ENT3003 Posts

"What sticks out to you as the most formative experience? The experience that you'll remember years later? What was your most joyous experience? What experience are you most proud of yourself for accomplishing?" Honestly, a few things pop into mind. The assignment where we had to ask people to say nice things about us (I know, that sounds super forced and vain, but it was an assignment, I wasn't just out here fishing for compliments) will probably stick with me. Like every other student who had to interview others, I was so used to expecting everyone to say something different based on their own unique experiences with me. The fact that no matter how many people I asked all had roughly the same sweet detailed things about me was really uplifting because it made me feel like I was the same person to everyone who saw me-- no pretending, no pick-and-choose who to be myself around, no faking, no holding back or acting or putting on a face for certain people and not o...

1) Opportunity Those who are in need of new reading selections in the market are readers, consumers whose age or preference in genre have them fall in the category of the "young adult genre" target audience. Other people with invested interest are those writers who cannot enter the published industry do to the monopolized domination of the same overused ideas, as well as literary agents and publishing houses who could prosper with introducing some new material into the market. The latter, however, are more of a byproduct or side-effect beneficiary, and thus I will focus on the first. The prototypical customer in this scenario is anyone classified as a young adult (or people who are older than the age bracket and enjoy youth culture... or perhaps more mature children with an evolved reading level). This plagues any and every reader who doesn't even have to be an avid book-enthusiast. In fact, they don't even have to be readers (although those are the mo...

I don't like the idea of being a sellout and giving away creative rights to a greedy bigger corporation ready to exploit and milk something for all its got as much as they can stretch it, so I plan on keeping my franchise close to preserve its dignity and keep my own integrity as an author rather than turn it over for money to ruin the sacredness of something limited. Basically I will not let a bigger company buy me out like how a few (cough, cough) big entertainment companies have been aquiring entire brands that were well off on their own and integrating it into their huge hodgepodge of newly-acquisitioned creative rights to exploit. (Shame on those brands for being sellouts!) See, for me, it was never about the money, which is different than most entrepreneurs where money is the only factor they're fighting in account for. I just wanted to spread my voice and get it out there. If it makes a good change, that's all I'm really in it for. I'd hold onto my brand howe...

"The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users" by Guy Kawasaki 1) What was the general theme or argument of the book? This book was made to serve as a helpful guideline to those who seek to enhance their online presence through the use of social media. It helps people use social media to their advantage to branch out and get their name out there while also maintaining a degree of professionalism as they display themselves and what they have to offer. 2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003? This book related to the class structure as a whole because, as you can see, we do assignments by blog post, which in itself is communication and relaying ideas through online presence using digital media. So using the tips presented, they could be applied to these posts themselves and how to fully gain maximum effectiveness int heir use, whether it is to spread my word or maintain an image. 3) If you had to design an ...

(Yay?) Oh gosh, just hearing the phrase "tell us about a past failure" makes me laugh absurdly and cringe at the same time in the most self deprecating yet I-took-it-in-stride-like-a-champ type of ways. "It'd be even better if there was something you tried several times and failed each time." Oh ho ho ha, buddy, then are you going to get a real kick out of this. Where to chose, where to chose from. Hm, well with such a great selection of flashbacks offered to me, it seems only fitting that I should pick one relevant to the entrepreneurship course and being a self-endorsing author. Storytime! (Ha ha, because I'm a writer. Ok, whatever.) One time I was about to send a manuscript to a literary agency for evaluation and ended up calling the agent I was interested in on the phone. SO. AWKWARD. But I'm thorough and wanted to make sure it was a legit establishment. Literary agents are super annoying and frustrating in the essence that they make you send...

Existing Market What I need to do next is get prints out in circulation and then pace myself accordingly so that I can release a sequel in a timely manner. Of my three interviewees suggested that I should focus on trying to sell rights next. I'm not a fan of that idea. So on to interviewee number two, who agrees with my idea that I should focus on timing out my sequels so that they aren't too close or too far apart. Interviewee three believes I should focus on marketing book one rather than moving on to the next just yet. In terms of my plan in growing my future, I want to keep the sequels published in a reasonable and timely manner (because nobody likes waiting too much for something) and experimenting my storylines with other medias such as animation or cinema. New Market Since I'm in a literary genre, I could address a completely different media: cinema. Film versus literature, movies versus book, reading versus watching, words versus video. See, opposites! I thin...

