My Secret Sauce

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

- Tenacity
I have always been the kind of person to not stop until I finish a project, even if it takes me well into the night to complete. I can't stand when I am not able to finish something, sometimes to a fault.

- Attention to detail
Every time I am working on something, I make sure that every detail is exactly like how I envisioned it. For example, I am into graphic design so I am very meticulous when it comes to my images.

- Empathy
I have a pretty fine-tuned ability to understand how someone else feels. I can put myself in their shoes and figure out how to help people based on that.

- Analyzer
I am and have always been an analyzer. I carefully look at all sides of an issue before I make any decision. I always find the need to seek out all possible outcomes before acting.

- Moral compass
I really try my best every day to make the ethical decision, no matter what I am doing. I try very hard to do whats right, even if it has bad repercussions.

2) Interview the five people that know you the best about what makes you different. 

My Mom:
My mom basically reaffirmed what I said in number 1. She told me that I've always been the kind of person to carefully work through problems in order to make the best decision I can. My takeaway would be that she seems to think I am good at carefully going through a process and not caring what other people think about it.
https://soundcloud.com/morgan-johnson-258439955/momrecording

Federico:
Federico, my roommate, said something pretty similar to what my mom said. He said that I have an ability to follow through on a project.
https://soundcloud.com/morgan-johnson-258439955/fed

Xenabeth:
Xena, my other roommate, focused on an emotional ability by saying I am a good listener. This plays into my ability to empathize with others and understand their problems.
https://soundcloud.com/morgan-johnson-258439955/what-makes-morgan-unique-different

Duncan: 
My brother, Duncan,  played into my ability to analyze things in a way that lets me think through problems. I always analyze something before I do anything.
https://soundcloud.com/morgan-johnson-258439955/duncanrecording-1

Arthur:
Arthur, one of my good friends, said I am good to get along with. This helps in any job market because I can work with others easily.
https://soundcloud.com/morgan-johnson-258439955/arthurrecording

3) Reflect

I think everything I said and everything my friends and relatives said was pretty close. Something that I didn't think of before was what Xena said about me being able to listen to people and give good advice that way. That can really help if I ever have a leadership position in the future. Other than that, everything was pretty close. It's good to know that how I view myself is similar t how others view me.

Week 9 Reading Reflection

Something that was especially interesting to me was the section on writing good survey questions. I think when you are trying to write a survey for customers, you need to take into account any kind of misinterpretations there could be out there. You also have to frame your questions in a way that will get people to respond honestly. I never really thought about surveys that much before, but after reading that section I can understand them a little better now.

Something that was confusing to me about the reading was the section on pricing strategies. It wasn't too clear to me how entrepreneurs set prices and for what reasons.

Two questions I would ask the author would be 1) How specifically do entrepreneurs set the prices for their products, and 2) What do you think the best way is to do research on a customer base? (i.e. surveys vs. interviews).

Again, I didn't really disagree with anything the author said. I think doing your research on your potential customers is critical when pursuing a new business venture because you can accurately get an idea for how to format your marketing techniques. For example, if you are creating a business for college students to get cheap textbooks, you need to understand the preferences of students across the board. You need to understand their points of view from that point in their life and consider how that might change over time. Over all, I thought the author did a great job in describing this to readers and it was very easy to understand.

Idea Napkin No. 2

1) Me

My name is Morgan Johnson and I am a second-year Journalism student the University of Florida. Some of my main skills include website writing, graphic design, and professional social media posting. One of my main goals in this world is to make a difference in some way. I am passionate about environmental issues and hope to one day become a communications specialist for an environmental nonprofit. However, I am also passionate about helping people with their stress. Being someone with clinical anxiety, I can definitely understand the pressure that school, work, and other commitments can have on one person. Because there is a surprising lack of services available to people with anxiety, I want to help people understand that they are not alone and there are ways to get better. My idea to create an app for people with anxiety would play into my life by providing me with an opportunity to educate society about this illness as well as help those who have this illness.

2) What am I offering to customers?

My anxiety-relieving app called MyCalm is designed to help those with anxiety manage their panic attacks and build strong connections that will ultimately help them though their illness. Once you open the app, there will be several options for the user, one of which is a 5 step calming process when one is having a panic attack. There is also a 24-hour help line for those who need a real person to talk to. The app also features nature scenes, classical music, and meditation techniques if one is feeling unusually anxious during that time. Game features allow the user to challenge their mind, which can be very therapeutic. The app also features a separate social media function that allows people to connect with others who have anxiety and build a support group. My biggest issue with my anxiety is that I feel like the people who are closest to me still don't fully understand anxiety and how to help. Therefore, I want to provide others with a chance to build supportive relationships through MyCalm.

3) Who am I offering it to?

I am offering this app not only to anyone who may have some kind of anxiety or depression disorder, but to anyone who feels as though their life is being ruled by the stress they bear. Everyone is expected to go to school, have a job, build a family, and worry about finances all the while being happy about it. This is not the reality, especially to those who have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Even those customers who do not have this disorder still expressed to me that they would benefit from some kind of stress-relieving app. Essentially, this app is for everyone because everyone experiences stress in everyday life.

4) Why do they care?

Customers will pay to use my app because there really isn't another app out there with the same kind of services that I am providing. Anxiety is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses out there, and because of that there has been a surprising lack of services available to people with anxiety who experience panic attacks. MyCalm provides this very opportunity to let people who have an anxiety disorder know that they aren't alone, and help is just a tap away.

5) What are my core competencies?

Even though there are a couple of apps out there that aim to help people relieve stress, MyCalm is created specifically for those who have been diagnosed with some kind of anxiety or depression disorder. No other app has a social media function that allows people with these illnesses to connect with others or a 5-step process that has proven to calm people down in the midst of a panic attack.

I think over all, these elements do fit together pretty well. Because of my background with having an anxiety disorder, I think I am able to connect with people about what they are experiencing. I also know that I can share my best tactics to manage my anxiety with others. Something I may need to work on, however, is expanding my app to cater to those who do not have an anxiety disorder. For example, I may want to include people who are just stressed in general. I can also expand it to include people who knows someone with an anxiety disorder, but may not know much about it and want to learn more. Other than this, I think my intentions and the effects on customers marry very well together because it will provide the assistance that people with anxiety need in order to manage their disorder.

Feedback Memo:
From my first Idea Napkin, over all I received pretty positive comments, so I really didn't change much in my second try. However, something that really stood out to me that I changed was to add a 24 hour help line for those who are really struggling and the 5 step process doesn't work. I really liked this idea because sometimes talking to a real person is the best therapy. 

I also decided to add games to the app because I have found that challenging my brain on a game during times of stress can distract me from my panic and calm me down in the process. 

After talking to customers, I also realized that I need to make my app applicable to anyone who experiences stress, not just people who have anxiety. Though I would essentially like to specifically target those with anxiety, I think expanding it to others would make my app more beneficial on a larger scale. In order to do this, I have changed the app so that when the user opens it, it doesn't automatically bring you through the 5 step process. Instead, it will bring up a menu page with the different options available to the user. I think this is more effective because if someone doesn't necessarily need the 5 step process, they can go straight to whatever function they need.