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[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 14: Intellectual Property and Fundraising

As we approach the final chapter of the subject, Technopreneurship, I can’t help but be thankful for the opportunity to be taught and to showcase what I learned in the previous semesters in my college years. As we attempt to conclude this activity, our list of to-do’s were (1) continue drafting our high fidelity demo, (2) update our BMC (Business Model Canvas, and (3) present the draft of our HFD. This part of the activity was already understandable considering that all we had to do was continue with what we had made up, and like I stated in the previous blog, Ryan and I swapped roles with me being the designer. I started what the Application would look like, I’m sure to finish it.

FIGMA is really a good friend to use, especially in the whole “making what the application looks like” process, it gave me exemplary options and I could do my work efficiently. It took me about a day or two to finish the extended screens, I inputted a lot but my favorites are the following: (1) Hire a photographer/videographer screen, I thought about making this design in a way how users would open a profile and see what they’re looking for, I added a biography, their specialities, the areas they served, what company they are under and their portfolio that involved photos and videos. Another screen I was particularly fond of was the (2) message screen, I wanted it to look aesthetically good, complimenting the “Hire a photographer/videographer screen” and I did just that. 

I was accompanied by Kennah, another designer in our team and the whole group left that part of the work to both of us. Other than what makes the group whole, I would say that everything went according to how we would have wanted the whole process to be. The option we took was to divide the workload, Kennah and I would focus on the designs of our screens while Ryan and Xandra focused on the content and reviewed and revised then improved the whole thing. Throughout this activity, we have learned how to make our UI or app interface user-friendly. We are also able to review our business model canvas by changing and adding the necessary inputs which we realized as needed aspects for our concept. With the updated BMC, we learned that it will help our team in terms of having a better understanding of our application. 

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 13: Traction and MVP

As we approach our final week, I tend to contemplate a lot about the possibility of the remaining activities to be more difficult than what came before and I was right. Week 13’s tasks were considerably a lot to take in, with tasks such as designing the type of application you would want to have, we looked into designing its profile page, dashboard, log-in and sign-up screen and other designs. Other than that we had to tackle the top three kind of traction channels by using a bullseye framework. In this weekly activity, I wanted to swap with Ryan’s role and be interim designer considering I was more experienced in designing applications, I had Kennah to assist me in this part and we used the tool FIGMA to make that happen. As per usual, we divided the tasks fairly and as I’ve previously explained, Kennah and I were on designing duty while Ryan and Xandra focused on identifying the other variables.

Due to the fact that I had a considerable background in designing applications because of the subject I took in my previous semesters in college, I developed an interest, or you could even say love for designing because of the tool FIGMA. FIGMA is a vector graphics editor and prototyping tool which is primarily web-based, with additional offline features enabled by desktop applications for macOS and Windows. We respectively made the type of Landing Page that was close to what we can imagine our application would be and we were really impressed with the grind we took to design it, we spent around 3-4 hours completing the task and were successful and had the team view it upon finishing. The methods we used we were based and guided by FIGMA.

Since we decided from the very beginning that I would be designing the application along side Kennah, Ryan and Xandra focused more on the traction channels through the bullseye framework, and we did not question a lot after it was done because the team was reliable. The decisions that followed after agreeing who would take what responsibility were effortlessly met with less fuss and problems. I was and still am satisfied with how this activity went.

In regards to the designing team, we had a lot of options to choose from in designing the profile, dashboard, log-in and sign-up screen because of Pinterest and Google. They served as our guide in most cases, we looked into how other applications were designed and we adapted our own version by imagining a different way of showing that we are SNAHPS. Other than that, we followed the necessary icons that were needed for an application to function or, in lay man’s terms, make sense.

