The high cost of books is a frequent complaint I hear from students around campus and is something that has I have personally had to deal with. Just recently we had as guest speaker the president of Follet, the company that runs our bookstore where he explained to us how publishing companies are approaching the business with the same strategy like pharmaceutical companies, where they create a portfolio of products and apply a pyramid pricing strategy based on how risky each project is. I believe leaving such an important product to the nation's interest entirely to market forces is outrageous (probably no less than for pharmaceutical companies) and have thought about solutions to the problem. One that at least can alleviate the problem is a better sharing system. Currently if you wanna pass down or share a book you go to Facebook pages or other online pages, but there is no one integrated place where we could effectively and easily do that, and that is where I see an opportunity. I went around to ask potential customers about whether they are if so how dissatisfied they are with the book prices. One last question I asked is whether they'd be in support of making book prices a part of tuition (or push Student Government to advocate for that), and the responses to that were mixed. They all (except 1)agreed though the prices of books are unreasonable and that something need be done about it.
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Week 4 Reading Reflection
The part that impressed me most in this chapter is “Africa:
Opportunities or Peril”. I could relate to it because where I come from is also
a third world country but despite having lived in 5 countries throughout my
lives (U.S. included) I have never seen more opportunities elsewhere. The
reason for that being partly subjective (I know the people and economy’s
characteristics better) but the other reason is the mere fact that it
underdeveloped countries where there most room for improvement and development.
Other than that, I do find it interesting that the author tries to break down
the process of creativity into steps and thus simplify it to the reader. I
believe that way he comforts people who believe are uncreative by nature and
provokes them into thinking more aggressively to get their creative part out.
Once again he brings up humor as an important component in an entrepreneurs’s
overall profile in the “Developing Creativity” reading pocket, I agree with him
on it and I believe many people overlook at that component. Also clarifying
that creating new relationships between existing things is also a process that
requires creativity is something that we don’t typically categorize as
creativity but surely is. One point where I think the author does not do a
great job is in explaining that these models he has come up with might work
only to get you going are no hard rules that one needs follow to succeed (and
then provide counter examples when the exact opposite has produced something
successful).
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Top 5 World Problems
Top 5 World Problems starting from most serious
Global
Warming
Despite the fact that the
scientific community has come to an almost absolute agreement (97%) that the
climate of our planet is rising due to human activity and that the implications
essential to our existence, this problem is today’s most concerning because it
has proven extremely difficult to get any agreement on the measures each player
should take to tackle the problem. This tragedy of the commons element to it,
where every country acting on its individual self interest continues to ignore
the problem risks leading to irreversible damage and our ultimate destruction.
This problem becomes yet more complex when taking into consideration that an
economy like China faces huge trade off in reducing its emission having to feed
1.3 billion people and the fact that least gas emissions may end up being first
and largest victims of the catastrophic consequences. Hence Global Warming
related issues may turn to become main source of future conflicts and is
already considered the number one national security threat to United States.
Over
population
Quite obviously many of these issues are interrelated and
sometimes directly causing one another. Population growth in my opinion has
gotten out of control as a result industrial revolution and everything that
followed. We have been reluctant to ever face this topic as humankind for
various reasons and our eccentric view as a species has not helped.
Syrian
Refuge Crisis
The 4 million civilians displaced from war zones in Syria
can simply not be ignored, though accommodating them has proven very difficult
for any single country. Given the the characteristics of the organization
driving them out (ISIS) and their ability to mask insurgents as refugees makes
admitting and helping refugees an even
more complex issue.
ISIS
kibernetic reach
It took a terrorist organization like ISIS no more than 2
years to travel from non-existence to world prominence. We have realized the
very hard way that the tools we have built to facilitate our lives can be used
similarly to facilitate any enterprise. The most concerning element of ISIS
being their ability to recruit to reach, brainwash and recruit people across
the globe. Never before was it possible for any organization of any kind could
find ways to appeal to your kid in his/her bedroom without you knowing, and
that has been the fate of many families from U.S. to Australia.
Income
inequality
Technology and development has enabled accumulation of large
amounts of wealth in hands of very few. If every new dollar created in U.S.
economy goes automatically to the top 0.1 % for much longer and middle class
wages continue to stagnate, the status quo will eventually be challenged for
there is no reason for people to believe that system in place, however we
created it, is a fair one.
Top 5 solutions from easiest
to implement
Solution to ISIS
kibernetic reach:
Kibernetic problems require kibernetic solutions. United
States can’t get absorbed and count solely in military solutions. Intelligence
agencies of US have some of best computer engineers in the world and they
should be utilized in shutting ISIS out of the internet in every way possible;
keep them out of reaching US citizens or any other country where they’re taking
of advantage of economic despair to lure people into their organization.
Solution to Obesity
and food related epidemics:
Despite numerous devastating crisis that bring everybody
down, we somehow never learn to stay ahead of an upcoming crisis and prevent it
on time. One example of such is financial system. Sensible regulation is the
way to go here.
Solution to income
inequality:
Taxation is often a very contentious political issue but in
fact, a reformed taxation system could very effectively help a distribution of
wealth in a way that’s relatively fair and at the same time doesn’t discourage
individualism and entrepreneurial spirit.
