Carlos Leon ENT

I read  Steve Jobs  by Walter Isaacson, a biography about the life of the founder of Apple.  When reading this book, one thing that surprised me the most was why the name Apple was chosen for the company. While an apple grasped the concept of simplicity very well, the main reason was because it came before Atari in the phone book. I admired Steve‘s determination in getting things done the most. He always found a way to convince himself, and other, to work just a little bit longer to be the best. I least admired how Jobs treated some employees. He would be verbally abusive to people who didn’t meet his expectations. Jobs did face adversity, especially when he was fired from Apple and had to invest his money into other projects, like Pixar.  The book talks about how Jobs was described by other people. He was said to have a RDF dedication. RDF stand for reality distortion field, a term from Star Trek, meaning Steve would bend reality to his will. This all just mea...

My exit strategy may change, but for now I see it clear as day. I intend to stay with the business for several years, as long as my passion exist. As for selling the business, I don’t have any plans to do so, and when I retire from this venture, my job will be handed down to someone I find just as passionate as I am for it, in a sort of “passing the torch” type. The terms of my departure will be set that the company remain with it’s goal of being non-profit and for the planet.  I have selected this exit strategy because my business is a non-profit with the goal of creating products to cut CO2 emissions from the earth. So as long as I have the passion and ability to keep fighting towards that goal, I will stay with the company. And when I no longer have that passion or ability I will pass the leadership role to someone who does. The business being sold isn’t the goal, because that would go against remaining non-profit.  My exit strategy has influenced how I approach new op...

At the beginning of the semester I had failed my first exam for my management class. Out of the 100 points I could’ve gotten, I earned 56, and it was difficult to accept. After analyzing the process it took to fail that exam, I learned how not to again. I better understood the time I had to dedicate in order to perform better on the next exam and picked up different study techniques to ensure I was better prepared.  I think, and always have thought, that failing gives you a chance to learn something. Many times people think that a failure equates to them being inadequate, or not good enough, to perform their desired task, but the truth is that their approach to it needed fine tuning. I think it’s important to not use failure as an excuse for why you can’t do other things; then you’re just lazy. This class surely secured my beliefs on failure and gives me more confidence to pursue the unknown. 

Existing market I think the next step in terms of products and services for my venture is creating more solar powered products that can assist buyers with their everyday tasks. Based on feedback from customers, the best path for growing in my existing market is to go beyond that of the individual customer. The general idea that my three interviewees had for me is that my products need to be the norm around the world and that governments need to be funding my business to get the job done. Transitioning to clean, renewable energy is a concern that all countries are soon going to be looking to do completely for their power grid, if not already.   The next step for my business is having the manpower and ability to provide country wide solar technology for not just small homes and business, but for large cities and counties. Based on my idea for the next steps, my first interviewee brought up the idea of creating solar technology that can be mounted onto cars without being a nui...

Opportunity ·          Who has this need : People who live in high sunlit cities, or areas, who want to transition away from the use of fossil fuels as a source of energy, or electricity, to sources of renewable energy. ·          The nature of the need : The majority of power sources in the world are currently non-renewable energy, from oil and coal. ·          What are the forces or changes in the environment creating this opportunity? : The continuous burning of fossil fuels is raising co2 emissions into the atmosphere at dangers levels, harming the environment of the planet, which in turn, bring about natural disasters and dangerous risks for future generations. ·          How is this market defined geographically and demographically? : This market focuses on areas of well sunlit coverage, where renewable energy can...

1.        Eco-friendly ·          Valuable: Yes, my company provides products that help people save money on energy consumption and benefits the planet is reduce fossil fuel energy use. ·          Rare: No, Eco-friendly products are becoming less rare today. ·          Imitable: yes, being Eco-friendly can be copied ·          Non-substitutable: No, there is no similar alternative for being Eco-friendly. 2.        Stylish ·          Valuable: Yes, having something that looks good creates confidence. ·          Rare: Yes, most solar powered products are an eye sore. ·          Imitable: No, our designs will be patent protected and be or...

The book I chose to read was The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users, by Guy Kawasaki. 1.     The general theme in this book is the topic of digital marketing and experimenting with the tools of social media to successfully connect to other people and grow your businesses.   2.       In ENT 3003, we learn about several ways in which we can use tools to build a business such as recording an elevator pitch and this book talks about several online tools that one can use to be successful, not only through social media but small details like “always have a signature for your emails.” 3.     Based on this book, the exercise I would implement in class is creating a business card. Kawasaki talks about how your business card should be made where scan websites would automatically pick up all your information and recognize the different details such as your number and email. 4.     The biggest ‘ah...

1.  https://youtu.be/dKvqpLztELs 2. In my feedback I was told to have more emotion during my pitch. I was told that I appeared to be a robot. I was also told in my feedback that I did a good job at establishing a hook and to try to make it more intense next time around. I thought this feedback was constructive and I took them into consideration when doing my third pitch. 3. Based on the before mentioned feedback I received, my pitch went through some adjustments. This time around i tried having more emotion, starting with serious in the beginning and transitioning to a lighter tone later on. I also made my beginning hook more intense and added more of a pause this time around for it.

