Forming an Opportunity Belief

Step 1: I have a belief that people have a need for spending less time waiting in the gym.

Step 2: The unmet need is being able to get through a workout in the gym quickly while spending minimal time waiting on people to get off the equipment they want to use. Members of any busy gym will have this need, especially college students, professors and faculty at UF who go to SouthWest Rec or surrounding gyms. This need has always existed; however, no one has offered a solution for it to date. As of today, nothing is being done to combat this problem of waiting on equipment in the gym.

Step 3: Prototypical Customer 1: Manny Sanchez (attends SouthWest Rec regularly)

Step 4: How long have you had the need? – 5 years ago

Only has the need during prime hours, not early or at night. Is aware then.

First became aware when he waited too long and was late to class

How are you addressing the need – he goes when it is not busy

How satisfied? – very satisfied, scale of 1-10 he says 9, because no one is a 10

Step 3: Prototypical Customer 2: Spencer Hoagland (attends Student Rec regularly)

Step 4: how long have you had need – 3 years

            Has need every time he goes to student rec

            First became aware when he was in gym for 2 hours and didn’t finish workout

            How are you addressing need – going at different times, multiple times per day

            How satisfied – an 8 out of 10, or a Tallahassee 6.

            

Step 3: Prototypical Customer 3: Jenna Zaleski (works at Southwest Rec, exercises at her apartment gym)

Step 4:first aware of need – first day of classes, line to get in gym plus wait in gym

            How are you addressing the need – Try to go earlier or go elsewhere

            How long have you had the need – duration of semester

How satisfied are you with solution – not satisfied, gym she goes to is smaller and doesn’t have as much equipment.

Step 5: After conducting interviews with people who avidly go to the gyms in Gainesville, I’ve learned that my opportunity is still there, however only during peak hours at the gym. To me, the most surprising thing was that people have time to change their schedules and go to the gym during non-peak hours. It appears that people’s days are not as busy as I previously thought them to be. Everyone seems very satisfied with either going at a different time or attending a different gym.

Step 6: Repeat Interviews

Step 7: Almost none of my original opportunity is still there, and the demand for a solution is much lower than I originally thought. My new opportunity would be integrating a live counter of how many people are at a gym so customers would know if the gym is too busy to bother going to at any given time. This wouldn’t be too hard, since all gyms require you to scan in before entering. The people I interviewed expressed their frustrations about getting to the gym and seeing that it is insanely busy. This could solve that problem. My new opportunity is more accurate than when I started. I believe entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback. At the end of the day, if you have a product that customer’s are telling you they don’t need/like, you have to change in order to stay in business. Satisfying the customer’s needs is the highest priority, and entrepreneurs need to adapt when feedback is given. After listening to Pryor in lecture, this is not an opportunity I will be pursuing, as I now have my eyes on a much larger issue in America.