While doing this week’s activity, we’ve learned that there are different channels which we can consider when launching and sustaining the application or the business and in making the landing page design, we thought of our MVP and possible features to include so that it will be user-friendly for both the regular clients and the professionals. I had a lot of fun doing this activity with the people I’m with, I’ve learned in this stage of the activity that I wouldn’t be in this position (mind you, it’s good) if it weren’t for the combined efforts of this team and for me I think that is the best lesson so far.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 12: Business Model Canvas

The thing about Week 12’s activity is that we were already given, or you could even say spoon-fed on the idea how to draft one, it made things easier because it didn’t involve researching about the format of a business model canvas but more on researching its parts that make it a canvas. The business model canvas consists of nine (9) variables which consists of; Key Partners, Key Activities, Key Resources, Value Proposition, Customer Relationships, Channels, Customer Segments, Cost Structure and Revenue Streams. In other words, the aforementioned are a visual representation of a business model, highlighting all key strategic factors.

Like any other group, everyone was tasked with a different, but collectively same weight of responsibility. I was tasked into researching and identifying our Key Partners, Key Activities and Key Resources while the rest had their own separate tasks. Again, it was pretty fun to do considering I was particularly interested in doing the activities that this brought. I love researching about potential key partners because it makes me want to imagine what it would be to actually have a partnership with them. Moreover, it gets to a point where you could analyze the type of negotiation/conversation that could happen. The methods we used were simple, (1) research, (2) identify, (3) assess and (4) discuss with the members.

Following this simple rule we were able to make collaborative decisions, after we gathered the necessary data and processed it and all agreed that this was the type of variable to be placed under e.g. Key Factors, we effectively proceeded fill the blanks. It took us awhile to finish this weekly activity due to the fact we had a lot of things going on too, but, nevertheless we were able to continue. Most of our data were already found in our previous activities we gathered, all we needed to do was further update and assess those gathered data and everyone agreed to work on them to produce new information.

We had a lot of options lining up to reach these conclusions, e.g. in Key Resources we had inputted financial resources, programming resources, IT staff, etc., all that is needed to produce or make an application going. Another example of having tons of options were in Key Partners wherein we wrote the different types of “client classification” such as, advertisers, sponsors, insurers and many more to that roster. These are one of the many examples and options of what we did.

We’ve learned that in making the Business Model Canvas, we need to consider a lot of factors especially the Key Activities, Key Resources, Customer Relationships, Channels, and Cost Structure which are the terms that we haven’t learned that much in the past activities. Further saying that the Business Model Canvas will be our guide that will give us an outline about the general overview of our concept or application.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 11: Revenue Model

This week is where it got a bit interesting for me, considering this is where our imagination or calculated educated guess runs by describing the way we intend to make money out of our application. We discovered that the Revenue Model consists of five guiding questions into crafting one namely; Who Pays?, What’s Paid?, For What is Paid?, How Are You Paid?, and How Much is Paid?. As per usual, the group also did their own type of research aside from the given webinar and we learned the basic procedure on how to move forward in crafting our own model.

In achieving our own revenue model, one of the things we did was basically to refer to the information we gathered in the previous weeks in (1) identifying our potential sponsors, advertisers, etc, (2) identifying who pays by looking into our target market such as our clients. (3) Identifying what we would invest/pay in order to keep the application running by looking into the obvious organization, function, technicalities. (3) Identifying how our Application would be paid through credit or spot cash methods. (4) Identifying or calculating the amount that it would cost to have a definitive pricing. Lastly, (5) identifying what is usually paid by looking into the booking or per use of our application.

Considering that my team consists of critical thinkers, we were able to discern and subdivide the decisions by giving specific set of problems for each one of us to solve on our own and we wouldn’t have to worry about the result due to the fact that we trusted each other to handle the group’s problems. It was smooth sailing from that point, the only trouble we encountered was in the calculations part and as I have mentioned before, that takes a lot of time to process.

Given that the revenue model is a framework for generating financial income, the options were already given from the model itself. In regards to the team’s options? All we had to do was figure out a way for our Revenue Model to look as convincing as it is enticing. We’d done our own research from what a revenue model consists of and used our previous data we’ve gathered in the previous weekly activities.

