Week 4 Reading Reflection - Innovation: The Creative Pursuit of Ideas

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise for me was learning that creative behaviors can be learned and do not necessarily have to be innate. It seems as though certain people possess creative habits while others simply do not. I find it reassuring, yet surprising, that the creative nature can be obtained through education.

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

One part of the reading that was confusing was the part about the “eureka factor” of the idea experience. Phase 3: The Idea Experience blended in with Phase 2: The Incubation Process due to the fact that many people do not realize they are moving from phase 2 to phase 3. 

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why?

The first question I would ask the author would be: Where did you come up with the list to the creative exercises and what are some of the examples of their functions, or complements? This is an interesting exercise, but I think it would be helpful to see some examples of functions to some of the items listed. The other question I would ask the author would be: How does knowing about the operations of the left and right brains strengthen the entrepreneur? It is nice knowing about the facts about the left and right brain in people, but knowing how to master each side or knowing how to tap into each would be extremely helpful in becoming a more powerful entrepreneur. 

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How?

One thing that I somewhat disagreed with the author about was the either/or thinking train of mind. I feel like personal lives do not have to be filled with “a great deal of uncertainty and ambiguity,” but rather filled with a schedule that a person is flexible with. There is a difference between not having a set schedule and having a great deal of certainty in one’s day, but being able to go with the flow when needed. 

Top 5 World Problems

Most Serious World Problems

1. ISIS
2. Racism
3. Global Climate Change
4. Water
5. Internet

ISIS is the most serious world problem because it is a cult with the ability to attract many different types of people from various walks of life. The fact that there have been cases of college students in the United States leave school to go to the Middle East is frightening. ISIS is recruiting heavily online and on college campuses and is gaining power by the minute. Their ownership of oil and natural resources leads them to be major world contenders and a force to be reckoned with, which is why I have them as the number one most serious world problem. 

Most-Possible to Implement

1. The most implementable solution is government-funded educational programs that would be taught in schools to warn the youth of the dangers of the internet. Such educational opportunities would also teach children the benefits of the internet as well as programs such as Microsoft Office and Photoshop.
2. The next most implementable solution is to educate the general public on ways of conserving water and potentially placing a tax on water consumption past a certain monthly limit based on people per household.
3. Global icons and world leaders take a stance against racism and not only the famous people, but average joes who stand up for what is right will catch the attention of people across the world to realize that racism is not okay and should be demolished. 
4. The bickering and the fighting about global climate change by politicians must stop. There needs to be facts only and the world must come together to find a solution to this problem. The first step to this solution is educating society, politicians, and world leaders about the problems associated with global climate change. 
5. The least-possibly implementable solution is the defense and fight against ISIS. There are various solutions, yet it is unclear which solution will have the greatest impact, which is why this world problem is so difficult to figure out. Bombing them would lead to civilian deaths and a possible outbreak of war, while tightening the U.S.’s gun control may backfire on us and cause society to be less prepared in the case of a mass shooting. A semi-implementable solution would be to tighten airport security, loosen gun control, and tighten our border security. This would take tons of money, resources, and laws to go in place, but it would hopefully secure the United States and keep us from getting in trouble with ISIS.

Week 3 Reading Reflection

1) What was the biggest surprise for you in the reading? In other words, what did you read that stood out the most as different from your expectations? 

The biggest surprise for me in the reading was learning about the dark side of entrepreneurship. Many people only focus on, or teach about, the bright and happy side of entrepreneurship. It is not all too often that textbooks go into detail on the dark side of something, so I found it surprising that the dark side of entrepreneurship was talked about. It is said that this “dark side of entrepreneurship” are the destructive forces that are found within the energetic drive of successful entrepreneurs. There is such a risk involved in being an entrepreneur; however, with this great risk comes great reward.

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

One part of the reading that was confusing was the part about the entrepreneurial ego. I think that the ego of the “entrepreneur” is different from person to person and that I found it unrealistic to stereotype all entrepreneurs in one category and found it misleading and confusing.

