poviamawriter

[poviamawriter]

GEE-nterview

Honestly, I wasn't able to attend the virtual lecture series and listen to the resource speakers. It was a regret on my part not because I unintentionally hadn't able to comply for the attendance. It is because I wasn't able to hear the unique start-up businesses shared during the lecture. So, for today's blog, I am just going to share my entrepreneurial mind journey for the last two weeks ago and the things I've done with my groupmates.

As a startup, one of the most critical aspects of our business is validating our venture with our target market. During the defense, we understand that without a solid customer base, our product or service will not be successful. That's why we embarked on an interview journey to gather insights and feedback from the target customers.

Our group just actually interviewed residents within Central Mindanao University, particularly those who are included in our target market. We also ensured that we were speaking with individuals who would benefit from our product and could provide us with valuable feedback. Before the interviews happened, we reached out to them through introducing ourselves personally, explaining our startup and the purpose of the interview. We also asked permission to take a video. prepared a list of questions to guide the conversation, but we also allowed for flexibility and encouraged the interviewees to share their thoughts and opinions freely.

The first interviewee we had, we weren't able to take a video because she don't want to. However, we still got answers from her that were valuable to our startup. With the second interviewee, we actually had a light talk with the man as he was very approachable and friendly.

This also happened with our third interviewee who is a food eatery owner. She even happily told us that there were already many students who interviewed her.

Totally, I had fun from the interviews we made. The participants were happy-go-lucky as they also shared witty comments and brief stories during the interview. Moreover, we took turns of tasks like taking a video, interviewing and reaching out, to make sure that everyone in the group had helped. Additionally, I was happy that we all got to talk during the times that we were walking all the way to certain places.

One of the most valuable insights we gained from our interviews was the importance of simplicity and ease of use. Our target audience is busy and doesn't have time to waste on complicated products. Thus, I think that having our machine as a service startup is on the positive lane. If they don't have time to personally deliver, our shop will be the one to collect.

Overall, our interview journey has been a valuable learning experience. We have gained a deeper understanding of our target audience's needs and preferences, and we have identified areas where we can improve our product to better meet their needs. We are grateful to our interviewees for their time and feedback, and we will continue to prioritize customer feedback as we move forward with our startup.

[poviamawriter]

Food Waste Solid-Liquid Separator Machine for a Way Better and Proper Food Waste Disposal

Due to time conflicts, I only interviewed people in the vicinity of Batangan, Valencia City, the place where I'm living. However, it wasn't fully a disadvantage, given the myriad of diverse people living in our barangay. Moreover, our product is for food waste which is a very rampant problem faced by most households. And in my 22 years of living here, I have observed how they dispose of their food waste. Some resorted on composting, while others disposed of it directly in any near waterways.

Food waste disposal has been one of the problems encountered during the past interviews. I remembered one interviewee saying, "Magbaho man ug magcompost. Unya langawon pajud ug ayo", "kanang mag yabo diha sa mga kanal na silingan tas tapukan dayon ug daghang iro".

To solve this problem, we came up with a solution. It is the Food Waste Solid-Liquid Separator Machine. It is a machine that will separate the solid and liquid components of food waste. However, unlike other separator machines, it also comes with a grinder for solid components that will break them into pieces. Now, the liquid component can be used as a crop nutrient fertilizer, which is beneficial for houses with gardens. Additionally, the pulverized solid food waste can be used as a material for food pellets. This will be of great benefit to houses with pets and livestock animals. Through this machine, their food waste will equate to money or will be reused for a good purpose. This will now be used to serve its purpose while, at the same time, checking its effectiveness as a proposed solution to the food waste problem. Moreover, customer product satisfaction will also be checked through a target market interview.

It was a unanimous decision by the group. It is because food waste disposal has caused the world to suffer from its negative impact. From air pollution to soil pollution, as well as pest infestation, it surely is a troublesome problem. Thus, the machine is a great idea. Notably, a lot of societal groups can benefit from it. Not only the community, but also the agricultural market and the farmers. With that, this machine will maximize profitability because of its myriad target markets. The group will also look for investors, as the creation and materials for the machine are costly. If the hypothesis fails to work in accordance with the product's intended usage, there will be alterations or adjustments that will be made to achieve the desired outcome. From that group decision, the other options were Rent an Apparel (Hot/Rainy Weather), Undergraduate and Fresh Graduate Collaboration (College Level), and Products' Prices of Stores in CMU on 1 Website. Among these, the Food Waste Solid-Liquid Separator Machine is what we think is the best option.

