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The Good 🙂, The Bad 😕, & The Ugly 👹 The Good 🙂 For me, some of the good moments were when I made videos. Whether it was the Secret Sauce video, or any of the Elevator Pitches, it was always fun, which is also why I put everything I had into it. If you have watched them, you'll realize that, excluding the first one, I put some thought into how I edited the videos. I'm not saying the editing is good, but it's there: background music that fades in and out, custom thumbnail, custom end cards, even a little effect when I made the joke about Wells Fargo in the second pitch. Or in the secret sauce video, all the cuts from one person to the other, making it seem like real interviews, the special screens for the voice recordings (which by the way costed a fortune). That's what I do. I enjoy it, whether it is a lot of work or not. The Bad 😕 I don't think I've had many bad experiences, but if I must choose, I would say it was anytime we were assigned

Opportunity The opportunity I identified is the need for a more globalized form of mobile banking, a need that bank account owners have. Our primary target costumers would be up to the age of 35, and as low as 18. Initially, we would operate inside the U.S, but we would try to go global later on. Currently, customers don't have a specific alternative to satisfy this need, they simply use their current bank's stock mobile app. This opportunity will not last too long. With Apple releasing Apple Card sometime in August, which is supposed to rival banks in the credit card market, the entire banking market will be more likely to fluctuate, with Google or Samsung, two of Apple's biggest competitors, potentially attempting to make their own version of the service. Depending on how effective Apple Card is, the window can be open for a relatively short time. Innovation The idea I have is making an app that serves as a portal to all bank accounts, regardless of the bank

About The Strat I don't think I would necessarily stay in this business for too long. But I wouldn't sell it either (I don't even know if I COULD sell this business). What I think I would do is stay until the market has caught on, and while it does, look for someone already working with us that has the drive and potential to lead the company forward. I would make sure that whoever takes over me has ideals that either fit the company, or maybe don't fit it, but could be an improvement. Why This Strat The thing is, since I'm not into finances, or banking, I think staying here will limit me in a way. I'm a developer, and I don't want to be stuck developing banking or financing apps. I can start like that, but I also want to move on to bigger and better things. Besides, despite the fact that I hated moving before, I think it's made me someone who doesn't really try to settle in anywhere, and is instead always looking for opportunities to grow

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Thoughts On Steve Jobs Given how much I love technology, and how big of an Apple fan I am, it only seemed fitting that I read about Steve Jobs himself. And just like with Ray Kroc in the first reading, I had watched the Steve Jobs movie before reading the book. What surprised me the most was actually learning where Apple got their obsession for absolute control, closed systems, and little compatibility (granted, today it's compatible with almost anything, almost). It comes from one of its founders. Jobs was obsessed with end-to-end control, something he and Wozniak disagreed on. From the very first Macintosh, he made sure users couldn't tinker with the inside. What I have to say I admire the most is his ability to envision a product and make it happen. There's more to this: he and Jony Ive pushed for Apple to file patents for "a rectangular electronic tablet with rounded edges" in March of 2004. This description might

My Failure One (or rather many times) that I've failed this semester has to be in my Programming class. We get lab assignments almost every week, and when we don't, we usually get a big project. And from the very first lab assignment, I noticed the challenge that this class was going to be. The Professor, Joshua Fox The Great, has a rather interesting philosophy: he doesn't teach everything we'll ever need for our assignments or projects, just a good amount. If there are any specifics that we need (or as it is in most cases we don't need but still want to use) that's up to us to learn, research, and implement. And no, that's not a complaint. He is arguably the best instructor in U.F, let alone the CISE department. (Sorry Dr. Pryor) In every assignment, there was always that time when I thought this was harder than I had ever expected, after (surprisingly) cruising through Programming 1 without a problem. Yet, after an increasing amount of time with ever

Opportunity The opportunity I identified is the need for a globalized form of mobile banking, a need that anyone with at least one bank account has. Being more specific, our primary market would be anyone up to the age of 35 years, and as low as 18. Initially, we would focus on the United States. Currently customers don’t really have an alternative to satisfy this need, so they are just using the current mobile banking apps from their specific bank. This opportunity will not exist forever. With Apple releasing their Apple Card service soon, which is supposed to rival banks, the market is more than likely going to fluctuate, with either Google or Samsung, two of Apple’s biggest competitors attempt to make their own version of this service. So this window is open for a relatively short time, depending on how effective Apple Card really is, and how much it actually hurts their competitors, if it does at all. Innovation The idea I had is making an app that serves as a portal t

Resources Knowledge of Programming My core classes for my major are Programming. Granted I'm no Steve Wozniak or Bill Gates, but learning programming is like learning another language: your first programming language is always hard, but once you know one, learning another programming language (or learning more features) becomes easier. Valuable For this business idea, since it involves making an app, knowledge of programming is fundamental. Rare Not really. While not everyone can (nor SHOULD) code, it's a relatively easy skill to learn, lots of people know how to develop an app. Inimitable Given that this is a skill you have to develop, then yes, it is VERY imitable. Keep in mind though, just because anyone can LEARN how to code doesn't mean everyone should DO it, especially at a professional level. Non-substitutable While the language used to code the app and infrastructure CAN be changed, it IS programming. There are no other ways to make an app, databa

