16A –What’s Your Secret Sauce?

1. Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique.

-I’m very dedicated to my schoolwork and I always put forth my best effort.

-I’m friendly and I feel I can make anyone laugh.

-I take risks when I truly think I can do it and I don’t let other people’s opinions get in my way.

-I’m a positive person and try to see the best in everyone.

-I’m caring and will do a lot for my friends and family.

2. Interview the five people who know you the best. Ask them what they think makes you different.

***I’m currently volunteering at a sleep away camp in another state as a counselor, so I decided to call/text these 5 people that actually know me best from back home. ***

My mom Erin:  “You brighten everyone’s day when you walk into a room”

My stepdad Tony: “You’re extremely hardworking and can do anything you put your mind too”

My little brother Liam: “You’re smart and funny and a great big brother”

My best friend Chris: “One of the best people I know”

My grandfather: “You’re smart, and not afraid to take chances”

3) Reflect on the differences.

After completing this exercise, I definitely felt the love. Calling all my friends and family from back home and hearing them say nice stuff about you can truly brighten your day. In seeing how my family looks at me and how I look at myself, I’ve noticed I can definitely be hard on myself. I’ve got to learn to let things be and if I can’t control a situation, then I shouldn’t let it affect me. I look forward to more exercises like this in the future.

15A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 2

For my segment, I’ve chosen 3 individuals who eat at Chick-fil-a a somewhat regular basis.

In the first interview, it was done with my friend who goes to school in Jacksonville at UNF. We discussed my idea and he thought it was interesting and anticipated that it would improve customer satisfaction significantly if that 3-lane drive thru worked. Chick-fil-a is one of his favorite places to eat for lunch. However, he asked me how much would be to install the third drive thru lane? How much would it be to install the new system at all the Chick-Fil-a’s across the United States? I didn’t know the answer to these questions, so this interview definitely helped open my eyes regarding my idea in that I don’t have all the answers yet.

My next interview was done with my friend who goes to FSU. His main reason for eating Chick-fil-a so much is that his dorm on campus is literally 50 steps from the main Chick-fil-a on campus. It’s super convenient for him as all he needs to do is simply walk outside of his dorm and it’s there. He supported my idea heavily as he thinks the 3-lane drive thru will be good in spacing out cars and speeding up order times. However, he also brought up the point in that there’s no evidence that the idea will work, so that many trials need to be dome before the idea is implemented statewide.

My last interview was done with my uncle who lives in Orlando. He lives like 3 minutes from a Chick fil-a so he often stops there to get dinner for his family whenever they don’t cook. He told me that the drive-thru lines are usually worse during the days so most times he’ll wait to eat it for dinner. Once I told him idea, he was immediately interested but he did have concerns. If all the Chick-fila-a restaurants around the US implemented the 3-lane drive thru, it would significantly affect the architecture for a lot of the restaurants. Most of the restaurants would need to be upgraded or knocked down entirely in order to create space. This in turn could cost a lot of money on Chick-fil-a’s end. My uncle is right to have these concerns, and I had never considered that factor in thinking of my idea.

Summary: Although all of them liked the idea, it still isn’t 100% that the 3-lane drive thru will ultimately be beneficial and efficient.  The cost of adding this third lane is still unsure and it overall may not be effective in the long run as many of the established restaurants may need to upgrade its facility which will only cost more and more money. To figure it out if it works, a few test runs should be done at some of the already existing locations that are larger than most of the other restaurants. Once these results are gathered, it will be clear whether the plan works or doesn’t work.

14A- Halfway Reflection

1)     Tenaciousness is a competency. What are the behaviors that you have used (or developed) to keep up with the requirements of this course? 

To keep up with the requirements of this course, I usually do all the assignments a week prior till when they are due. Sometimes my commitment to my other class gets in the way of doing this. However, by doing all my assignments early it gives me the best chance to turn in all the assignments with the best quality of work.

2)     Tenaciousness is also about attitude. Talk about a moment or two when you felt like "giving up." What pulled you through? Do you feel like you've developed a tenacious attitude during the past two months? What experience or experiences most contributed to this?

In the beginning of the semester, I almost gave up and dropped the course. My other class seemed very demanding from the initial look of its syllabus and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able both classes in addition to having  a job. However, I found a way to balance it all and I’m glad I didn’t drop the class in the end.

    3) Three tips. What are three tips you would offer next semester's student about (1) fostering   the skills that support tenacity and (2) developing the 'tenacious mindset' ?

Tip #1: Get assignments done early

Tip #2: Ask questions if confused

Tip #3: Watch lectures to do well on the Cupcake assignments

13A – Reading Reflection No. 1

1) You read about an entrepreneur: Steve Jobs, By: Walter Isaacson 

• What surprised you the most?

