13A- Reading Reflection No.1

I have decided to read Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance because I have always admired him for the effort he put in order to succeed and how he makes this world a better place.

1. What surprised me the most about Elon Musk was the fact that he was able to make both Tesla and SpaceX work out even though he clearly did not have the funds to run both projects due to the fact that he was tight on cash after he used up a lot of his money after he sold Pay-Pal. Something that I admire the most about Elon Musk was his determination and work ethic. I believe that if people worked as hard as him, they will be able to accomplish anything that they desire. Elon Musk encountered many failures in his life but they all helped him learn and adapt and work harder. For example, when he launched his first three rockets in the SpaceX program, they had all failed. However, that did not stop him from trying again until he succeeded. 
2. One of Elon Musk's most important competencies was his exceptional emotional intelligence which lead him to become one of the most powerful leaders in the world. He strived to be aware of his emotions and he was able to spectacularly handle important relationships which really assisted in becoming the successful man he is today. This also includes the way that he got the most out of his employees.  
3. Some of the most confusing parts of the reading is when he talked about how the rockets where constructed and the vocabulary used that relates to that. This all stems from the fact that I do not know much about engineering and the components of it. 
4. One question I would ask is "What is your viewpoint on extraterrestrial life and if you believe there is an entity above everything for which provides meaning in life?". Thats just a curious question that I would ask a person as intelligent as Elon Musk. My second question is "How were you able to take on all those failures and still have such an optimistic mindset?". This question interests me because the answer could really help me out with the things I want to do in life. 
5. I think everyone know's Elon's answer to the question of hard work. It's as clear and simple that hard work pays off and I completely agree with that. I just wish I had his work ethic!

12A- Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No.1

I chose to venture upon a psychographic segment of people who life a lifestyle that involves them associating with small businesses frequently. Therefore, I have chosen to interview three people who I placed in that segment for which I am willing to learn more about the unmet need in hand.

1. First Interview: This is a man who works at a local small business in North Miami Beach, FL. He states that the fact that technology is increasing at such a rapid rate worries him because people are out there committing cyber crimes. He feels that as an employee, his job is put at risk if something happens that ends up harming the business. This need awareness takes place at anytime and anywhere due to the fact that technology never really sleeps. He believes that there are people out there that have the ability to bypass any system and they pose a potential threat. His solution is trying to help his employer (small business owner) implement plans that can reduce risk and he says that he would do this by searching up reliable methods on the web. 
2. Second Interview: This is an older woman who tends to give a good amount of business to small businesses. Since she is older, she was never really able to adjust away from the basic cash payments. She has an unmet need because she is unable to fully understand how her transactions work herself. She says that she does not manage her accounts and that her son does all that business. After explaining to her about all the threats out there and how advanced technology has been getting, she realized the extent of her problem. She says that she will soon talk to her son to help herself get more aware of the transactions that are taking place.
3. Third Interview: This is a man who frequently makes online purchases from small business retailers. He claims that he is able to get unique items and giving small businesses his business is something that he really loves to do. However, he claims that ever since learning about all these cyber threats and reading about how many businesses are getting screwed by that, he has started to limit his online shopping to bigger firms. He says that he actually researches every organization that he ever thinks of buying from so in return he learns about how secure they are at taking his credit card information. He also says that there are many parties on the internet that can actually get hold of his information if the organization's site is not secure enough.

I believe that due to these interviews I have gained much intel in the minds of people in my sector. These people have lifestyles that are at risk due to the fact that cyber threats are present. Everyone in this sector wishes for the least risk possible in dealing with small businesses and try to seek forms of safety of themselves and their money. 

10-Elevator Pitch #1

ELEVATOR PITCH: https://youtu.be/2VH6DBk0agc

11A-Idea Napkin #1

IDEA NAPKIN

1. My name is Theodore Pappas, I am fully Greek and fully ready to satisfy many peoples unmet needs with my proposition. I have a unique set of skills that stem from the many interesting experiences I have been through (sorry Dos Equis guy). I have a tendency to be able to relate to people all over the world due to the fact that I am a cultured person. Traveling and getting an insight to all these cultures helped me learn about different consumer aspirations and multiple small businesses. I feel like I am ready to take the next step by helping people around the world safely maintain their transactions and their assets for a lower cost than other methods. 

2. What I am offering is a plan that connects small businesses and consumers like never before. Since large businesses can afford huge metrics of Cyber-Security and protection, I will exclude them from my plan. I seek to develop a threat sensing device that links to an app on consumers' and business owners' phones that detect potential cyber threats. The plan is to integrate a plan in the whole network of the business creating a cyber wall that would be very tough to breach. Once it is breached it will send a message directly to consumers via an app on their mobile phones. Thus, my goal is to prevent fraud and stolen data, assets, and other information. 