Solution to Syrian
Refugee Crisis
Turkey and Lebanon and Germany cannot handle this crisis alone. If we refuse to take some of their 3 million refugees into our countries, in proportion to our resources, we need to provide Turkey and Lebanon every help they need to sustain the refugees in their respective countries and be grateful for the rare compassion they have shown so far.
Solution to Casino Modeled Capitalism
Despite numerous devastating crisis that bring everybody
down, we somehow never learn to stay ahead of an upcoming crisis and prevent it
on time. One example of such is financial system. Sensible regulation is the
way to go here.
I rank
Global Warming and Over population as the most serious problem because
prolonged lack of action risks our very existence. On the same taking any
action has proven politically difficult because of differences in opinion,
economy and geography between countries. Tackling these two will probably the
most difficult challenges the humankind will have to face for a long time.
Syrian Refugee Crisis has to be handled because you cannot postpone helping to
end a humanitarian crisis. ISIS recruiting should also be taken seriously
because it’s one of best resources at hand for the growing terrorist
organization. Income inequality is another issue that has to be taken care of
before another crisis hits because next one will likely be manifested with
social unrest and chaos that will set us all back in ways we have never seen
before.
I think the
solution to ISIS’ reach into our bedrooms through the use of internet is
easiest of my top 10 problems to combat simply because United States has the capability
of hiring the best, most talented IT people. Having said that, Internet is a
complicated structure and as easy to control, but we can’t be worse than an
organization founded about 2 years ago. The solutions ranked as 2, 3 and 5 are
solvable through legislation and that is done by raising awareness among voters
about those issues. That is not easily done but hopefully we have learned
something from waiting for the crisis to happen and will be able to prevent
them. As for the Syrian refugee crisis, I think it’s just a matter of splitting
responsibility because there is enough resources among developed countries to
jointly provide refuge for Syrians forced out of their country.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Identifying Local Opportunities
Miami-Dade's unemployment rate
inches up in December amid Latin American woes
This article discusses the recent numbers on unemployment for the Miami Dade County and what they really tell about the
county’s economy. According to the article although unemployment rate has
increased for the third month in a row, the news is not all that bad
considering some of it is caused by high growth in labor force as more people
join the workforce. However the same increase in unemployment rate does not seem
to happen to more northern counties. One of the causes of this increase in
unemployment rate is seen the high economic growth of central and south American
countries. Ironically, the opposite, an
economic stagnation of the same countries is also seen as a threat for it would
damage the tourism industry and decrease number of visitors from these countries.
I believe an unmet need is employment for the young people joining the
workforce. There is an opportunity to start a Human Resource company, a private
employment entity that would not only make it easier for employers and
potential employees to match but would also offer training that would teach
people versatile skills to be able absorb economic shocks more easily and gain adaptability skills for the new economy. This would be monetized by charging
hirers a fee for providing adequate labor force for their needs, and also by
charging for training services.
Lauren Vagelakos: Health
insurance help available before deadline
This article is
basically a alarm bell for those who haven’t enrolled yet for Health Insurance
for the year yet, as the deadline is 31st January, and after that
date penalties may apply. It warns local residents (Gainesville Sun Article)
about the consequences of not enrolling before the deadline, the benefits of
enrolling (possible financial assistance from Marketplace) and it enlists the
available resources to help people out figure out the entire mess. I am not an
international student, and I thought no country can more bureaucratic than where
I come from (Kosovo). The kinds of complications that health insurance
companies have come up with are simply sky high. I wish one day I can one
day be as creative at anything in life, as they are in milking more money away
from the average citizen. There is an unmet need of being able to understand
all the tricks and hidden pot holes of health insurance system and companies.
Let us create an app that breaks down every offering, and compares them between
different providers in a way simple enough that anybody can understand, that
would also simply claim filing for every health insurance provider, and lets
start milking them back, to especially help financially deficient students decrease
living costs.
Snazzy Springtime
Snack Suggestions
This article
aims to provide some help to people who are interested in eating and staying
healthy during stressful semester times, by making a list of products that are
in season in spring, hoping to decrease your cost because of in season
shopping. According to the article some of in season fruits/vegetables for
spring are: strawberries, avocado, and the ingredients for “ants on a log
snack” and for a simple fresh salad. All of the suggestions sound great, but it
is quite difficult for anyone to keep track of which places offers what
products and what price, and how fresh they are. For now there is several
markets that claim local, organic products offerings, however they are
scattered around town and getting the right mix of products means a lot of
shopping time that people do not have. There is a need for an integrated
marketplace in form of a web or app where you could from home order buy any of
these products from whichever provider, and have it delivered home. So the
proposition here is a unified locally grown food offering, delivered to you. This
would meet the need of all health conscious people who find it frustrating or no
time to do a thorough research on local markets.