Later on, we learned that through the revenue model, we can identify new factors for our insights such as “new client” classifications, etc. Even if we say ‘the client’ it can be the case that it is not the actual user transferring the funds, but the user’s mother, or the budget holder or the procurement department. Also, pricing doesn’t just rely on estimation but on different factors like costs, operating expenses, etc. Aside from all of that? I say it was a pretty good eye-opening activity.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 10: Creating Competitive Advantage

After week 9’s exceptionally difficult activity, we were optimistic the week 10’s activity/tasks would considerably die down but was I wrong. Following the activity, we understand that we were to create a competitive analysis and for those of you reading that might not know, a competitive analysis is generally a strategy that involves researching major competitors to gain insight into their products, sales, and marketing tactics. We had a guide that our professor gave us a link to, a sort of format/diagram for the competitive analysis but also did an in-depth research on the topics that were also mentioned.

There are six (6) methods on how to do or create a competitive analysis namely; 1. Create a competitor overview, 2. Conduct market research, 3. Compare product features, 4. Compare product marketing, 5. Use a SWOT analysis and finally 6. Identify your place in the market landscape. Each topic had a designated instruction to follow through, for example in step one (1) create a competitive overview we had to “Select between five and 10 competitors to compare against your company. The competitors you choose should have similar product or service offerings and a similar business model to you.” up until to step six (6) was to “Understand where you stand in the market landscape. To do this, you’ll create a graph with an X and Y axis. The two axes should represent the most important factors for being competitive in your market.”  

After thoroughly discerning the following steps, and comprehending the methods to be followed we continued to divide the type of work while discussing how to do them correctly. For example, I was instructed to do step one yet I had to inform the group of how I was going to move forward with this until we had a mutual agreement that this is what it was going to look like and be like, we followed that format to (1) openly share your strategy, (2) input and assess after publishing the final output. 

We had the options to do it in pairs, each topic, but preferred to separate and divide the assigned topic because honestly it works better that way. This is how we usually operated when it comes to making decisions as a group, see what topic was preferably for the person. For example, I was solely good at marketing considering my experiences, therefor I was tasked with the marketing parts of the activity, while the others such as Kennah was assigned to research considering that she had a good skill in finding out where things are and citing references correctly. Those are the kind of options we had as a team, we utilized all the skills we had which was rather fun to do.

What we generally learned throughout the whole process of week 10 was to map out the competitive analysis and its steps. Other than that, everything was history. Each topic that was assigned to each one of us had a different distinction of lesson, I was tasked with conducting the market research where I learned what type of market we were in or at least potentially in, while the others had their own topics with lessons they had learned as well. What’s great about this method of doing things is we have different areas to learn.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 9: Market Identification and Sizing

Looking at how the group tackled this activity really took a lot of time, effort, and energy. Week 9’s tasks were a staggering eleven (11) tasks which consists of a lot of research and interviews. Although, most of the tasks were about assessing our market size and share which are considered as intermediate in terms of the level of difficulty, however, it got harder when it introduced the TAM, SAM and SOM task and this part of the task involved a close or rough estimate on the calculations about our market. I believe it took roughly three to four days of reassessing, recalculating, researching and a lot of arguing, I consider this part of the activity as one of the most difficult things I had tackled on, but I also think that’s because a lot of factors played in such as, a lot of pending assignments, exams and quizzes from other subjects and it was taking its toll on me. Nevertheless, we finished week 9’s tasks and continued pushing on with the other weekly activities.

We thought it was relatively easy to solve TAM, SAM, and SOM and then what we did was research and gave a thorough inspection on the following: TAM, SAM, and SOM through looking into different sources, mainly from Philippine Statistic Authority (PSA) and Statista. What we found out was the number of the population is not directly the Total Available Market (TAM). Instead, TAM is the total number of end users multiplied to the price that one customer would pay a year. It is not easy to solve or calculate TAM, SAM, and SOM. It needs thorough understanding and right references to really get the respective numbers for each market size. So, here’s what we generally did, we promoted the start-up application in our target market.

