27A- Reading Reflection No. 1

The book I read was How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams. The overall theme I took away from this book was creating and sustaining personal growth through mental outlooks. The book talked a lot about the mindset and self-statements needed to mentally be prepared to succeed. This was even true for the physical traits that we should spend time on by creating a system rather than a goal. 

The book definitely enhanced a lot of my learning from this course. One of the main takeaways I got from this class is that entrepreneurship is a never-ending process. Scott Adams reinforced this idea towards personal development through his talk about creating a system. A system is consistent which is needed for growth. Constant and consistent work on someone's development will allow this to carry over towards business opportunities. Another takeaway that the book enhanced from the course was the ability to fail. Regardless of what someone is doing, they will fail at one point or another. Using failure as a tool for growth is the only way to ensure failure can be a positive. 

Reading this book helped me understand the value of energy. Scott Adams used his energy level to determine his tasks rather than planning everything out specifically. For example, Adams used mornings to creative work because that is when he had peak energy. Later in the day when he had less energy, he would do busy work. The exercise that I would create based off of this is an energy measurement. I think it would valuable for everyone to track their energy level on a scale from 1-10 every hour during a normal day to find when their energy peaks. This can be used to determine when they should be performing different types of tasks. 

The biggest surprise from reading this book was to "fake it until you make it." I have never agreed with or liked this saying. Even in many of my classes this was discouraged. However, in this book Adams makes a great point about doing this for shy people. He said that sometimes it is easier to act as someone else, so acting as someone who is not shy will allow someone to develop their speaking skills and confidence. He also said that acting as someone else allows a person to escape their comfort zone with less resistance. 

28A- My Exit Strategy

I plan to stay with my business for many decades before retiring. Training players is something I want to do for the rest of my life. The format of this training program allows me to train more players than I could in any other type of training format. This format also allows me to adapt to the trends in basketball because of the personalized aspect of the program. This current opportunity will keep me fulfilled my entire career which is why I chose this specific exit strategy.

My exit strategy has had a large impact on my decisions for this concept. Understanding that I wanted to find something that I could stick with throughout my career allowed me to search for an opportunity in an area I knew would satisfy me for a very long time. It also had a very large impact on deciding the format of my training. Typically, trainers rent out gyms or eventually build their own gym which either makes them stuck in one location or paying monthly rent. The online format will allow me to provide the same type of service without being effected by location. This means I can willingly move anywhere for my family as long as it is best for them. Lastly, the personalized format of my online training will allow my service the opportunity to adapt as basketball changes. This ensures that I can be successful throughout my entire career without being stuck behind. 

26A- Celebrating Failure

Something I repeatedly failed at this semester was my first attempt at making an elevator pitch. I have never been comfortable speaking in front of an audience or a camera for an extended period of time. To add to that, I had not recently talked to anyone because of Covid-19 which I believe added a little rust. When trying to record the speech, I knew exactly the topics I wanted to cover but I did not have it scripted. My first six or seven attempts I would get at least thirty seconds in before completely spacing out and forgetting what else I wanted to talk about. Eventually, I had my talking points memorized, it just came down to execution. I attempted the recording at least twenty times, starting over again and again because of I would stutter out of nerves.

I learned from this failure that I needed practice. At the beginning, I became frustrated having to start over again each time. Eventually instead of looking at each attempt as a failure, I began looking at it as practice. As a coach I understand performing rep after rep is the only way to improve. 

I used to really struggle failing at things. I always wanted to be perfect at everything and hated failing. This caused me to stay in my comfort zone too long which hurt my growth as a person and as a basketball player. I have a new perspective as a coach and understand that failing is a part of growth. I would rather have a player fail at doing something the right way then succeeding at something they are already comfortable doing. I've used this perspective and applied it to my own life. I now accept failure and use it as a tool to improve. This class has not changed my perspective on failure, but instead has strengthened my recently changed perspective. I fail at something everyday now which is better for me than when I used to stay in comfort zone. 

25A- What's Next?

Existing Market

1. The next service in my venture is athleticism training for basketball players. In addition to helping players improve their skills as a player, improving their balance, speed, quickness, and explosiveness can also be worked on. 

2. I interviewed three varsity basketball players for Saint Francis Catholic Academy. These three players believe that in addition to live training sessions, film sessions can be another service provided. Players can send me their game film or videos of them doing drills, and I can speak and draw over the video providing my feedback of what they did correct and what they need to work on. This makes it easier for players who do not have time for consistent sessions. They also suggested I do social media giveaways for players who post their progress on specific games or drills and use my own personalized hashtag. 

