9A Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Here, I will continue to define my market base and those who don’t demand my product/service.
Method: I interviewed another five UF students about the topic at hand. (Henry 21’, Ronny 21’, Emily 19’, Shristi 20’, and Marcos 21’.) After talking to them about the “Who?”, “What?”, and “Why?” of the problem I proposed, I can more clearly define who this product can really help.
Who: Are there certain people or certain businesses that, although they share a lot in common with the others in my opportunity, nevertheless fall outside the boundary? Why?
After talking to Marcos, I realized that this opportunity doesn’t apply to those who are willing to water-repel their shoes themselves. This also applies to those who don’t care about getting their shoes wet as well as those who are infrequently in the outdoors. This is because this annoyance isn’t strong enough to motivate these individuals to buy the service. For them, the cost of the product outweighs the benefits. Some students, like Emily and Henry, didn’t realize this was a problem they had. For them, they might not need to service enough to act on it. "I have always hated being getting my feet wet, but I never really thought that much into it," said Henry. They are those who might be on the outside of the opportunity since they didn't realize they even had a problem, or this might have made them realized that they actually have a problem that can be solved by this product. 
What: At what point does the need you identified differ from another need? (Is thirst the same as hunger? Or is the desire to appear fashionable the same as the desire to be loved by others?)
Something that Shristi pointed out was poignant and outside of my initially projected customer’s need. She explained that water-proofing shoes would be a great benefit for outdoors men and women. That really expanded the needs that this solution is addressing. Those who are frequently outdoor, exploring nature or just walking through their neighborhood park, would benefit from water-repelling their shoes, preventing water from ruining them quicker and making them last longer.
Why: Is the underlying cause of the outsiders' need different than people who are inside the boundary?
The outsider’s need just isn’t strong enough. Ronny think that that it’s because it isn’t a big priority when compared with other obligations and purchases. Additionally, he points out that for those who will not buy the product don’t think it rains enough to justify water-repelling shoes. "Some people just think: 'Eh, whatever, it'll dry,'" explained Ronny. The consensus is that those who don't want this product are those that don't mind the rain. Therefore, for those that do mind, this will be able to help them, and they are my prototypical customers. 
Inside the Boundary
Who Is In?
Those who care about keeping their shoes, socks, and feet dry/clean.
Those who need clean shoes, for varying purposes.
Those who want to make their shoes last longer
What Is the Need?
Professional Presentation, Cultural Influence/Significance, Durability, Aversion to Soggy Feet
Why Does It Exist?
It exists due to a social need to present oneself well as well as a sense of comfort more many to have dry feet.

Outside the Boundary
Who Is Not In?
Those who want to spend the time and do it themselves.
Those who aren’t outdoors a lot.
Those who aren’t strongly affected by the annoyance.
What the Need is Not?
The Highest Priority, An Annoyance, To Protect Valuable Shoes
Alternative Explanations?
This problem exist because people aren’t prepared for the days it does rains.

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 1, 2017 at 12:01 PM

    I enjoyed learning about who would purchase your service and who would not. While reading this, it did make a lot of sense as to why some people were outside the boundary. Even though there are certain people who are outside of the boundary, I still believe that your service could be successful because I think there are enough people still within the boundary. I think that many athletes could also benefit from this. I know that when I played soccer in high school, there were various times that I had to play in the rain and that is when I really cared about my wet shoes and socks. Obviously during a game athletes are trained to not pay attention to that kind of stuff, but typically soccer socks are thicker than other socks and there for it is more noticeable when they get soggy and can be uncomfortable for athletes.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Tavern TimesOctober 1, 2017 at 8:02 PM

    Hi Emily, I think you have learned a lot about this opportunity as you have conducted more interviews. A concern about the opportunity that I have is that this water repellent spray still does not protect customers in situation where shoes are stepped into a puddle or splashed with a heavy rain since the water will still find a way into the porous fabric and openings in the top of the shoe. With the large amount of people that have simply accepted this annoying problem, it seems like this opportunity will need to be supplemented with a large amount of marketing and social media campaigns.

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  3. UnknownOctober 1, 2017 at 8:06 PM

    As someone who has lived in Gainesville all of my life I can feel a connection to the people who haven't really realized this as an issue. To be honest, I have gotten so used to my shoes getting wet that it has just become a part of experience of living here. Perhaps I should be someone who does need your service but until now I really have not viewed this generally as a problem. It is interesting that I do get slightly annoyed that my footwear does get wet but I do not feel annoyed enough to really make a change for the better.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lory CastilloOctober 1, 2017 at 11:11 PM

    Hi Haley. Your first interviewer expressed the same concerns I did over the product/ service. I commented earlier that most people prefer to skip paying someone for a service they can easily do themselves. People pay for phone screens to get fixed, because fixing them on their own is too complicated. In the same way, everyone knows how to spray a bottle. Also, your reflection reflects these basic concerns. Most time shoes don't get wet enough to demand this feature, because typically people use umbrellas & avoid puddles.

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