15A. Figuring Out Buyer Behavior #2

The three people I interviewed are:
A single mother of one 3 year old child, a 31 year old mother with 2 children ages 4 and 2, and a 39 year old mother with a 12 year old daughter

Price matters in when people decide to use my product. The other two major driving factors are severity of the issue and distance to the hospital/doctor's office. Our biggest competitor would be Google Maps, and people just knowing where the hospitals and doctor's offices are. People who have lived in a place for a long time will be harder to get to use the product.

They would download the app on the App Store for Apple and the Android Market Place. I'm not sure on whether we would charge a download fee, or if we would sell premiere locations on the app for certain offices/hospitals, or if we would charge advertisements.

If we sell B2B, if new customers are found, it has been successful. Also, if the consumers save money and find reliable places that accept their insurance, we have also been successful.

The interviews led me to believe again that this has a viable market. However, the more established family that has been living in their town for 18 years has all of their doctor's and hospitals already figured out.

I think the best way to make money would be to charge doctor's offices for best placement on the app. Advertisements would make the app look cheap, and it should be free to consumers as the point is to save money.

14A. Halfway Reflection

I have furthered my organization skills to keep up with this class. I follow my schedule more closely and I dedicate enough time for all my work. Organization has definitely been a huge skill this class has helped me develop better. I also have had to stay motivated. Sometimes, I would think my idea is unrealistic. Well so has every great idea in history been. Before the internet, the internet was unrealistic. Now it is a thing in every day life.

I have wanted to give up when I thought I realized my idea was not viable, not good and not realistic to create. I had to remember that most great ideas seem very far away at first, but one just has to stay motivated and persevere and anything can be achieved. Tenacity has definitely help me stay on track because it will give me that one moment where it all turns around for me.

I would give the advice of being organized. Being organized and knowing all deadlines is important as it will make your life much easier. I would also say don't let people tell you your idea is no good. Stay devoted to your idea and remember, if it does not seem challenging to accomplish, it probably isn't worth accomplishing.

13A. Reading Reflection #1

1.

The most surprising thing I learned while reading Shoe Dog, was that Nike isn't actually as American as I always thought. The licensing deal with the Japanese shoe company was something I had no idea existed.

I admire Phil Knight in his will to gamble on this company. Nike came from nothing more than his brain, and now it is a huge company with many tangible products and intangible feelings it gives off, and that all came from him. Now people when they wear Nike feel ready to dominate.

I least admire the fact that Nike started pretty much overseas, but once they finally got their feet under them, it never switched into a primarily American company. They still have most of their labor overseas and in very poor conditions.

2.

The trait that sticks out to me when I think of Phil Knight now is his skills in sales. He not only sold a shoe, he sold a culture. He sold a culture and mindset that a lot of people in this world have bought and it's quite remarkable. He did it by not selling, but believing.

3.

What confused me while reading was how Phil Knight acted in so many situations. He doesn't come off like the most prepared person. Yet here he is with one of the leaders in the sportswear world. He comes off kind of how I would expect, despite not think would be true. He comes off like an athlete who sold his idea. 

4. 

I would ask him what his favorite item Nike has ever produced is. Then I would ask him what is the first color that comes to mind when you think of Nike. I think these would be fun questions. To know his favorite item would be satisfying. Then regarding the question color, I would ask because when I think of Nike I think of orange. I want to know what he thinks.

5.

Any runner or athlete knows you must work hard to achieve your goals. Phil Knight is definitely a proponent of hard work, and so am I.

12A. Figuring Out Buyer Behavior #1

The segment I have picked to interview and focus on are mothers between the ages of 20 and 40. Typically this age group is not where they would like to be financially yet and they have many people they have to take care of which includes hospital and doctor visits.