Opportunity Those who are in need of new reading selections in the market are readers, consumers whose age or preference in genre have them fall in the category of the "young adult genre" target audience. Other people with invested interest are those writers who cannot enter the published industry do to the monopolized domination of the same overused ideas, as well as literary agents and publishing houses who could prosper with introducing some new material into the market. The latter, however, are more of a byproduct or side-effect beneficiary, and thus I will focus on the first. The prototypical customer in this scenario is anyone classified as a young adult (or people who are older than the age bracket and enjoy youth culture... or perhaps more mature children with an evolved reading level). This plagues any and every reader who doesn't even have to be an avid book-enthusiast. In fact, they don't even have to be readers (although those are the most impacted) sinc...

All of my past responses have been nothing but positive (yay!) So I kept the same lines, which by now I had engraved in my memory. I did improve on speed because of that. Maybe my delivery wasn't as good because my throat was dry and my voice was hoarse, but my hair has never looked better in these three elevator pitches than it did in this take!

* Creativity--my ideas. V: This is pretty valuable or else I'd have no product to start with. R: It's not rare in the broad sense but it's actually extremely rare when you come to specifics, so it can swing on either extreme. Like people; humans as a species is not rare or uncommon, but each individual being is completely unique and never repeated. I: It's not too easy to copy unless you go into copyright infringement, but as for jumping on a bandwagon idea, people tend to notice. N: Other people might like other types of art, so this one just varies. * Awesome efficiency--I can type super fast V: This helps me churn out material, so yes. R: Maybe at the speeds I go its a bit uncommon, but I wouldn't say rare (not that it really matters if other people are fast in reference to me) I: I don't think you can copy a speed. You can catch up to one, but everyone has their own pace. N: Maybe, if someone uses those voice things that just type the words for you...

 "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big" by Scott Adams 1) What was the general theme or argument of the book? Scott Adams is the creator of the Dilbert comics, and in this book he provides several lessons based on his own life struggles and climb to success that can be related to any aspiring entrepreneur. He teaches about self image, mindset, knowing when to quit and how to direct your energy, and managing the odds and formulas for success. 2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003? He basically shares his climb to success including the multiple pitfalls he faced. That's encouraging to first timers who understand there's no surefire path to success and each individual approach will be different and unique, but still this provides some reassurance that it's been done before and if you play your cards right, you can too. 3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the b...

Networking Experience A domain expert in your industry This would be someone who's engaged in the same type of business activity as you would like to be. They may own the same kind of company that you would like to own, or they may be a technical expert who knows a lot about the kind of product or service that you would like to produce. 1) Who they are and what their background is. A self-published author. Majored in Library Sciences in college. 2) Which 'slot' you are filling with each person (i.e., domain expert, market expert, supplier), and how the person fills the spot. They're an industry expert because they have a book out there that they have to self-market and be a constant entrepreneur for. 3) A description of how you found the person and contacted the person. My friend used to work in the library and she ran into this lady and exchanged contact information with her and then passed it onto me. I emailed her and got a response even though I wa...

1) You. I'm artistic, ambitious, driven, a creative thinker, (I've been told I have) people skills (but sometimes it's more sass and sarcasm than sugar and sweet), and a bit of a smart cookie. People say I should focus more on using my brainpower but I spend quite some time on digital art, painting, mixed media, music, writing, and crafting. So now I juggle between both, striving for success in the traditional sense as well as success in my own unconventional definition. I've loved to write for a long time, and I always had the desire to publish my works without voicing it. It wasn't until I was churning out hundreds of pages in the span of days and practically fusing with my keyboard that it got hard to ignore. That's when I started juggling coursework, writing, and researching publishing houses and literary agents from the directory. I try not to let the rejections or roadblocks get to me, but I'm starting to think a method other than the tradition...