3. In the beginning of my training program I am only going to offer personalized online training. This fill focus specifically on skills training and player development. I will do giveaways to grow my social media presence and to create more interaction with players from around the country. 

    As I continue to grow and more of my time slots fill up, I am going to film breakdowns as suggested by the Saint Francis players. This allows players to learn directly from their own experiences as I provide insight from an outsider's perspective. The price for this will vary based on the length of the videos being sent in. Each video will be broken down within 24 hours of submission. 

    Eventually, I plan to grow my business to the point where I have other trainers working for me. This will allow me to positively affect and reach out to more players around the country. One day I plan to connect with trainers from many different countries and hopefully recruit them to join my team to reach a global client base. European basketball is way ahead of American basketball so this will not only add more players to our clientele, but will also provide for value for the other trainers and their players. 

New Market

1. The new market I will be targeting is athletes of all sports. 

2. There are two ways I could potentially add value to this market. One option is to have skills trainers of other sports work for the business and allow them to offer personalized online training to players of their sport. The other option is I can offer personalized athleticism training that will offer customized workout programs to any athletes based on their current weaknesses and strengths. This service will focus on teaching athletes the why behind each workout, so they will develop mentally as an athlete in addition to physical gains.

3. I interviewed two soccer players about this service. They both were much more interested in skills training for their sport rather than athleticism training. They explained that there is a lack of supply of soccer skills training which is what makes this online program so intriguing. They do not believe single-person training would be valuable enough for the usual price of individual training, so they suggested we do small group sessions instead.

4. I was very surprised about the lack of interest in athleticism training. Although I only interviewed two athletes, I assumed improving their athleticism would be much more important to them. After this interview I realized that many players enjoy getting better at their specific sport instead of their athleticism because the sport is more fun by itself. I do not think this will be the case for all athletes. 

    This market is just as intriguing as my current market. However, I do not have any knowledge on skill development in any sport other than basketball, so it may be a challenge trying to find trainers who are qualified enough while also seeking online coaching rather than in-person. 

    Eventually I can see my online personalized training programs to be available for any sport. Introducing this new market will allow me to positively affect more athletes than I previously intended. This assignment made me realize how important networking with coaches and trainers of other sports can be.  

24A- Venture Concept No. 1 (JC's Personalized Hoop School)

JC's Personalized Hoop School

The opportunity I am pursuing is a personalized online basketball training service. This opportunity comes from the lack of accessible training around the entire country. This unmet need of accessible basketball training is spread across basketball players of all skills levels and all ages. This is for players of any gender as well. Specifically, players in rural areas or low-income areas have the greatest unmet need for this because of the lack of nearby and affordable training programs. Currently, there is a pandemic caused by Covid-19 that enhances this need and even increases the amount of players with this unmet need. Most players do not have access to gyms and courts that they previously were able to use. Also, many trainers are not currently training there players right now due to legal or safety issues caused by this pandemic. Due to the length of this pandemic, the need to fine-tune and improve their basketball skills is increasing. This extended period of time also reduces the loyalty of players who were previously training with skills trainers in person. The current opportunity will last until there is a vaccine approved to use for the Covid-19. However, even after this pandemic ends (whenever that may be), this is still a very large unmet need for many players across the country or world. There may even be long-lasting safety concerns that keep the amount of people with this unmet need slightly inflated.

This service I am offering is radically innovative for the basketball training industry. I will be able to train players of all ages and skill levels across the world through video calls such as on FaceTime or Zoom. This means players are able to improve as a basketball player anywhere they would like, even directly in or outside of their home. Not only is the accessibility of this service innovative, but the personalized aspect of it is just as radical. Current training programs are tailored towards basketball players as a whole, rather than towards specific players or player types. This attention to detail will allow players' development to accelerate compared to normal training programs. Not only will this speed up and enhance their development, it also allows for a greater connection between the clients and I. Being able to address a player's needs and wants directly during a session will help create transparency that will allow the player to understand what my intentions are for improving their game. This allows me to find a balance between pushing the player out of their comfort zone and creating drills and games that they will find fun and enjoyable. As far as price goes, I believe it will vary depending on the length of the session the player selects. In the beginning I will charge $30 for a thirty minute session, $50 for an hour session, and $70 for a hour and a half session. This will encourage clients to purchase longer training sessions which gives me a greater opportunity to improve their skills which they will be able to more clearly feel and see. This encourages them to come back and continue using my service. 