Anti-Procrastination
This article is
a how to guide for battling procrastination, a problem every college student
faces a at some level. The major points the article makes is you should invest
in a planner, sync your iCloud, get in your ZONE (a place where feel physically
and mentally at peace), set memory triggers, know when to take a break and
lastly to try to keep yourself inspired. Where I related with the article is
the importance the author gives to the planner and its functionalities. There
is a need to have a planner that is neat and has all the information that need
be brought to your attention on daily bases. However, just posting all the
deadlines and events in it can a quite frustrating process, and updating it
even more so. The opportunity I see here is offering a printer, smart enough to
understand your calendar, automatically migrate all your events and deadlines
from your school site, and wherever else they lie (Facebook events etc), and
print them in your planner. This machine would be capable of undoing the
spiral, printing and reinstalling the spiral that holds the pages in your
planner. You could use the same machine for crossing out the past events, and
updating the planner with new events, below your current one, and that is
achieved by it having a memory of what parts of your planner has it printed on
prior. This would be a convenient way to customize your printer, and basically sync all of your scattered online information into one physical planner.
Car2go pulling out of Miami on March
1
This article
reports the withdrawal from Miami of the mobility company Car2go , a subsidiary
of Daimler North America Corp. Car2go is an alternative to city commuting, once
you are become a member, you can just hop into one of these cars and go around,
at a price calculated based on both time and mileage used to make for more fair
pricing. The company itself blames their lack of success in Miami to car rental
tax, which doesn’t reflect the value their bringing to the market. They also
complained that other mobility companies that have entered the market are not
subject to the same tax. I think the need to move around a huge city like
Miami, with an especially large number of tourists will always be there. The
opportunity I see here, is offering the exactly the same service, just instead
of cars, make it with scooters. Number one it would bring the cost much lower,
for two given the weather people would happily cruise around in an open scooter
rather than an inside an enclosed car and also space-wise, car2go cars only fit
two people as well. Also the car rental tax would have be avoided, not to
mention that this this alternative would benefit the alternative as well. Space
wise, car2go would only fit two people anyways.
Week 3 Reading Reflection
To try
and summarize the entrepreneurial mindset and discover patterns and use them to
build models is an ambitious task. Despite growing effort to create the
discipline of Entrepreneurship and take it to classroom to teach, I personally
believe that Entrepreneurship is such a comprehensive reflection of life that
it is quite difficult to build models that work, even just most of the time.
Having said that I do find these attempts helpful in trying to provoke people
and inspire them to explore the pursuit of Entrepreneurship. This chapter
begins by listing the major sources of information which are publications,
direct observations and presentations (case studies) by practicing
entrepreneurs. I found that very helpful and informative for myself. I believe
making the effort to read as many of these sources as possible will help anyone
make better informed decisions at any point in time, regardless of the type of
decision in question. The long list of characteristics often attributed to
entrepreneurs is quite contradictory. It is difficult to have the decisiveness,
determination and leadership while maintaining a low need for power and
control. I think the author makes a mistake by not giving skills of adaptability the
emphasis it deserves; an entrepreneur may and sometimes should have all the
afro mentioned attributes, but to be especially successful he/she will know which
characteristic to work better on depending on the situation. Another point
where I disagree with the author is the his conclusion that creativity and innovativeness
are not solely genetic. I believe that has really nothing to do with genes. A
person’s curiosity is only inspired by exposure to different processes,
things and perspectives, and yes it can be cultivated in certain environments
like family, but I don’t see how could it passed down genetically. Some of the
characteristics mentioned such ability to trust others, to delegate work, to
have a sense of humor etc I find very refreshing to be listed as needed for an
entrepreneur, because we often forget the human dimension and its importance in
any sphere of life, including entrepreneurship. Just as important for success
is being aware of the dark side, for which the author makes a good summary of
the possible pitfalls of this type of pursuit and ways to prevent/battle them.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Interview With Entrepreneur
Interview with Hasan Rama, owner of a local Greek food
restaurant in Gainesville.
Me: Mr. Rama, how did you come with the idea of a Greek
restaurant, when you are not even Greek yourself?
Rama: I won the Green Card lottery in 2002. I was mayor of a small town in southern Albania at the time so I decided I would wait until my term was over (one year) before I would travel to U.S. whereas the rest of my family moved as soon as the paper work was done because I wanted my kids to transfer to American schools as soon as possible. Once I arrived in U.S., in Saint Augustine Florida, I realized Greek and Italian branded restaurants where much liked by the locals. Several other Albanian families had opened such restaurants, and after finding a failing business I decided to buy it for a very low price. That’s how it all started.
Me: Did you have in this industry before?
Rama: No, not at all. This is our first experience with working at the restaurant.
Me: How difficult was that? Explain to me the learning the process.
We signed a cook with a professional cook for 6 months. We agreed that during this time he would help us learn the tricks of Greek cuisine. At the end of these six months we were ready to take over.
Me: Why did you move from Saint Augustine to Gainesville?
Rama: Our two sons got admitted at UF, and we got a great
offer to sell our restaurant. We thought it was worth while making this move.
Me: What are your plans for the future?
Rama: We do want to expand but right now we are very
absorbed by this restaurant and we are not cable at diverging resources and
time to that. Once our sons graduate we believe we will open at two other locations
in Gainesville.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)