Although this activity was relatively difficult, we managed to pull off and learned a lot from it which I am grateful for and as we continue the weekly activities we continue to learn from our model/application for the potential it has to become more than just a thought.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 7: Effective Communication and Storytelling and Lesson Learned Pitching Template

As we approach the end of our midterms, we finally reached Week 7 of our weekly activities and it has been a wild ride so far. Our speaker, Ms. Rhea Suzette M. Haguisan, spoke relatively a lot about this week and gave us enough insights to drive us to finish this week. As per instruction, we were tasked to continue with the interview re: MVP at least 3 persons and create a presentation on your customer’s feedback. The way we approached this was we tapped our former interviewee’s for a follow-up interview, we firmly believed that this was the best choice to align our ideas. Same process as it goes, we messaged them asking when their most available time was present and set an appointment to have the said interview. Yet again, it was a fruitful conversation with each one of them given the circumstance that they are welcome to answer our questions. The same thing applied with the other interviewee’s, we got along just fine and truly appreciate all the effort put into this.

Like in every process, once I’ve gathered the necessary information, I then transfer what I have to our engineer to assess what has collected before handing it to our designers to create the layout to be presented and then submitted. This week was a good way to catch up with our previous interviewees and see how they were doing in the remaining days of this semester, other than that the team was as productive as they were in the previous weeks. We continue this journey with lessons learned and heads held up high and ever waiting for the remaining weekly challenges.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 6: MVP and Wireframing

During this week (week 6) it was extra fun. One of the tasks was to create a prototype of our desired project, so in short we were to create an image of what our application of SNAPHS would look like. I remember a time where I learnt how to use FIGMA in one of our previous subject in second year college, and I was able to use what I learned in this activity. It’s good that I was able to use the skill. The design I made on the desired project was admired by my group members, I understand that there was a necessity to craft what could be the proper way to present it therefor I gave an extra effort to make it as if it were a real application. I was pleased by the results, it took me at least 3 hours to finish the whole thing. Although I am the hustler of the group, I wanted to design the application for myself and because of the fact that one of our designers was sick for the week, I took in the liberty in volunteering to help my fellow groupmate/designer number (2) to get the job done. We were mainly focused on that aspect, I would handle half of the design and she would take the other. Let me just praise the software FIGMA for being a diverse system that allows two or more users to edit together in one screen, just like google documents and other platforms. We were relatively fast because our minds synced and we were on the call while doing it. 

On the other hand of the activity, drafting an MVP was exceptionally difficult. The group was a bit confused on the earlier parts because of the words used to explain how and what an MVP is or is done. It took some time, we had to find our own source of information on how to draft an MVP and after a few videos (roughly 7) we were able to understand how to draft one. It took our Engineer to create the MVP, we trust that her skill in making it were far better than what we could produce, so we waited for her finished product that took a day or two to finish and then we included it in our consistent design before submitting the whole activity. 

All in all, this week has been exciting and challenging, and so far, it’s the best compared to the others activities I encountered. I only hope to keep this level of energy and mentality in the succeeding weekly activities left before finishing this subject. Nothing but the best.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 5: Customer Segmentation

Weeks into the activities we are now in the fifth phase of its process and this was where we had to do the following, (1) draw the diagram of a customer workflow and then (2) draw our customer/persona on three people and lastly (3) identify the type of market we’re entering. Before this activity began, we already had a conversation about this particular activity wherein we did discuss the target market. Which means, it was easier for us to test it by assessing what type of digital company we were trying to be. 

Let me tell you the story of how we went through this activity one by one. (1) the Customer workflow, when we interviewed the people we featured on this activity, we already had asked the question pertaining the workflow and with their input they gave it was easier for our designers to arrange and properly present them in an order. 

