30A- Final Reflection

After reading through all of my prior posts, I can see it has been quite a journey. There have been times where I've been doubted, times when I doubted myself, and times when I doubted my friends. I have had to accept that though, because nothing is perfect and failure is only meant to teach you more and more. I have met so many new people throughout this course, from online to in person. They have broadened my horizons and have made me see things differently. I am thankful for everyone on my journey. There have been moments of pain, of sadness, and of regret. These are the times I was tested the most, but as long as you stay true to yourself and your vision, everything is going to be okay. I know every time I felt like quitting, it was just a reminder to keep on going. 

The most formative experience for me was just creating a team to help achieve this business concept. We are all diverse in our own ways, but we share a common purpose and that's to help people through music and art. I'll always remember when I was shown Logic Pro for the first time. That was the software that really got me started. If it wasn't for my friend Nico showing me it. I wouldn't be where I am today. I am most proud of myself for not giving up. Even when people said they didn't like my music or that I should just write music, I just kept trying. I believed in myself and that's all that matters.

I do see myself as an entrepreneur now. I think the biggest thing I learned and that changed about my perspective, is that now I see many more opportunities around me. I no longer just see problems, but I see the solutions as well. I also have gotten a lot better at describing and elaborating my visions to other people.

I would recommend that anyone who takes this journey or class prepares ahead of time for all of their assignments and goes into this with an open mind. I think people need to really learn how to work hard and communicate with others as well. I would tell them to make sure they know when deadlines are so they don't miss anything. Most importantly, it's all about being around people who are like-minded.

29A- Venture Concept No. 2

My venture concept stems from a very open opportunity that I discovered while in college. I started off writing and freestyling music, but I needed a sound engineer to have an instrumental to put my words onto. It took me several months to find someone that did that, and when I did, they ended up moving out of the state. I eventually found someone that didn’t engineer instrumentals, but could record my lyrics and I was very content. This was until I heard the final product and realized that he was not professional at all. I understood at that point that quality is a major factor in music production. This was around the time that I discovered the open opportunity. I wanted to not only engineer instrumentals for musicians, but I also wanted to help record people’s lyrics as well. This was the start of my journey in developing Trust and seeing how all the pieces come together. The first thing I did was think of the demographics. I wanted to understand who else has these problems and desires. I found out that there are many other people who want to make music as well. Even better, many of those people do not know how to make the music, they only know how to write the lyrics, just like I did when I was starting out. This is around the time that I started learning how to make instrumentals and record. My friend Nico was actually one of the first people to get me into it, and he taught me a lot of the basics. I saw that he had all of the equipment necessary to start recording, mixing and mastering. This intrigued my interest. I wanted to learn how to do all of that, but I also knew that time was crucial to getting this idea off of the ground. This is the point where I asked Nico if he would be down to start working together and creating a mini studio for people in South Florida. He told me that he thought it was a good idea and that he was all for it. At this point, we started writing up our business plan and we had to come up with a marketing campaign. We did it, and then came the act of getting all of the equipment together. This required a strategy as well, because we had to create an environment friendly to the customer, but also comfortable to us. Luckily, Nico already had all the equipment and we both had the skills necessary to move forward at that time. Our next biggest pivot comes then. This is where we started thinking about gaining more views, because a lot of revenue comes from streams. We realized there are many platforms that pay for music streams, but there are not as many that pay for video streams. This immediately made us think of YouTube. This meant we had to start creating visuals to the music as well, and also tailoring it to other people.

We started thinking more into expanding the brand, and we located another opportunity right in front of us. It was that of music videos. Music videos were such a big part of the music culture and we really believed it was the next step in making Trust an even more valuable company and brand. We both knew how to make music, but neither of us knew how to make music videos though. We knew that we had to outsource for this skill and it just happened to fall into our laps. I was working with someone who had a company at UF called Roblex. They offered many different videography options and would do small films, ads, and videos for a price. We realized that all of their employees were experienced videographers and this made us realize they would be perfect for our position. We needed someone who could make videos and act as a contractor. They didn’t have to be with us while we were making the music, but we needed them when someone would request a music video. They would then come, hear the vision of the customer, and recreate that vision with a bit of their own twist. This made us a triple threat. There are many studios that record, mix and master music. There are fewer studios that record your music and offer instrumentals. There are even fewer studios that record, offer instrumentals and create music videos in one. We knew that we were onto something, we just had to pitch the idea to our videographer and then our team would be all set. The biggest realization in all of this, was that the foundation of this was our team. We were all compatible and our skills were complimentary, that was the most distinct feature. I believed this was the secret key to our company's success.