As basketball continues to evolve, it is easy to fall behind in player development no matter how good a player currently is. Basketball players around the world are becoming aware of this which has greatly increased the demand for basketball training. By requiring no equipment and no specific location, this service allows any player with internet access the necessities to improve as a basketball player. The lack of supply in online training will lead players to pay for my service. The only competitors I will face are basketball training programs created by other basketball trainers. The weakness of these programs are that they are not personalized for the needs of specific players. Instead, they usually encourage random drills that will only fine-tune players' current skills rather than allow them to improve on current skills and develop new ones. Overall, the customer experience and ease of use and access are what makes up this business concept. Players will see greater results with this product than they would any other online program. Initially, I will have to do this by myself to profit and to ensure that players are receiving top-level training. As this business grows, I envision myself being completely booked for the entire week with more players inquiring about training. At this point, I hope to use my coaching and training network to hire other trainers that specialize in player development. 

My unfair advantage is my proven results and experience training basketball players. I have already trained basketball players of all levels, including children as young as five years old and professional players who play overseas. Having experienced training so many different types of players ensures that I can personalize a training program for any type of player to improve their game.

A potential opportunity later for my venture would be to offer athleticism training in the same form as personalized skills training. Being able to access and alter a player's workout program as it is happening is invaluable as it will prevent injuries and allow for maximum growth as an athlete.

In five years from now, I want to be training more players than anyone else in the country. The format of my service makes this entirely possible. I also want to have multiple trainers working under me providing the same service. Ideally, I will pass along my younger clients to these trainers while I work with the advanced high school, college, and professional players. 

23A- Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

1. Coaching Experience- This is very valuable because experience as a coach not only helps me make connections with coaches, but also allows for me to account for their needs as a coach of the players I will train. Overall, this is not very rare. However, for someone my age to already coach middle school and high school teams is rare. This is not inimitable but it will take many years to accomplish. This is non-substitutable because of the uniqueness of the job. 

2. Training Experience- This is extremely valuable because this experience shows I am capable of training top players and have had time to develop this skill. This is rare because of the talent level of players I have trained. This is non imitable but once again will take many years to attempt to accomplish. This is non-substitutable because this is the skill and experience needed to train. 

3. Sales Experience- This is a very valuable resource because without the ability to make a sale, your service is essentially useless. This is somewhat rare in this industry because most trainers only train players they have already coached or were recommended to them. This is imitable because all it takes is experience in almost any type of field. I would say this is non substitutable because of the necessity of making a sale. 

4. Personalized Training- This is extremely valuable because this ensures the clients receive the best possible results for their own playing style and development. This is extremely rare because most programs aim to train each player the same way. This is imitable, however, for whatever reason it hasn't been utilized by many trainers. This is non substitutable because this is what provides the most value to the clients.

5. Coaches and Trainers Network- This is extremely valuable because it is a way to gain more clients and to learn more about the industry and skills. This is somewhat rare because of the social capital needed to expand your network. This is imitable but it requires coaching or training at a high level. This is substitutable, however, no substitute can provide as much value.

6. Industry Experience- This is extremely valuable because it gives me great insight to what does and does not work in the industry. This is not very rare because any trainer can achieve this. I would say this is imitable because it only takes time and experience. This is non substitutable because any trainer will eventually need to gain this. 

7. Access- The ability to be able to improve your game anywhere is the most valuable resource I have. This is rare because most programs and trainers require equipment and a full basketball court. This is imitable, however, this has not been utilized yet by trainers. This substitutable but any substitute does not provide as much value.

8. Management Skills- This is very valuable when operating a business of any kind. This is not rare as most people can gain an opportunity to develop these skills. It is very imitable because of the many different opportunities to develop these skills. This is non substituable because without competent management, the rest of the business will not be able to operate effectively and efficiently.

9. Internship with Akii Dean- This is extremely valuable as he is the best player development coach in the country in my opinion. This is very rare because I am going to be his second ever intern. This is not very imitable as there is very limited opportunities working under such a well-respected trainer. This is substitutable but will take a much longer period of time to try to gain as much value as this will for me. 

10. Internship with For All Athletics LLC- This is valuable because it showed me the strengths and weaknesses of beginning a training business. This is rare because most start ups do not actively search for interns. This is imitable because almost anyone can reach out to start ups to work for very little or free. This is substitutable by just starting a business by yourself. 

