Assignment 4A - Forming An Opportunity Belief

Forming An Opportunity Belief

I believe that there is an unmet need to fix texting and driving. People of driving age across the globe has the need to keep themselves safe. The need is pretty recent, as more people turn to texting or operating a device while they are driving, causing them to not focus on their driving skills and what’s happening in front of them. Some people are meeting this need by purchasing vehicles that have Bluetooth capabilities, such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. At this point, I am 65% sure that this opportunity exists.

#1: Forty-year-old married father to two young children

·      Have you ever texted or operated your cell phone while driving your car?

o   “I hate to say it, but I have.”

·      Do you ever fear you may get into a car accident due to texting and driving?

o   “Yes, I do.”

·      Does your car have Bluetooth capabilities?

o   “Yes, it does. I actually just purchased new cars for myself and my wife that come with Apple CarPlay.”  Have you used it all? “No, not yet.”

·      Do you text and drive with other people in the car with you?

o   “I try not to but sometimes I do receive important notifications that need my immediate attention” Do you pull over to take care of them or do you continue to operate your vehicle? “I continue to operate my vehicle”

·      When did you first become aware of “texting and driving”?

o   “Probably over the past couple of years. I know it’s bad, but it’s just out of habit.”

·      What are you currently doing to prevent texting and driving? Are you happy with this solution?

o   “Honestly, nothing. But when I text and drive, I try my best to not look at my phone for too long so I can still keep an eye on the road and the other cars around me.”

·      Did you know that 1 out of every 4 car crashes occur due to texting and driving?

o   “Wow. I knew it was a problem, but I did not realize that it was that much of a problem.” Does that statistic make you rethink texting and driving? “Yes, it does. Especially with my children and wife in the car.”

·      Would you feel more comfortable if all cars came with Bluetooth capabilities?

o   “Yes, I would. I now want to do everything in my power to keep my family safe at all times.”

Reflection: I was honestly very surprised that a forty-year-old married man with young children would text and drive. I would hope that he wasn’t texting and driving with his family in the car. I hope that he starts to use the Bluetooth in his car, and he spreads the word about how terrible it is to text and drive.

#2: Eighteen-year-old female college student operating their parent’s car

·      Have you ever texted or operated your cell phone while driving your car?

o   “I know my parents would not like for me to admit to this, but I do.”

·      Do you ever fear you may get into a car accident due to texting and driving?

o   “Yes, I do. I only really text and drive if my parents are trying to get in contact with me.”

·      Does your car have Bluetooth capabilities?

o   “Yes, it does. My parents bought me a Bluetooth adapter for the car.”

·      Do you text and drive with other people in the car with you?

o   “Usually no, but if something important comes up, then yes.”

·      When did you first become aware of “texting and driving”?

o   “Right after I received my learner’s permit. Once I became aware of my surroundings, I realized a lot of other drivers were doing it too.”

·      What are you currently doing to prevent texting and driving? Are you happy with this solution?

o   “Again, I only really text and drive if my parents are trying to contact me. And they mostly call me. Other than that, I don’t really text and drive because I know it can cause a lot of extensive damage. I am happy with this solution because I rarely text and drive.”

·      Did you know that 1 out of every 4 car crashes occur due to texting and driving?

o   “I totally believe that statistic. A lot of my friends and fellow drivers on the road text and drive all of the time.”

·      Would you feel more comfortable if all cars came with Bluetooth capabilities?

o   “Yes, I would. It would allow more people to focus on the road and their driving skills, instead of multitasking and getting into car accidents.”

Reflection: I would say that I’m shocked that someone her does not text and drive, since texting and driving is definitely more popular amongst the younger generations. I am happy that her parents invested in purchasing a Bluetooth device for her car. It shows that her parents care enough to keep her safe while she is driving.

#3: Mid-twenties corporate-working male

·      Have you ever texted or operated your cell phone while driving your car?

o   “I used to, but now I do not.”

·      Do you ever fear you may get into a car accident due to texting and driving?

o   “Yes. More people nowadays are texting and driving, which forces me to be a more defensive driver and constantly watch the people around me.”

·      Does your car have Bluetooth capabilities?

o   “Yes, it does, and that’s what I use every time I get in my car. My phone automatically syncs with the Bluetooth.”

·      Do you text and drive with other people in the car with you?

o   “No, never.”

·      When did you first become aware of “texting and driving”?

o   “Probably more over the past couple of years. As the phone industry has taken off, it was only a matter of time before more people started texting and driving. It’s a very big issue for young drivers.”

·      What are you currently doing to prevent texting and driving? Are you happy with this solution?

o   “I always use the Bluetooth capabilities that my car has. I am happy with this because now I get to avoid collisions with other drivers who are texting and driving.”

·      Did you know that 1 out of every 4 car crashes occur due to texting and driving?

o   “I did not know that, but I definitely believe it. I see people texting and driving all the time on my commute to work.”

·      Would you feel more comfortable if all cars came with Bluetooth capabilities?

o   “Yes, I would. It would allow the commute to work to be a lot smoother. The traffic would probably dissipate, and the amount of car accidents would drop substantially.”

Reflection: 

I was very happy to hear that this young man does not text and drive. Especially since he commutes to work every day, it is very important that he keeps his eyes focused on the road and his surroundings at all time. I do hope that he continues to use the Bluetooth in his vehicle and spread the word to his friends that texting and driving is avoidable at all costs.

Summary:

I still do believe that the opportunity is still feasible since a lot of people still do text and drive. I do believe that my estimated guess about my opportunity is still reasonable. Luckily, the younger generation has more of an incentive to not text and drive, but the older generation definitely needs to be informed more. I do believe that my new opportunity is more accurate than when I started. I do believe that entrepreneurs should “adapt” their opportunities based on customer feedback. In order for entrepreneurs to be successful, they should take constructive criticism into consideration when making tweaks to their ideas so that they can reach and influence more customers in the end.