You can also watch it on ☞ YouTube ☜ Pitch Transcript: Mobile banking apps have been the way we know them since 2010, after the fast expansion of Apple’s famous iPhone and Google’s versatile Android software. And it currently sits at a very comfortable 50% usage. Online banking however, websites, sit at 70% usage. Outside of the U.S, these numbers are lower for mobile banking, below 40% for Latin America, and below 30% in Europe. But in 2019 everybody has smartphones, and tablets. So why is this difference so great? Well, as it turns out, most mobile banking apps are inferior to the websites. Since most apps are designed for smaller devices, with sometimes less processing power, features are often missing from the apps. So how do we solve this? It turns out we already have. Software nowadays can be optimized to run just as fast on 4 year old devices as on flagship devices. And we as students are familiar with Canvas, which allows us to access online courses, a

Makers: The New Industrial Revolution by Chris Anderson Theme The book is based around how entrepreneurship is changing. In the past, inventors could design prototypes, but only big companies were able to produce anything, requiring the inventor to give up some control and money. But nowadays, there are small-scale factories that will produce anything at a reduced number, and for a smaller cost. Also, the process of inventing something is changing from dealing with physical objects to dealing with bytes, memory management, and pixels. And because of the internet, people in similar fields can now get in touch and collaborate easily, and more often than in the past. Connection to ENT3003 It kind of gave me a reason to keep doing what I'm doing. What I mean is, ever since I was a kid, I've been switching back and forth between what I wanted to become. First it was firefighter, then it was doctor, then industrial engineer, never really having a personal reas

Who I am My name is Carlos Valencia. I am a Comp. Science major in the I.A. Some of my talents include analyzing information (sometimes too much), learning fast, flexibility in working environments, and different languages. I want to become a software developer, be it an independent one or in a tech company. I would hope that, if this business was to be launched, it was a catalyst for my career as a developer, and I would also hope that one of the big techies saw it, and tried to make their own version of it, because that means it’s working. What I offer I offer a better way to manage mobile banking, investments, and finances in the form of an app that acts as a global portal, like Canvas is for schools. From the app, you can access all your accounts, even if they are in different banks. This can standardize mobile banking, giving all banks access to the same features within the app, and making all bank pages easy to use. By doing this, security can be increased. If the por

Meet Steve Steve is a guy in his late twenties. Steve drives a gray 2014 Honda Accord. Steve enjoys reading, running, watching sports, and gaming. Steve doesn't watch much TV for anythings that's not sports (Netflix, news, and weather excluded). Steve doesn't have children yet, but he does have a girlfriend, who he wants to marry in the future. They have also talked about possibly adopting at least one child. Some of his favorite books include Stargirl , Love, Stargirl , Don Quixote , Mistaken Identity , Steve Jobs . He works part-time at a grocery store, and has a part-time job at an advertising firm, which he hopes can lead him to a full time career in advertising. Steve likes technology. He doesn't love it enough to make it his career, but he does use it in his advertising job. He doesn't have the latest tech gadgets out there, but he has good tech. Carlos vs. Steve We both have the same TV habits, and fairly similar hobbies. We have also read si

You can also watch it on ☞ YouTube ☜ Pitch Transcript: Mobile banking vs online banking. Introduced in 2008, mobile banking has already soared to over 50% usage as of last year. Online banking however, is already north of 70%. Outside of the U.S, in latin America, for example, mobile banking is at only 36% usage, and in Europe its at 26%. Why in 2019, the age of everybody having smartphones in their pockets and tablets in every household, is online banking bigger than mobile banking? Fine margins. All mobile apps are inferior to websites. They are made for smaller devices, with sometimes a little less processing power, which leads to less features being included and sometimes less responsiveness in those apps. *cough* WeLLs FArGO So thats what we are trying to solve. Full control over all of your accounts from any device. Full control over your investments. Full control over your own information: YOUR PRIVACY. Desktop-class features available for all banks. Uni

My Human Capital I've lived in 2 different countries, moved 5 times in 4 years, gone to three different high schools, and worked at 3 places in 3 years. I have learned to adapt to my environment quickly. Whether it is a new school, neighborhood, or workplace, I can adapt and settle in no time. I've noticed the importance of speaking multiple languages more and more in recent times. I already speak two: English and Spanish. Languages come really easy to me, I just haven't gotten around to diving into a third one. But I know if I try, I can learn it quickly. Because of my constant change of environment, and because of my upbringing, I have a sense of maturity some people describe as "beyond my age". This means that, for example, I never look for any "beef" with anybody, regardless of where I am. I always try to do what's right. No matter where I am, I try to help people, or just be nicer than I need to be. It's mostly little

