Assignment 4A – Forming an Opportunity Belief

There is still an unmet need with teens and adults drinking alcohol and then driving

while intoxicated. Everyone is affected by this need, whether it’s the intoxicated driver, the people in the car with them, or the people who crash against them. This need has existed ever since vehicles were made. Over the last decade it has become of much more importance due to the death rate increase caused by impaired driving.

For people who get caught drinking and driving they get arrested or receive a ticket for driving under the influence, DUI, on their record. There is a machine that exists for those who have had multiple DUI arrests that gets put in your vehicle. It contains a breathalyzer attached to it where you have to blow into it in order for you to be able to start the vehicle. If the machine signals that you have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or over you will not be able to start the vehicle. Therefore, you cannot drink and drive or get a DUI or DWI, driving while impaired. I firmly believe this machine should be installed into every single vehicle, whether it be a car or motorcycle. I’m 70% sure that this opportunity exists.

1.     Male, 42

·      Have you ever driven while buzzed or drunk due to alcohol?

o   Yes

·      Do you realize that there is a great danger in doing so?

o   Yes

·      Do you feel the need to drive yourself home or to any location after drinking? Why?

o   No, I don't feel the need. I feel it's dangerous.

·      When did you first become aware of “drunk-driving”?

o   After a friend got killed when I was in my 20s.

·      Are you doing anything to prevent impaired driving? If so, what?

o   Encouraging others to use Uber or call a friend

·      What do you think society is doing to help prevent any more deaths from occurring due to this unmet need?

o   Creating stiffer penalties that are therefore decreasing fatalities.

REFLECTION: Even at an older age there are still people that assume they are ok and drive themselves home. Accidents happen most when you least expect them. This customer had a close-call while driving intoxicated and has never driven himself again. Instead he calls an Uber or has family drive him and his wife.

2.    Female, 21

·      Have you ever driven while buzzed or drunk due to alcohol?

o   Yes

·      Do you realize that there is a great danger in doing so?

o   Yes

·      Do you feel the need to drive yourself home or to any location after drinking? Why?

o   No, there is always an alternative way.

·      When did you first become aware of “drunk-driving”?

o   Middle school

·      Are you doing anything to prevent impaired driving? If so, what?

o   No, I’m not.

·      What do you think society is doing to help prevent any more deaths from occurring due to this unmet need?

o   Marketing and Commercials/Advertisements to help spread the word on the dangers associated with drunk driving.

REFLECTION: I feel that these responses are very common for those who are in college at the moment. It is such a common act and many fall into peer pressure. This customer was not aware of the machine that detects whether you are over the drinking limit and agrees it should be installed in any kind of vehicle. She knows many people that do drink and drive on a regular basis.

3.    Female, 25

·      Have you ever driven while buzzed or drunk due to alcohol?

o   No

·      Do you realize that there is a great danger in doing so?

o   Yes

·      Do you feel the need to drive yourself home or to any location after drinking? Why?

o   No, because I know there will always be another way to get somewhere that does not involve me driving intoxicated.

·      When did you first become aware of “drunk-driving”?

o   When I was 15 years’ old

·      Are you doing anything to prevent impaired driving? If so, what?

o   Yes, but when I'm with my friends. I won't let them drive if they've been drinking and I'll call an Uber if neither of us can drive.

·      What do you think society is doing to help prevent any more deaths from occurring due to this unmet need?

o   Increased promotion on social media, Budweiser commercials (the one with the dog left at home) and increased media awareness in general, more awareness in schools (D.A.R.E), creating car services such as Uber, Lyft, and Gett

REFLECTION: After speaking with this customer you realize the different perspectives that one has at just a few years out of college. I still think the machine is very important even for the new apps that involve someone driving home for you such as Uber, and Lyft. Those drivers could have been drinking as well and you wouldn’t know.

SUMMARY:

I do believe the opportunity is still there, but I do think there is a portion of society that will not agree with this machine because they either do not drink at all or will think it is very time consuming when in a hurry to get somewhere. Some people feel they can handle this need on their own, but they do not realize there is still a high percentage of deaths a year due to this crisis. I feel like it can go both ways. In order for it to work, the machine needs to be tested on the average community. It has worked with those who have DUI’s, so why wouldn’t it work on the rest of society? Entrepreneurs definitely must take into consideration the customer’s feedback. How else would a product / opportunity work? In order to succeed and make something better, you need positive and negative feedback. If entrepreneurs were to “stay firm” then products would never satisfy the majority of the community that is interested in it.