Forming An Opportunity Belief

1.     I believe that there is quite an opportunity that exists in the general realm of parking spaces at crowded events. I believe that there is something that could be developed, whether it is an app or software programmed into a GPS, that makes it easier for someone to park their car, and locate a spot much faster. On a daily basis, people pull into parking lots that are very crowded and search aimlessly for a spot until they either find one that just opened up, or they park in an open spot far away. Even if they had to park in a faraway spot, they wasted even more time driving around looking for a spot that never opened. An opportunity to help traffic flow and make parking an easier process most definitely exists.

2.     Everyday across the united states, and even across the world, thousands of people have trouble finding parking spots in busy office buildings, shopping centers, recreational facilities, and more. I believe there is a way to make parking an easier and less stressful process. Since cars were first constructed, this problem has existed, especially in busy cities. Thousands of societies’ members have this problem every day, and unless they ban cars from the road, this problem will continue to exist to some degree. In today’s day and age, people really don’t have much of an option when it comes to this problem. Many just aimlessly drive around searching for a spot to park in, when really they could be saving time, even if they don’t get that “ideal” parking space. At this point, I am one hundred percent confident that an opportunity exists to attempt to help alleviate this problem. However, I am not positive quite yet how it would be executed, but I have some ideas in mind.

3.     The prototypical customer would be anyone who drives and has ever parked in a crowded parking lot. Someone who wants to cut down on the time it takes to park their car and get to the place they need to go. In this case, I asked two groups of someone young (18), someone middle aged (40), and an elderly person (70). This made for six total people interviewed

4.     Young Person- This first person stated that they were a relatively new driver and had only been driving for a year or two. However, they explicitly stated that they could benefit from such a tool like this. They stated that there were multiple times, on a regular basis, that they wasted time driving around looking for a spot.

Middle Age- This person stated that although something like this would be practical, it would be very difficult to design. This was my thought from the start as well, and may hinder the future of this idea. However, this person stated that they have had problems finding a parking spot since they began driving.

Elderly- This person stated that this problem did not apply directly to them, as they can park in handicapped spots, but it is a good idea. However, like the middle aged person, they also believe that it would be difficult to execute.

5.     Young person- The second young person I interviewed thought this was a terrible idea and that people should just stop being lazy and walk the extra few feet if they can’t find an ideal parking spot. I agreed with him, however I know how lazy and rushed Americans can be, which is where my idea would come into play.

Middle Age- This middle aged person seemed quite indifferent about the idea, even though they stated that this was a problem they faced almost every day. He stated that he would “maybe use the app.”

Elderly- The second elderly person thought that my idea could be useful for people his age group who don’t have handicapped parking decals. It would reduce the distance they have to walk by showing them the closest parking spot.

Overall Reaction: As a whole, I was not surprised at the reactions from people, as I expected some people to be interested and intrigued and others to be indifferent. I think that my idea would be more useful at something like a big concert or sporting event than a simple trip to the store. I think I need to refine my idea and pick a subcategory for which I should pursue. However, I think that the potential customer feedback is priceless to turning an idea into a successful product or service.

6.     (Repeated)

7.     I still believe that there is an opportunity when it comes to this topic, however, after talking to people of different ages, I believe that the execution would be the problem. Although much of my original opportunity is there, I don’t believe much is left for me personally, as I do not have access to the materials (computer software, possible even satellites) that would be needed to make something like this a reality. Although it is out of my reach, I do believe that the new opportunity is more accurate than when I started, as peoples’ opinions are always valued when making something designated for pedestrian use. I believe that the line between listening to customers and staying firm is a very fine one. On one hand, it is ultimately the people who will be making you money and keeping your business afloat, however you must remain true to your ideals as well.