Reading Reflection 2

I read "The Art of Social Media" by Guy Kawasaki.


1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?
The general theme of the book was about understanding social media as a whole, and how to become successful on social media. There are various components and multiple platforms, and this book attempts to consolidate lots of information and tips into one easy-to-read book. The author covered an array of topics, including how to optimize your profile, how to gain followers, and how to respond to comments.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?
The book enhanced with what I am learning in ENT3003 by suggesting ways to add social media to my potential business idea. This class has taught me the importance of understanding the viewpoint of consumers and non-consumers and building a relationship with them. By creating a presence on social media, my business can connect with others to strengthen the business-consumer relationship, gather feedback on the idea and new developments, and have the opportunity to reach out to other potential customers. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?
If I had to design an exercise based on the book I read, I would design an exercise that required the creation of a profile and two posts on any social media platform mentioned in the book. Using at least three tips from the book, the profile and two posts would be based on the business venture the person chose at the beginning of the semester. 

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?
My biggest surprise when reading the book was how often the author mentioned  Google +. The book was published in 2014, and Google + was officially shut down in 2019, so the author couldn't have known that the platform would be discontinued. However, Google + was never a popular platform, which is why I was surprised at the number of tips and tricks he spent devoted to improving a presence on that platform. By realizing the number of pages he dedicated to Google +, only for it to be discontinued reminded me how quickly ideas become outdated. The rise of the internet and social media have made trends come and go quickly. I knew trends these days are very quick, but I didn't realize that a book written in 2014 could already contain a decent amount of outdated content, which is crazy.

Idea Napkin 2

1) You
 I am an undergrad student who is very organized and detail-oriented. I've been in school the majority of my life, and enjoy learning and getting an education. I am a very studious person who enjoys working hard and performing well. I don't miss deadlines and am excellent at keeping track of multiple assignments at once. I also genuinely care about people and make sure to check up on my friends often, especially during the pandemic when I can't see them. I see this business first playing the role of a side hustle in my life. I want to go to grad school and I have lots of goals I want to achieve first, so I think this business would first be put off to the side. However, once (and if) the business gains some popularity, I would transfer the business and try to make it my main job. Developing my business would take a lot of time to do, so it could be years, even decades before I can successfully quit my actual career job to work the business concept I am proposing.

2) What are you offering to customers? 
I am offering an app similar to the Do Not Disturb function on iPhones to company messaging systems. The app/extension would provide a way for employees to select their status on work, which allows colleagues to see if a certain employee is available or done with work for the day. There is also an emergency feature for urgent situations. This system will allow employees the opportunity to respectfully disconnect from work, while still allowing for some availability in case of an emergency. 

3) Who are you offering it to?
I am offering this product to established companies and employees. If a company were to use this product, it would connect with the company's communication system, allowing all employees to see the status of everyone. If only a single employee had it, a notification would be used to indicate if the employee was done working for the day. The demographics would vary, but mainly my product is designed for companies that work typical business hours and have no need to constantly be "on-call." The product can also be altered to work for employees without the company. The psychographics of my customers would also vary, but some characteristics include motivated employees who strive to maintain a work/life balance and stay productive in both their personal and professional lives. My customers would have possibly struggled with maintaining or promoting a work/life balance within their company. Overall, all of my customers would want a way to professionally balance their work and life through a system that eliminates the temptation to check emails and take work phone calls after hours. 

4) Why do they care? 
Customers care about a work/life balance because it is very easy to slip into the workaholic mindset. I have personally seen it, and have many friends who have witnessed it as well. With the growing technological trends recently, it is becoming easier than ever to work at any time. This can be helpful, but many employees find themselves working from home for hours after they have left the office, even though there is no specific need to. Customers will want to pay money for this product because it gives employees a chance to take back control and instill a work/life balance into their lifestyle.

5) What are your core competencies?
My core competencies include witnessing the workaholic mindset first-hand and living with the person for years, which is unique. I've seen this unhealthy relationship with work with my dad, and have come to understand that this is a problem, and customers need a solution. I have also already heard friends complain about the pressure they feel to work outside their normal working hours, despite barely entering the workforce. Although I am not the only person who has witnessed this workaholic lifestyle, I witnessed it for many years, and believe that my perspective is a strength when developing this business concept.