(2) the Customer/persona, the design was inspired by the sample in our lecture, we made it look relative and was able to fill in the blanks of the persona. This part was easier to come together and it was up to the designer this time. 

(3) As I mentioned, before this activity began we were already able to identify the target market with our previous meetings, with that input it was up to the designers to come up with a layout that showed how consistent our documents before submission. 

 After everything, we were able to catch a break. Considering at this time of the week we were finalizing the activities for Midterm, it was good to finish week 5 successfully. With the remaining activities, we only hope to complete everything on time and on a standard wherein our work can be considered.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 4: Hypothesis and Questions

Every time the activities needed to be done on a weekly basis are released, the closer we are to finishing the requirement. As you can imagine, we work with the best of what we can do, not knowing if it suits the standards of those who taught us how to handle our business ideas. One thing is for sure, the bond I have with my group-mates grow stronger by the challenges we face.

Week 4 was the time to craft the kind of startup idea to pursue, it took a lot of time to reach a decision and we had a minor quarrel with another group due to the conflict of interest. All things considered, we decided to choose on an idea we think can be beneficial for its users and the community around us. We interviewed certain individuals who we believe could have good insights as to what we were implementing. We approached professionals in the photo and video industry, that process took awhile but we managed to get a hold of them and they were very happy to answer our questions. However, as much as we would have loved to interview them face-to-face, their line of work prevented that from happening; they were always on the travel and it also made it difficult to have a zoom meeting due to the fact that time was running out. As an alternative, I suggested to have the interview in a form of discussing via chat/text, I conclude that this way was much easier considering we were able to encode and note everything that we discussed and I can say it was a very fruitful conversation. We have amazing insights from three professionals and with the data gathered we were ready to continue the next steps and into week 5. The hypothesis was centralized on the idea of SNAPHS, relating to what we believed was in that interest. I gathered with the passing of the document it was approved and revised.

I could say that weekly activities went well with the full coordination of the theme. Ryan and Kennah were brilliant with their designs, I truly admired that about them. This couldn’t have been done without their help. We are now moving forward and closing to the goal.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 3: Value Proposition and Business Thesis Template

On the continuation of our Weekly tasks in Technopreneurship, Week 3 was exceptionally difficult even other groups in our class took a lot of time before they could finish, I strongly feel as I am writing my blog they are still working on it. The problem wasn't with the instruction but on how difficult it was. At least that's what I heard according to the other groups. 

The way we classified the level of difficulty on instruction number one (1) which states, "Identify your target market and interview them. At least interview a minimum of 10 participants." was more on medium than hard. Considering our experience with people, it was easier to book an appointment. Easy in a sense where we got their attention, but the method of interview was dependent on the interviewee and we would respect whatever request they would suggest.

Following that type of scenario we then proceeded to the other set of instructions which were in itself, self explanatory. It took us roughly a day or two to decide on what these questions were, the formation of our Value Map, Value Proposition Canvass, Customer Profile and other documents. The gathering of information for these drawings took about 3-4 days prior to the date where I mentioned we were in the decision making process. For our group, it came in smoother because we had a system wherein one works for the other and vice versa. After gathering the necessary information, we proceeded to submit the requirements on the link provided and then I informed our instructor. Later to find out we were one of the very few to finish the Week 3, that fact has inspired us to continue and push on whatever tasks were left and to do it with great passion. 

One thing I admire about our group, is the individuals that keep if afloat. Each one of us has a skill that was developed in our years of education and organization. Ryan has experience in the field of writing, and is the former Editor-in-Chief of USTP Trailblazers and has won dozen awards in that field. Our very own Kennah is a Virtual Assistant on many platforms and is assisting their own online business and is a member in various organizations. Xandra is tech savvy and full of people that can assist her when it comes to information. And yours truly was a former Marketing and Sponsorship officer in few organizations known to certain universities, I specialize in people and dealership. With this team, I believe we can overcome certain obstacles, and that's exciting to have with.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 2: Team Formation

Start-ups are the kind of endeavour you jump into when you're a hungry, entrepreneurial and problem-solving person. Starting one is considerably difficult, however, if you have an idea that you think can fit in the market then all you need are the proper steps, guidance and investor to get it on the map.

