9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Although many people share my unmet need of having something more convenient and fashionable to hold your key while you go out, some people would still not prefer to wear it on their wrist.  I have some friends who I spoke to that know that it is a problem of people losing their keys, but they have yet to experience it themselves, so they wouldn't need a product like the one I came up with.

My need of having a fashionable solution to not losing your key goes deeper into the need of being safe on and off our college campus.  Without your key, you could be locked out of your apartment late at night after coming home from the library or going out, and it is not easy to get a new one at those hours.  This has happened to me and I had to stay at my friend's apartment, but I was lucky she was awake to help me out.

The underlying cause of the need of people outside the boundary vs inside is very similar-I believe most people share this need, but it is whether they desire to fulfill this need with a bracelet like I said.  This desire difference/sense of need might come from gender difference (social norms of what to wear-women tend to wear more jewelry) and whether people tend to lose things often or not. 

Overall, the people who I think should have the need that do not that I interviewed, would not want to wear a key on their wrist because they don't like the look of it, or they have a purse secure enough to wear they have never lost their key so they don't feel they need a solution to a problem they haven't experienced.

Inside the boundaryOutside the boundary
Who is In-College students who have an apartment/house key                 Who is Not-College students who do not find the bracelet attractive to wear; People out of college or older who wouldn't want to wear a key on their wrist
What the Need Is-Having safety/assurance to get into your home, holding your key when it is inconvenient/impossible to carry it in a bagWhat the Need Is Not-Some people do not like the look of a key on the wrist or simply don't have the extreme need to have it outside of a bag or pocket.
Why the Need Exists-Keys are very small and easy to lose, but essential to have when it opens up your home.  Sometimes we cannot always carry it with us in a bag, so then a lot of students (primarily female) put it on a ponytail on their wrist.Alternative Explanations-Some people are more responsible than others in the aspect of not losing things, especially something a small as a key.  Some people are constantly in a professional setting where they can't hold a key on their wrist.  Their is a difference in preference when it comes to fashion so some people would like it and some would not.  Some people also use a different method of getting into their home other than a key.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 28, 2018 at 5:45 PM

    Sydney,

    Great work on this assignment! I love that your interviews were detailed enough to provide interesting insights, and I hope those insights help you define the boundaries of this opportunity. I found it very helpful to understand who does not have this need in order to better understand who does. One question for you: Is not liking the "look" of wearing one's key the only reason why someone may not have this need? Perhaps there are some other characteristics of people without this need that could provide some additional insights.

    Zach

    ReplyDelete
  2. Emily HusakOctober 1, 2018 at 4:46 AM

    Hi Sydney,
    I still like this idea. It sounds like wearing a bracelet might not be an acceptable style of jewelry for everyone. It seems like this idea should work with different types of jewelry, such as a necklace, or maybe a type of metal hoop that hooks onto a belt loop. I would buy one of these. I just lost my keys last night. I remember having them in my hand and I thought I put them in my pocket, but they weren't there when I got home. There is definitely a market for this product. Keep pursuing this.

    Best, Emily

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownOctober 1, 2018 at 2:29 PM

    Hello Sydney,

    Are you sure you are not being biased when you say everyone has this need? Keys have been around forever and there have been countless ways to hold and store them safely. It sounds like you have one idea that meets your individual unmet need and really wouldn't affect a large population of other because there are so many other option to do exactly what you're describing. Key rings, clips, hiding stone, lanyards are all doing the exact same job of not losing a key in the same manner that you're exploring.

    If you were to separate this idea from others, you can consider designer accessories. Think of a design that functionally works and then push the extremes to see how high quality you can make them. Think artisan key holders.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownOctober 1, 2018 at 4:14 PM

    Hello Sydney,

    Keys have been around for a long time but there are also new innovations in the industry such as hand print entries and key pads that do not require keys.

    Instead of just bracelets, I think you should come up with other ways to innovate keeping a key in check for people that do not prefer that method. One idea I just thought of it having a phone case with embedded keys in the back of the case that you can slide in and out. My idea is that if people usually have their phones, they will be able to have their keys. Furthermore, find my iphone will help if you did lose your phone.

    Best,
    Grant

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownOctober 1, 2018 at 9:13 PM

    Hello Sydney,

    I like the idea. I think that since keys are easy to lose, you could use other accessories besides a bracelet. I think people would buy your product if they had more of a selection to choose from. Losing keys is a common occurrence, so I am sure that you could use this to your advantage. I like that you went outside your market in order to see if the unmet need for your key idea is as big as you think.

    Regards,
    Ramar Huntley

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

30A – Final Reflection

Image
I remember doing my elevator pitch for the first time and having no idea what to say and it took me over 20 times to get it remotely okay for me to post.  Now, I do my elevator pitch to my friends involved in business for fun and have it memorized so easily.  I remember doing the bug list and having a somewhat difficult time thinking of all of them. I think my elevator pitch videos were the most formative experience because it taught me how to speak properly in a business setting and how to condense the most important details I needed.  I think this made me a better public speaker even though I was speaking by myself in front of a camera.  I'll remember this for years.  I also enjoyed interviewing my friends to see what they thought of me and what my "secret sauce was." I see myself as an entrepreneur because of my mindset, not that I necessarily have a business yet.  I pay more attention to problems or "bugs" as we called it every day.  I am constan...
Read more

28A – Your Exit Strategy

I personally do not like the thought of selling my business or getting out of it once working so hard in it, but I know it is sometimes a necessary step (we are learning more about this in class Monday).  So if I were to pick an exit strategy for my business, I think I would stay in for the long run and retire and pass it down to someone in my family or someone I trusted.  On the other hand, if the offer was large enough, I think I would sell my company.  I would only consider doing so if I thought the company would continue moving in a positive direction.  I picked this strategy because I care a lot about the business and do not want to see my years of hard work (if I were to work in it for years to come) go to waste.  I think my passion for my company shows in my exit strategy and my business plan.  On the other hand, I did not consider my exit plan before this assignment so it did not influence anything before this that I have wrote about.  I don’t ...
Read more

27A – Reading Reflection No. 3

1) Coco Chanel, Lisa Chaney What surprised me most about Coco Chanel was how she started.  She has a tough beginning and childhood but now she is an iconic designer.  I actually am wearing Chanel perfume right now and I would love to own a Chanel bag one day. I most admired that she came from practically nothing and now her net worth is over $100 million.  This shows her bravery and that people should have almost no excuses. I think Coco Chanel depended her life on money, instead of love.  Yes, she was successful and this is something a lot of people do, but I wonder what it would've been like if she was passionate about people and love instead. I believe every entrepreneur starting, maintaining and growing their own business is a hardship.  She was going against standard being a successful business women and her business ventures were diverse and not easy markets to tackle. 2) I noticed the entrepreneur displayed determination and perseverance. 3) I...
Read more