3) If you were able to ask two questions to the author, what would you ask? Why? 

The first question I would ask to the author would be: What is the unrealistic optimism and how does that relate to being a successful entrepreneur? There is a fine line between never quitting, never giving up and realizing a business is a bad idea and dropping it to start another venture. My other question would be: Where does the entrepreneurial motivation come from? What makes someone who starts their own business different from someone who has worked their way up in a relatively large business and who may have the same calculated risks? 

4) Was there anything you think the author was wrong about? Where do you disagree with what she or he said? How? 

I think that the author was wrong about the fact that entrepreneurs have this belief in their ability that seldom waivers. I do not know a plethora of entrepreneurs to test this claim, but most of the entrepreneurs that I have talked to face major obstacles and sometimes consider giving up; they are human just like you and me. 

Identifying Local Opportunities

1. What bugs are lurking in your home?
2. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7CE3AC094A2C8?p=AWNB
3. There is a study that was just released claiming that almost 10,000 species of insects were found throughout 50 homes in North Carolina. Scientists say it is totally normal and that the majority of the insects are completely harmless and are too small to pose a threat. People are still worried, though. The only danger is people who are allergic to the proteins that the insects carry.
4. The problem here is not necessarily the insects themselves, but rather the residents’ comfort of mind. It may be difficult to sleep at night knowing that there are 200 species of spiders, beetles, or wasps in your home. 
5. The people who are worried about the insects are the people with the problem. There could potentially be a product that eliminated the insects or somehow kept the residents of the North Carolina area safe of mind knowing that there are not hundreds of bugs throughout their homes.

1. SG discusses scooter safety, commission appointments at Senate meeting
2. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A7CE3ADD847138?p=AWNB
3. A University of Florida Police Officer came to the UF Student Government to tell them to make scooter safety, and the wearing of helmets, more of a priority on their agenda. The University Police and GatorWell are working together for this cause because scooter accidents are so prevalent and not many kids wear helmets. 
4. The problem is that students at the University of Florida are not wearing helmets when they are riding their scooters and they are getting in accidents.
5. UF students who own scooters or students who ride on scooters are the ones with the problem. If they wore helmets then the UFPD would not have to implement strategies to increase the use of helmets or to make helmet safety a big priority.

1. Electronic skateboard banned in residence halls
2. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A2FB70390D4D08?p=AWNB
3. Hover boards, or electric skateboards, have been banned in the UF residence halls because they have been known to combust and cause fires.
4. The problem is the technology with the hover boards or the charging method that is used to charge the boards. The housing department is merely trying to keep its residents safe and the owners of the board have invested hundreds of dollars into their board, so it is the technology or the actual hazard that is the problem
5. The hover board companies have the problem in this scenario because they have not finely tuned their technology so that college students living in dorms can purchase and own their boards.If this problem is fixed, then I see a lot more hover boards being sold in the future.

1. New law puts ban on microbeads
2. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A2FB702EB5E6A8?p=AWNB
3. The microbeads that are commonly found in exfoliating products, toothpaste, and face cleaners are being banned by President Obama. This will prohibit companies from selling products that have these microbeads in them. 
4. The problem is the microbeads that are accumulating in our oceans and water cycle which have detrimental affects to our health. There have been studies done revealing that eight trillion microbeads go into the environment on a daily basis.
5. The problem here lies with the producers of the products containing the microbeads. Certain toothpastes and face cleaners that companies produce will now have to be chemically altered or will not be sold on the shelves anymore.

1. Break out the condoms: designing with latex
2. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15A789136820BC50?p=AWNB
3. Eta Sigma Gamma, UF’s co-ed education honorary, is hosting an event at the Florida Gymnasium to educate UF students on the practices of safe sex and healthy habits. This is because many students at the University of Florida engage in high-risk health behavior. The condom designing contest that the event will have is a way for students to remember to practice safe sex.
4. The problem is unsafe sex and students practicing unhealthy methods of going about their sexual endeavors. The educational push to make students more aware of their behavior is very important. 
5. The problem lies in the students who are not practicing safe sex and who are not taking care of themselves or their partners. This leads to diseases being spread that could have been avoided.

