For this stage in the process, I interviewed two different athletes and one sports agent. All three individuals said that the most important factor that goes into deciding what agency or athlete to choose is their quality. The agent wanted a hard-working athlete who is easy to work with and will become a star one day. The athletes want an agency that genuinely cares for them and is truly looking in their best interest for opportunities in their respective sport. When it comes to the platform, all three interviewees were looking for an easily navigable website that makes it very easy to discover opportunities with athletes and agencies.
My segment can only be purchased online because it isn't a physical product. The platform will be a streamlined way to allow athletes to connect to athlete representation. Agencies will be able to purchase various levels of memberships that allow them certain perks on the site. When I proposed these details to the sports agent, he seemed interested in the idea but stated that he would need to look at the prices before. Agencies already have their own established strategies of discovering talent so they might not want to take part if the prices are too unrealistic. The athletes, however, loved the idea due to their registration being free. This purchase is directly from me to the agencies and saves money by not needing a middle man.
According to the interviewees, it is crucial for the customers to believe in the product even after purchasing it. They must believe it is morally acceptable and a valuable tool for themselves. If either of these isn't true, then the product will not succeed. One of the athletes went on to say that the product must make underrecruited athletes feel as though they are as equally important as other athletes.
Interview 1: The interview with the sports agent was incredibly useful and pointed out several flaws in my design. The agent questioned whether a lot of agencies and athletes need the website and also stated that there better be definitive evidence that agencies and athletes are benefitting from the product right off the bat. This interview allowed me to reconsider my product and patch up the flaws.
Interview 2: This interview was the least useful. The athlete agreed with my points and found the idea to be a good one. He said that the product sounds good and that I focus on marketing to athletes and not agencies. This may sound like a good idea, but I won't profit off of collegiate athletes.
Interview 3: The second athlete I interviewed thought outside the box more and asked how profitable this platform can truly be. We discussed how I need to start advertising the product right away and I need to get a few agencies hooked on the idea before athletes will really start to join. We then discussed how advertising can play a huge role in profiting down the line.
The segment of athlete representation involving young athletes and relatively young agents is very volatile. Things can change very quickly because the industry heavily relies on technology. This is one of the biggest reasons why I saw such an opportunity here. Having a streamlined way for these people to communicate would make a lot easier on both parties.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Friday, February 22, 2019
14A - Halfway Reflection
1.) The behaviors I have most utilized in this course consist of organizational skills as well as time efficiency. I must keep all my blog posts organized in the correct formatting as well as making sure to do every step of the assignment. This includes completing the assignment on blogger, copying and pasting the URL and then declaring that the assignment is done. It is also important to make sure that you leave enough time before Friday to complete each assignment and then to respond to two people for each assignment by Monday.
2.) There have been moments in this class where I have felt like giving up. During the bug list creation, I had no idea what to put after about 10 bugs. I recognized the need to complete the assignment and the need to get the grade that I wanted to get, so that motivated me to not give up. I have definitely developed a tenacious attitude to work hard and complete the tasks given to me. I would say knowing that I need to perform well in school to get a great job one day is one of my main motivational factors.
3.) Three tips I would offer to students for next semester would be to work ahead to make sure you complete everything that you need to do, ask any and all questions that you have to ensure that you are doing the assignments correctly, and to attend the workshop to ensure that you get an A in the course. All of these recommendations relate to having a tenacious attitude and being proactive to control your own destiny when it comes to grades.
2.) There have been moments in this class where I have felt like giving up. During the bug list creation, I had no idea what to put after about 10 bugs. I recognized the need to complete the assignment and the need to get the grade that I wanted to get, so that motivated me to not give up. I have definitely developed a tenacious attitude to work hard and complete the tasks given to me. I would say knowing that I need to perform well in school to get a great job one day is one of my main motivational factors.
3.) Three tips I would offer to students for next semester would be to work ahead to make sure you complete everything that you need to do, ask any and all questions that you have to ensure that you are doing the assignments correctly, and to attend the workshop to ensure that you get an A in the course. All of these recommendations relate to having a tenacious attitude and being proactive to control your own destiny when it comes to grades.
