Forming An Opportunity Belief
Assignment 4A- FORMING AN OPPORTUNITY BELIEF
I believe there is unmet opportunity in regards to danger of walking home alone at night. Anyone who has a lack of transportation and get home by walking usually late can relate to this. Even those who only have to walk short distances are in danger. I believe I can provide a product for this situation, a device alarm locator that goes off when the user feels unsafe and it sends a GPS location to an emergency line. This is not a new problem, by just the gender, 45%, of women said they do not feel safe walking alone at night and that was from a survey made in 2014. To feel safe now, usually women use product that are made to protect them in moment of danger. This opportunity will still continue to exist until someone can create a product to stop it.
#1: Early twenties female who walks long distances alone
How often do you walk alone at night?
-Usually three nights a week.
Do you carry anything that makes you feel safer on your walk?
-Yes, I always carry my rape whistle, pepper spray, and I call someone to keep me company until I make to my destination.
Did you know 37% percent of Americans feel unsafe walking alone?
-I didn't know the exact percentage but I'm surprise how low the number actually is.
When did you first started feeling unsafe walking at night?
-Up until recently, I never really carried my mace in my hand but now knowing that someone was sexually assaulted in my area I will never leave without it.
How would you feel if there was a device created to keep you safer when you walk at night?
-I would a lot safer and I would have less of a need to carry most of the things I already do.
#2: Early twenties female who walks short distances alone
How often do you walk alone at night?
-Not very often, I only had to do it a couple of things.
Do you carry anything that makes you feel safer on your walk?
-Yes, I use my keys as claws against potential attackers.
Did you know 37% percent of Americans feel unsafe walking alone?
-Really? I did not expect the number to be that low.
When did you first started feeling unsafe walking at night?
-Honestly when I first hit puberty.
How would you feel if there was a device created to keep you safer when you walk at night?
-Although it sounds great, it also sounds like a waste of resources to have a private company using public resources.
#3: Early twenties male who walks alone
How often do you walk alone at night?
-Pretty often, I usually stay out late.
Do you carry anything that makes you feel safer on your walk?
-No, I have no need to.
Did you know 37% percent of Americans feel unsafe walking alone?
-Oh ok
When did you first started feeling unsafe walking at night?
-I never felt unsafe walking at night.
How would you feel if there was a device created to keep you safer when you walk at night?
-That would be cool I guess but I have no need for it.
Overall Reflection: There are different sides to the overall issue and everyone reacts to it in their own way. Some believe they are in constant danger while others feel completely safe at night. Those who feel the danger they could be in are always alert and ready with the means to protect themselves. While others think of it as a night stroll to their destination and little to no danger at all.
Summary: I think the opportunity is still there but it requires some fine tuning to be able to help someone in the future if this product was to become an actually thing. After the interviews, it has become clear that this only mainly the female population and the product could be adjust towards that demographic. I'm unsure if my opportunity is more accurate due to some conflicting interviews. I think that entrepreneurs will benefit from adapting their product because it will be more of a incentive to the targeted audience.
I believe there is unmet opportunity in regards to danger of walking home alone at night. Anyone who has a lack of transportation and get home by walking usually late can relate to this. Even those who only have to walk short distances are in danger. I believe I can provide a product for this situation, a device alarm locator that goes off when the user feels unsafe and it sends a GPS location to an emergency line. This is not a new problem, by just the gender, 45%, of women said they do not feel safe walking alone at night and that was from a survey made in 2014. To feel safe now, usually women use product that are made to protect them in moment of danger. This opportunity will still continue to exist until someone can create a product to stop it.
#1: Early twenties female who walks long distances alone
How often do you walk alone at night?
-Usually three nights a week.
Do you carry anything that makes you feel safer on your walk?
-Yes, I always carry my rape whistle, pepper spray, and I call someone to keep me company until I make to my destination.
Did you know 37% percent of Americans feel unsafe walking alone?
-I didn't know the exact percentage but I'm surprise how low the number actually is.
When did you first started feeling unsafe walking at night?
-Up until recently, I never really carried my mace in my hand but now knowing that someone was sexually assaulted in my area I will never leave without it.
How would you feel if there was a device created to keep you safer when you walk at night?
-I would a lot safer and I would have less of a need to carry most of the things I already do.
#2: Early twenties female who walks short distances alone
How often do you walk alone at night?
-Not very often, I only had to do it a couple of things.
Do you carry anything that makes you feel safer on your walk?
-Yes, I use my keys as claws against potential attackers.
Did you know 37% percent of Americans feel unsafe walking alone?
-Really? I did not expect the number to be that low.
When did you first started feeling unsafe walking at night?
-Honestly when I first hit puberty.
How would you feel if there was a device created to keep you safer when you walk at night?
-Although it sounds great, it also sounds like a waste of resources to have a private company using public resources.
#3: Early twenties male who walks alone
How often do you walk alone at night?
-Pretty often, I usually stay out late.
Do you carry anything that makes you feel safer on your walk?
-No, I have no need to.
Did you know 37% percent of Americans feel unsafe walking alone?
-Oh ok
When did you first started feeling unsafe walking at night?
-I never felt unsafe walking at night.
How would you feel if there was a device created to keep you safer when you walk at night?
-That would be cool I guess but I have no need for it.
Overall Reflection: There are different sides to the overall issue and everyone reacts to it in their own way. Some believe they are in constant danger while others feel completely safe at night. Those who feel the danger they could be in are always alert and ready with the means to protect themselves. While others think of it as a night stroll to their destination and little to no danger at all.
Summary: I think the opportunity is still there but it requires some fine tuning to be able to help someone in the future if this product was to become an actually thing. After the interviews, it has become clear that this only mainly the female population and the product could be adjust towards that demographic. I'm unsure if my opportunity is more accurate due to some conflicting interviews. I think that entrepreneurs will benefit from adapting their product because it will be more of a incentive to the targeted audience.
I am totally behind this idea, and actually think it's a great opportunity to fill. On campus we have SNAP ( a totally free service that transports students around campus from 6 pm to 3 am every night), it is however totally unreliable and my roommates and I have often found ourselves stuck very far from our dorm and having to walk, take a bus, or uber. Because so many students use it, it's impossible to depend on if you're actually in danger or in a serious hurry. I often times walk just because it is faster and safer than waiting on a SNAP for half an hour. Being someone who tends to work night shifts, I often have to walk home alone in the darkness, or to a bus stop at 1 AM. A device like this would make me feel much less nervouse walking home from work or around campus at night.
ReplyDeleteHi Gerielle,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts. I find the problem you mentioned very interesting. Personally, I never felt unsafe walking around the campus at night so I was surprised that there was a program that auxiliary patrol cars gives students a ride if they feel unsafe. Your article helped me understand the issue of campus safety night has (unsurprisingly) gender aspect to it as I learned how female interviewees carry precautionary self-defense items whereas the male interviewees did not show much concern about the same issue.