It was on the last week of February where we had a (fruitful) meeting with my group members, namely; Ryan Ga-as, Kennah Baño and Xandra Obispo. Our agenda was 1.) talk about the test we took that determined what our personality type was. 2.) come up with five (5) start-up ideas we think could be a good investment and 3.) discuss and elaborate each of these ideas and decide on the (the final start-up idea).

We had an amazing time talking about our personality types. It was the kind of conversation you would like to go-to after a tiring day. Our attention was centralized on the idea of what kind of character the test had for us; I was impressed how accurate the feeling was after reading it. My personality type is a Assertive Architect (INTJ), my character is described as a deep thinker, loves to analyze situation and cares about the detail but what strike me most was how introverted this type could be and just like me, I could relate to that. Ryan is a Turbulent Commander, Kennah is a Turbulent Defender and, Kelly is a Turbulent Logician. Also, we discussed about our roles to this endeavour and the following are as follows: Xandra Khately Anne M. Obispo as our Engineer;  Kennah Angelica R. Baño and Ryan L. Ga-as as Designers.

After that, we brainstormed and came together with the amount of time we took to carefully lay them all out, these are our top five (5) start-up ideas:

1. YouMatter App. This concept was based on a campaign called YouMatter. You Matter is a mental health campaign that provides positive contents, inspiring stories and FAQs for USTP CDO students through the help of Registered Psychologists and Psychometricians. The inception of this idea is to target a specific individual or group that struggles with their mental health, the app will provide assistance on whatever matter concerning the aforementioned. It also has other features such as (1) redirecting to professionals, (2) Playlist Section and (3) Journaling.

2. E-CARE App. Making the services of USTP HIMS more accessible and easy-to-use for our students in USTP. In other words, making it convenient to use through a mobile application than relying only on the website of USTP HIMS unit. 3. PeKit App. Where you can “pick-it-up” all the personal kits that you want or you need to bring as you do your endeavors or as you travel from one place to another. Though the pandemic is somehow light now, we still need to be vigilant and equipped in everything we do. So, this app will serve as online store that will sell personal kits especially those products that are helpful in one’s day-to-day stuff in this new era.

4. SNAHPS. “Smile Now At Higala Photo Studio.” This is an application where one can book for a photoshoot or video-shoot in a Photo Studio. It is also inspired by Cagay-anon Trademark - ‘Higala’ where it will feature Higalas who are photographers and/or videographers and are ready to be hired depending on the request of the client like weddings, debuts, parties, etc (considering IATF protocols). So, this app would be great as it will solve the problem of various customers with concerns on documenting their events or keeping moments and memories. This will also offer jobs to our dear Higalas (Photographers and Videographers) who lost their jobs during the rise of pandemic.

5. Audy App.Your audio stuff application. An application that provides a good quality system that even though it’s important to have a good podcast studio setup, we don’t recommend waiting around until you have the time and money to build one. It’s better to start recording episodes sooner rather than later. This application is designed for podcasting, radio journalism and other spoken-word audio. This will offer how-to guides and also some sort of store that sells audio equipment or materials.

With everything that was discussed, it was pleasing to conclude that we've considered SNAHPS as our main and final idea. We have yet to meet again but I am looking forward in the succeeding weeks and months.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

Week 1: Self-Assessment

After taking the personality test, it gave me good insights on what character traits I have based on their assessment. I am, as what the site calls, an Architect (INTJ) and I think that's a wonderful name. It describes me in a way that the type of person I am is driven by rationality. According to the test, "Architects derive much of their self-esteem from their knowledge and mental acuity." and I couldn't agree more as I pride myself with the things I learn from people and my experiences, the facts I bring to help and educate myself and the people around. I think A LOT and that is a blessing and a curse for me. 

