My Week 2 Reading Reflection

Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, Practice 

1. The biggest surprise for me is when the author stated that 95 percent of all radical innovations are created by 'gazelles' (small businesses). I mean, I could see it being a high number but not so high in which it seems like large industries really don't do much to provide for the innovation of our world.

2. The reading overall was completely understandable and not really confusing at all, but if I had to choose which confused me the most was when the author talked about how entrepreneurial education is becoming one of the hottest topics in business and engineering schools. I feel as if entrepreneurial education was becoming a hot topic I would hear more about it than from books or classes that I'm already taking about entrepreneurship. How I got into this class about entrepreneurship wasn't solely me hearing about wanting to become or aiding my optimistic view about creating opportunities, but was simply the act of me seeing an option in UF's application to attend school here asking about becoming a growing member of the Innovation Academy. I've also heard that a lot of business classes, and maybe engineering classes, don't really talking about being an entrepreneur. I guess that I'm simply going to have to look more into this.

3. In the second paragraph in the very beginning, the quote you use saying "Anyone [can be an entrepreneur] who wants to experience the deep, dark canyons of uncertainty and ambiguity; and who wants to walk the breathtaking highlands of success. But I caution, do not plan to walk the latter, until you have experienced the former." Do you always think entrepreneurship in this way? I like last sentence that's basically saying don't expect to be successful without failure.

When you were talking about small businesses being a 'gazelle' did you try to describe them that way because they are fast and can outrun predators (possible large companies), how they can form in groups and look out for each other, or maybe how they can easily be weak at first but grow stronger? Or maybe all and more?

4. What I don't necessarily agree with is how the author described entrepreneurship as this extremely elegant, ambiguous, uncertain process in deep, dark canyons  with highlands of success because I feel like it romanticizes entrepreneurship in a way. The quote may have people believe that entrepreneurship is easily seen or you can distinguish what it is with how hard or successful it can be. I feel like the author should have also stated how it can be even the small things that can make you an entrepreneur.

My Bug List

Here's a list of what bugs me through my day to day life and why they exist:

1. When picking out a new headset for your desired system you can't try it out and end up returning it.

•  Why do they do this? Probably because they don't want to let their product out of the box because someone may break it or they'll have to clean it afterwards (health issue).

2. When you're trying to use the school's internet with a wireless connection but it's slow because other people have their WiFi on (which they are not supposed to).

•   Why? I guess people like they're own connection but do not realize how it negatively affects everyone else plus they don't care about the rules.

3. When people come back to their hall late at night and decide to sing really loudly because they think their the next big thing and don't care about the people trying to sleep.

• Why? Some people just like to hear their own voice and like to show off. I mean its fine to show off but please don't do it around midnight. 

4. When the neighbors are taking a bath or a shower and it sounds like the pipes in the walls are about to come out.

•  Why? The pipes may need to be replaced or tightened.

5. When you're waiting for the bus and it finally comes but it passes right by you. 

• Why? Well, the driver probably didn't see me but I'm more than six feet tall so I don't know how they could miss me.

6. When you're in the middle of doing very important school work but your computer decides to freeze and it loses all your work.

• Why? I should probably get a new computer or get something fixed.

7. Around lunchtime when I make myself a sandwich with my toaster oven I have to bend down and look under the sandwich at the bread to know when to take it out.

•  Why? Each time I make a sandwich the timing is different for when the bread gets to the perfect crisp.

8. That the food at the POD Market at Beaty Towers costs so much but at Walmart, which is a good hour walk away from me, is about three or four times cheaper.

• Why? The POD Market is on UF Campus so it costs more, but two dollars for one Ramen? Come on.

9. When I'm walking down the sidewalk but the people in front of me decide to make an impenetrable line that I can't walk past and covers the whole sidewalk.

• Why? Some people really don't care about others needs but their own. So they don't think about the other people trying to walk past until the passerby walks around them.

10. Walking down the sidewalk from class and instead of a little bit of fresh air all you get is a mouthful of exhaust fumes.

• Why? Well, the exhaust fumes from passing cars.

11. When Cheez-It crackers try to tell you  that they are "made with 100% real cheese" but another brand goes and says "Cheese Nips has real cheddar cheese. Original Cheez-It doesn't."

• Why? They are being very competitive so one may slander the other.

12. When you are trying to do laundry but every washer and drier is full but no one is there to pick them up or move them and you have no idea what to do.

• Why? Not everyone sets a timer for when their laundry is finished washing or drying.

13. When you're trying to talk within a group of people but you are constantly being cut off from speaking because someone decides they are more important and no one hears you.

• Why? Someone might just have an ego or maybe you just simply spoke too soon or too late.

14. People who just throw their trash on to the ground even if there is a trash can nearby.

• Why? They love to litter? They probably just think everything through.