A reader aged anywhere from middle school to adulthood. Any age really as long as they feel mature enough to understand words and concepts but will forever remain young and free at heart. Preferably everyone would be the prototypical customer, but they're most likely to be female because I noticed this weird phenomenon that females don't mind reading books with male main characters or female main characters but for some reason males only seem to be acceptable liking male main characters. They're the strong adventurous type who love bold and daring quests and would have hobbies that probably include art, spending time outdoors doing recreational activities in nature, reading philosophy, and probably watching movies and reading comics. Fun, sassy people who are sarcastic and unapologetically quick to call out things they don't see fit in the world. People that get annoyed at the term "Mary Sue" because they can't help it if them being themselves makes other ...

On my previous recording I received feedback saying it was a fun watch (yay!) and that my confidence was tangible through the screen (good things, good things), so I made sure to sound just as enthusiastic about my idea as I was when I first started (some things never change, do they?). That was my favorite takeaway: how my excitement was contagious and you could tell I was proud to believe in my goal wholeheartedly. I was also told that I should dive into more specifics about the content itself, but unfortunately I am not allowed to divulge into those little details due to copyright things in the process, but disregarding that, I made sure to keep my main selling points! And I also added more information on what makes my product stand out and be unique. Take two, aaaaaaaaaand ACTION!

Describe five ways in which you think you have human capital that is truly unique (in no particular order). I am ambitious with everything I believe in, to a point where I will not only chase my dreams but hunt them down. I believe people can be destined for greatness by being the first to see it in themselves before anyone else would, I believe in humble origins and how obstacles have no bearing in reaching a final destination, and I believe in sheer willpower. All in all, I wish with all I've got and don't let things like 'practicality' and 'the unfavorable odds' bog me down. I'm smart . Not just knowledgeable in intellect, but cunning, resourceful, intuitive, and quick on my feet. I'm so very curious, one would say 'too much for your own good' except I don't believe that you can ever be too eager to learn and adapt. I'm skilled in the art of winning arguments like nobody's business, and I use it excessively for what beliefs I ...

Alternate Evaluation I spoke with members of the reading community who fell within the age and genre ranges of the Young Adult fiction category. They said when it came to finding alternatives, it mostly depends on loyalty to an author who created one series, which makes the devotees more likely to read other works by the same author. Either that or recommendations for whatever's trending. Apparently people don't really go out and search for new reads in the dark, so to speak. How/Where They Buy Reputable book stores: Books a Million and Barnes & Nobles (for the richer folks) basically. People don't really shop for books from Ebay or Amazon and other online sources unless it's required reading for school, because you can't flip through the book to see if you like it for yourself (reviews from other people don't matter to someone who doesn't care about other's opinions to sway their own preferences). Some sites are generous enough to give preview...

Tenaciousness is a competency It's very easy to get sidetracked in something as rule-free as being an entrepreneur, since you get to make the decisions and there really are no steps to follow since this is an individualized case-by-case basis approach to success. However, you have to stay on track and have somewhat of a plan assigned, and checkpoints with dated deadlines to keep you moving progressively forward in a timely manner. Without record, it'll be easy to fool yourself into lying that you're getting something done when really you're jogging in place.   Tenaciousness is also about attitude Don't think for a second that giving up didn't cross my mind at least once after the first few rejections. I mean, it'd be so easy and safe to just rely on my fallback option (which is what I'm actually going to school for, so technically I should consider it my main career track) if I began to doubt whether this writing thing was going to take off. I'd ...

1) I read up on Steve Jobs, and what surprised me was that he was a pretty laid-back guy. I'm not saying his mind wasn't spectacularly innovative, I'm just saying he was a normal dude. Which, I know, sounds weird--of course he's human, what else was he supposed to be? But for some reason I pegged all these tech-gurus to have nothing else in their lives to revolve around except breaking calculators and putting them back together and engineering stuff like that. The way he acts doesn't strike me as a 'billionaire nerd-type' at all. Good for him, breaking stereotypes. I admire his creativity when it comes to his brand and design and just how he operates his company as a unit. You've seen the hardware design--sleek, classy, iconic. He had people working under him who he gave free creative leeway to be open and just create things that didn't seem make-able, and just went for it. The logo, a regular apple, was chosen due to it being a staple household obje...

