Forming an Opportunity

Assignment 4A

The belief I’d like to discuss is that having separate laundry and dryer machines is less convenient than having one machine that does both. I discovered this bug through the bug list I created. The unmet need is that people want one machine that does both, as I previously mentioned. This stems from both the convenience factor and the fact that the price can be cheaper when a consumer buys one single washer/dryer machine. The target audience would be adolescent teenagers to older folks and anyone in between. This need has always existed, although it is already present in Europe. People in Europe are buying these washer/dryer machines as they are typical, but for some reason, they are not as popular in the US. I am 100% sure that this opportunity exists because people in Europe have these. The prototypical customer is a man or woman in their mid-thirties and up.

Who is being interviewed?	What is the exact nature of the need?	When do they become aware of the need?	Do they experience their need all the time or only sometimes?	How are they currently addressing their need? Are they satisfied?
Interview #1: Nurit Faierman, my grandmother. Age 73. Travels between New York and Germany.	The need no longer exists on this level since she has already met the need while in Germany. Living in Europe, it is common to have this machine. However, when she goes back to the US, she is no longer satisfied.	She is thankful for the machine every time she uses it.	She experiences the need sometimes, when she travels back to New York occasionally and uses the separate washer and dryer machines.	While in NY, she doesn’t address the need, and instead just longs to have the machine back in Europe. She is not satisfied while in New York but she is satisfied in Europe.
Interview #2: Tamy Faierman, my mother. Age 50. Lives in Florida.	To save space.	As my mom has more kids, she has more laundry and she needs more space in the laundry room.	She experiences the need every day.	She isn’t addressing the need.
Interview #3: Matthew Taub, my father. Age 52. Lives in Florida.	To take up less space.	He becomes aware of it when clothes fall behind the machines.	He experiences the need every day.	He isn’t addressing the need because he can’t find a huge washer/dryer combo that fits the amount of clothes he needs to fit.

Reflection:

From this opportunity, I learned that the American culture should populate the washer/dryer. I did not think of the benefit of saving space. Now that both Tamy and Matthew brought it up, I see the value in it. I was surprised to learn that my dad can’t find a washer/dryer combo that fits a lot of clothes.

Summary:

My original opportunity is still 100% there. I believe that I had a great opportunity to work with in the beginning, so it did not change. However, I do feel that entrepreneurs must adapt their opportunities when necessary. Although the trade-off between adapting and staying firm is a delicate balance, I think it is a must.