13A - Reading Reflection No. 1
1.) The Wright Brothers, David McCullough
The thing that surprised me the most about the Wright Brothers was their lack of resources. Neither brother went to college, meaning their highest level of education was public high school. Also, they were reasonably poor, meaning it was more difficult for them to acquire the tools needed to experiment with flying. I most admired their dedication and work ethic. There were many trials involved in building the perfect aerial machine, including plenty of failures. This did not discourage Wilbur or Orville from trying over and over again. One thing that disappointed me was their lack of appreciation for their sister. Most people who have heard of the Wright brothers think that it was just them who accomplished flying for the first time when in reality their sister was a huge asset in their journey to discover flight as well. Both entrepreneurs encountered adversity and failure throughout their trials. Each time they left the ground they were risking their own lives. Even though this was the case, the Wright brothers insisted on continuously trying every day to fly.
2.) The perseverance displayed by the Wright brothers was their biggest competency. They were able to keep going even though everybody was telling them that they weren't going to achieve their goals. Being the first people to fly was obviously a huge accomplishment and one that was never expected to be done by poor high school graduates.
3.) One thing that confused me was how the author portrayed the Wright brother's emotions. As stated in many readings, the Wright brothers had very limited reactions and emotions throughout the process of them building an aircraft. They were calm individuals who were goal-oriented. However, McCullough brought them to life in a way to suggested that they may have had more emotions than I previously thought.
4.) The two questions I would ask would be "How did you guys avoid giving up after all the trials and adversity you experienced?" and "If you guys were to do it over again, would you have gone about it differently?"
5.) I think both entrepreneurs believe that hard work is necessary is most everything that one does. It is vital for completing difficult tasks and to make sure the easy ones are still done efficiently and effectively. I absolutely share their opinion and believe it is an important part of society.
The thing that surprised me the most about the Wright Brothers was their lack of resources. Neither brother went to college, meaning their highest level of education was public high school. Also, they were reasonably poor, meaning it was more difficult for them to acquire the tools needed to experiment with flying. I most admired their dedication and work ethic. There were many trials involved in building the perfect aerial machine, including plenty of failures. This did not discourage Wilbur or Orville from trying over and over again. One thing that disappointed me was their lack of appreciation for their sister. Most people who have heard of the Wright brothers think that it was just them who accomplished flying for the first time when in reality their sister was a huge asset in their journey to discover flight as well. Both entrepreneurs encountered adversity and failure throughout their trials. Each time they left the ground they were risking their own lives. Even though this was the case, the Wright brothers insisted on continuously trying every day to fly.
2.) The perseverance displayed by the Wright brothers was their biggest competency. They were able to keep going even though everybody was telling them that they weren't going to achieve their goals. Being the first people to fly was obviously a huge accomplishment and one that was never expected to be done by poor high school graduates.
3.) One thing that confused me was how the author portrayed the Wright brother's emotions. As stated in many readings, the Wright brothers had very limited reactions and emotions throughout the process of them building an aircraft. They were calm individuals who were goal-oriented. However, McCullough brought them to life in a way to suggested that they may have had more emotions than I previously thought.
4.) The two questions I would ask would be "How did you guys avoid giving up after all the trials and adversity you experienced?" and "If you guys were to do it over again, would you have gone about it differently?"
5.) I think both entrepreneurs believe that hard work is necessary is most everything that one does. It is vital for completing difficult tasks and to make sure the easy ones are still done efficiently and effectively. I absolutely share their opinion and believe it is an important part of society.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1
The segment that I chose was collegiate athletes. My product is based around athletes getting recognized by agents as they try to make professional sports leagues, so this is the perfect market to interview. Specifically, at UF, there are many competitive sports teams with high performing athletes ready to make the leap to the pros.
After interviewing three different college athletes here at UF, I have concluded that many of these players would find this resource useful. They would be able to market themselves on a platform viewed by many successful agencies. This would allow them to stress less about reaching out via social media and hoping to get a reply from agencies and instead will instantly give them access to every company registered on the website. All three agreed that they have been thinking about going pro since they were young children, and have just recently started to seriously ponder the idea of reaching out to agencies to try and test the market. My questions focused on asking them when they were going to look for an agent and how they were going to do so. After gathering this information, I then pitched them the idea of the platform and asked for their thoughts. They all liked the idea but needed more information to really get a feel for how it would run.