Throughout the process, as well as during the class, I've learned that teamwork and coordination are really significant for group activities like this. Not only does it teach everyone to be a responsible member, but it also highlights how individual effort is needed. Moreover, I also learned that a business really requires thorough thinking and calculated choices. Everything needs to be ensured and considered because it affects the success of the business in the long run. Overall, it was a tiring but fulfilling experience in my college life, even though there's only a 25% probability that I will find myself in the business industry someday.

[poviamawriter]

owemGEE, it's 16

Truth be told, I thought I wouldn't have to encounter this course subject again in my college life after I had it during my senior high school years at the same school. Remembering those experiences where we tirelessly sold various food products, I thought the same thing before going into the GEE 16 class for the first time. Howbeit, it wasn't what I expected it to be. 

Instead, the first few meetings of the class were GEE-xtra informational. Our instructor introduced us to the concepts of entrepreneurship and explained the characteristics of an entrepreneurial mind. Everybody seriously heeded it unexpectedly. Those were through an interactive discussion that made me hardly catch drowsiness during the classes, which was a good thing. One response from my classmate that had me agreeing to it was when she said that it is essential for us to take part in studying this course because we are an integral part of the economy as citizens of this country and as consumers of the economic cycle. I had realized that even though it's not apropos to our chosen program, we'll find ourselves employees and employers someday. These roles require the necessary individual qualities, and these qualities will be developed through this subject course.

Moreover, we discussed the importance of having a well-thought-out business venture and how to create a competitive advantage. This part was somewhat hard as we thought about what problem to focus on and the best solution that we could offer. Additionally, we had to make it as impactful as it could be for the community. Not only that, we had to make sure that it would be really profitable for the business market, particularly for our target market. Thus, it took us a long time to finalize our business venture. We conducted interviews that our team hoped would guide us, but most of the answers they gave were out of context and shallow.

There was one interview that I conducted online, specifically through Messenger chat. I asked him about one experience as a consumer or buyer that really put him at his most frustrating point. He answered about the unavailability of coffee offers in a cafe. He talked about how people would take a long line for an order and would end up disappointed at the counter since it's unavailable. I mean, it was about the time wasted. For that matter, my team had thought about a website where the availability of certain products from certain businesses would be listed, as well as the prices. However, we thought that this was more impossible when it came to feasibility. 

After a series of team discussions, we finally came up with a food waste solid-liquid separator machine focusing on the food waste disposal problem, wherein not only most households but also most food establishments faced this problem. However, during the venture proposal, we received significant feedback regarding the feasibility of our product, as we expected. Thus, I concluded that it's not easy to build a business considering its underlying aspects. For our venture proposal, our team had different options. I mentioned one above. However, some ideas would have the same feasibility issues. So, we picked the one that needed the least effort and had the biggest possibility. Thus, there was a necessity to think innovatively and strategically. 

So, instead of having it as a product, we decided to change it into a service. Although the output will be another form of product, it will be sold to the agribusiness market. In other words, it will be like a 2-in-1 wherein we can profit from both the service and the output of the machine. We had made an impromptu model of the machine during the proposal, but it required more thorough research on how to create it. During those classes, we also discussed the importance of risk-taking. I think it is quite scary because, by taking a risk, you'll be risking money, effort, etc. Therewith, it needs to be a very well-calculated risk, and you know how to face and counteract possible outcomes. 

Generally, I have learned that it is essential to stay engaged in the classroom. Even if you don’t understand a concept, asking questions and participating in discussions will help you gain a better understanding of the material. Overall, the classes have been inspiring and informative, and I am looking forward to continuing this journey and building my own business someday. With the knowledge I've gained, I am confident that I can reach my goals and create something amazing.