Segment: [Young]* Adult Account Holders *Primarily between 25 - 35, but if they are 18-24 and have an account they apply too. Interviews: After conducting the interviews, I learned that when someone wants to open a new bank account, they consider the banks with a branch closest to either their home or workplace. This is to choose the bank that best fits their needs, while still being a reasonable distance away. Some customers do care about their mobile banking experience, others see it only as a bonus. For those who already have accounts, and aren't happy with their current app, they consider going to the bank in person just to save time. Customers' preferences may differ based on their banks. Some prefer using the app because they can do it all through it, others prefer going to the bank because their app doesn't have some features, and they don't feel like spending 10 minutes or longer trying to figure it out. This specific segment in particular is mo

Tenacious Behaviors Throughout this first half of the semester, I have developed the habit of working ahead. Whenever you have just a little extra time, work ahead. For example, I create my posts about a week in advance. And through the week, I start adding the content and formatting it to how I want it to look. But since this is not my only class, I have to always be doing it on the side. So if I get to a class early, or if I'm in the computer lab and the T.A hasn't arrived yet, I'll work on the blog. But always work ahead, future you will thank you. Also work smarter. This doesn't mean work less, but change the way you work. If you've always done something a certain way, and never really got the hang of it, switch it up and see if the results change. Find the best way to work that suits you. Staying Motivated There are always those times when you just don't want to keep trying. Whether it is in a math class, or maybe a physics class, or even

Grinding It Out by Raymond A. Kroc DISCLAIMER: I HAD NO IDEA THE PICTURE WOULD DISPLAY THAT BIG FROM THE HOME PAGE. MY BAD! Thoughts On Ray Kroc Before reading Ray Kroc's autobiography, I had watched the movie The Founder , which tells the story of how Ray Kroc got to meet the McDonald brothers, and became their head of franchising, eventually over-powering them and buying them out, which enabled him to legally rename the company "The McDonald's Corporation", a company that had originally nothing to do with McDonald's (other than, well, opening McDonald's restaurants across the country). And after doing both, what surprised me the most was his drive to be successful. It was never ending. He was in a fairly stable position twice (paper cups, and then the "Multimixer") before he took the leap into McDonald's franchising. But I also admired this trait. Countless people are complacent nowadays. They get to a stable place in life, and

Segment Chosen: [Young] Adult Account Holders Interview Findings: During the interviews I learned that most people didn't realize they had the need for a better mobile bank app until they encountered a situation in which they either didn't know how to do something, or straight up couldn't do it. A recently married couple with accounts in different banks wanted to merge both into a joint checking account, and open a joint savings account. While the latter was no different to opening a new account, the former was slightly more complicated. One of them had to be added to the other's account, then close their current account in their other bank, and once they got their cash/check payout, deposit that in the joint account. While not necessarily hard, they would have liked an easier way, maybe online. I also learned that some people realize they need something better when they want to start investing and they try downloading one of the many investing apps, just to find

Who I am My name is Carlos Valencia. I am a first year Computer Science major at U.F. I was born in Peru, and lived there until I was 14, when I moved to Tampa, FL. Some of my talents are information analysis, fast learning, work environment versatility, and languages. I want to become a software developer, whether I am an independent one or I end up working for a tech company. If I was to launch this business, I would hope this was a starting point for my developer career. What I offer I am offering an app that works as a portal to mobile banking. From this portal, you can manage all your accounts as if you were using your bank's app. This will effectively standardize mobile banking across all banks, giving all banks access to the same features, and increasing accessibility. It will also increase security, with banks making their data private to sources other than the portal. If access to the portal is successfully encrypted, as is data transfer between the servers and

Welcome to the best bad elevator pitch video in the World Wide Web You can also watch the video on ☛ YouTube ☚ By the way, at the end I say "26% in Europe", but the mic cut off right at the end. Pitch Transcript: Most everyone has a bank account, and I'm willing to bet that most people with a bank account have their bank's app in their smartphone. Unfortunately I'm also willing to bet that most of those people would probably improve something on it, like more control over investments, more flexibility in credit card payments, and just easier access to account information overall. So today I would like to, if nothing else, at least introduce the idea of a global bank portal, that gives you easy access to any information in your account, in multiple accounts, and eliminates the need to download separate apps per bank. So you just download the one app, and you can control all of your accounts as if you were in person in the bank but better and eas

Who:   Actually, banks seem to be the most likely to fall out of the boundary. After interviewing a couple of bank employees and former employees, I found out that banks want to stay as independent as possible from one another. They would rather have less customers but be independent than be partnered with a much bigger bank and have 10 times as many customers and risk going down if anything happens to that bigger bank. I also interviewed an elderly couple, and I realized that there are people who don't particularly have more than one account, and even some who don't have an account at all. And so for these people, release of a global portal would not benefit them. In fact, if this portal became the new standard, it might even hurt them, since they would be forced to learn something new, or not handle their finances themselves, instead having a close friend or relative helping them manage their finances. What:   While I initially described it as a need to improv