20 year old with a 6 month old child:
I interviewed my friend who got pregnant recently and had the child with her boyfriend. She said that she never knew how big of a part of her life going to the hospital and pediatrician's office would become. That will be true with any newborn, and she plans on having more children. She also said that having a child has been insanely expensive for her and her boyfriend and her mother has had to help her out a lot. She doesn't want to rely on her mother so this app is perfect for her. She loved the idea and wished it was already available.

31 year old with 2 children ages 5 and 3:
This woman is a little further along in life than the first person I interviewed, but she had the need as well. She is a stay at home mother so she is busy taking care of her kids all the time, which results in her bringing them to the doctors and such. She also has the time to use the app as she does not work. The app is ideal for someone like her as her husband works so she has time, and she is always with her children. She has 3 people she is directly responsible for, and 4 if you count the husband who she probably is responsible for to an extent. She speaks with other mothers around her age with children in similar age groups, and they would spread this app liken wildfire with word of mouth.

38 year old single mother:
This woman is a little older and her daughter is 16. She is a hard worker who works very hard to save up to send her daughter to school and provide for the two of them as best as she can. She would love this app as it would help her save money for her and her daughter. Not only that, but her daughter could probably use it too. They typically go to the closest doctors office/hospital just out of convenience and because they're around, but this app will help them go to the best place, not just the closest.

The segment I have focused on is one that is very well connected through social media and being in the same communities and classes with kids. They can help spread awareness quickly through word of mouth and Facebook posts, as silly as it sounds. They all for the most part are technologically literate, and this will help them find the appropriate information to determine the best place for them to go for all medical needs.

11A. Idea Napkin #1

Well right off the bat I want to say I'm a super normal, down to earth guy with a lot of common sense. I'm not the most outgoing, but I develop strong relationships with people and have a great understanding of them. I'm funny and generous and know how to make people feel comfortable in any situation. I would like to be a millionaire by age 25, and I think this idea is what can help me achieve that.

I will be offering the service of knowing the best Hospital, ER, or doctors office to go to. Many people have varying insurance companies and policies, and once you input yours into the app, give a brief description of what you need done, and share your location, you will know the place that is best for you in regards to saving money and reviews based on customer satisfaction.

The one thing all my customers will have in common is a desire to save money. They will either be poor, or they will be facing serious health concerns that will amount to an immense amount of money being owed at the end of it. I truly think of mothers when thinking of this app.

This app will save money for every person who uses it. That right there could be incentive enough. Another positive note is that it will provide customer feedback and reviews so you can gauge which place you should go to for your medical needs.

What sets me apart is how sensitive I am. People may see it as weakness, and it could be, but it can also be a strength. It creates burning desires that motivate me to overcome adversity, and I am learning how to further that strength every day.

I think that these elements all definitely add up to create a viable endeavor. The idea is unique and strong, and I think I have the resources and traits to exploit the greatness this app could live up to.

10A. Elevator Pitch #1

https://youtu.be/blgE3ZyfdoM

9A. Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Interview #1, My Father:
My dad is a doctor which aligns quite well with my idea. He said he has first hand seen people get in financial troubles due to hospital visits. He thinks this idea is great for the lower middle class and lower class of Americans who don't have the best healthcare and don't have the most money in the world.

Interview #2, My Grandfather:
My grandfather is of the older population that is more often going to the hospital than younger, healthier people. He stated that at this point in his life, he would not use this service as money really isn't an issue and he has gotten this far without using it. He could see people younger and with families using it more though. The need is there, but the technology is a little too new for his age group to really utilize.

Interview #3, Mother of Four Children:
This mother I interviewed loved the idea. Having four children, she said, leads to more hospital and doctors office visits that the average person. Using this app to identify the cheapest places are very important because each savings could potentially be multiplied by 5, including herself.

Interview #4, Clerk at a Gas Station:
I asked the clerk at a gas station if they would answer a couple questions for me and she was more than glad to do so. She said she would most definitely use the app as she is not in the highest paying field, and every dollar counts. There is clearly a huge market for low wage workers who still need to go to the hospital.