The most important resource is the access of my service. Being able to train and help players grow anywhere across the world is extremely unique and creates a very large potential client base. There is not a substitute that is as easily accessed to improve one's game. Limited equipment required also is a part of this access that makes it accessible to almost any player. 

22A- Elevator Pitch No. 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOAByN6mxsc

The only feedback I received on my last elevator pitch was to address my audience at the end by asking them to set up a meeting. I found this very insightful and made sure to implement it in my next attempt. I did not feel much a difference between my second and third pitch. My confidence and pitch were almost identical between the two. This is most likely because I made a large leap between my first and second pitch. 

20A- Growing Your Social Capital

Akii Dean:

Akii Dean is the founder of Process Basketball Training located out of Tampa and Tallahassee, Florida. He played college basketball at Ave Maria University before beginning his training career. He currently trains top level high school players along with an abundance of college and NBA players. 

Akii is a domain expert in my industry. He currently owns a training company and trains players of higher levels that I would one day like to consistently train. Also, I would consider him an expert because of his experience playing and training. In addition to training current high level players, he helped develop Kevin Knox and Jonathan Issac from young ages into eventual top 10 NBA picks. 

I initially found Akii on Instagram because I follow a lot of basketball training accounts to grow my knowledge of the sport and industry. I had reached out to him a few times before through Instagram direct messages asking about specific moves or training techniques he was using in his posts. 

Akii has done a lot for me in a very short period of time. In addition to answering my questions about basketball specific training, he was able to give me feedback about a potential online training program. Additionally, I asked him if he would be potentially interested in having an intern work for him during the fall. We spoke on the phone a few days later where he hired me as an intern for the fall. The return for his feedback and internship is free labor. My internship will be unpaid meaning he will not have to spend anything for me to be there helping. I truly look forward to learning from him in this upcoming semester. 

Akii has a lot of power in the basketball training industry. He has a large network of high school, college, and AAU coaches he is connected with that respect his opinion. Also, many players around the country are becoming aware of his training ability so he has a large reach of potential customers for my opportunity.

Coleman Ayers:

Coleman Ayers is the founder and head trainer for By Any Means LLC. By Any Means is a basketball training company located in Washington, DC and Miami, Florida. In addition to training players in basketball he also trains players in athletic performance. 

Coleman is an expert on my market. Not only does Coleman train players in person, he has recently launched multiple online basketball training programs. These programs are specifically designed for certain player groups according to their skill level and position. While these are not as personalized as my potential training services, he is targeting the same market.

I found By Any Means Basketball on YouTube three years and have been following their content on YouTube and Instagram ever since. To reach out to Coleman himself, I messaged him on Instagram explaining to him my position and asking if he could provide some feedback on my online training idea. 

Coleman and I spoke through audio messages in direct messages on Instagram. He explained to me the pros and cons of trying to launch an online training program compared to in-person training. He recommended the best way to expand my market is to grow my social media presence. In return for his advice and feedback, he asked that I continue to support his content on Instagram and YouTube by liking and commenting on his posts and to repost anything that I believe my followers could benefit from. I plan to continue supporting his content because I truly believe it can help other basketball players the way it has helped me.

Establishing a connection with Coleman is very important because I think he is one of the top trainers in the country. The more I can learn from the mistakes of other trainers, the more I can focus on growing in other areas. This will allow me to grow my image and social media presence to expand my market. 

Coach Barnes:

Coach Barnes is a middle school basketball coach for the girls basketball team at Switzerland Point Middle School in Saint Johns, Florida. He has won two championships in his four years coaching there. He played high school basketball at Pedro Menendez High School in Saint Augustine, Florida.

It was very difficult figuring out what would be considered a supplier for a basketball trainer in their industry. I ended up deciding a school basketball coach could be considered a supplier because they have access to gyms and often recommend trainers to their players.

I found Coach Barnes through Terrance Singleton, the head basketball coach for the boys team at Switzerland Point Middle School. Coach Singleton was my middle school basketball coach and I have worked at multiple basketball camps for him for many years. I texted Coach Barnes explaining my situation and asking him if he would be willing to have a conversation over the phone. 

Coach Barnes gave me a lot of feedback on what he thinks about basketball training in general. He believes that most trainers do not understand player development and instead put players through randomized drills. For this reason he does not recommend his players to any specific trainers. His opinion on training helped me understand some of the challenges I might face trying to network with coaches. Establishing relationships with coaches is going to be crucial in creating a network of potential clients. He did ask that I help him out during the girls basketball camp next year that precedes the boys basketball camp that I usually work at. I plan to do this to grow my network and gain more experience training. 