Elements Fitting Together
I think most of these elements fit together. Maintaining a work/life balance is very important and a problem that needs to be solved, however as mentioned before, I have never explicitly worked a 9-5 job. I may not be the most qualified person to come up with this business solution. Furthermore, most companies take a hands-off approach to a work/life balance and place that responsibility on the employees, so I am not sure if companies will want to get involved in this aspect of their employees' lives.

Feedback Memo
I didn't receive any feedback on my blog post, but I did receive some feedback when I interviewed people. One thing I took from the feedback is understanding that this is not a problem for everyone that needs to be solved. I had at least two people who agreed that feeling pressured to work after normal working hours is a problem, but they don't need a product to fix it. I didn't explicitly incorporate this into my Idea Napkin, but I did address that some companies may not want to get involved in their employees' lives. Another thing I took from the feedback I received is creating a clearer description of how the product would work with the entire messaging system, and with a single employee. I included a better description in question 3.

Elevator Pitch 2

Elevator Pitch

Link: https://youtu.be/h2pe_n5h3wc

Reflection
I didn't receive too much feedback on my first elevator pitch, but overall I agree with what was said. I received a few comments stating that I spoke at a good pace, which I agree with. I generally speak very fast and was very cognizant of the pace I spoke at when filming. I think speaking at a moderate pace is very important, especially when delivering an elevator pitch. I also received some comments about how they enjoyed my opening. I opened with a hypothetical situation relating to my product and got straight to the point. I did receive feedback stating that I seem a little unsure of myself, which slightly surprised me. I was memorizing my pitch, so it's possible that my unsureness in memorization came across as unsureness overall.

Based on the feedback, I added more content and spoke a little faster, so the pitch didn't seem like it was dragging on. I also placed the camera closer, although nobody explicitly commented on that.

Create a Custom Avatar

The prototypical customer in my segment (college students and young adults) would enjoy work the work hard play hard lifestyle. Some hobbies include going to the gym, participating in an intramural sports league, playing an instrument such as the piano, and taking the dog out to the dog park. They tend to drive affordable, but reliable cars, such as a Toyota Camry or a Nissan Altima. Some customers may drive an upgraded Dodge Charger or even a BMW if they are making good money. The color will likely be a generic color, such as black, white, or beige.

The customer would enjoy very popular shows such as The Office, Friends, Parks & Recreation, and more. Some customers would also enjoy the short documentaries that Netflix produces, such as Tiger King. My segment most likely does not have children. The customers in my segment would enjoy the classic books (1984, The Great Gatsby) as well as several popular self-help books. The customers in my segment are between the ages of 18-29 and feel their age. Some may feel older than others, such as a 26-year-old who has been out of college for a few years. However, the customers in my target market thoroughly understand and live like they are in their 20s.

I have some things in common with the prototypical customer in my segment, which makes sense since I am in college. I do drive an affordable black car, and I also consider going to the gym as one of my main hobbies. I don't really watch the same shows as the avatar described above, and I don't go to the dog park because I don't own a dog. However, I do enjoy reading classic and self-help books. I don't think this is a coincidence because my age fits perfectly into this segment, and I built this avatar based on some of my interests and my friends' interests.

I created an avatar out of curiosity, and I included a picture of a dog I think the prototypical customer would have.

What's Your Secret Sauce?

• Ambition: I think I am a very ambitious person. I have big goals and will do everything I possibly can to achieve them. I want to be as successful as possible, and I have big goals and dreams to (hopefully) get me there.
• Discipline: I am a person who thoroughly enjoys stability and structure, leading to my discipline-like nature. I always follow through on my word and tasks, and rarely give in to temptations.
• Intelligent: I grew up in a household that greatly values education, and I have been exposed to so many different topics from various sources. I love to learn and continue to find new ways to expand my mind.
• Time Management: I have impeccable time management skills. I don't miss deadlines because I always plan ahead, and I am pretty good at anticipating potential obstacles. 
• Caring: I care about the relationships I have with my friends and family, and make it a point to consistently reach out and check on them. Even if I don't talk to someone for several months, I let them know that I care about them, and enjoy their friendship. 

My childhood (and current) best friend, Rhianna

https://soundcloud.com/tara-routie/rhianna/s-yofhgzg5FmI

Rhianna and I stopped attending the same school after 5th grade, so her perspective was quite unique. She brought up the point that we can go without talking for several months, but then pick up where we left off like nothing happened, which I completely agree with. She attributed this to my dedication to developing and keeping long-lasting connections with others. 