What surprised me the most is that the name Apple had a very specific reasoning. Jobs gave the company the name Apple because it;s alphabetically in front of the company Atari. Jobs previously worked at Atari and didn’t want his former company  and now competitor to be ahead of Apple in a phone book or in any kind of listing when people were looking up computer companies.

• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?

I admire Steve Jobs for truly changing the world. Although many hiccups along the road, Jobs has always persevered to strive for his goals. His success is unmatched and his determination to see his vision through is inspiring stuff.

• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?

What I least admire about Jobs is that he tends to blow up on individuals and can be a huge jerk. Some of the stories recounted in the book were very surprising. However, everyone is human and I don’t necessarily think Jobs is an awful person just because he’s been a mean person in periods throughout his life.

• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?

Jobs was fired from Apple in 1985. After this he invested his time and money into NeXT and Pixar. His investments into Pixar eventually made him a billionaire. Who knew that initially getting fired from Apple would actually be a blessing In disguise for Jobs. Crazy.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

Jobs’ determination and the way he could communicate with people was truly a gift. It’s the reason why his employees worked 90 hours a week to make the best product possible. Jobs’ ability to inspire and motivate was one of his greatest gifts.

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

There wasn’t really anything that confused me.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

The first thing I’d ask is what the biggest regret regarding his career and then I’d ask what’s his biggest regret he has regarding his personal life. I’d ask him this to pick his brain. For a man who’s done so much for the world and has accomplished so much success, I find interest in seeing if there’s a different path he would’ve taken in the past or if there’s anything he would change. That stuff really interests me.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

I think Jobs saw hard work as the key to success. I agree with that because I truly feel dreams don’t work unless you do. Many things in life don’t come handed to anyone. You’ve got to work for what you want to make things happen and I believe Job’s worked his absolute tail off to turn his dreams into a reality.

12A – Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

For my segment, I’ve chosen 3 individuals who eat at Chick-fil-a a somewhat regular basis.

In the first interview, it was done with my friend who goes to school in Alabama. We discussed my idea and he thought it was interesting. He told me he eats out pretty often as he doesn’t know how to cook much and that his parents give him a monthly allowance to spend on food. In turn, he usually ends up spending his money on Chick-fil-a because according to him “it’s the best bang for your buck.” However, he has said that the Chick-fil-a he goes too is always packed. Therefore, the thought my idea was a unique solution to the issue.

My next interview was done with my friend who goes to FSU. His main reason for eating Chick-fil-a so much is that he lives across the street from one. It’s super convenient for him because he doesn’t have a car so all he has to do is cross the street. He told me he usually gets it for lunch most days at around 2 pm. However, he told me that it doesn’t matter the time of day as the drive thru is always consistently packed. He supported my idea heavily as he thinks the 3-lane drive thru will be good in spacing out cars and speeding up order times.

My last interview was done with a friend of mine who goes UF with me. He lives right off Archer road, making Chick-fil-a the usual spot he goes too when he’s hungry. He says that he usually either goes at around noon or at 8 PM. He told me that the drive-thru lines are usually worse during the days so most times he’ll wait to eat it for dinner. Once I told him idea, he was immediately interested. Although, he thought that adding a third drive thru lane may only increase the waiting time in lines as more cars can now occupy space. However, he still supported the idea and can see the benefits it can bring to the table.

Summary: Although all of them liked the idea, it still isn’t 100% that the 3-lane drive thru will ultimately be beneficial and efficient. To figure it out if it works, a few test runs should be done at already existing locations. Once these results are gathered, it will be clear whether the plan works or doesn’t work.

11A- Idea Napkin no.1

1) You. Who you are. What your talents are. What your skills and experiences are. Also: what are your aspirations? Specifically regarding your business concept, how do you see this business (if you were to start it) playing a role in your life?

My name is Connor Brennan. My talents are pretty simple, but I think of myself as a hard worker with great learning and listening skills. Basically, I feel I can do anything I can set my mind too. My aspirations for this business idea are to make the life of Chick-fil-a customer’s easier by adding a third driveway. I’m not sure how this proposition would affect my life, however I do think it would satisfy customers which in turn would satisfy me.

2) What are you offering to customers? Describe the product or service (in other words, how you'll solve customers' unmet needs). 

I am offering another solution to help speed the process up within the Chick-fiI-a drive thru. By adding this third drive thru lane and adding more employees, I believe the Chick-fil-a drive thru process can reach new heights of speed and efficiency.

3) Who are you offering it to? Describe, in as much detail as possible, the demographic and psychographic characteristics of your customers. Think especially of this question: what do your customers all have in common?

What all my customers have in common is that they want their food fast and ready. The whole purpose of a drive-thru is get to food to the customer in the fastest way possible. Since everyone basically loves Chick-fil-a, I think everyone who usually eats there will support my idea.