The venture concept had then arose. We were an all around production company, focused on music, but also providing video services as well. This really helped set our foundation, and it was the beginning point of everything to come. We then all three started brainstorming on how we would market ourselves. We thought it would be in our best interest to offer many discounted deals. We started with buy one, get one free instrumentals, and then we moved onto the refer-a-friend program. That was one of our best ideas, because it helped expand our customer base, retain previous customers, and it gave our customers a bonus for referring us to other people. It was a win win for everyone involved. From this point on, we knew we had to reach people through different platforms. We started on IG, Twitter and Facebook. We started making stickers with our information and logo on it and we started sticking it in different places that we knew our demographic frequented. This gave us our initial first impression, and our discounts and programs started really taking shape. Once we started, it became clearer what our mission was. It was to give people an opportunity that they didn’t have previously in content production. We wanted to allow people to express themselves in whatever way they envisioned. We knew that most people didn’t have the equipment or the skill set needed to create and record music, as well as make music videos, so that was our speciality. We made that the bread and butter to this venture concept and we gave people a voice. This was very fulfilling for all of the team, because we all started off interested in our respective fields and wanting to know someone who had the skills to create these things, but found out it was rare to find those people. Now we were those people and it was a good feeling giving back. We all felt as though our purpose was to share these gifts, passions and skills with other people. We took a trip down memory lane and remembered our beginnings. We didn't have the skills needed either at that time, but we eventually grew and learned. We also knew how hard it was finding people who actually had them. That is when we realized this is what we had to do. A very important piece of feedback we received, was that we had to really discover our niche. Next, we got asked how we transitioned into Youtube and music videos from just doing music. Lastly, we had some feedback wondering what we aimed to get out of this. We had to understand exactly why we were doing what we were doing and what made us any different from anyone else doing the same thing. This is why I talked about the team and how I thought it was the secret key to our success. The second piece of feedback is where I explained the realization we had about streams, especially from videos. This lead us in the direction of Youtube, as well as finding a viodeographer. At this point, we had a mini production team. Honestly, the answer to the last bit of feedback is very simple. We just love music and want to share it with as many people as we can. We want to give everyone an opporntunity to make content and learn how to themselves. Below, is what our recording and audio engineering software looks like.

27A - Reading Reflection No.3

Cognitive Surplus

1. The general theme of the book is explains what we really use our free time for. It explains that social media has given a platform to people who have never had a chance to find their true artistic ability. This in turn has allowed many people to self-actualize. It explains the difference between creative and consumptive activities and it aims to explain why collaboration is one of the greatest tools. It also tries to tell you that not everything has to be used for what it was created for. An empty swimming pool is usually built for people to swim in it, but that doesn’t mean that skateboarders can’t use it to have fun. The same goes for social media. We don’t have to use it by consuming only, we can create and express ourselves.

2. It definitely connected with what we have learned about the collaborative spirit in this class. There are many things that we need to learn alone and even more that we have to learn together. I think it also really connected with the creativity aspect of this class. It talked about how we all have innate desires to create and the ability to express ourselves. Whether this is a thought, feeling or idea, we can bring it to life.

3. I would give people a blank social media and I would ask them to fill it up. That would require them to pick a theme that’s consistent. I would then ask them to create the content and post it. I would give them the option of working alone or with others. I would have them judge each other’s accounts after a month and see who they think has the most influential account.


4. My biggest breakthrough was realizing that I was utilizing a lot of the techniques and aspects described in this book. I have been taking this corona virus time to really create the life I want to live and to bring my ideas to life. I want to be able to say that I used my time wisely. I am really using the technology and social media I have, to help others as much as possible. I have really been practicing my creative skills as well, and have not been giving into distraction.

28A - Your Exit Strategy

1. I plan on growing my recording studio for a c couple decades. I think it may be possible that I sell the business, but I don't think it is as feasible to sell this as it is for other companies. There isn't any IP that is really being sold. The most important and unique feature of this company is the equipment and people working it. I could see myself doing this for a long time, growing the studio to the point at which there are many customers and possibly entering the industry of VR. After this I could see it becoming a label possibly, promoting artists. I do not plan on passing this down to my children, but now that I think of it, that is a possibility for sure.

2. I selected this exit strategy because I want to see this company progress myself. I want to help many upcoming artists, and I want to see them succeed. This isn't about money to me, it is about making a positive impact in the music world. I want to give other people the chance to create their content without being ripped off in terms of cost. I would also love to help my children make music as well.

3. I think my exit strategy has reflected in the ways in which I picked my team. I chose people who I knew I wanted to be in my life for a long time. They are all really good friends of mine and I trust them all. I do not want them to feel like it is a temporary job, but rather a hobby that pays them. It definitely influenced how I plan to grow the company. I am taking a slower, steadier route in growth. I want to have everyone feel as though they are working and living through their passion. The goal is to self-actualize, not sell the company and get out of it.

26A - Celebrating Failure

1. This semester, I started to really get into music production. My friend was the first one to show me how it worked. When I first started, it seemed so difficult and confusing. I really didn't understand it at all. I started watching YouTube tutorials and I learned a bit, but it was still so confusing when I would actually be on the software. I then started to teach myself through Logic Pro X. I failed so many times and created some of the worst music I have ever heard. There was a lot of trial and error. When I would show people my early music, they wouldn't really have anything to say. They mostly just said I had a long way to go. It took many months until I finally started to get the hang of it. After so many failures, and so many horrible compositions, I finally started learning music theory.

