Assignment 19A - Idea Napkin No. 2

To kick off the Idea Napkin No. 2, I must state that much of the first part of my assignment will be very similar to, and contain identical components of, my initial submission in Idea Napkin No. 1. The intent is not to self-plagiarize, or get out of writing the assignment, by any means. Rather, the feedback I received did not give critical feedback on how or what I should change regarding my original Idea Napkin components. Rather, both students reinforced my product idea, and my idea Napkin statements. The main suggestion was to continue to reinforce education, so my edits and enhancements will focus on this, with an overall self-critical lens based on what I have learned about my idea goals.

You.:

My strengths include having a high level of responsibility, a drive to achieve, and being deliberative in my decisions and actions. I can make sense out of chaos, and can simplify complex situations. Analytical thinking comes naturally, and I can flex between the tactical and the strategic. I have extensive experience in leadership, and aspire to roles with increasing responsibility and challenges. Part of my leadership skill comes from being a maximizer, recognizing the inherent skills people have, and deliberately developing those skills and exploiting those strengths within a team to accomplish shared goals. This business I see as life changing (and life-saving), as it plays a key role in shifting the current culture regarding how we think about driving and the responsibility that privilege demands.

What are you offering to customers?:

The product I am offering is literally a life-saving product. Customers will be able to utilize a tool that prevents them, and prevents their fellow drivers, from being able to utilize their distracting smart devices while behind the wheel of a vehicle while it is in operation. It places constraints on those drivers that cannot self-regulate their own actions, and provides a safer environment for all drivers on the road. Part of the offering will need to come in the form of education, to allow people to draw conclusions regarding the issue and habits we have that contribute to the problem, and how this solution is the obvious path toward resolution. Additionally, it will require constant reinforcement and marketing to shift culture, and create a recognized need.

Who are you offering it to?

While this product will benefit all people that come within proximity of any road, not all people will be customers. The demographics of those that will use this product are none of the traditional ones we typically think of. (Although, the only possible ones could be age, that you must be the legal driving age within the state you reside, as well as religious beliefs that prevent driving or the embracing of technology.) However, largely, this customer is demographic “neutral”. All customers have only these two things in common; they drive motorized vehicles, and they own a smart device. Unfortunately, not all of the customers know they are customers in dire need of this product, because they have not yet self-recognized they are part of the problem.

Why do they care?:

The customer will care because they will be concerned with their safety, the safety of their friends and family, as well as the safety of the strangers they share the road with. They will also care if regulation requires that they comply to avoid adverse legal consequences. Insurance companies may also offer incentives for using the product, as it will be an element to a driver’s overall risk assessment. Lastly, they will care only once they are made aware that they need to care.

What are your core competencies?:

My main edge is that currently nobody utilizes this type of technology for this specific purpose. Therefore, a patent on the idea is priority. Also, initial customers could include insurance companies, as well as smart device producers, for contracts and deals that help protect (at least for a time) the proprietary technology.

I believe that these elements do fit well together, and it is a viable solution to a problem that current deterrents have not been able to affect. While I do not feel like it is out of joint, my competency is potentially the weakest part of the business concept. As with any technology like this, this is not one that cannot be replicated. This is why immediate, upfront efforts to protect the product from immediate competitive entrants into the market will be critical for success while differentiating aspects of the product are developed.

The first main point I took away from the feedback was that, yet again, I received strong reinforcement that this is a significant problem in our society that has either not been appropriately addressed, or “solutions” to date have not resolved. It is confirmation that the product will have a viable market. The second main point I took away, that was stated at the beginning of this post, was the recommendation for constant education. The comparator was seat belts, and that it took educating the public along with laws and regulation to not only enforce the use of a seat belt and change culture/behavior, but rally support for the safety mechanism. To shift thinking to the point where seat belts are not an option when it comes to driving. Similarly, this product aimed to eliminate smart phone use while driving will require an appropriate level of education and marketing.