According to the test, "For Architects, life is like a giant game of chess. Relying on strategy rather than chance, they contemplate the strengths and weaknesses of each move before they make it. And they never lose faith that, with enough ingenuity and insight, they can find a way to win – no matter what challenges might arise along the way." The amount of times I've read the assessment on my personality is unhealthy. I've truly enjoyed my time answering the questions that were given, as much as when I received the results. I would encourage everyone that's reading this to take a little bit of your time and answer the test, so you can have a good time listening to what the test has to say about you.

[anthonycoffeemaster]

The Life of Tony (Pandemic)

According to Stephen R. Covey's self-help book, there are 7 Habits of highly effective people namely, (1) be proactive, (2) begin with the end in mind, (3) put first things first, (4) think win/win, (5) seek first to understand, then be understood, (6) synergize, and lastly (7) sharpen the saw. I will share how my pandemic story started and how it's going and relate it to these factors. We will begin with his first habit which is, Be Proactive. I have always been the type to never shy away from responsibilities, when I know I can handle a given situation I will pursue it and finish it with the best of my ability. With the start of the pandemic, I led a group of people for an event that our student government was catering, so not only was I studying and focusing on my academics but I was involved with these activities. My group consists of people who will work on the business sector of the event which is getting sponsors inside the venue and for our case, inside the online event. Another habit that Stephen mentioned was (2) Begin with the End in Mind, it means "Beginning with the end in mind means being clear about who you want to be and where you want to go." and I for one am driven by the life I was born in, I am exposed in the real-estate business because of my family. They hold numerous lands in the city and have businesses that keeps food on the table and money on our pockets. Someday, I will inherit these assets and I intend to equip myself with the knowledge and wisdom about anything that relates to business and my actions have so far led me to the right path as I journey into the real world. (3) Put First Things First, which means "your first and major prioritization is through the filter of your life goals". It's simply knowing what you're interested in doing in life and being able to endure the consequences that follows to that life. These consequences can be avoidable if you are well-aware of what you want, Thus, declining opportunities that doesn't benefit or help you in achieving your wants/goals in life. (4) Think Win/Win means, it is a character-based approach to human interactions. The book says to achieve this level, you must first acquire three essential character traits: Integrity, Maturity and Abundance mentality. Having these factors will help you handle certain situations which other people finds difficult. I, in particular, always find myself in a discussion about whether things are better of they are or things are better of being improved. Nowadays, we discuss through the platform Zoom or Google Meet as we are unable to see each other due to the pandemic. Considering I've learnt and experience these character traits, I can always argue and create conversations that would lead to the benefit of the group, which ultimately leaves me in a position where people are inclined to listen as I can balance things out. It's a skill I've learned while I was immersing in the world of organizational work in school and some other agencies I am still connected with. (5) Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood. This phrase that

Stephen included essentially means one has to endeavour himself to listen to others before he can speak in order to reach an effective conclusion on ideas. As a student leader, this is an everyday encounter for me and I am always to listen to my constituents’ ideas, comments and feedback when I make a proposal. It is important to listen before speaking. (6) Synergize "The idea of synergizing is that the whole of a well-functioning team is greater than the mere sum of its part." and it simply means and quoted from the book that a team is stronger than an individual. I have always embodied this trait as I would never see myself achieving anything on my own if it wasn't for the support I've received over the years and the wisdom I got from my mentors. I have always been motivated to do better if it involved other people and I believe that is a good thing to carry in life as we progress as individuals. (7) Sharpen The Saw "Take Care of Your Greatest Asset: Yourself" and as a person who looks after others, he must never forget to look after himself. Even with my character trait to look after others, I never miss out an opportunity for me to rest and unwind. It is important for me to have rests in order for me to deliver my 100% best in life. And this concludes my reflection and how I can relate it to this time of the pandemic.