4) Why do they care? Your solution is only valuable insofar as customers believe its valuable to them. Here, explain why customers will actually pay you money to use your product or service. 

Well, I’m getting paid to make their lives easier. Sitting 15 minutes in a drive-thru can be annoying and frustrating. In fact, when it comes to Chick-fil-a, I think they’re the only fast food restaurant in which its faster to go inside and order rather than waiting in drive-thru. I intend to reverse this process and I believe customers will definitely support.

5) What are your core competencies? What sets you apart from everyone else? Also: what do you have that nobody else has? 

What sets me apart is my willingness to make a change. If the idea fails and its not as effective as I thought it’d be, its just another lesson to be learned. I try not to fear failure and, in this case, I’d be happy I went forward with my idea. Also, what sets me apart is that I don’t think many fast food restaurants (at least from my own experience) have 3 drive thru lanes. This idea would be new territory to the industry.

I believe all these elements will fit together. I believe the process of the drive-thru will ultimately speed up and that customers will most definitely be satisfied. If the process works, it could be revelation in the fast food restaurant business as many companies may start installing 2 or 3 drive thru lanes at specific locations.

10A- Elevator pitch 1

Here is my elevator pitch for my potential website. Hope you enjoy.

9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Who: After conducting further interviews, it was clear to me that not all high school athletes have a desire for my product. I interviewed 3 of my friends from my hometown of Miami (Fl). In the first interview, my friend brought up the notion that some people just play high school sports for fun and that they don’t care to play in college even though they may be extremely talented. My other friend brought up the harsh reality that some athletes just aren’t good enough to play at the next level, no matter how much exposure they get within the sports world. In the last interview, my friend brought up the notion that an athlete would need to have all their games and practices filmed. If this isn’t possible for them, then the platform is useless as they’ll have nothing to upload. However, all 3 of them thought the idea was great if these athletes did want to pursue an athletic career post high school.

Additionally, I also saw another market for my product. I interviewed one of my father’s old college football teammates whose career ended after not getting drafted by an NFL team. However, he brought up the idea that my product could still work for even adults. In pursuit of playing in the NFL, many athletes will play in the CFL (Canadian Football League) and the AFL (Arena Football League) after college in order to live out their dreams of hopefully playing in the NFL one day. My fathers friend brought up the idea that these people could then upload their highlights from their time in these leagues in order to help them gain exposure to potential NFL teams.

What: In my fifth interview, done with a cousin of mine who played volleyball all of high school, she thinks that my idea is unique and that it can help.  She felt that by an athlete being able to upload all their highlights and training drills, it would definitely help them in gaining exposure to possibly land a scholarship from a college team. However, she also brought up the real problem in that although highlight tapes can make anyone look good, the athlete actually needs to have the talent and determination to play at the next level. If playing college ball was so easy, everyone would do it. That’s why landing a scholarship is so difficult.

Why: No, I don’t think the need is different. The only difference is between the athletes that want to play college ball and the ones who don’t.

         Inside the Boundary                                    Outside the Boundary

Who:	-High school athletes seeking a college scholarship.	-High school students who do not care to play in college.
	-College students who want to play college sports	-High school athletes who don’t care to play beyond high school
	-Older athletes still pursuing their dreams of playing professionally	-High school athletes who simply aren’t good enough to play at the next level
What:
	-To help gain exposure to these athletes.	-The need isn’t an absolute solution for the athletes. If they simply aren’t good enough, they won’t get a scholarship. However, the website allows them a platform to show their skills while gaining exposure to the college sports world.
Why:	The need exists as many want to play  college sports but don’t get enough exposure.

8A – Solving The Problem

As I stated in the previous “Bug List” assignment, I believe the Chick-Fil-a drive-through on Archer road is busy way too often. Yes, I know that Chick-fil-a is extremely popular and that they’re known for great customer service. However, whenever I do go there, it ends up taking a while to get my food because it’s always so packed with cars no matter the time of day. To solve this problem, I pitch the solution of adding a third lane within the drive through area while also adding more employees to help combat this new system. Chick-fil-a is already great under pressure when the drive-through is packed. The workers never seem stressed and they do their best to make sure every customer is satisfied. By adding a third lane within the drive through area, I believe this will definitively help with the long line problem. The Chick-fil-a on Archer has 2 lanes already and still somehow the line will wrap around the building. By adding a third line, I believe this problem will go away as it will space things out and I truly don’t think all 3 lanes will ever be filled completely. If that happens, then Americans are simply eating Chick-fil-a too much. All in all, Chick-fil-a is a top-notch fast food restaurant with little flaws. The drive-thru process is my only issue and I feel that my solution will help ease the problem by ultimately speeding up the time in which cars spend waiting for their food.