My Mom

https://soundcloud.com/tara-routie/mom/s-S1JxRHTNo0Y

My mom described me as someone who is highly motivated and enjoys working independently. I definitely agree with this, and while I am fine working in groups, I prefer to work by myself. She also said that I am detail-oriented, which I very much agree with. 

My Dad

https://soundcloud.com/tara-routie/dad-part-2/s-slknD23i5Vl

My dad described me as someone who is a pleasant and driven person. I set very high goals for myself, and am very determined to see it through. I do set high goals for myself, and think that I am a pleasant person to be around, therefore I agree with what he described.

My Brother

https://soundcloud.com/tara-routie/devin-part-2/s-cI6nRRe5ryD

My brother described me as someone very organized and a person who doesn't procrastinate, which is true, and the complete opposite of him. I always like to get my work done ahead of time and will do my best to avoid procrastination. 

My good friend from college, Allie

https://soundcloud.com/tara-routie/allie/s-7Lsmgcp3WcC

I've known Allie for about 2 years now, and we've had multiple classes together. She described me as a good problem solver, which I agree with, but never thought of. She also said that I can juggle multiple things at once, which I agree with. I'm involved in various activities and find myself able to juggle a lot of activities simultaneously.

Reflection
How I see myself is pretty consistent with how others see me. The way I describe myself is how the people who know me best describe me. I do think there were some surprises. For example, I never explicitly saw myself as a problem solver, but Allie described me as one. I think what causes some of these differences is dependent on the situation I am in with the person. Before I moved away to college, I lived with my family, so they constantly saw me studying or completing my work. Rhianna would only hear about what homework I had to do since we didn't attend the same school, and heard more stories about my extracurricular activities. Overall, I think the interviewees were correct about me, and after reviewing the list I created, I would not change anything about it. Everything that I wrote down on the list was covered by at least one person I interviewed, and I believe the list is very accurate.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior 2

Alternative Evaluation
All three of my interviews had a different aspect deemed the most important when picking among alternatives. One interviewee looked at price, one looked at recommendations from others, and the last one looked at the quality. However, all three interviewees said that price and quality are two important characteristics they look at when choosing a product. Other features such as aesthetics and popularity, are less important. 

How/where do they buy?
I had one person state that they mainly shop in-store, another person state that they mainly shop online, and another person equally shopping in-store and online. In terms of how they buy, two interviewees usually buy with a debit card or cash, while the last interviewee mainly purchased items with a credit card. I had the most varied responses in this section. 

Post-Purchase Evaluation
All of my interviewees agreed that product functionality determined if the purchase was a good idea. The convenience and durability of a product also played an important role for two of the interviewees.

All of my interviewees agreed that they determined a product was a bad purchase decision if it was faulty. This makes sense since most people do not like receiving a faulty product. One interviewee in particular noted the durability or if the return on investment played a role in this stage. A different interviewee stated that she has no opinion on customer service in terms of a bad purchase decision unless they refuse to refund or fix the faulty product.

Conclusions
Overall, I found the responses to be quite similar to each other. I am not surprised by this because all of my interviewees are college students or young adults who are only a few years out of college, so they tend to think alike. However, I was surprised that aesthetics didn't play a larger role in the alternative evaluation section. I think many products that are geared towards this group focus heavily on aesthetics, so I was fully expecting that characteristic to be a major component of the alternative evaluation stage.

I would describe this segment as a group that mainly focuses on price, quality, and functionality. This segment expects to get a good product, and doesn't want to deal with faulty products. This group will likely not buy items with money they don't have, hence the use of cash and debit cards. Other less important characteristics play a role in the process, but price and quality are by far the most important. Overall, as long as the product is functional and not faulty, they are happy with the purchase.

Halfway Reflection

Tenaciousness is a competency
The behaviors I have used to keep up with this course is working ahead when I can. I try to complete the blog posts at least a day or two before they are due, and I complete the peer reviews and quizzes as soon as they are open. This has allowed me to enjoy my weekend without worrying about the homework I have to complete. I also write down everything due in my planner and organize assignments by due dates, so I can prioritize what needs to get done first.

Tenaciousness is about attitude
A time I felt like giving up was this past semester. I was working while taking classes full-time, which was the first time I ever worked and took classes simultaneously. It was very different, and although I am very organized, I found myself having almost no free time. Also, the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic made it even harder to focus on school and perform well. I pushed through, mainly because I told myself "if you can get through this, you can relax in the summer." It wasn't the most motivating way to get through this struggle, but I persevered and successfully completed last semester.