They all said that when they recognized the need for representation, they didn't know exactly where to start. Many asked their families and friends to see if they knew anybody, and if not they reached out to successful players on their own sports teams to see if they began the process. Most didn't really know how to acquire an agent, because there is really no consistent way to do so.
These interviews made me even more confident in my product. I now know that it is vital to be able to convince athletes at a young age to get on the platform so that they can successfully market themselves. This will hopefully give agents more time to be able to research these players and reach out to them in a timely manner.
After interviewing three different college athletes here at UF, I have concluded that many of these players would find this resource useful. They would be able to market themselves on a platform viewed by many successful agencies. This would allow them to stress less about reaching out via social media and hoping to get a reply from agencies and instead will instantly give them access to every company registered on the website. All three agreed that they have been thinking about going pro since they were young children, and have just recently started to seriously ponder the idea of reaching out to agencies to try and test the market. My questions focused on asking them when they were going to look for an agent and how they were going to do so. After gathering this information, I then pitched them the idea of the platform and asked for their thoughts. They all liked the idea but needed more information to really get a feel for how it would run.
They all said that when they recognized the need for representation, they didn't know exactly where to start. Many asked their families and friends to see if they knew anybody, and if not they reached out to successful players on their own sports teams to see if they began the process. Most didn't really know how to acquire an agent, because there is really no consistent way to do so.
These interviews made me even more confident in my product. I now know that it is vital to be able to convince athletes at a young age to get on the platform so that they can successfully market themselves. This will hopefully give agents more time to be able to research these players and reach out to them in a timely manner.
11A - Idea Napkin No. 1
1.) My name is Andy Myers and I am a third-year Business Administration major specializing in Sports Management and minoring in Communication Studies. I have been a huge sports fan my whole life, and aspire to either work in sports management or represent athletes as an agent one day. I have volunteered for the University of Florida Athletic Association and worked for the Orange Bowl Committee the past two summers. These experiences have provided me with realistic expectations as to how difficult it is to get involved in the sports industry. I have become a very hard worker and a great communicator, having to work overtime and with many different team members. Based on analyzing the sports market during these experiences and while keeping up with the world of sports in my spare time, I have seen a major gap in the communication between agents and athletes. This has led me to my idea of a platform to connect all future collegiate and professional athletes with representatives.
2.) I am offering a website that enables players to register and promote themselves with stats, video clips, highlights and other information about themselves where agents can do research and communicate with them online. As of now, there is no universal place for agents and athletes to connect, it is merely survival of the fittest with the top tier athletes getting agents and the rest of the athletes getting left in the dust. The problem with this is that many athletes that make the pros aren't necessarily recruited highly, so they get ignored.
3.) My customers consist of any athletes or agents in the U.S. that want to become more recognized by the opposite party. This allows for a huge target market and because it is an online server, can contain as many individuals or companies that want to sign up as possible. More specifically, I am targeting males and females from ages 16-25. This is when these players need the most help; when they are starting their careers and need advice as to how to successfully market themselves and spend their money.
4.) Sports agencies will pay to access this website to be able to more easily recruit and research athletes. This will enable them to have more athletes to represent and market towards professional sports teams and even colleges. Also, sponsors will pay to advertise on the website to promote their products, due to the sheer size of people on the platform. Companies such as Nike and Under Armour can easily advertise sports products to these athletes and agents alike.
5.) What sets me apart is my hard work, dedication, and connections. I can work hard to create a platform that runs smoothly and I have the accessibility to market my product to athletes. Once some athletes register on the website for free, agencies can register to start recruiting these athletes, bringing in revenue. Once this occurs, companies will want to advertise on the website as well.
This isn't a product I made up for this class. This is something I have truly believed in for months now and will continue to do so for quite some time. I haven't found any serious flaws with my potential website yet, except the fact that there may be a similar product that already exists. I believe that all the numbered points above connect well and are fairly accurate based on my evaluations. To add, this is also a very good time to create a website such as this based on the technology at our fingertips nowadays and the opportunities presented to young athletes.
2.) I am offering a website that enables players to register and promote themselves with stats, video clips, highlights and other information about themselves where agents can do research and communicate with them online. As of now, there is no universal place for agents and athletes to connect, it is merely survival of the fittest with the top tier athletes getting agents and the rest of the athletes getting left in the dust. The problem with this is that many athletes that make the pros aren't necessarily recruited highly, so they get ignored.