Segment: Young adult readers aged 8-18 years old (depending on maturity level) I spoke to three individuals who fell under this criteria and one said that she was desperately in need of a new read because Netflix just doesn't fill the void for her and visual-adaptations make her angry because she'd much rather imagine the plot unfolding in her mind from her own interpretation of words. Another agreed, saying that it's been so long since anything on the shelves have caught his eye. The last reader I spoke to said that she's tired of rereading her old favorites for nostalgia's sake and would love to see something that features a more diverse ensemble of cast portrayed in the story. Representation matters, folks. As for information search, one buyer simply strolls between isles looking for new reads (not much a fan for the mainstream front-of-the-store-with-the-big-cardboard-display-around-its-own-shelf types), but this takes a long time. The other just looks to so...

1) You. I'm a student who sometimes neglects polishing her gift of intellectual brainpower in favor of her knack for artistic stimulation, and vice versa. I love creating all forms of art: digital, painting, mixed media, music, writing, and crafting. For now I balance on a thin tightrope between my entrepreneurship goal and my "safe" career alternative for which I attend school. I've loved to write for a long time, and I always had the desire to publish my works in the back (and front, and every space in between, admittedly) of my mind without voicing it. It wasn't until I was churning out hundreds of pages in the span of days and practically fusing with my keyboard that it got hard to ignore. That's when I started juggling coursework, writing, and researching publishing houses and literary agents from the directory. I try not to let the rejections or roadblocks get to me, but I'm starting to think a method other than the traditional paperwork approach mig...

A rough first draft that I intend to brush up on:

Five Interviews: People Who Should but Don't Share this Need Drawing conclusions based on Who:  Are there certain people or certain businesses that, although they share a lot in common with the others in your opportunity, nevertheless fall outside the boundary? Why? What:  At what point does the need you identified differ from another need? (Is thirst the same as hunger? Or is the desire to appear fashionable the same as the desire to be loved by others?) Why:  Is the underlying cause of the outsiders' need different than people who are inside the boundary? #1 (a young adult who has other things on her mind and no room for reading) Category: What She just doesn't have time. Simple as that. She used to, when she was an elementary school kid and then time after that, but somewhere along the way schoolwork and social life became college studies and more time-exhausting drama that developed into a job and "a billion other things to multitask" i...

I've called for added diversity to the young adult fiction genre on several accounts in order to escape these redundant plots that cash in on franchising the same old stuff disguised under new names. But if nobody wants to fix it, I guess it's up to the ones complaining to. I mean, it makes sense; if you want to see something materialized in the world, be the one to put it out there. So in tangible form, I propose to just make a new story and get it enough endorsement that it can actually catch wind and gain audience publicity. A new angle to approach it by (say, a child-author perhaps? I'm sure television interview shows would just gobble that up for ratings. Someone who writes for young adults and actually happens to be a young adult themselves--what a concept! Right? Who better to know the audience? I'm tired of old middle-aged mothers sitting in their offices thinking they can construct what kids need to read. Sorry, not sorry). And like I said before, if you want s...

Hypothesis: The current young adult reading selection lacks diversity due to impressionable mentality of the publishing industry that follows the same overused archetypes of previous successes, thus leaving the reading audience in need of some new variety in the genre that isn't derived the same overused tropes. Testing Hypothesis Boundaries Who The biggest people in need of this are the readers: the vast population of consumers whose age or preference in genre have them fall in the category of the target audience. Other people with invested interest are aspiring authors who cannot get a foothold in the industry do to the domination of the same overused ideas, as well as literary agents and publishing houses who could prosper with introducing some new material into the market. What This does not apply to all books in general, just those pertaining to the young adult genre, perhaps more specifically the young adult fiction genre. There seems to be such a systematized appro...

Regulatory Trends   U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Overtime Regulations http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7671-regulatory-issues-changes.html If this pending regulation gets approved, I feel like this will be an opportunity for workers to increase revenue albeit while also providing business owners the chance to make staff changes in order to adjust for the required increase in wages payed. This regulation would require an extension in overtime pay that would affect 4.2 million workers. Although to compensate there might be a redistribution of hours, this would be an opportunity for new workers to get hired (since management will want more people working less hours so as to avoid the additional overtime pay that comes with hiring a smaller number of employees to work larger hours to achieve equal efficiency). Or the opposite: business owners might refrain from hiring more people but this will prove to be helpful to those already employed who will receive overtime payment ...