I think I strengthened my tenacious attitude over the past two months. I believe that I already had a tenacious attitude before taking this course, but this class and the current global situation strengthened this attitude. I think the interviews and uncertainty surrounding my life right now in terms of what will happen in the Fall semester contributed most to strengthening my tenacious attitude. I had to commit to find good people to interviews and obtain quality information, which was not easy. Furthermore, the uncertainty surrounding the Fall semester has taught me to keep pushing through, even though I don't know what will happen in August.

Three Tips
1) Organize your time in advance- By organizing your time in advance, you'll feel more structured and more productive, allowing yourself to stay on schedule. Your discouragement for not wanting to complete an assignment will dwindle if this tip is practiced.

2) Know the difference between a lazy mindset and needing a break- If you can understand the difference of when your mind is being lazy and when you genuinely need a break, you can learn to push through a lazy day without burning out your mind.

3) Work and plan ahead if possible- Working and planning head will remove procrastinating on assignments. If you feel like taking a day off, you won't feel guilty because of how ahead you are on assignments. This skill will support tenacity while creating room for frequent breaks.

Reading Reflection 1

For my first reading reflection, I read Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's by Ray Kroc. 

1a) What surprised you the most?

I was surprised at his age when he started working for McDonald's. Ray was 52 years old when he first began working for McDonald's. Many entrepreneurs start out quite young, but Ray already had an established life and many jobs before this venture.  He was married and made a living by being a great salesman selling paper cups and milkshake mixers. The success he received at an older age shows that entrepreneurship can strike at any age, even if the person already has an established life.

1b) What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
I admired Ray's honesty the most. He was very blunt, and would clearly share his opinion of an idea he disapproved of. Sometimes, his opinion made him appear as a stubborn, subordinate person, but I think his blunt honesty saved time on potential bad ideas. Many times, people try to be too polite about disagreements, which only wastes time. He may have hurt some feelings with his honesty, but that only increased his credibility and saved him time that could be put to use on developing worthwhile ideas.

1c) What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
I least admired his spontaneity. Ray struck me as a person with lots of energy and zeal, which led to many spontaneous ideas. While this can be great occasionally, he sometimes didn't think through his ideas completely, which led to large disagreements with other executives. Spontaneous decisions work well for low-stake situations, such as deciding to get cookies at midnight, not for big decisions affecting a company as large and established as McDonald's.

1d) Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
Ray encountered failure at least twice in his personal life. He was married three times and divorced twice. Although not directly affecting his business, I think his quick marriages caused some underlying issues that indirectly affected his work ethic and goals. He didn't do much to correct the marriage. Sometimes he would talk with his wife, while other times he didn't inform her of his plans until the last minute. He used divorce as a solution to solve his marriage problems, mainly because he developed feelings for someone else, or the marriage wasn't supporting his professional goals.

Ray experienced adversity with one of the executives, Harry Sonneborn. Harry became the president and chief executive of McDonald's, and he and Ray disagreed on virtually every topic. The disagreements became so bad that the executive office had an unofficial divide of "Team Harry" and "Team Ray" workers. Ray didn't have a solution to this problem either. Harry and Ray would argue about the current topic and sometimes come to an agreement. Harry ended up resigning, due to some health problems and further disagreements about the direction of the company. Both men were very stubborn and rarely conceded.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
The entrepreneur understood relationships with customers very well. Before McDonald's, he sold paper cups. He quickly became the best salesman in his company, and a large part of his success was attributed to developing a good relationship with customers. He even pointed out in his book that he was going to beat out a competitor selling paper cups to a particular business because of his relationship with customers. This further benefited him when working with McDonald's because he always found ways to take care of the customer, rather than solely focusing on the transaction.

Another competency Ray exhibited was sticking to his word. He was extremely dedicated to doing a good job, whether that involved selling cups or creating a new food item. He never backed down on his word. Specifically, he quit his job as a salesman because he didn't feel as if his compensation was adequate, despite his position as the best salesman in the company. Ray bluntly told his boss he was going to quit and said he refused to come back until his salary was fixed. He stuck by his word, and a few days later, he was called into the office for a plan to receive a better salary.