Interview 1 1.        I spoke with Mary S., a representative for the American Red Cross. She says she has always had a purpose for helping those in need, with no discrimination. Mary says she’s been with the organization for 15 years and hopes to be there forever. 2.        Mary fills in the “domain expert” because she works for a non-profit organization that aims at helping humanity in various ways, just as I plan my company to carry itself. 3.        I got into contact with Mary after I had emailed the Red Cross headquarters with the possibility of asking someone a couple questions about the organization. 4.        Mary provided me insight and information about how people have to come together more often to fix the problems we all deal with. She taught me that everyone has the ability to be compassionate and there was no return expected from her. ...

1)       The vision is to prolong the existence of the human race by making sure the planet can sustain life longer. My business is more than just selling products; it’s the opportunity to teach people how important fighting global warming is. 2)       What we are offering to customers is a range of solar powered products to transition away from using fossil fuels for energy, while being efficient enough to power everyday needs. 3)       Our products are meant for everyone and the goal is to reach all walks of life, but to be more specific, it is for the customer who is ready to make a difference in the planet’s health by investing in renewable energy. 4)       The customer who ultimately decides to invest in our products and/or company finds value in us because our company is aimed at supporting the environment while remaining non-profit. 5)     ...

https://youtu.be/B9qItYdO1rY The most useful and insightful feedback I received was the recognition for my fear tactic that I had used in my first elevator pitch. A peer told me that it grabbed their attention immediately and made my cause appear more important. With that being said, I decided to again use the same tactic in my pitch and emphasis it more the 2 nd time around. I was also told that in my performance, I needed to be more serious about the beginning issues I state, so I tried changing my attitude a bit for the beginning of my pitch.

My prototypical customer would hold these details: A woman in her early twenties who has a love for the planet and those who inhabit it. This customer takes the time in their everyday life to reduce their carbon footprint. They recycle, take short showers, buy water filter pitchers instead of single use plastics, and they have a desire to only use renewable energy. My customer drives an electric car in order to not contribute to the burning of fossil fuels. They do not have children yet, but they fear the future that is being left behind for them. As for politics, this customer tends to lean towards democrats, because of their active support in helping the environment. They cannot sign for a party that constantly denies the effects of climate change. This customer and I both share a "bigger picture" for the future of humanity. We understand that to ensure our species survival, we must look at what we are currently doing to the planet, and act on it.

I interviewed three people who live in the Los Angeles area, while I was there for a short trip. Interview No.1:                 Based on the alternatives of renewable energy available in today’s technology, the first person I interviewed said it would be impractical to invest in wind or hydro power for individual purpose. “Unless the city is installing mega turbines or LA somehow gets water for a change, solar is the best route.” When asked if they had to choose an alternative the interviewee chose hydro power, but mentioned he would need to invest in moving his home elsewhere to obtain the alternative. This buyer is more likely to buy online instead of going to an actual store, and says he would rather pay cash up front for the product, stating “oh I’ve got the money for solar panels; it’s just about finding reliable ones.” When thinking back to their purchases, this buyer thinks about the return on inves...

1.       To keep up with the requirements in this course I’ve developed an extroverted behavior towards talking to people. Because I’ve had to interview various people I’ve had to become more comfortable with approaching someone and talking to them out of the blue. This developed behavior has enabled me to complete the assignments with ease and look forward to the next time I’ll have to interview someone. 2.       When I first started my Business Law class this semester I was a bit put off by the fact that the only grades in the class were the 3 exams you had to take. After a month of reading the textbook and trying to grasp the concepts of law I felt overwhelmed by all the information and thought there would be no way I could pass the exam, feeling like I should give up. After talking to my sister, she put my mind right and helped me see the class as a learning opportunity and not a passing grade one. Since then I have developed a...

The book I read was “Elon Musk” by Ashlee Vance. This book focuses on the world renowned entrepreneur of our time. What had surprised me the most about Elon was his ability to remember 2 encyclopedias using his photographic memory as a child. What I most admired about the Tesla founder was his overall goal when pursuing anything in life. Musk’s overall goal is to save humanity and preserve the life of mankind. What I least admired was how the company Tesla is known for making consistent negative profit every year, needing government funds to stay afloat. When Elon was a child he faced problems both at home and at school. While his parents had a toxic relationship which would affect him emotionally, he would be bullied by his peers at school. His solution was to turn to reading and that is what helped grow the great mind we know today.             Elon Musk has a competency to always strive for progress. Progress in technology, ...

The segment I have chosen is home owners is Gainesville, under GRU (Gainesville Regional Utilities) contracts, who want a different source for their electricity. Interview 1 Need Awareness: The first individual I interviewed stated that the need arises when having to pay the utility bill on the 20 th of every month. The largest portion of the bill is always electric and most of the power used is believed to be from the A/C unit. When leaving the house to visit family, which is done for weeks at a time, this individual notices that the electric bill goes significantly lower than when they’re home. Since Gainesville can get pretty hot most of the year, this homeowner is required to have the A/C running at all times. When looking at the bill on the 20 th , this person becomes aware that they need a solution to the high rates for electricity for their home. Information Research: When becoming aware of this need, the first thing they do is look online if there’s any way to lower ...