Overall, I gained a lot of good experience practicing networking with other trainers and coaches. I did not have much experience doing this before so I definitely learned a lot. The more I talked about basketball in general at the beginning of the conversation, the more fluid our conversations felt. This is something that I will definitely use in the future. I also think that attending or watching the games and training sessions will help give me a better understanding of how they train and coach. 

17A- Elevator Pitch No. 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FYeGin2KrU

The only critique I received on my last elevator pitch was to try to improve the production. I thought this was a fair judgement because my last pitch was recorded in the corner of my bedroom while I was wearing a basketball shirt that was unreadable. 

Based on that feedback, I tried to improve the production aspect of the pitch. Although I'm rather limited on where I can film due to COVID-19, I believe I recorded in a room with a better background. I also wore a collared shirt for a more professional appearance. 

19A- Idea Napkin No. 2

Me: I grew up playing basketball all the time since I was five years old. Every level I played at I had a decent amount of success until middle school. In sixth and seventh grade I did not get the playing time I desired so I began training myself every morning before school then practiced with my friends after school. Over the last few years I have began training basketball players and coaching at the high school level. I was hired by a basketball training company and I have developed my skills as a teacher in training through training players of all levels. I have trained players from the youth level to the professional level. My main focus on teaching my players is player development rather than putting them through randomized drills. My business concept would occupy my entire life which is very exciting for me because I love developing my skills and my players' skills.

What am I offering to customers?: I am offering personalized online basketball training through Zoom and FaceTime to dedicated basketball players. This service is much cheaper and more accessible than traditional basketball training. Training can be offered in individual or group settings. Additionally, player development programs can be purchased according to the player's play style. These will be prerecorded programs that do not require live interaction. Examples of the programs include "Small Guard Program", "All-Around Player Program", and "Shooting Program."

Who am I offering it to?: I am offering my service to basketball players of any level that are dedicated to improving their game. Specifically, my target market will be athletes who have the desire to improve their craft without constantly needing outside motivation. Many of the players will be located in rural areas where there is a lack of affordable basketball trainers. 

Why do they care?: The customers will care because I have proven results of developing basketball players and they will want the same for themselves. After training with me for an extended period of time, many of my players have experienced their best season. Many basketball players are seeking their best season so my service will help them reach their goals. Additionally, I am in the process of training myself to become a college basketball player which will also attract customers seeing my training has worked on myself. 

What are my core competencies?: What sets me apart from everyone else is the personalized aspect of online training. This requires no traveling for the athletes either. There are many online training programs but they are all very generalized and do not take into account each player and their specific needs. Also, the personalized aspect of the online training allows me to make sure every player is challenged to enhance their development. 

I believe the format of my services work very well and is a complete program. The cost for these services will be very cheap because I will not have to pay for gym time, gym insurance, or travel expenses. My intellectual capital regarding basketball and the microskills of basketball are my strongest asset and I believe this provides me the best opportunity to use it. Overall, the feedback for this service has been very positive throughout this course. In my first idea napkin I did not consider the prerecorded programs, but I received lots of positive feedback on it when I mentioned it in later assignments so I added it this time. Marketing this service was the sole concern I received in the feedback, but I believe this will be rather simple by growing my social media presence. 

18A- Creating a Customer Avatar

The pictures above show two middle school basketball players.

The prototypical customer for my service are basketball players who realize that they have weaknesses in their game. For this assignment, I'm specifically focusing on younger players because they typically have more weaknesses and usually can identify when they have work to be done.

My prototypical customer is in middle school or is a freshman in high school and has either not made their school team or they did not receive playing time on it. They love to play basketball and play in many recreational leagues throughout the year. They live in a rural area or an area that has a lack of affordable basketball training nearby. 

My prototypical customer tends to do fairly well in school. This is due to their desire to be successful in whatever they are partaking in. Additionally, they have parents, or a parent, that truly wants their child to be successful and will do anything in their power to assist in that. 

What do I have in common with the customer avatar? I was this exact customer back in sixth and seventh grade. In sixth grade, I made the practice team at my school but I did not make the varsity team. In seventh grade, after being rezoned to a different school, I only got to play in about half of the games after making the team. I was a very good student but I was unsatisfied with my ability in basketball. 

I find these similarities to be very interesting. I believe the reason I became a basketball trainer is because I wish I had someone care about my improvement and development the way I care about my players.