that I had to complete along with having a cold. 

What did you change, based on the feedback?

Since I missed the first one, I made it my task to read the feedback given to some of my classmates. I made sure to dress and speak professionally, have a clear tone, and enthusiasm. I am hoping to get plenty of good constructive criticism.

What’s Your Secret Sauce?

Five ways in which I think I have human capital that is truly unique:

1. Dependable – I always live up to my promises, own up to my mistakes, and step up to the challenge. Whenever someone needs me or needs help with something, they can always count on me to be.
2. Hard working – I always give 150% effort to the task that I am involved in, whether I want to do it or not. I feel that if you are going to do something, do it right and give it your all.
3. Compassionate – I do not judge, I understand that we all go through rough patches in life and I know how it feels to be down on your luck. I care about people and I am aware of those around me and their emotions.  
4. Reliable – I am consistent, authentic, kind, humble, I am available to other and I stand up for what is right even when no one is watching.
5. Intelligence – I have always put my education before anything. It is one of the most important things to me and is one of my top priorities. I have always been at the top of my class and I take great pride in my education.

Interview:

Secret Sauce Interview 1: In this first interview, I interviewed my mother. She stated that my heart or compassion is what sets me apart from others. She sees me as an intelligent innovator.




Secret Sauce Interview 2: In this second interview, I interviewed my middle sister. She stated that my support system and drive is what sets me apart from others. She sees me as an intelligent woman with integrity.





Secret Sauce Interview 3: In this third interview, I interviewed my best friend. She stated that my compassion and dependability is what sets me apart from others.




Secret Sauce Interview 4: In this fourth interview, I interviewed my god-sister. She stated that my drive and determination is what sets me apart from others. She sees me as an intelligent and independent woman.





Secret Sauce Interview 5: In this fifth interview, I interviewed my best friend/god-brother. He stated that my dependability is what sets me apart from others. He sees me as an intelligent, accountable and dependable woman.


Reflection:

The way I see myself and the way others see me are just about the same. The main difference in how I assess myself compared to others is that other people “praise” me more. They describe and see me in a much brighter light than I see myself. I am more of the humble type and I see everything that I do as a norm when in their eyes I am doing much more than most would. I do believe that my interviewees are correct about me. I do not think I would make any corrections to the list. The core traits that they talked about and the ones I listed.

 

Reading Reflection No. 1

Mary Kay Ash: The Life and Timeless Principles of the Founder of Mary Kay Inc.

1) What surprised me the most about Mary Kay was the overwhelming support that she got from her family and that she was able to start a successful business with just $5000. I admired Mary Kay’s persistence and her drive. I do not think there is anything that I least admire. Everyone has had his or her struggles; it is what makes us what we are. Mary Kay Ash did in fact encounter adversity and failure, but she did not let it stop her. She pushed through it and found a way to make it all work.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

Mary Kay Ash exhibited tenacity and confidence, however she also exhibited competencies in management and administration, sales, interpersonal relationships, and marketing.

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

The parts of the reading that was confusing to me was the process in which she purchased her products and how she came up with a business plan before ever having a product or service. In the preface of the book before you get too deep into the book, it was stated that it began as a management training book until she decided just to apply it.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

• Do you believe that the process in which you went through to start your business would still work effectively to create a successful business in today’s world?
• What were the biggest challenges you faced as a woman starting her own business?

I would ask these two questions because today things are very different from the way they were back then.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I believed that Mary Kay Ash valued hard work and that it was a very important quality to her. I think she believed that it was something that you would not get far without. I do share her opinion on hard work, I completely agree with her.