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
One part of the reading that was confusing to me was about the McDonald's brothers. When Ray began working for them in the early stages of the company, both parties agreed that Ray must explicitly state his plans in writing, and the brothers had to approve it. Multiple times in the book, Ray explained how the brothers would approve plans over the phone, but would never put the plans into writing. I believe this was part of a ploy for the brothers to keep control over McDonald's without explicitly telling Ray, but nonetheless, this part confused me.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
"Why doesn't McDonald's have a dedicated healthy section on their menu?"
I would ask this question because, like many fast food chains, McDonald's may begin to financially suffer from the push for healthier foods. Ray wasn't alive when the push for healthy foods became extremely popular, but I would still be curious to hear his opinion.

"How did you not let the money get to your head?"
I would ask this question because as I was reading, I noticed that Ray's personality did not change from when he was struggling to pay the bills while selling paper cups, to when he was making millions of dollars at McDonald's. He seemed like the same honest, blunt man who genuinely cared about his customers. So many people change once they succumb to a large sum of money, and more often than not, that change is negative. I think Ray is one of the few entrepreneurs who didn't become greedy once he became wealthy, and it'd be interesting to see his perspective on this topic.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion? 
I think Ray greatly admired hard work. He explained in his book how intelligence doesn't matter for running a McDonald's franchise, as long as the owner is a hard worker and a good person who is dedicated to the job. He even refused to donate to colleges unless they added a trade school because he didn't deem postsecondary education necessary for becoming successful. After all, he never went to college. I think Ray is a firm believer in hard work, and I also share that opinion. Hard work is very important, and a great skill that must be developed to make a living. Unless success was handed to a person since birth, everyone must work hard to become successful. Whether that is through going to trade school, attending college, or working in the family business, hard work is an important skill to develop that can lead to great rewards. 

Figuring out Buyer Behavior 1

Pick a Segment
The segment I picked is college students and young adults who either work a part-time job or a full-time job.

Need Awareness
All of my interviewees feel pressured to work after their normal work hours, and all interviewees find themselves working after their normal hours a few times a week. This need of feeling pressured to work after their normal hours happens frequently in various situations. Even though nobody's job is crisis-related, such as employees working in a hospital, the pressure still exists. Their jobs likely assign a disproportional amount of work that cannot be completed in their normal workday, or the pressure is coming from another source, such as fear of a tarnished reputation. More specifically, two interviewees become aware of this need when a task can be done more efficiently, while one interviewee recognizes her unmet need when she analyzes what she must complete after entering her work office.

Information Search
All of my interviewees conduct an information search in the same way. They all conduct research, mainly through a google search, to understand more about the problem and potentially find a solution. One interviewee supplements this by talking with friends and family, while another interviewee looks at Amazon for a potential product. My third interviewee only conducts research.

Conclusion
Based on what I learned through interviews and prior knowledge, this segment's need awareness consists of recognizing whether or not something is efficient. Once a situation or method is no longer efficient, they move into an information search. This segment heavily relies on the internet for information. The segment is very familiar with technology and quite comfortable with it, so consumers in this segment are not afraid to conduct a quick google search or consult a website for information. Overall, it seems like this segment wants to complete all tasks more efficiently and consults the internet for their research needs, however, this unmet need isn't an urgent problem that needs to be solved immediately.

Idea Napkin 1

1) You
I've been a student for the majority of my life. As soon as I graduated high school, I went straight into college, and I plan on attending grad school after I obtain my Bachelor's Degree. I am a very studious person and enjoy working hard to perform well. In terms of talent, I believe that I am very good at leading people, as well as time management and organization. I rarely miss a deadline, and I am a responsible person who can be trusted to carry out tasks. My business is centered around helping employees maintain a work/life balance. If I were to start my business, I think it would greatly help me in my professional life because sometimes I tend to enter a workaholic mindset and forget to take breaks from work. I thought of my opportunity based on my own habits, and I think my business would play a large role in my life if it was pursued.

2) What you are offering to customers?
I am offering an app similar to the Do Not Disturb function on iPhones to company messaging systems. The app/extension would provide a way for employees to select their status on work, which allows colleagues to see if a certain employee is available or done with work for the day. There is also an emergency feature for urgent situations. This system will allow employees the opportunity to respectfully disconnect from work, while still allowing for some availability in case of an emergency.

3) Who are you offering it to?
I am offering this product to established companies and employees. The demographics would vary, but mainly my product is designed for companies that work typical business hours and have no need to constantly be "on-call." The product can also be altered to work for employees without the company. The psychographics of my customers would also vary, but some characteristics include motivated employees who strive to maintain a work/life balance and stay productive in both their personal and professional lives. My customers would have possibly struggled with maintaining or promoting a work/life balance within their company.