Interview #5, Graduate Student:
This person LOVED the idea. He said he recently started paying for his own health insurance, and still has co-pays. As he is trying to get his master's degree and save money, this is an easy way to maximize savings. He mentioned that in a state of emergency he would not use the app, but in the case where he has time, he would definitely try to save some money.

Who is in? Anyone who is trying to save money. This includes people with low wages, people just starting careers or still in school with a lot of student loan debt, large families.	Who is not? People who make a lot of money, or people who have terrific health care packages.
What the need is? The need is to save money. Hospital expenses can be immense, and can really hurt a person financially. This app will help.	What the need is not? The need is not for the well off or for emergencies. Often times people who visit emergency rooms need immediate attention and driving to save money is not an option as life and health is valued more.
Why the need exists? The need exists because the United States does not have universal healthcare. In some European countries, healthcare is universal and there would be no need for this, but in the U.S. people have different levels of healthcare and different income levels.	Alternative explanations Some people are conscious about saving money in most places, and others are more oblivious and keep it on the backburner. If that culture could be switched into a more frugal approach, even with hospital and doctor’s visits, this could be immense.

8A – Solving The Problem

·     The product that I have come up with is a website, similar to Trivago, that would compare hospital prices and services similar to how someone would compare flight or hotel prices.

·     People will have access to this website and will be able to locate the hospitals, the prices for their services, and write or read reviews about the hospital staff and service.

·     There is no website currently available to the public with this information so easily comparable.

·      I think that hospitals will want to have their prices and services compared, especially the higher quality hospitals, so that they will get more patients.

·      I think that people should have access to this information because they are the ones being hospitalized and unsure of how much their bill will be at the end of their visits.

7A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 1

Trivago For Healthcare

·     Opportunity: 

o  Hospitals are now required to list their prices online, which will create competition between healthcare facilities. People should be able to easily compare prices and quality of healthcare.

§ The who: Americans who visit hospitals and healthcare facilities

§ The what: They should not pay for overpriced healthcare if quality of facility is not excellent

§ The why: Just like you could compare car prices, hotel prices, and flight prices, people should be able to compare healthcare facility prices before spending their money

·     Testing the who: The “who” does not necessarily refer to only people in America. There are millions of people throughout the world who need healthcare attention and spend way too much money to get it. The majority of the “who” would be people who frequently get sick, are prone to injury, or are older in age.

·     Testing the what: People pay an absurd amount of money at hospitals without knowing the type of care they are going to receive. 

·     Testing the why: Since hospitals need to list their prices online, a website should be created that can easily compare prices and quality of service of those facilities.

·     Interview #1: This interview was with a 22 year old female that attends college. She mentioned that she had an experience with a hospital and overpriced charges for healthcare that was not excellent. She said that a Trivago type of website for healthcare facilities would be a great idea. She mentioned she was use this when she needed to visit hospitals.

·     Interview #2: This interview was with an older female who throughout her lifetime has had many visits to the hospital. Although she is older and not as tech savvy, she believed that comparing hospital prices and their quality of service is necessary. She thinks that healthcare facilities charge too much for their services.

·     Interview #3: This interview was with a 20-year-old male. He never had thought of comparing hospital prices because he believes the bills from the hospitals would not change much from facility to facility. After presenting him with more information, he changed his mind about going through the effort of comparing prices online like he would do for flights.

·     Interview #4: This interview was with a professor at the University of Florida. She has recognized the problem with hospital prices long before it was required that they be on the hospitals websites. She believes that being able to compare hospital prices would have many positives, but certain healthcare facilities would see fewer patients.

·     Interview #5: This interview was with a 21-year-old female. She had not given much thought to the prices at hospitals because she has never been to the hospital for an injury or illness.

·     Given your interview, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn’t know before?

o  The interviewees made me realize that a Trivago for healthcare would be essential and helpful for people who frequently visit the hospital. 

o  The interviews also made me realize that people do not think about hospital charges or comparing hospital services as they would do flight prices as frequently as I had thought.