2. I learned that I never actually failed. Just like Edison, I found thousands of ways that sounds don't sound good together. This helped me greatly in finding the ways in which it does sound harmonious. Also, every time someone would give me bad feedback or critique my music, I learned to use it as motivation and really listen to these people. I had to realize that these people just wanted to help me get better. I started to appreciate the critiques more and more, as I also got inspired by every time I created something I didn't like. It just made the music I did like, sound so much better.

3. I learned how to accept failure early in my life through sports. I played water polo and I had a very expressive, strict coach. He would yell at me for everything I did, even when I did something right. This made me grow some thick skin, and I learned to overlook failure and instead look to progress. I was no longer disappointed or embarrassed by failure, all I focused on was improving myself. This carried into everything else I did. It helped a lot in my businesses, and it definitely helped a lot in music as well. You need to relax the fear and insecurity that comes with failure sometimes. This class taught me that failure feels a lot better than regret. It is much better to at least try, than wish we did later on. I have learned this from a lot of the people I interviewed.

25A- What's Next?

Existing Market:

We will be including music videos in our services provided, that is what is next for our company. I then interviewed three people in this existing market and explained to them my venture concept and then started asking them questions in relation to what they think should be next. 

After listening to their feedback, they all agreed that I needed to expand the team I have in relation to the music videos. Two of them believed that it was more crucial than the music itself, since a lot more streams and views go into music that have videos to go along with it. I told them my idea of intertwining all three services together and they agreed that it was a good idea, but I have to be prepared for a high demand in music videos. 

They told me to make sure that I have enough people for the music production side as well, but they really wanted me to focus on the videography. I definitely agree with their feedback, because I have noticed that music videos are a trend, and a lot of them are pretty cheap to shoot. They don’t require many props or costs, so doing them is relatively easy as well, the reason most people don’t do it themselves is because they don’t have the equipment. 

New Market:

The new market I could see us getting into is that of virtual reality. I see there being a very large opportunity in that industry, because it is just another novel platform for content creators. I think it could revolutionize music and music videos. 

If we were to go into that industry, I would have to hire programmers and VR coders that could create the content and visions of our customers and put it into virtual reality. This would have a lot more costs than just shooting a music video, but I feel that there will be artists willing to pay for their music and content to be next level. 

I told two people the idea and how we plan on moving forward and they told me some valuable advice. They told me to keep working on this idea and make connections. They said to go to virtual reality companies and find people who already know how it works and are already experienced in those fields. Pitch the idea to them. They also told me to keep doing research.

A lot surprised me in this activity, because I had never really thought of intertwining virtual reality with music videos before, but I realized it is completely possible. I think the key is just getting the right team together, that’s the most important piece to the puzzle. I do agree with my interviewees though, when they told me to focus on connections. Building a large network is essential to moving forward.

I also agree with the interviewees in my existing market, who told me that I needed to expand in the music video department. I think that will be the first to blow up, and then anything with virtual reality will follow. I think there will be less of a platform for VR until it becomes more mainstream, but when it does, I think it is going to be the next biggest thing.

24A- Venture Concept No. 1 - Trust

My venture concept stems from a very open opportunity that I discovered while in college. I started off writing and freestyling music, but I needed a sound engineer to have an instrumental to put my words onto. It took me several months to find someone that did that, and when I did, they ended up moving out of the state. I eventually found someone that didn’t engineer instrumentals, but could record my lyrics and I was very content. This was until I heard the final product and realized that he was not professional at all. I understood at that point that quality is a major factor in music production. This was around the time that I discovered the open opportunity. I wanted to not only engineer instrumentals for musicians, but I also wanted to help record people’s lyrics as well. This was the start of my journey in developing Trust and seeing how all the pieces come together. The first thing I did was think of the demographics. I wanted to understand who else has these problems and desires. I found out that there are many other people who want to make music as well. Even better, many of those people do not know how to make the music, they only know how to write the lyrics, just like I did when I was starting out. This is around the time that I started learning how to make instrumentals and record. My friend Nico was actually one of the first people to get me into it, and he taught me a lot of the basics. I saw that he had all of the equipment necessary to start recording, mixing and mastering. This intrigued my interest. I wanted to learn how to do all of that, but I also knew that time was crucial to getting this idea off of the ground. This is the point where I asked Nico if he would be down to start working together and creating a mini studio for people in South Florida. He told me that he thought it was a good idea and that he was all for it. At this point, we started writing up our business plan and we had to come up with a marketing campaign. We did it, and then came the act of getting all of the equipment together. This required a strategy as well, because we had to create an environment friendly to the customer, but also comfortable to us. Luckily, Nico already had all the equipment and we both had the skills necessary to move forward at that time. Our next biggest pivot comes then. 

