When I think back to August 4th and see all that we've accomplished as a team until now, I can only say I am PROUD. We've definitely had our ups and downs as individuals and teams but we've been able to push through them and succeed. We've accomplished to establish a brand at school by starting our own business on campus, the first time any student or group of students has done this. Most importantly though, is that this semester has been all about learning. I've learned things not only about entrepreneurship and business, but also about myself. These 3 months have been very valuable regarding what I've learned about myself. First off, I like to learn in an environment of doing and applying theories into practice. I had never considered myself a hands-on learner but as theories got more complicated, I realized that I understood concepts better when I put them into practice. I knew this from previous experience but was able to enforce it this year, especially while reading The Lean Startup; having book talks and applying the theories talked in the book to Blendz, was a great way to actually learn things. This is valuable for me to know because it makes me realize what type of college I want to look for, a potential career path and future job. This also makes me realize why I was so interested in studying medicine and becoming a doctor and why I'm now interested in interior design. Another characteristic I've learned is that I am able to adapt in new situations. I have been in the IA for almost 3 months and I feel, as well as been told by my peers, that I've adapted well into the class and the culture. This surprised me because I was scared that I was not going to blend well due to everyone already being together for a year and knowing each other really well. Realizing this is valuable for me because rarely do I step out of my comfort zone; this was a perfect way to do that. In the future, I know that I shouldn't get as worried as I do about being placed into new situations because I know that I will be able to adapt. One last aspect I've learned about myself is that my reputation is different to what I think of me. For example, I have been told that I write well and that I have my own writing style which is not something that really considered because I never considered myself a good writer, let alone have my own writing style. This is valuable for me to know because I am very hard on myself and when I am told of what I do well it makes me realize that I might be doing better than I actually am. One thing I definitely have to learn is to be nicer on myself. Regarding Entrepreneurship, I think of Blendz. What I find the most valuable lesson I've learned this quarter is that we always have a level of uncertainty about what we're doing. This is due to the fact that we don't have a plan that we know already works and we go head-first into projects not knowing if things are going to turn out right or not. This is important for us to know because we have to learn to not be scared of doing things. If we know that we won't always know, then it's a way for us to have our own piece of mind. This will allow us to go into projects and ideas head-first, not caring so much about the outcome but more about the learning. Another concept that I've learned is that we make assumptions all the time. We made the biggest assumption that people want smoothies on-campus; then, that they would like certain flavors and not others. Many of our assumptions have turned out right but there have been others that have not turned out to be right. This is okay because when assumptions are turning out wrong more times than right, it is time to make the decision to pivot or persevere. Pivot or persevere, another important concept I've learned this semester. When the company is not growing and there is no more potential growth, it is time to pivot. This means change and it’s not something to be scared of. This is valuable because we have our own piece of mind knowing that if things don't turn out the way we want them to, then we have the total right and freedom to change our path. Lastly, I realized that there are different ways of organization that help us accomplish our projects. When we first started out, we were working in teams. We had the Marketing, Product Development, Finances, etc. At first, this was working out fine for us but eventually, we weren't being as productive as we could be so we changed into Project teams, meaning that we would work in projects such as set-up team, second prototype team, etc. Now, we are separated as Directors such as Director of Architecture and Building, Branding, Operations, etc; everyone is in charge of a specific thing that needs to get accomplished in order to create a successful business. These three months have definitely been a challenge to me because I am learning things as I'm doing, realizing what I know well and what not so well. In the past I have "learned" something and then had the knowledge tested during an examination and if you did badly, you failed. In the real world this is not going to happen beyond college, if that; we will learn things and be able to apply them as we go. We will learn things about ourselves and we will learn things about life. We will have room for failure but definitely more room for growth.
1 Comment
Corey Topf
10/26/2014 09:21:32 am
One aspect of the IA that has been the most powerful for me, has been how much more self-aware we all become when we're surrounded by the same people for such long periods of time. This blog entry proves that, as does this line: "I like to learn in an environment of doing and applying theories into practice. I had never considered myself a hands-on learner but as theories got more complicated, I realized that I understood concepts better when I put them into practice."
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Author"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." Archives
June 2015
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