Very Short Interview No. 1

I interviewed a very successful entrepreneur and outside-the-box thinker, Leo Murri.  He has taught me about entrepreneurial ways, how to acquire knowledge, and how to follow the path to be successful. He has developed many apps that are on the Apple App Store market and has made a business for himself in coding and programming unique apps that separate him from his competitors. He has about five employees working for him and he makes his money by not following the norm, but rather creating revolutionary apps. I asked him three questions to better understand what makes him different from all of the other entrepreneurs out there. His responses are below:

1. Me: "What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?"

Leo: "Many define entrepreneurship as the act of starting a business, however to me, it applies to a lot more than business. Being an entrepreneur means to follow your higher purpose in life. Just like the sun shines and birds sing, we all have that one thing in life we are supposed to be doing."

2. Me:  "What do you think I should learn in an entrepreneurship course?"

Leo: "In my opinion, a true entrepreneurship course should not be based on learning factual information about business, or even case studies of any sort. The information out there is so vast and complex that it would take years to scratch the surface. So that said, I think a entrepreneurship class should based around problem-solving competitions.  First of all, it is incredibly fun for a creative mind to be challenged in an intellectual competition, which would help drive more students towards the course. Second, entrepreneurship is a competition because at all times, thanks to this beautiful free market capitalistic society we live in, there is someone out there trying to outsmart you. Lastly, problem solving will teach students about the right mindset. These problem solving competitions could be as simple as: you have 6 pieces of paper, some duck tape and straws, build a device that keeps a ping pong ball rolling as long as possible. The solutions to this problem are endless, but some work a lot better than others, which will teach students a great lesson in being an entrepreneur in solving the world's problems."

3. Me:  "What do you wish you had been taught in school before setting out on your own path as an entrepreneur?"

Leo: "Bundling of the previous question: creative problem solving. School does a great job at giving you access to the latest and most accurate information out there in any given filed, however it rarely puts you in a problem solving situation where you have to leverage your array of knowledge to create a truly unique solution to a problem."

Reflection:

After interview Leo about what it means to be an entrepreneur, I found that it may be our school system that is limiting our creative minds in achieving our greatest potential. Instead of teachers telling us we can't do something, we should be succeeding through trial and error. Rome was not built overnight and neither were the majority of the world's greatest products, inventions, or companies. Leo has a very unique take on entrepreneurship in that it is such a vast topic it is tough to build a class around educating current students on what they should be doing. In reality, it seems as though students should actually be "doing," not just talking about doing. 