4) Why do they care?
Customers care about a work/life balance because this concept is getting harder to maintain with recent technological trends. My product will allow people to not feel guilty about not working after their normal working hours, and establish some reasonable boundaries between the company's work schedule and an employee's personal schedule.

5) What are your core competencies? 
My core competencies include witnessing first-hand an unhealthy relationship with work and personal matters. I've seen this workaholic mindset with my dad, and have come to understand that employees may not know how to stop working after hours while keeping up their reputation within the company. Although I am not the only person to witness an issue in a work/life balance lifestyle, I think my perspective has greatly benefited in developing my opportunity.

Evaluation
I believe some of these elements fit together. Maintaining a work/life balance is definitely a concern amongst many people, and customers care about finding a solution. However, I have never explicitly worked a 9-5 job, so I am not sure if I am the best person to market this product. In addition, many companies prefer to let employees handle the responsibility of maintaining a work/life balance, rather than intervening with a solution. I think my product has a good start, but some weaker points need improvement.

Elevator Pitch 1

Below is my elevator pitch for my business idea! I also provided the link at the bottom in case the video doesn't play. 

Link: https://youtu.be/VMiSNo1cxM4

Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

Who: People such as restaurant workers (waiters, hosts, etc.), remote workers, and entrepreneurs in a startup business simply don't feel pressured to answer work calls/emails after hours, or need a solution to this problem. This could be due to the nature of their job, their personal preference, or simply their lack of interest in a solution to a minor unmet need in their life.

What: I think some people don't see a need in having a product/service that prevents work calls/emails from coming through. Many people just turn their phone off or don't answer until the next workday. The need I identified used a product as a solution, while some people would rather have a cultural change as a solution.

Why: Again, some people simply don't have this need. Many workers work their job and come home without any need to answer work calls or emails after their shift is over. Although the need may still be there for some workers, such as an entrepreneur in a startup business, it may not be worth putting off some work emails till the next day for an extra five minutes of free time.


Interview 1 (Late 20s male med student and entrepreneur)
He doesn't feel pressured to answer work calls/emails after hours because he is currently working for a startup company. He explained that because of the nature of startups, there is no specific time that work officially ends because he is constantly dealing with clients, his team, and other situations that further develop the business. Although his job requires a lot of work, he genuinely enjoys his career, which accounts for the fact that he doesn't feel pressure to work outside his normal business hours. He doesn't necessarily need a product or service that alleviates the pressure of answering emails/work calls after his normal business hours. He approached the feasibility of a product/service from a business standpoint. If there happen to be a feasible product/service that had low opportunity costs and the ROI (return on investment) was high, he would consider investing in a product/service that potentially eased his working habits after hours. However, he didn't see a beneficial reason to consider such products/services, hence his lack of interest in a solution.

He agrees that technology contributes to his ability to work outside his normal business hours because all he needs is his phone and an internet connection to conduct business. He constantly checks emails and credits the recent technological trends for this ability. Nonetheless, he doesn't view ease of access to technology as a problem, but rather an opportunity to grow his business.

Interview 2 (Early 30s female employee)
She currently doesn't feel pressured to answer work calls/emails after hours because she just started a new job. She believes that it is too early to tell if she'll eventually feel pressure to work after hours or not. However, she did feel some pressure to answer work calls/emails after her normal working hours at her previous job. She does clarify that she personally enjoys knowing what is going on, and often times chooses to put in the extra work at night when it's not required. While there are no set rules or expectations for her to work after hours, she engages with clients daily and chooses to put in the extra work after her normal working hours to show her clients that she cares. For her personally, she frequently communicates with her boss to clarify when she is not available for extra work calls/emails after hours unless the situation is urgent. Because of the communication channel she uses, she does not believe that she needs a product or service to alleviate potential pressure felt while working.

She agrees that technology has made it easier to work after her normal working hours, but has also made it harder for people who prefer not to work after their normal working hours. However, she disagrees that adults feeling pressure to answer work calls/emails after business hours is a problem that needs to be solved. She explained that sometimes, the industry requires that work is conducted after hours, and at the end of the day, she is working with clients who want a certain job to get done, even if that means answering calls/emails after she has left work.

