21A – Reading Reflection No. 2

For the second reading, I chose How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life by Scott Adams.

1. The general theme of the book is that a person's failures lead them to success. Adams gave many personal examples of how he'd failed during his life, but which led to him becoming the successful creator of Dilbert.
2. I liked that he spoke about his personal failures. Being the entire theme of the book, failure was always on my mind while reading this book. Similarly, I failed at my first business idea. When I went in to the lecture and told Dr. Pryor my idea, he took a dump all over it- and rightly so, it sucked. Now I have a better idea of how to make money, and what I was doing wrong before. That failure led to my success.
3. I would try to get people from the idea of a goal to the idea of a system. I liked how Adams wrote about making systems instead of setting goals. I would want the class to state goals they have, and change that into a system that would lead to that goal. So instead of aiming for an A in a tough class, the student would study, attend lectures, and do practice homework instead of just aiming for an A arbitrarily.

4. My biggest surprise was how many times Adams failed before making it big. I guess it really opened my eyes. It reminds me of the old saying, "the master has failed more times than the student has even tried."

22A – Elevator Pitch No. 3

https://youtu.be/N37Tm4DyvwQ

I think what was most important was combining the facts that matter with dynamic information that investors would want to hear. In the first pitch, I had too many facts and not enough pizzazz. In the second, it got better, based on my feedback. In the third, I tried to perfect things based off the feedback. I used the second video as a springboard.

I mostly improved the facts. Some were not as relevant as I thought (certain demographics numbers). I also tried to be more animated and dynamic. 

19A – Idea Napkin No. 2

1. I am still just a student. I'm not a business student, but I am a telecommunication student with a business management specialization. Much of what I have learned makes my degree, essentially, a hybrid one. Although I have not taken very many business classes yet (this has been my second), by the time I graduate, I will have taken more. I have taken consumer analytics class, and I think that knowledge transfers well to this situation. If I were to go forward with my store idea, it would likely be the center-point of my professional life. The more I think about it, the less I actually want to do that, but here we are.
2. Right now, the customers are comic inclined fans in the north Orlando area. The unmet need is lack of a local store. People have to drive a larger distance or not at all for something they would otherwise greatly enjoy. The lack of something is not necessarily an unmet need, but in my case, I have spoken to many local fans that would actively use a local shop (or so they say).
3. All my customers have in common location and preferred entertainment. Location is the north Orlando/UCF/Oviedo area. Preferred entertainment is comics or comic related things. Age is 18-49. Sex is most often going to be male. The main things I'm looking for is location and entertainment. The age and sex are less important to the store, but important for marketing.
4. Customers can get comics online. They can pirate them, or they can order them delivered to their house. Why do they care about a brick and mortar shop? Comic culture is all about going to the shop, making friends with the owner, and just spending time there. Even outside of that, supporting local shops is important to many in the comic fandom, and right now, in the Oviedo area, there's no easy way for fans to do that. A store in the area solves all of these problems. 
5. I honestly don't know what I have that no one else has. A University of Florida education? A college education isn't exactly rare these days, and mine isn't even really in business. 

My first four points fit together pretty well. I have some education, I know who my customer base is, what they want, and why they'd choose me over another source. However, I need to find a personal niche to fill. I have to have studied harder, done more, or otherwise been successful in a way that others weren't. 

I only had a little feedback, but it recommended me to not focus on college towns since vintage comics can be pricey. While that is true, 99% of comics are $2 or less, and one of the main draws of a comic shop is coming in weekly, as needed, to get the newest comics as they come out (industry standard is Wednesdays). 

17A – Elevator Pitch No. 2

• All the feedback I received on my last pitch involved me either not getting to the point of the product, or me being too stiff. I definitely saw what they meant by the first point. I got too wrapped up in the numbers and data and didn't focus on the idea itself. As for the second point, I totally agree and I knew it when I filmed it. It's harder to film standing with a camera compared to behind a podium or even face to face with someone.
• I changed my pitch almost completely. I wanted to blend the idea and the data behind the idea more elegantly. I also tried to have more dynamic body language, which I'm absolutely sure looked awkward. Please roast me. Last time I was too stiff, so this time I tried different gestures and gesticulations, which I don't think look great. By pitch 3 I'll have it down. 

