As a type of accountability during the course of this degree program, it is vital to look back at the goals that I set out for myself and evaluate my success in achieving them.
My first goal for this month was to (further) consider modern design concepts. I do believe I have a deeper understanding of the current product/company design landscape. The course material led me to research several innovative design trends/products and services. Though more importantly, this month’s content and interactions helped me fully realize a potential solution to some of my current employer’s major pain points. Over the past few weeks, I officially began to formulate a proposal for a Full Sail incubator program. One of the key elements that helped expand the idea was the completion of a Smart Start canvas. Along with this canvas, I conducted several interviews (from Full Sail directors to venture capitalists) this past week that helped validate and further refine the vision/direction I am currently heading in the design of this proposed program.
Product Design and Development is the first class that Eric Ries’ book was assigned, so once again, I went back and reviewed the concepts within The Lean Startup. My goal is to ensure that I fully grasp the lean business philosophy as I progress in my entrepreneurial ventures. I also started listening to FOUNDR Magazine’s startup podcast, which already seems to be a valuable resource. I did brainstorm for my sonic solutions idea, though then switched gears and started to heavily research university incubator programs. A few of the models I will focus on (while designing the “Stabilizer” program) and research further are the Hatchery (Babson College), Launch Pad (Stanford University), and Delta v (MIT).
Due to changing by current venture this month (away from “Sonic Retune” to “Full Sail Venture Stabilizer”), some of my goals will not align with the work that I do moving forward. Though this month, before changing directions, I did further research regarding my last goal for the class listed above. I looked closely at the most current research regarding sound and its impact on sales and customer engagement. The science is on my side, though I am unsure of whether the average business owner is ready to allocate the necessary budget to make improvements that they cannot visually see. I believe there are currently some major adoption hurdles that I am not ready to tackle at this time, and that is one of the reasons I am placing this idea aside for now. The other, and more pressing reason for my change in direction is that I believe an incubator at Full Sail is overdue, and the time is perfect for launching such a program.
Doron Reizes' Mastery Journal 