Interview 3 (Early 20s female college student with a part-time job)
She feels pressured to answer work calls/emails after hours for personal reasons. She likes to relax when she goes home and doesn't engage with any work-related tasks unless necessary. To ease her anxiety about accumulated calls/emails, she'll answer them after work but right before she goes home. Although she feels some pressure, she does not believe that she needs a product/service to solve this need. Her solution to alleviating any pressure is to stay organized by setting reminders to reply to work calls/emails within a reasonable amount of time. While she is open to trying different methods to stay organized, a product or service is not one of them.

She believes that recent technological trends have made communication outside of normal working hours much easier. She explains that instead of writing things down or waiting to communicate with someone in person, a simple email, text, or phone call can communicate information faster and easier. However, she believes that working college students and adults in the United States feeling pressured to answer work calls/emails after their respective working hours is a problem that needs to be solved. She approached this problem from a financial standpoint. She explained that many employees are underpaid for overtime, but still expected to put in extra hours at home. She also elaborated that many employees feel obligated to work after hours because society has made the workaholic lifestyle a norm.

Interview 4 (Mid 20s female employee)
Because of the nature of her job, she doesn't completely feel pressured to answer work calls/emails after hours. She works remotely and can set up her own hours. Thus, she can easily shut down her office at home for the day and her job must respect that. With that being said, she doesn't feel like she needs a product or service to help her disconnect. She implements her own ways to distance herself from work after hours by going to the gym the same time every day, muting her email on vacation and weekends, and communicating with her colleagues about when they should expect a response from her.

She believes that recent technological trends have made communication outside of normal working hours much easier. She personally relies heavily on technology for her job, which makes it extremely easy to check up on phone calls and emails on her off days. She also explained that many companies are no longer providing a work phone or work laptop. With work calls and emails now being directed towards personal cell phones and laptops, working after normal hours is easier than ever, and separating the two on the employee's personal devices is challenging. However, she believes that working college students and adults feeling pressured to work outside their normal working hours is a problem. She explained that it is very easy for someone's job to take over his/her life, so creating a separation between a job and life is necessary.

Interview 5 (Early 20s female college student with a part-time job)
She doesn't feel pressured to answer work calls/emails after hours due to the nature of her job. She is a host at a restaurant, so all of her duties can only be conducted while she is at work. Her job doesn't require any extra tasks after she finishes her shift. She also doesn't believe that she needs a product or service to help her avoid working after her normal working hours. Although she uses social media to relax and take her mind off of work, an extra product/service to assist in this action is not necessary for her.

She believes that recent technological trends have made communication and working outside normal working hours easier for certain industries. Clients can be contacted at any time, making it easier for the business to receive an answer to a problem, but also creates the dilemma of never having a specific time to stop work calls and emails from coming in.

Inside the Boundary	Outside the Boundary
Working college students and adults in the United States are the “who” in this situation.	Workers in the startup business in the US, workers outside of the US who don’t feel pressured, workers inside of the US who don't feel pressured, and full-time college students who work a low stake part-time job.
The need is finding a product or service that solves the problem of feeling pressured to work outside an employee’s normal business hours. Whether that is an app or a service, the solution is provided to ease the pressure felt by the “who.”	The need is not necessary to disconnect from work. Also, the need is not wanting a product or service to help avoid answering work calls/emails after hours, and the solution to this problem potentially stems from something else.
The need exists because technology is much more accessible and prevalent within the last few years, which causes employees to have quick access to their work tasks. Employees may have a hard time disconnecting from work-related tasks and feel pressure to continue working after hours.	The need may not exist because people have a good job and don’t feel pressure, people may genuinely enjoy working after normal business hours, or people simply don’t want this need to be corrected.

Solving the Problem

The Problem
The problem I came up with is that working adults and college students in the United States are pressured to answer work calls and emails after business hours because of recent technological trends and ease of access. If there were a product on the market that prevented work calls and emails outside of business hours without the user looking irresponsible, companies and employees would use it.

The Solution
The solution I came up with is an app. The app is a product that connects with the company's messenger and email database, which shows if the employee is currently accepting emails and calls or not. If a colleague attempts to send an email after hours, a message will pop up explaining that the email cannot be sent due to outside business hours. There will be an option to override this command for emergencies, but the colleague sending the email will have to explain the nature of the email. The explanation message will get sent and notify the employee, and the employee can choose to accept or deny the email as urgent. This app will also have a component that can also be connected to phones. The colleague calling will automatically be sent to voicemail but can choose to override this action and send a voicemail message to the employee's personal cell phone.