18A – Create a Customer Avatar

• The main hobby my customer has is comic books.
• They likely drive an older car, in average condition.
• They watch fantasy, superhero, and action television and movies.
• They likely don't have children, or have very young children.
• Their favorite books are picture books, aka comic books. 
• They likely prefer democrat politicians.
• They are either between 20-30 or 50+ (new comic readers or old ones).
• The old ones want to feel younger, which is why they pursue a hobby from when they were young.

• I have in common with the customer:
• Obviously, the comic hobby.
• My car is 12 years old and in average condition for the make and model of that year.
• I don't actually watching fantasy or superhero television, I prefer comedies. But perhaps my customers do too. 
• I don't have children.
• I do like reading actual books, in addition to comics. 
• Politics.
• I am 20.
• I do not think my age factors into my hobby. Mostly the older generation of comic readers think about their age. 

16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

1. I have a weird set of skills. I'm not good at that much stuff. I have interests that are out of the societal norm. Sometimes I am shy and don't want to talk to people and sometimes I am very outgoing. Usually it depends on how much alcohol I've ingested. Just kidding :). Seriously though, my skills range from Photoshop to DJ experience to badminton to comic knowledge to writing defense papers. I am good at arguing. Some have told me I should be a lawyer, but that seems like a very competitive field, and I'd rather apply my skills elsewhere. That being said, I love formulating arguments and executing them. 
2. .
1. Interview 1 is with my girlfriend. She says that I have unique skills and abilities based on what I've learned in the past. Emotionally, she says I have emotions that are sometimes not evident.
2. Interview 2 is with my father. He says that I see things as black and white, and that I have impressive self taught skills. 
3. Interview 3 is with my mother. She also says that I see things as black and white, but that I can absorb knowledge and articulate it clearly.
4. Interview 4 is with one of my best friends. He says that I have a lot of random knowledge that no one really knows, but he doesn't know what skills or abilities I have, other than musical instruments. 
5. Interview 5 is with one of my other best friends. He also states that I have a lot of knowledge, and he says that I am very efficient when it comes to problem solving.
3. I did think that I have powerful information absorption skills, but I did not call myself out on seeing things too black and white. For some situations, like a class assignment or out in the world, it can be a good thing, but for my relationships, sometimes it makes arguments worse. I think my interviewees are correct about me. I would consider myself to be efficient. They've known me anywhere from five to 20 years of my life, so I think they have a pretty good grasp on what makes me, me. 

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

1. Male 20
1. The interviewee picks based on the atmosphere of the shop, as well as proximity. However, they're most likely to still just pirate comics online to read them. If they are in a shop, they are usually there for a specific reason, like a special issue or other merchandise. They think good purchases are ones that they had pre-planned for, and they are satisfied with purchases that they could get a comparable price online for.
2. Male 25
1. The interviewee picks based on the closest shop to them, whether they are in Gainesville or in their hometown. This person regularly reads comics, and buys in person. They only pirate comics online when they can't get a specific comic in person or from an online store legitimately. They go to their local shop every Wednesday to pick up their regular issues, because they have subscription deals with their favored shops. They also get commemorative issues and figurines. They are satisfied with most things they buy at their favored shops because of the repertoire they have built up with the employees.
3. Female, 22
1. The interviewee picks based on the closest shop to them. This person regularly reads comics. They mix their purchases with online reading on their tablet. They have a subscription to an online service, so they don't often go into shops. Sometimes they go in just to see if there are interesting things to buy. They are satisfied with the (not frequent) purchases they make in shops based on whether they can find it online for an equal price, and whether the thing they found is rare.
4. Summarize
1. I think I need to intensely target people who lack a space close by, and who want the experience of going in. It seems like piraters and legitimate e-readers are a lost market. I could possibly attract them to come into the shop and buy other things, but it does not seem like they would be regular purchasers. I can further segment my segment by diving comic readers into legitimate, paperback comic readers with no location nearby.