We started thinking more into expanding the brand, and we located another opportunity right in front of us. It was that of music videos. Music videos were such a big part of the music culture and we really believed it was the next step in making Trust an even more valuable company and brand. We both knew how to make music, but neither of us knew how to make music videos though. We knew that we had to outsource for this skill and it just happened to fall into our laps. I was working with someone who had a company at UF called Roblex. They offered many different videography options and would do small films, ads, and videos for a price. We realized that all of their employees were experienced videographers and this made us realize they would be perfect for our position. We needed someone who could make videos and act as a contractor. They didn’t have to be with us while we were making the music, but we needed them when someone would request a music video. They would then come, hear the vision of the customer, and recreate that vision with a bit of their own twist. This made us a triple threat. There are many studios that record, mix and master music. There are fewer studios that record your music and offer instrumentals. There are even fewer studios that record, offer instrumentals and create music videos in one. We knew that we were onto something, we just had to pitch the idea to our videographer and then our team would be all set. 

The venture concept had then arose. We were an all around production company, focused on music, but also providing video services as well. This really helped set our foundation, and it was the beginning point of everything to come. We then all three started brainstorming on how we would market ourselves. We thought it would be in our best interest to offer many discounted deals. We started with buy one, get one free instrumentals, and then we moved onto the refer-a-friend program. That was one of our best ideas, because it helped expand our customer base, retain previous customers, and it gave our customers a bonus for referring us to other people. It was a win win for everyone involved. From this point on, we knew we had to reach people through different platforms. We started on IG, Twitter and Facebook. We started making stickers with our information and logo on it and we started sticking it in different places that we knew our demographic frequented. This gave us our initial first impression, and our discounts and programs started really taking shape. Once we started, it became clearer what our mission was. It was to give people an opportunity that they didn’t have previously in content production. We wanted to allow people to express themselves in whatever way they envisioned. We knew that most people didn’t have the equipment or the skill set needed to create and record music, as well as make music videos, so that was our speciality. We made that the bread and butter to this venture concept and we gave people a voice. This was very fulfilling for all of the team, because we all started off interested in our respective fields and wanting to know someone who had the skills to create these things, but found out it was rare to find those people. Now we were those people and it was a good feeling giving back.

23A- What's your unfair advantage

Studio Equipment

This is valuable because the equipment is usually quite expensive and some knowledge is needed in knowing what's the best equipment to get. It is rare because most people do not own the equipment necessary to professionally record. It can easily be imitated. It is not substitutable though.

Human Capital

This is valuable due to the diverse sets of skills on our team. It is rare to have a sound engineer, producer, and videographer in the same local business. It cannot be imitated, unless someone else also has all the skills in comparison, and it is substitutable with other people who have similar skills.

Experience

Experience is extremely valuable because it determines the quality of the work done. It is rare to have a team who is in their 20's and has more than 30 years of experience combined. This cannot be imitated or substituted. This is originality.

Marketing Campaign

The marketing campaign is valuable because it is what will be used to retain customers. It is rare to have producers and people who record your music give you free opportunities and we want to take advantage of that. This can be imitated and it can also be substituted.

Expansion Strategy

The expansion strategy is valuable because it lays out how the company can grow. It is not that rare to have a growth strategy, but it is rare when you have a unique version of one. This can be imitated and substituted as well, but it won't necessarily be exact.

Mentorship

Mentorship is extremely valuable because it provides guided help that often comes with a price if it is coming from elsewhere. It is quite rare and not everybody has it. It is imitable and substitutable, but just like a strategy, it will not be exactly the same.

Diverse Services

Diverse services are valuable because they usually compliment each other. They are rare, because oftentimes you have people who share the same skills, so less comes from it. They are not imitable and they are also not substitutable. They are one of a kind.

Refer-a-friend Program

The refer-a-friend program is valuable because it allows customers to get free items and services just for referring friends. This is somewhat rare in the music industry. It is definitely substitutable and imitable though.


Team Chemistry

Team chemistry is very important because it allows progress to flow much faster and more fluid. This is definitely rare, because some teams do not get along. This is substitutable and imitable though.

Financial Capital

Lastly, this is valuable because it allows a company to get off the ground. The reason it is rare is because not every business starts off with money, it takes years for most to make a profit. It is imitable and substitutable though.


My most important resource is the Studio Equipment. This is because it is a mix of financial capital, as well as experience too. This equipment is essential to starting the business and requires time to learn, master and therefore share with others. I am happy that I already invested in this equipment and I can now use it to help other people bring their music to life. This just has the most tangible value and it is the start to everything, besides the team.

22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

The feedback I received really led me in the direction of being more concise. My last video a bit too long so I realized I had to condense what I needed to say. I made sure to only include the important details and to save the other smaller details for another time. I think this is my best one yet, because I took everyone’s feedback to heart and used it to be constructively better. The best feedback I got was to do less elaborating and more expanding.

Yes I definitely think by the third time, I was a lot more comfortable in front of the camera, and I also have it completely memorized at this point. I wouldn’t say I memorize the words, but rather the order of the topics I want to bring up. I think I’ve learned a lot about elevator pitches from this, and the feedback has definitely helped me make the small changes I needed to make.