3. My product aims to target consumers and small businesses who are linked in business transactions electronically. In the United States there are over 28 million small businesses and 70% of the US population uses account transactions in consuming goods. I will target that whole segment of people and businesses. Everyone I am targeting has something major in common and that is the threat and risk that they have to deal with in a world that technology is rapidly growing. 

4. This solution is valuable to the consumers and businesses that I am targeting because they all have an unmet need of protection from all the cyber threats lurking around these days. People will pay for this because it will help them not lose information, money, and other important data. The potential benefits outweigh the costs heavily and the app would not cost much at all for consumers. 

5. My secret sauce is the fact that I can interact with basic consumers and small businesses like nobody else. I have a unique set of abilities that assists me in getting into the mind of people and their buying habits. I am able to understand the threats that are provided by technology due to experiences that I only had in my life. Nobody ever shares the same experiences and I believe mine are rare. 

I believe that my proposition has actually strengthened due to the fact that all these elements fit together like pieces of a puzzle. I am starting to develop a larger picture with these pieces and it is actually starting to look amazing. However, I aim to develop this idea more and make some more tweaks to it. In the future, I would like to see this help people save trillions of dollars around the world. 

8A-Solving the Problem

Solution:

Small businesses have out of date technology to deal with cyber threats because they can't afford or use them. This can harm small businesses as well as consumers due to the fact that their accounts are put at risk. A solution to this problem is a way to help small businesses create good cybersecurity plans that can not only prevent them from risk and maintain data integrity. This security will be a cheaper alternative investment that will provide strong protection including plans. This plan will bring many benefits to both the consumers and the suppliers in this very technologically advanced market. Some of these can be risk prevention, attracting new customers, and other long term benefits that yield from this type of plan. The market for goods can also change due to the fact that small businesses can compete with the growing technology.

9A-Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Upon evaluating my area and opportunity I have thus found five people who I believe do not have the unmet need but should. I believe these group of people are unaware or are just really big risk takers. 

Interviews: 

1. Walmart Manager: This man is a manager at a local Walmart and since this company has such up to date technology and great cybersecurity, I believe that from the business perspective he has the need covered. Therefore, he falls outside of the boundary as a manager of certain assets. This need has to due with two perspectives: the customer and the business. As a customer to other small businesses he should have the need because not every place is as large as Walmart. I believe that his perspective is different because he usually works with a technology that has very little risk. 
2. Roommate: My roommate falls outside of the boundary because he claims that since nothing has ever threatened him in terms of fraud or any cyber threat. He shares a lot in common with my opportunity because we usually support small businesses and are customers there frequently. The need I identified to him differs from the need for businesses because they have more threat in losing more assets due to the fact that they have to implement cybersecurity plans. Clearly he is outside the boundary and his need differs from others just because he does not believe in risk. 
3. Nice man that I met at the barber shop: He is outside the boundary because he basically does not understand the extent of cyber threats and how technology is advanced. I am not saying that some people are not smart, they just are not aware of how technology these days can be a threat to themselves through small businesses who do not know or have inadequate cyber security plans.  People like this differ from others because they simply are not aware of the threats that cyber security provide. 
4. Grandfather: My grandfather is fairly old, and has never used anything but cash. He really should have this unmet need but he does not because he is not up to date with technology. The elderly are usually the least aware of the growing technological threats lurking around. Most of this can stem from the fact that they have not ever grown with the way that technology has succeeded them. 
5. Mitchell, "my friend":  Mitchell is an interesting man and he believes that his money and his assets are indestructible. Therefore, he has no need to worry about all those cyber security threats because he simply has no worries about anything that can come and harm his accounts. He differs from many people because most people tend to worry about potential threats in dealing with their accounts. 

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Basic Consumers/ Small Businesses	Elderly, Ignorant People, and Small Businesses
Ability to have proper cybersecurity	......................................
Growing technological threats	The ability to not be aware/ have great security measures

7A-Testing Hypothesis, Part 1

Small U.S. businesses that have yet to adapt to the growing technology and cyber-security in the United States cause an array of potential threats to customers, employees, and the businesses themselves. This is because many of them run on risk due to the fact that potential threats are unknown and may not happen. 
Who?: Many Small American Businesses

• There are actually large businesses who have faulty systems. However, due to the fact that they can implement and afford this technology creates a division far beyond the safety of small businesses. Not all of the small businesses are in need of technological help because some of them have implemented good safety precautions.  

What?: They have yet to adapt to the growing technology and yet to implement good cyber-security procedures.

• The negative affects of losing information and assets can completely destroy any business. The whole supply cycle of a business is at risk due to these circumstances. This need is a must to be able to thrive in this ever-changing business environment.   

Why?: Running on risk and the challenges and costs that come with technological endeavors.

• People can perceive this differently due to the fact that some businesses simply cannot afford or do not even know how to adapt to technology. Harnessing this technology could be difficult, but it definitely yields benefits in the long run. 