World's Biggest Problems

1. ISIS- The terrorist group that has wreaked havoc throughout much of the Middle East, Europe, and north america is a global problem. A practical solution to this problem is to tighten airport security, loosen gun control, and secure the United State’s borders.
2. Water- With exponential population growth across the globe, the annual usage of water is continuing to rise at an unhealthy level. A practical solution to conserving more water is to educate the general public on ways that they can conserve more and also implementing sustainable agricultural methods.
3. Global Climate Change- The world’s temperature is on the rise and there is no doubt about it. The bickering of politics regarding the facts must end and there needs to be a solution. A simple solution to fighting the global climate change is education - and the fact that as a species, we must stand together or we will all be gone. 
4. Unemployment- This is a staggering number of as high as 45% for the youth populations in certain countries. Unemployment in the US is growing and to counteract this fact, there must be an incentive for people to not sit on their butt instead of getting a job. Government handouts for the able-bodied people who are lazy, but claim to be “seeking a job” need to be significantly cut. 
5. Food- As with the water problem, the fact that population growth has tripled in the past 50 years leads to there being more mouths to feed with less food available. The solution is to cut back waste through educational campaigns to limit the amount of food that consumers waste on a daily basis.
6. Divide between the rich and the poor- In the United States, for example, there is equal opportunity for people to build or create a business, go to school, and find a job. There is no guarantee that there is an equal outcome, just the equal opportunity. The wealth gap is something that will not be solved overnight, but in order to first look at an implementable solution, educating society on the fact that there is equal opportunity and abundant resources is the first step for people to realize their power.
7. Status of women- In many countries around the world there is still sexual discrimination and women are not treated properly or given the same rights as men. To solve this problem, there needs to be women’s rights global movement to make countries aware of their oppressive behavior.
8. Racism- This is still a major issue throughout the world and continues to cause trouble even after the civil rights movement and efforts of countless individuals throughout time. An implementable solution to solving this problem is to have global icons stand up for human rights and speak out to schools, churches, communities about the effects of racism in hopes of creating an atmosphere of love, not hate. 
9. Internet- This is a weapon that can be used for good or definitely for evil. Online scams, fraud, the safety of online shopping, and cyber bullying are all negative aspects of the internet that come with the benefits of global interconnectivity. A solution to the problem of cyber bullying and online hoaxes is to educate the youth on the problems and scams associated with the internet. Government-funded educational programs given throughout schools will reduce the amount of trouble that children get into on the web.
10. Urbanization- The problem of urbanization is that cities are becoming too crowded and pollution is overcoming the cities. A solution to this is to subsidize the rural housing market and to give buyers an incentive to live in the rural areas of the world as opposed to the crowded, congested cities. 

Bug List

        BUG LIST

  1. Trying to load the canvas page in your dorm but the UF wifi is extremely slow.

                 -     Too many students in the same area trying to access the internet at the same time.

-

  2. Waiting in the long line at the Rawling’s subway.

-       The workers are inexperienced.

33. Biking to and from class and people are texting on their phones not looking where they are going.

-       People are too consumed by their phones.

44. Waiting for machines to open up at Southwest Rec or Student Rec.

-       Students made New Year’s resolutions to go to the gym more.

55. People do not take care of the community bathrooms.

-       People are lazy and do not care for something that they do not have to clean.

66. When the Chick-fil-A next to Broward Dining closes 30 minutes early.

-       Employees are either lazy or break the rules.

77. Required to buy online access codes and textbooks but they do not work properly and have to be on the phone with customer service for an hour.

-       Our education system is becoming all online.

88. My math teacher is unprepared for class and is always stressed out.

-       First time teaching the course at UF.

99. My roommate stays up too late and keeps the light on.

-       He sleeps in very late so he is always up late at night.

110.  Contact lenses are blurry.

-       Acuvue lenses sometimes have defects.

111.  People who play loud music and bounce basketballs late at night when I am trying to sleep.

-       Ignorant people on the floor who do not think of others besides themselves.

112.  People who slam the door at 1:00am.

-       Not being courteous or aware of those around you.

113.  Scheduling two exams on the same night at the exact same time for two classes that many kids are taking simultaneously.

-       Poor planning by the professors or the UF Registrar.

114.   Cable goes out occasionally.

-       Too many students trying to access cable at the same time.

115.  Bike lock gets jammed.

-       It is old and rusted.

116.  Having only two power outlets in my room.

-       Poor design by UF building services.

117.  Roommate leaves the room messy, unorganized.

-       No sense of responsibility for keeping room clean.

118.  Students that kick the back of my chair while I am sitting in class.

-       No courtesy or manners.

119.  People that do not say thank you when you hold the door open for them.

-       No manners or appreciation. 

20. Mac computer randomly shuts down.

-    Does not have time to cool down.

Reflection: I had a difficult time completing this entire “bug list.” I came up with about five bugs without a problem, but it was a little harder to come up with another fifteen things that really bugged me. I am not used to critiquing the world I live, alternatively I like to face challenges and overcome them – not just complain about things. This exercise was useful in discovering what I place a value on in my life. This exercise also helped me realize ways that I can better the world around me and to fix problems not only that I have, but that other students or people around me have as well.