21A- Reading Reflection No. 2

Makers: The Next Industrial Revolution

1. The general theme of this book revolves around the idea that 3-D printers, CAD modeling and other technologies of design have drastically increased the potential for inventors to create. This gives a lot more power and access to individuals that may not own their own factory, but still want to bring their ideas to life. I think there is a lot of truth in this, because often times people cannot bring their ideas to life due to insufficient funds, but with an investment in software or 3-D printers they have a lot more opportunity than they did before. This has the potential to create the next innovative revolution.
2. This book enhanced what I have been learning in ENT 3003, because it just took the concepts we have been studying and made it more tangible. It created more pathways to bring ideas to live and to actually start the prototyping process. I think that’s very important for entrepreneurs because if you want intellectual property for example, it helps a lot to have a physical prototype to share. This book definitely allowed me to see opportunities that I hadn’t before and I think it really complimented what we are learning in this class.
3. I would design an activity where everyone has to come up with an idea that has the potential to be 3-D printed. After that they would work in groups using those 3-D printers and would be able to create their prototypes. They could then submit pictures and videos of their inventions and prototypes and lead discussion on the generation process.
4. The biggest surprise was learning the true magnitude of what this new industrial revolution could bring. Entrepreneurship is already gaining speed to me, but with these technologies and software I now believe it is going to spread faster than ever before. I think I really want a 3-D printer now.

20A- Growing your Social Capital

Ted

1. The first person I talked to was Ted Nelson
2. He is a domain expert in the music industry and creates music. He is most into singing rock and has done so for the past 30 years.
3. I found this person at the place where I work which is called Massage Envy. We started talking about music when he told me he made music and showed me some of his songs.
4. He did not do anything for me, other than give me advice in the music industry. He showed me a lot of the ways music production has changed and how the market intersects with the consumer. I don’t believe there is any return expectation from me. I actually recently gave him an instrumental, so I’m expecting him to create a song from it and send it to me.
5. This person will enhance my opportunity to learn more about what goes into producing music, as well as how to market myself in the most professional way possible. I also feel as though his connections with other musicians will also greatly benefit my own network.

Nico

1. The next person I talked to was my friend Nico Chang.
2. He is an expert and professional sound engineer. He has been creating instrumentals and selling them for the last 10 years and works for several audio companies as well.
3. I found this person in college and I met him through a friend. He actually went to my high school but I never actually got to know him during high school, so when I first met him, it felt like I had never talked to him before. He was one of the first people to show me the instrumentals he made.
4. The favor he did for me was give me insight into the process that it takes to create and sell the beats. He was the first person to actually teach me the software called Logic Pro X. After learning it and creating my own, he soon taught me how to sell the beats on websites in order to generate revenue.
5. This person really benefits my network because I think he could be a very great business person to create a company with. The same company I am creating and explaining on my blog, I plan on partnering with him on. He has the experience and equipment I need to really get it going as well.

Pablo

1. The last person I interviewed was someone named Pablo.
2. Pablo created a company called Roblex, and it focuses on selling not only music, but also creating music videos and ads for customers.
3. I found this person at an entrepreneur meeting in Gainesville and he ended up being very close with some of my other friends so we all started hanging out. When I was working on my company the past year, Pablo really helped us find a good videographer to shoot some of our videos.
4. He has given me a lot of advice, as well as give me connections to certain people that helped us bring our vision together. He has a lot of connections with videographers so it was awesome to have him help us in that aspect. I also help him brainstorm for his company as well so it’s mutually beneficial.
5. I think this person will really help me find opportunities and people within the film industry. I think there’s a large network he’s involved in and I need videographers for my company. I would even be down to bring him on the team.

Reflection:

This experience definitely changed the way I network and go to meetings and clubs alike. Most of the people I’ve met in entrepreneurship have been from clubs, and I always was hesitant to go, but now I feel really confident in meeting new people. I have to realize that it doesn’t matter the age of someone, what matters is their passion, experience and skill set. I think going in with the intentions of learning something or asking questions is very different than how I have approached these networking meetings before, but I think it is very valuable because it allows me to try my best. Sometimes you won’t always succeed, but if you try your best, at least you know you have it your all. I learned a lot from this assignment and I’m thankful for it.

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

A lot of the feedback I received was about the differences that I would bring compared to another company doing the same thing. I made sure to touch on the fact that my team was very diverse and experienced in their respective fields. I also touched on my marketing campaign as well, which uses a refer a friend program to bring people in and give people discounts in return. Lastly, I changed my body language because I wanted to be more dynamic throughout the entire pitch. I wanted to captivate the watcher not only with my words, but with how I was moving throughout the entire thing. I think all of the feedback I received was extremely valid and it really helped me in making this second elevator pitch.

19A -Idea Napkin #2

1. I am you and you are I. My talents include thinking creatively and out of the box. I think that I am self-driven and I enjoy creating ideas and visions as well. I really love making music too. My goal is to allow other people to make music as well at an affordable rate.

2. I will be offering customers recording equipment and skills in order to give them great quality recording, mixing and mastering. Aside from that, I will also be providing instrumentals as well as the resources needed to shoot music videos. Many artists don't have access to these services.

3. I am offering it to everyone, but I believe my target demographic will be 16-25 year urban teenagers and adults. They will probably have a job, and they make music on the side as a hobby. They are driven nd passionate about making music and are deeply intertwined with the culture.

