Micah J.
Owns a local car wash business in the town I am from, is probably the best and only car wash in town I would actually go to due to the degree of service provided. I would put Micah as the domain expert in my industry. In high school, I washed my car at Micah's place pretty often and coincidentally I met him unexpectedly. Micah didn't really do any favors for me but he did give me advice free of charge. Including Micah into my network would enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity is due to the fact, he can help open doorways for me to other connections.
Mackenzie G.
A friend from high school who is a car enthusiast and goes to car meets, she gets sponsored by other companies to promote their brand/image. Mackenzie is filling in as my expert on my market. I met Mackenzie in high school in one of my dual enrollment classes but never talked to her until I hung out with her because we had mutual friends. I talked to her about the idea of my product and she liked it and was willing to promote it if I ever decided to make it and she doesn't expect anything out of it. Mackenzie would enhance my ability to exploit an opportunity is due to the fact she can promote my product when she goes to car meets.
Zach V.
Met him through friends of friends and through a secondary connection is the manager of an Auto Zone. Zach would fill in as the important supplier to my industry. I was talking to one of my friends about the assignment I have to do for entrepreneurship and how I had a difficult time finding someone to fill in this spot so she suggested I message Zach. I messaged Zach through text message, told him about my idea, and he liked it. If I were to ever make my product a reality, Zach would help me set up my business and offer to sell my product for a small commission fee. Zach would help me exploit this opportunity because he can sell directly to the consumers.
Reflection- This exercise pretty much taught me you don't have to look for random people and hope they're in a position that is useful to you. If you talk to someone you know, they might actually know of someone who is in that position. This process didn't really differ from what I did before but it was very interesting that people I know can actually be useful.
Hey David, I think the people you spoke with are great people to interview about your product. I wish you would have gone into more detail about what advice and ideas they have for your product! That's really cool how your friend Mackenzie has sponsorships by other companies. Also, speaking to someone who works at Auto Zone is a great way to figure out buyer behavior on your specific product!
ReplyDeleteHi David!
ReplyDeleteI love how you stated (in a round about way) that sometimes you don't need to know the connections directly, sometimes it's someone that you know that knows someone else. I tie this to my life with being a military spouse. It's such a small world! I meet a friend, hit it off add them on Facebook and see we have mutual friends on the other side of the country! Above all for me, the lesson is don't burn bridges. You never know when you might need someone that knows someone else. :)
V/r,
Elizabeth Fullwood
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteThe networking contacts your found were very relevant and useful to your product. Thats so awesome that one of your friends is a car enthusiast. Also, I think it is interesting that you brought up the point about how you do not need to search for random people, but sometimes friends know of contacts that can help. Overall, I really enjoyed reading your post.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you have a lot of friends who can help you progress! Reminds me of the Shoe Dog, the founder of Nike who built the foundation of his company on the people around him who helped him start everything in the beginning. It's important to network and reach out to the people around you and you seem to know who to go to. Great job!
Hey David,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post and learning about the 3 diverse people you chose to be brought into your project. In my opinion you brought in 3 excellent people who would be a great fit into this business and would guide you in the right path to being a successful business.
Hey David,
ReplyDeleteIts great that you have made such strong connections and especially with people that can help your professional career. You're right about not having to look for random people. I retreated this as all the other assignments where I would find random people but, then I realized I didn't have to look too far.