3.) My customers consist of any athletes or agents in the U.S. that want to become more recognized by the opposite party. This allows for a huge target market and because it is an online server, can contain as many individuals or companies that want to sign up as possible. More specifically, I am targeting males and females from ages 16-25. This is when these players need the most help; when they are starting their careers and need advice as to how to successfully market themselves and spend their money.
4.) Sports agencies will pay to access this website to be able to more easily recruit and research athletes. This will enable them to have more athletes to represent and market towards professional sports teams and even colleges. Also, sponsors will pay to advertise on the website to promote their products, due to the sheer size of people on the platform. Companies such as Nike and Under Armour can easily advertise sports products to these athletes and agents alike.
5.) What sets me apart is my hard work, dedication, and connections. I can work hard to create a platform that runs smoothly and I have the accessibility to market my product to athletes. Once some athletes register on the website for free, agencies can register to start recruiting these athletes, bringing in revenue. Once this occurs, companies will want to advertise on the website as well.
This isn't a product I made up for this class. This is something I have truly believed in for months now and will continue to do so for quite some time. I haven't found any serious flaws with my potential website yet, except the fact that there may be a similar product that already exists. I believe that all the numbered points above connect well and are fairly accurate based on my evaluations. To add, this is also a very good time to create a website such as this based on the technology at our fingertips nowadays and the opportunities presented to young athletes.
Friday, February 8, 2019
9A - Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2
Who: After conducting five more interviews, I realized that this idea is for a niche market. There are plenty of athletes and sports companies that exist in the U.S, but only so many players that will become successful in professional sports and agents that will be able to perform the services they want to for athletes in those sports. This would result in them lying outside of the boundary that I am researching, and therefore, I must somewhat rethink my strategy to ensure that the correct athletes and agents get hooked onto this platform and utilize it to the best of their ability. This concept focuses on connecting serious athletes intending on signing in college and making the pros, so the platform must also serve as a wakeup call for athletes with no real chance of making it.
What: The need is pretty much the same for anybody in the market, regardless of who they are. All athletes are trying to become popular and all agents are attempting to spread the word of their company. The need changes when you start to have parents and others on the website viewing their family's videos to watch them perform. Because this platform is primarily serving as a way to connect people on a business level, this need drastically differs from that when it comes to family.
Why: The difference in needs is a result of people using the site for non-business purposes. The biggest, as I stated previously, that is caused by this is the support of family in an athlete's endeavors. This will cause them to access the platform for a completely different purpose than athletes trying to connect with representatives.
Inside the boundary: vs. Outside the boundary:
Inside - Who is in - Successful athletes and agents trying to acquire more business
Outside - Who is not - Athletes not serious about going pro and family members supporting their loved ones on the platform
Inside - What the Need is - To successfully serve as a liaison between these athletes and agents
Outside - What the Need is Not - To serve as a way to get famous from cool/funny highlights or as a way for a family to catch up on an athlete's success
Inside - Why the Need Exists - There is always a need for athletes to receive proper representation to ensure they are receiving the most fair contract possible
Outside - Alternative Explanations - To become popular as a high school or college athlete with no intention of going pro
What: The need is pretty much the same for anybody in the market, regardless of who they are. All athletes are trying to become popular and all agents are attempting to spread the word of their company. The need changes when you start to have parents and others on the website viewing their family's videos to watch them perform. Because this platform is primarily serving as a way to connect people on a business level, this need drastically differs from that when it comes to family.
Why: The difference in needs is a result of people using the site for non-business purposes. The biggest, as I stated previously, that is caused by this is the support of family in an athlete's endeavors. This will cause them to access the platform for a completely different purpose than athletes trying to connect with representatives.
Inside the boundary: vs. Outside the boundary:
Inside - Who is in - Successful athletes and agents trying to acquire more business
Outside - Who is not - Athletes not serious about going pro and family members supporting their loved ones on the platform
Inside - What the Need is - To successfully serve as a liaison between these athletes and agents
Outside - What the Need is Not - To serve as a way to get famous from cool/funny highlights or as a way for a family to catch up on an athlete's success
Inside - Why the Need Exists - There is always a need for athletes to receive proper representation to ensure they are receiving the most fair contract possible
Outside - Alternative Explanations - To become popular as a high school or college athlete with no intention of going pro
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