4. They care because I may hold the secret key to them actually bringing their music to life and to the public. Many people have dreams of making music, but not all of them can actually produce, record, and mix themselves. I have the technology, equipment and experience to help them get there.

5. I would say my creativity and experience are what sets me apart. I also have a really great team that has very unique qualities as well. Our chemistry is very cohesive, so that helps a lot when we are working with customers.

I believe these elements do go together because they all depend on each other to exemplify themselves. I think the experience, equipment and team are all essential parts of making music. It is much harder to do it alone and it is a lot less fun. I think what I provide is nothing over the top, but the essentials to help someone get started in creating music, their own brand, and giving them a voice.

I realized from the feedback that I received that marketing will be crucial considering there are already so many other people that are doing the same thing as me. That is why I came up with some new strategies. I also realized that I need to make sure I consistently give good quality, because that will be the main dterminant of whether people come back to me or not.

18A - Create a custom avatar

My protypical customer makes music in their free time, and lives in South Florida. They drive a silver or black Honda Accord, and use it to drive to college or high school every day. They are around 16-25 years old and watch a lot of Rick and Morty as well. Their favorite old TV shows are Drake and Josh and The Sweet Life of Zack and Cody. They do not have children. Their favorite books are the Harry Potter Books and Magic Tree House. Their favorite politician is Kanye West. They feel like they are teenagers at heart. 

I have almost everything in common with this avatar. The reason is because I would be considered a prototypical customer as well. I grew up during the time of all these shows and I love making music in any of my free time. I don't think it is a coincidence because I need the same services that I am providing as well.

Overall, my customer avatar is young in age and eager to start creating music and forming a brand. This is why he or she would need my services.

14A - Halfway Reflection

1. You must always plan ahead. It is smart to keep a schedule so you know when to work ahead in case you miss anything. All of the posts are easy points every week, you just need to make sure you do them. Stay focused as well.

2. Everytime I have to write about something I don't want to, I have to force myself to do it. There is no point in complaining, you just need to do it. Just like Nike said, just do it. Don't overthink it, don't underthink it, just do it. I feel like I have developed a tenacious attitude, because you can't give up in this course, once you do, you fail. I would say doing these assignments every week makes you tenacious in some mental form.

3. I would start off by saying that you always need to be checking yourself, to make sure you aren't forgetting anything. Stay focused on your work, because it is very important in this class. Secondly, I would say, make sure you are using your resilience to fuel your creativity. Lastly, just do not give up no matter what you do.

15A- Figuring out Buyer Behavior Part 2

I interviewed two of my friends, Josh and Marc. I also interviewed a fellow employee at Massage Envy. Oftentimes price does matter the most, but they said that if it has to do with health, then the price does not matter as much, if something is necessary. Quality matters the most when it comes to necessity they all said, not luxury. Style only matters if it is something personal or holds sentimental value, two of them said. The other person said style doesn't matter at all to him. They all agreed that there are a mix of factors that contribute to buyer behavior and it's impossible to narrow it down to one.

My clients are not going to the store or paying online for my service, they are coming to my studio. They are receiving the recording I give to them and whatever else they might need. They all said that they would most likely pay in cash or venmo. I think the quality is what matters most to my customers when the purchase is complete and they are viewing their product. I think when they listen back to their recordings and hear that it came out well, they will feel positive about the experience because they know they got their money worth. I think people believe they made a bad decision when they look back at the quality and they realize they were ripped off.

Overall, my interviews were very helpful because they let me know all the things that goes through consumers heads when they are in the buying process. Often times it is the cost that matters the most, but when something is needed versus just wanted, the cost is not the most important, but rather the quantity. It also greatly depends on one's budget. If the budget is low, then cost might always be the most important factor. My interviewees also agreed that my customers will be able to tell if I did them a good deal, when they look back on their product and listen to their recordings and they seem professional. This was an awesome exercise and I learned a lot.

13A - Reading Reflection #1

Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, Ashlee Vance

1. What surprised me the most was the plan Elon Musk creating for his future endeavors. It seems as though he already had a life strategy before he even made any money. Once he did, he knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he did it, by starting all three of his companies. I think I admired his courage the most. It takes a lot of courage to tell the world you have giant dreams, and it takes even more courage to actually follow through with it. I least admired his sense of pride, because although I think he's doing great things, I think he could be more humble about it. I think when leaders show their pride, it only hurts the mission they are aiming to complete. There were countless times that he faced adversity. Many people on the stock market said his company would tumble, but it hasn't and it has continued to soar. There have also been many failures in his company including Tesla and Space X. He has just been persistant and has not given up.

2. The competencies he exhibited were that of patience, courage, intelligence, strategy, empathy, opportunity awareness, and execution. All of these are very important characteristics, but I think execution is one of the most important. This is because it is the only way to bring all of these other charactersitics to life.

