22 - Elevator Pitch No 3

Reflection and Change: I appreciate all of the feedback I received that helped improve my pitch and my idea. This time, I didn't make any changes since I only received positive reviews. I provided factual evidence to back up my claims and delivered a strong pitch that captured the audience. I am confident and proud that my elevator pitch is professional and informative.

21 - Reading Reflection No 2

In “Thinking, Fast and Slow”, Daniel Kahneman reveals several big ideas on psychology and human behavior. The general argument of the book is that humans have two systems for thinking: System 1 which is fast and automatic, and System 2 which is slow and logical. Kahneman claims that most of the time, we are thinking intuitively and automatic, which can lead us to making wrong conclusions. As a result of system 1 thinking, people make errors such as hindsight bias, overconfidence, and confirmation bias.

This book relates to the lessons from this course that ask us to analyze people’s behaviors. In the interviews I’ve conducted for my business idea, I’ve analyzed how people’s perception changes depending on their unique backgrounds and experiences. Understanding why someone may jump to an irrational conclusion is useful in a business setting.

For an exercise based on Kahneman’s book, I would have the class record as many thoughts they had in one day, and then sort them as whether it was a System 1 thought or a System 2. It’s a fascinating exercise that would reveal to ourselves our own biases and behaviors.

A big takeaway I had from this book is realizing how engrained our patterns of thoughts are, and how easily perception can be altered with concepts such as loss aversion, framing, and sunk cost fallacies. I didn’t expect this book to have such a powerful impact on me. Like many people, I like to believe that I am always thinking critically and logically. But the reality is that our behaviors and opinions can be influenced, and we need to be aware of how that affects our society.

19 - Idea Napkin No 2

Who are you? 
My name is Kassylla and I am a Business Administration Major and a French and Francophone Studies Minor. I am someone who is passionate about global affairs and love to learn and embrace different cultures and connect with people. I speak roughly four languages: Portuguese (my native language), English, Spanish, and French, and I will learn more in the future. Another major thing about me is that I am passionate about sustainability and protecting our planet from human depletion. I am Vice President of Sustainable Business Group at UF. SBG is a student-led consulting group that conducts volunteer audits of local businesses in Gainesville focusing on maximizing sustainable efforts. My goals are to eliminate business practices that are harmful to the environment. During my time traveling in Europe, I recognized they have buses and metros that run very smoothly and efficiently, so I know that it is possible to improve public transportation in this city. A successful public transit that I am pushing for is definitely an opportunity that I believe will significantly make a difference in the city’s overall carbon footprint.

What are you offering to customers? 
What I am offering is a public transportation system that will run faster and smoother. There will be a series of street and traffic regulations. The main project is implementing and enforcing bus-only lanes during peak times in major roads. In addition, after the feedback I've received, I will target the RTS app for major improvements. From interviews and comments, I've gathered that many people have issues with the app and it deters them from riding the bus more often. Work conditions for bus drivers will also be improved. The goal is to increase the number of buses and routes so that they are more accessible and convenient.

Who are you offering it to? 
I am offering it to all of the residents and commuters in Gainesville, FL. Particularly those who rely on public transportation to get around, usually because they are unable to afford a private vehicle, or they are unable to drive one. There are also many people, like me, who choose the most environmentally-friendly options whenever they can.

Why do they care? 
I believe that this opportunity will benefit so many people and the environment. With a bus system that is actually a better alternative than driving, the number of vehicles on the road will decrease, making traffic conditions safer and reducing carbon emissions in the air. Passengers will have more buses and routes, which will make commuting much more flexible and convenient. It will also affect the number of urban space dedicated to parking lots. These spaces can be utilized for more efficient purposes, such as more housing or more parks and green spaces.

What are your core competencies? 
My opportunity is calling for a radical change of the current traffic patterns and regulations currently in place. Gainesville officials are trying to accommodate for the growth in the city’s population by expanding and increasing the number of roads. However, this only induces demand of more roads. They should instead be focusing on ways to improve the public transportation system, which will actually improve road conditions and safety.

Fit together / out-of-joint?
I believe that these elements work well and is definitely a possibility. People are more environmentally conscious, and car bills are too costly for many, so I believe gaining support for this opportunity will not be difficult. From the interviews I’ve conducted, I’ve concluded that a lot of people support this idea, but some don’t think it is feasible. I agree that it would be a steep learning curve for many people, especially those with no experience taking public transportation or no knowledge of successful implementations of this opportunity in other cities. To strengthen the opportunity, educating people on how public transportation works and all of its benefits will most likely be necessary.

Feedback:
I have received a lot of amazing feedback for my business proposal. The biggest takeaway was to also focus on the app, as it deters many people from the public transportation system. Everything else on my idea napkin remains the same. Most of the feedback I received was positive and encouraging that I'm on the right track.

18 - Customer Avatar

My prototypical customer is a young, second-year student at the University of Florida. She just moved to an apartment off-campus after living in Jennings Hall her freshman year. An off-campus apartment is cheaper, but now she isn’t within walking distance of her classes and takes the bus every day. She comes from a lower-income family and she has worked hard to obtain scholarships and grants to finance her studies. She also has a part-time job to cover other expenses. She doesn’t own a vehicle but has found it increasingly difficult to balance school and work without one. She has to consider working extra hours to buy one, but that would be even more demanding and harmful to the environment.

She is a passionate environmental activist that strives to reduce her carbon footprint as much as possible. she recycles, composts, and grows flowers and herbs. She is a double major in Sustainability Studies and Economics. Her career goal is to consult businesses and governments on how to improve the environmental effects of operational and administrative systems.

My prototypical customer is very social. She likes to spend time with her friends on weekends and go downtown. She relies on her friends to drive because she’s scared of waiting at the bus stop at night. She has resorted to using Uber before, but that adds up quickly. She loves to watch documentaries, preferably related to nature. She doesn’t really like fiction movies or books. She also loves to longboard, particularly in parks and trails. Once a week, she longboards at Hawthorne Trail and takes her sketchbook to draw anything that inspires her along the way.

Although I chose a young college student as my prototypical customer, my business idea would benefit every person that lives in the Gainesville area. A superior public transportation system will improve bus efficiency and reliability, while reducing traffic and greenhouse gas emissions.

17 - Elevator Pitch No. 2

Reflection and Change: I received a lot of great feedback from my last elevator pitch. The most important suggestion was that I needed to add facts and figures to back up my statements and make my pitch stronger. Another insightful feedback was to incorporate changes to the RTS app as well as the transportation system itself. Going forward, I will also be proposing major updates to the app, or a new one that will be compatible with the new public transit system. I also received some useful feedback on the presentation, to relax and sound natural. There wasn’t any advice I found silly or wrong because they were genuine suggestions that I took into consideration. I appreciate all of the feedback I received that helped improve my pitch and my idea.