15. People who decide to come to a lecture class but continue to moan, sigh, and a few minutes later you hear their heavy breathing as they are now sleeping.

• Why? They come for the in class questions that everyone has to answer if they want credit.

16. When people project their own life story on you when you have a problem but their life story as nothing to do with your problem.

• Why? People want to tell you their problems and probably don't care about your own even if you asked first.

17. When you're watching a movie in the theater and people laugh obnoxiously at something that wasn't even funny and then you can't really hear the movie.

• Why? Some people don't know how to react to something so they just laugh.  

18. When people say "Wow, you are tall!" when I'm walking around (usually anywhere I go).

• Why? I guess people never have seen a tall person before. I'm an oddity to them.

19. When people take my things without asking me and don't tell me that they are taking it after they used it.

• Why? Others grew up without proper manners?

20. When people don't give you personal space or know what personal space is.

• Why? Some people don't take into consideration others personal space and may be oblivious to others needs. Ignorant because of how or where they grew up.

       Reflection

       When I was coming up with the bug list, the first thirteen bugs were somewhat easy to think about as I went through the day but afterwards it became a little more difficult. I usually don't care about much of the stuff that bothers me so they didn't exactly come to me quickly at ease. After I finally hit twenty bugs I felt as though most of them bugged me but the rest kind of just irritated me only a little than how badly they would others.

My Entrepreneur's Mantra

Entrepreneurs don't wait. They act. And they don't quit.
Entrepreneurs fail. A lot. But in this forge of failure,
entrepreneurs sharpen their edge, ready to face the future.
Entrepreneurs thirst for negative feedback. Too much praise
leads to complacency, while criticism provides clues to improve.
Entrepreneurs work harder. To pursue their own lives. To improve
the world around them. To build a better future for themselves, their families, and communities.
I am an entrepreneur

My Entrepreneurship Story

In my high school there were a few clubs that I joined. I joined the Art Club because I enjoyed creating art and I also joined the Science Club because science is a passion of mine. In the science club there were two large projects that they were pulling off. One being to create a robot from Scratch for an FTC Block Challenge and the other to create a Solar powered Go-kart.

For the Solar powered Go-Kart I was in charge of putting together the base. This included making the a systems for when you pressed the pedal the kart would be able to move because it would be accessing the electric power it was storing. I also made sure the steering and seating was perfect enough for safety reason and for comfort for a medium size driver. We entered this competition at one of the latest days we were able to enter and this was also our first year so we had to learn from scratch how to build the kart and how to make it work by learning the most efficient way the kart would be able to receive power and would not require expensive products to make. Our team visited another school to see how their kart worked and gave it a test drive to feel how it works and for fun. Once we got to the competition we were able to see everyone else's Go-Karts and saw how they built certain parts such as where the solar panels were placed. We were one of two or three newcomers so most of the karts looked pretty much the same with where they placed the solar panels for the best aerodynamic style (most contenders had all three connected and placed on top) but we had the most diverse placement. We had one placed on the lower back, the very top at downward angle, and on the front in a slightly more downward angle.

There were two races, one for speed and the other a relay. We may have one first place for both challenges and received a larger trophy but safety issues occurred with the tires as one tire looked like it was about to blow. Other than the almost blown tire we were happy as a team to receive a first place trophy, especially since it was our first time joining with the more innovative design.

The second project was for the FTC Block party challenge ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPAATO-NpcM ) in which we also joined late in the game to. My job was to help lead the design for our robot and to actually build it. Following the official rules of the challenge we were able to make our robot move around 360 degrees, the ability to lift itself above the ground granted there being something to hang on to, to move around blocks located on the floor, and to lift our 'alliance' flag at high speeds. Our robot was not able to be one of the best robots but it definitely was not the worst (not trying to say other schools designs were bad). Since this was our first year we were excited for what we accomplished and our design would be used as an example for our school if they consider entering in the future.

Introduction of Me

I'm a Sophomore at UF and my current major is Biology in the Liberal Arts and Sciences college. I originally came from Miami but moved to the city of Cape Coral (Below Fort Myers). I was considering to becoming a geneticist but then I thought to myself "All that time spent in school, will I really enjoy just being a geneticist," so I'm deciding to probably be a nurse so I get to help people like I intended, won't have to be in school for as long, and will still enjoy my work. I've only been to a few states stretching from Florida to Texas but I do want to travel further than that and even to another country at some point, to see what it's like (Somewhere in Northern Europe maybe).

Other than School, I like to enjoy spending my free time with a few friends, going to events or simply just hanging out watching a movie, video games, etc. I don't usually have a preference to which type of game that I like to play but I usually tend to play more strategy/team games.

I'm also hoping that the game supposed to be released soon called Pokemon GO won't be like the picture below.