3. The confusing part to me was trying to understand what was the point in bringing some of the companies public, while some of them stayed private. I was confused on trying to understand the benefits of both ways,

4. I would ask him what was the moment he realized he could create and follow his dreams, because I think that is very important in overcoming all self-doubt that holds you back from self- actualizing. I would also ask him what he lives for, because it takes a very strong sense of purpose to create your reality the way he currently is.

5. I think hard work for him is outsmarting the system. Not only outsmarting the system, but creating a better system. This is also my interpretation of hard work, because I don't always think it is the hardest worker who makes the most change, it is the person who works in the smartest way.

12A - Figuring Out Buyer Behavior #1

1. The segment I picked is that of college students who are also musicians that have music on 1-3 platforms.

2. I interviewed my friends Pedro, Ross, and Corey.

3. After asking them questions on their needs, Ross and Pedro said that they have never recorded any music before and they therefore have no clue how it works. Corey has recorded songs before, so he is more familiar with the process. They said they only need my service when they are done writing out their lyrics, because they can do that in the comfort of their home. As soon as they are done though, they are ready to hop in the studio and start recording so they can upload their content on their platforms. The reason they all said they would need my service is because they don't have the equipment or experience. They have only dabbled in writing and have not expanding into the different services I provide. They also all agreed that this unmet need arises after the writing stage and when they finally decide they want to upload to their profiles.

4. Ross and Pedro have told me that they have tried looking for local producers to help them record and to also sell them instrumentals. They told me they have looked on Youtube and Google, but have not found anyone nearby them. This means that they need someone in the area. Corey has recorded before, so he said that he usually contacts his old producers to see if they have time to do so. If not, he is out of options. They usually search on Google, "Nearby Producers" or "Local Producers". This sometimes brings people's websites up.

5. I learned that most people who have this unmet need follow the same protocol. They start by researching things online, and then move to friends and family to hopefully find someone who can do this service for them. I learned that they do not give up though. They keep searching until they do find someone, even if the service isn't the best quality. It showed me that people are willing to put in a lot of work to find someone who can help them, and that showed me that there is a large demand with a smaller supply.

6. I think this segment is the most popular because it is around the young adult, college age that people start exploring creatively. That is at least when I started as well. It is during this time that people start forming their dreams, and once the dreams are set, they need to form a plan to achieve them. With that being said, my service provides this segment with exactly what they need to continue following their dreams.

11A - Idea Napkin #1

1. I am Parker Strickman. I am a musician who has recently learned the mechanics and fundamentals of sound engineering. I can create orchestra instrumentals and have been doing so for the past year and a half. I want to eventually create an album. If I start my own production company or recording studio, I could see it really helping me meet new people as well as refine my skills.

2. I am offering my customers personalized recording, mixing, and mastering sessions so they can make their music sound more professional. I will also be selling instrumentals and music videos.

3. I would say the demographic of my customers is the age of 16-30 mostly. Definitely people who are into music, but do not have the equipment or skillset to record professionally. All of my customers have one thing in common, they all want to create music or music videos. 

4. The reason this service is valuable is because the main barricade for most musicians is equipment. Even when they buy the sometimes expensive equipment, it can take months to years to fully understand how to use it. My business partner and I have years of experience together and can handle all of the work for you.

5. Music is all about creativity. It isn't the amount of time we have in experience that sets us apart, it is about the unique style we both have gained over the years. Only we have our style, and that's something that no one else has. The only way people will find out, is if they try us out. 

I do think all of these aspects compliment each other. Every facet is important when you are creating content. It takes creativity, experience, equipment, and passion. Most importantly, it takes a lot of marketing in order to make a name for yourself. Once you have the marketing, the quality of the music is very important, and that's were the creativity comes in. 

10A- Elevator Pitch #1

9A- Testing the Hypothesis Part 2

After conducting my five interviews, I realized several common themes. Although most of the people I interviewed agreed that many people would need my service, in order to progress with their career, they also said that there would be people who would not need my service, considering they already know exactly how to record, mix, master, and make instrumentals. I agree with this notion. There will definitely be people who have the experience needed to create professional songs and music videos. There will people who have the experience, but don't have the equipment, and there will be people will both aspects. Based on the what question, the most common answer was that I was offering very different services in one. They said that my biggest distinction was between music and video. They said that the mixing, mastering, and recording aspect all encompassed music, but the music video facet encompassed film, which is a lot different. They also said that I would not only be recording music for them, but I was also giving them a professional sound. That is very important in music, because the quality is very similar to a first impression. I am providing two different mediums of art, but keeping them under the same umbrella company. Lastly, they all pretty much had the same answer to the why question. They said that the reason the outsider's need is different, is because they do not need the same services, mostly because they can provide it for themselves. Even the outsiders may still want to buy instrumentals though. However, they may already know how to make instrumentals as well. Overall, everyone gave me very similar answers, and they agreed that my outsiders were mostly the well-experienced musicians who already owned all the equipment necessary to run my services.