Week 2 Reading Reflection

Chapter 1- Entrepreneurship: Evolutionary Development - Revolutionary Impact by Donald F. Kuratko in Entrepreneurship - Theory, Process, Practice

The biggest surprise to me after reading chapter one was in “The Hot Trends to Watch” page where business opportunities are said to be strong in the upcoming years. Under the miscellaneous section, “Executive Recruiting” was said to be a major trend with finding and hiring top executives. I had no idea that recruiting was “trending” right now or that it will be trending in the future. My uncle has been an executive recruiter for years and there has not been any notable spike in business in the past few months.

I found the schools of entrepreneurial thought to be somewhat confusing. After reading the "summary of the schools of entrepreneurial thought" I realized that they are simply a foundation for theory of entrepreneurship. The difference between the macro and micro views were confusing at first, but after rereading them a couple times it made more sense. The macro and micro views are two ways of looking at a more complex model - one from the more global perspective as compared to the micro approach of more individualistic. Another part of the micro view and the macro view that I found confusing was the internal locus of control versus the external locus point of view.

The first question that I have to the author is: Since new business start-ups numbered nearly 600,000 per year in the past 10 years, when is the best time to start a company? I ask this because with the plentitude of businesses being born, is the only option creating a blue ocean, where there is uncontested market space? Another question I have for the author is: Why are so many people trying to gain market share of the already existing red oceans when “85 percent of all small start-up firms fail in the first year?” Would it not be in the best interest of the entrepreneur to not compete with other giants, but rather to create a blue ocean where he or she controls the whole market?

I did not happen to come across anything that I disagreed with the author about. He backed up his claims with statistics, evidence, and sources that proved his points. For instance, he cited U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, Entrepreneurship by Ronstadt, “2008 Hot List,” and many more. As I was reading the text, I kept telling myself to think of something that I disagreed with Kuratko about, but after reading I could not find myself to disagree with anything that he said.

My Entrepreneurship Story

My father worked for Schering-Plough, a pharmaceutical company, after he graduated from college and continued to work for them after I was born. Back in 2009, Merck acquired Sherling-Plough for $41.1 billion in stock and cash, causing major layoffs to occur, thus putting my dad out of work. This is where my father’s entrepreneurial spirit came in and he created his own company, Wilkinson Insurance, LLC. I have a deep respect for anyone who has started his or her own company because it is nonstop work, stress, and a lot of pressure to provide for a large family. With all of the hard work there does come a reward of being able to keep most of the money made and personal satisfaction. 

This leads me to why I am enrolled in ENT 3003. I strive to think and act like an entrepreneur in order to some day potentially start my own company. I hope to obtain knowledge about thinking entrepreneurially that will jumpstart my creative thinking to someday start my own business. I hope to get out of this class valuable information that I otherwise would never had known about, such as how to think exactly like an entrepreneur. 

Introduction

Greetings fellow Entrepreneurship classmates,

My name is Max and I’m from Belleair, Florida. Belleair is about 30 minutes west of Tampa located right next to the Gulf of Mexico. I am a finance major and am planning on minoring in either information systems or entrepreneurship. 

My grandparents are immigrants from Italy so my family is large and family events are usually centered around food and a ton of cousins. I am very blessed in having my family and we always have fun when we’re together. I was raised in a religious home centered around God and his Teachings, an athletic home where sports consisted of much of my childhood, and a family of unfailing love for each other. 

I am still in the process of figuring out what I want to do in my life. It has been on my mind quite frequently for the past few weeks and I seem to be having trouble figuring out what I want my life goals to consist of. I hope that through this class I will be better able to figure out what I want to do in my life while having the mindset of an entrepreneur. 

I enjoy traveling and have been to most of the states along the eastern seaboard of the United States, but my favorite journey was definitely two summers ago when I explored South Africa. I spent a little over two weeks going on safaris, hikes, bike rides, boat rides, and golf cart rides through the beautiful vineyards and land of South Africa. I hope to study abroad at some point in my time here at UF and to travel more after I graduate. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great semester in entrepreneurship!

Max

My Entrepreneur's Mantra

First Blog Post

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