Interviewed 5 people:

1. Male at the local barber shop: Here I asked this man how he felt about the fact that this small business does not yet have a chip reader on their transaction device. He claimed that it was uncomfortable to not see a chip reader these days and he felt that there is some risk involved in making his payment. He claims that due to technological advancements recently, he expects people to actually implement safety strategies. 
2. Family business owner: This was an interesting interview because it was taken in the perspective of a small restaurant owner who lost a good amount of money due to fraudulent charges that he was not able to identify. I asked him why he did not implement better cyber-security precautions and he said he simply could not afford to train employees and implement new technologies. However, he does see this as a major issue and he needs to consider adjusting and adapting.   
3. Father: I chose to interview him because he is always in check with every charge he has ever encountered. He told me that every business should implement the best technology and security they can afford. He claims that it is hard for him to give small businesses with out of date technology any business because he is placed in risk. He claims that his information is at risk and that can really be an invasion of privacy. 
4. Woman at Walmart line: Here I asked this woman what she thought about the comparisons made between large businesses and small ones. She claimed that she trusts the large businesses better to handle her transactions due to the fact that they have better cyber-securities and efficient technological systems. She stated that with new technological advancements, online and cyber threats are larger than ever before. She claims that they attack small businesses who have weak and out of date technological systems. 
5. Owner of one of the few 'Cash Only' small businesses: I asked this man why he only accepts cash and he says that he does not want to deal with the integrity that nothing will happen with accounts. He also states that he does not want to link his account to a transaction based tech system due to risk. However, he says he struggles because most people never have cash and are unwilling to use the ATM. 

I have figured out that technological safety is as important to consumers as it is to businesses. Also, due to technological advancements many businesses are forced to move to technology even though they really do not know how to establish systems like this. When they do they also need to establish cyber-securities to maintain the integrity of their information as well as their customers'. 

6A-Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Economic Trend #1: "Growing Income Inequality"
a. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/09/global-competitiveness-report-2017-trends/
b. An opportunity exists here because people are facing inequality in incomes in the United States. Therefore, there are people that are suffering and have unmet needs in terms of finding jobs and the wages they make. 
c. The most likely group of people affected by this is the middle class in which the 4th Industrial Revolution is taking away many of their jobs. 
d. I believe that this opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit because of the advancement of technological changes which do not seem to slow down. These changes are changing the job mix in the United States in which the middle class has its jobs taken away. 
-I saw this as an opportunity because I am part of the middle class and my father almost lost his job due to a situation similar to this. 

Economic Trend #2: "Hurricane-Torn Puerto Rico Says It Can’t Pay Any of Its Debts for 5 Years"
a. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/us/puerto-rico-budget-hurricanes.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FEconomic%20Conditions%20and%20Trends&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=collection 
b. An opportunity exists here because Puerto Rico has suffered from the hurricane and the fact that it cannot pay any debts definitely strikes them as well as other countries that are related. 
c. There are two sets of people affected by this opportunity. First, Puerto Rico and its residents are affected because the debt of Puerto Rico is just going to increase due to the fact that relief efforts are where most of the money is going to. Secondly, the countries in which Puerto Rico owes debt to are affected because the have the unmet need of getting repaid by Puerto Rico. 
d. This situation is difficult to exploit because a hurricane causes so much damage and so many efforts need to be made to fix up the damages. Therefore it is extremely hard for Puerto Rico to do that and also pay its debts at the same time. 
- I saw this as an opportunity because many places have natural disasters that end up harming the economy and cause many unmet needs for them and for others. 

Regulatory Trend #1: "Cyber-security"
a. http://media.paychex.com/paychex-identifies-the-top-10-regulatory-issues-for-small-businesses-in-2017/
b. An opportunity exists here because there is a need of better cyber-security due to the fact of increasing levels of fraud, data breaches, hacking, and email leaks that harm many businesses. 
c. Businesses and their customers are affected by this opportunity because without great cyber-security, businesses can lose many assets that in return can be detrimental to the customers that are related to that business. 
d. I believe that this situation can be easy to exploit if the businesses take on better regulations to protect their information. 
-I saw this as an opportunity because I have a family friend that lost a lot of money due to the fact that he did not have good cyber-security regulations. 

Regulatory Trend #1: "Payments"
a. http://media.paychex.com/paychex-identifies-the-top-10-regulatory-issues-for-small-businesses-in-2017/
b. An opportunity exists here because customers of many small businesses have an unmet need of safe transactions and payments due to the fact that the businesses have not implemented EMV technology.
c. The small businesses are affected because they are held liable for fraudulent charges made by customers. Customers are also affected because their payments and accounts are put in jeopardy due to the fact that these businesses have unsafe transactions.  
d. I believe that this situation is easy to exploit if the businesses can afford to establish EMV technology. 
- I saw this as an opportunity because hacking and cyber fraud are becoming more and more prevalent due to the fact of technological advancements.