Final Reflection

Final Reflection

1) I have had to do a lot for this class: interview people, come up with ideas, etc. Many of the things that I did were fun. For instance, I really enjoyed doing the "Bug List", the "Creating a Custom Avatar" and the "Idea Napkin". I liked doing these because they gave me the opportunity to express myself and be imaginative. Take the "Creating a Custom Avatar" assignment for instance. When I did this, I was able to get to know who my customer was and who I should be targeting. By getting to know my customer, I would be able to tailor my product to them. There were also some things that I didn't like doing in this class. One such assignment was the "Elevator Pitches". I hated doing the "Elevator Pitches". I hated doing these assignments because I hate speaking in front of the camera. I don't know why I hate speaking in front of the camera but it definitely made this assignment unbearable to do. Even though I hated this one assignment, I think that the majority of assignments were fun and enjoyable.

2) The idea I had of entrepreneurship was pretty simple. I thought it was all about opening a store and hoping people walk in, but it turns out it is much more than that. This class taught me that entrepreneurs do things like talk to customers, VC's, etc. The one formative experience I had was talking to people about my idea. This gave me insight into what entrepreneurs do in order to create the best idea they can. Also, these assignments really showed me how hard it is to be an entrepreneur. Like I said earlier, I thought entrepreneurship was all about opening a store but there is a lot more that goes into it. The memory that'll stick with me is definitely when I had to create an idea. My idea was all about creating online presences for small businesses. I definitely want to keep this idea in the back of my mind so I can see if it will still create value for people in the future. The most joyous experience I had was when I got to create my idea. I think my idea could help a lot of people. If I can ever create a business centered around this idea, I think that I could help a lot of people and be happy while doing it. The experience I am most proud of is completing the whole class. This class took us through the process of the average entrepreneur. We had to interview customers, develop our ideas, etc. After completing the class, I now have even more respect for those who want to help make the world a better place.

3) I don't consider myself to be an entrepreneur yet. In order to be an entrepreneur, you have to have an entrepreneurial mindset and you have to be actively trying to create value for people. So far, I have come up with an idea and talked to people about the idea, but not much other than that. I do however, think that I have developed an entrepreneurial mindset. This class has given me the knowledge to identify opportunities, told me the steps to take to develop my idea and how to turn my idea into a business. Even though I am not an entrepreneur yet, I can see myself becoming one in the future, thanks to this class.

4) If I were to recommend one thing for a future entrepreneur, I would recommend that they be as outgoing as possible. The majority of the tasks that entrepreneurs do has to do with being social: interviews, meeting with VC's, etc. You can have a great idea, but if you are not outgoing, it'll be hard to tell people about it. One thing I would tell someone who is taking this class is to stay on top of your work. There are about three assignments per week, which doesn't seem like a lot, but they can take up a good bit of your time. It is important to start them early so you don't have to write a whole book report on the day the assignment is due. Finally, the thing I would recommend that people do to develop an entrepreneurial mindset is pay attention to your surroundings. There are opportunities everywhere, and most of them go unnoticed. If you pay attention to your surroundings, you might be able to identify an opportunity and help a lot of people.