Inside the boundary	Outside the boundary
Who is In -Musicians who have little technological  experience and no equipment to record themselves	Who is Not -Musicians that already have all of the skills and equipment necessary to create professional songs and music videos
What the Need Is -The skills required to record, mix, and master songs,  as well as create instrumentals and music videos	What the Need Is Not -The need is not mandatory, as many people do not actually need the service I provide
Why the Need Exists	Alternative Explanations -Many people record music off of their phones, and although it is not the best quality music, it is  still uploaded to platforms like  Soundcloud, and has the potential to garner many views

-Lots of musicians do not have the skills and
knowledge necessary to make professional
sounding songs

8A- Solving the Problem

The opportunity that I have selected revolves around the lack of producers, recorders, and studio equipment in South Florida. There are a lot of upcoming rappers and singers that know how to write music, but don't know how to make that into a real song. It takes someone who knows how to properly record, master, and mix these lyrics into an official song. It also takes someone who knows how to make a real instrumentals, in order to cover every aspect of production. Music videos are also often very difficult to make as well. Of course anyone can create a video on iMovie, but there are many people who have years of experience under their belts.

The product I am selling to customers is instrumentals. These would be transferred in the form of MP3's, and would be paid for in credit through my website. The service I am providing, is the recording and videoing equipment needed to film professional music videos and record professional songs. My team of audio engineers and videographers will provide these services for anyone in South Florida in need of these skills and equipment. We will do our marketing through stickers and flyers, in which we will disperse in popular places that younger people usually go. Our schedule will allow us to book musicians at certain times in order to work with the most people efficiently. We can provide anything from an instrumental to a full music video and recorded song.

7A- Testing the Hypotheis Part 1

A production company located in South Florida, that records, mixes, and masters local musician's music, as well as sells instrumentals and music video shoots.

The who: Any musician in South Florida that needs to record any type of music or visual.

The what: The technical skills necessary to create a quality song or music video.

The why: There are many musicians that do not have experience in recording, creating instrumentals, or shooting music videos.


Testing the who: There are people outside of South Florida that could also use this production company for mixing and mastering, since you can do that without being in the same location.

Testing the what: The boundaries of the need revolve around the skillset our production team encompasses. It is one thing to create a music video, but it is another thing to get drone footage over an abandoned island. Also, it is one thing to create an instrumental, but it is another thing to create a symphony.

Testing the why: The people who would use our production company and skills would do so because they most likely lack the experience and/or equipment required to do so. Our company would have all the recording mics, DAW's, software, and video cameras needed to complete each individualized task for our customer.


The first person I interviewed was my friend Nico. He is a sound engineer in South Florida and went to Full Sail University for music production. When I pitched the idea to him, he knew immediately it was needed. There are a lot of starting musicians in South Florida and a lot of them do not have any skills in terms of production is a summary of what he said. He also told me that the biggest need would be that of selling beats, recording, mixing, and mastering. He said that music videos are important, but they are probably the last needed on the list. Lastly, he said I should go for it, but I need to create an experienced and passionate team.

The second person I interviewed was my friend Matt. He is a film major right now at the University of Florida, and he also took a liking to the idea. He said that he is busy with school right now, but he definitely wants to help out as soon as he gets out of college or during breaks. Matt studies music videos and short films, so he knew that there was a demand for the skills necessary to make a real music video. He then told me that he wanted to create a similar production company for just film, and that's when I offered him to merge his company with mine.

The third person I interviewed was my friend Nick. Nick has been my friend since high school, and he recently just switched his major to English. He is getting into writing music and I contacted him because I knew this would be an opportunity he might be interested in. After telling him the idea, he agreed that it was needed. He actually said he knew a lot people who were looking for a local producer. A producer is just someone who makes and records music for other people. He also said he would use the service provided if we had good deals. This brought me to the next stop of brainstorming on prices and deals.

The fourth person I interviewed was my friend Theo. He has been freestyling and writing music with me since high school and I knew he would give me the honest truth. He told me that I needed to have professional branding. I asked what he meant and he told me that I had to look as if I knew what I was doing. That means having a logo, having a whole team, and having all the info we ever need on a brochure or website. This gave me the idea to create stickers and brochures that I would strategically place around South Florida. Every time someone would look at the sticker, they would see the opportunity. The sticker would have the logo, name, and services provided, as well as contact information.

The fifth person was my dad. He is very business and entrepreneurship oriented so I knew he would give good advice. First he told me that I needed to make sure I got an LLC to ensure that I would be doing it legally, in case it really blows up. Next he said that I had to get trademarks on my name and slogan. At this point, I didn't even think of a slogan yet, let alone a name. He then told me that the marketing is also very important, since just because there's a demand, that doesn't mean they will know I exist. Lastly he gave me good luck and support and that's all I really needed. He doesn't know much about music, but I showed him this YouTube account called Lyrical Lemonade and he saw that other people are doing this and making successful wages. I told him that South Florida needed it next, because there is no one doing all in one.

Overall, all of the feedback was very helpful. Each person gave a different perspective and that diversity was very helpful in terms of coming up with new ideas. I definitely need to create a name, logo, company, website, and then team. I think the team is going to be the most important though, because they are the foundation of the entire company itself. I need two great people who are experienced in audio engineering and at least one who has skills in filming and videography as well as editing. All in all, this assignment was a success.