Final Reflection



1) The highs of this class were probably in the material itself. The lectures were full of valuable information. The books we were able to choose from for reading reflections were also great, and I learned a lot from the ones I chose.  I probably learned the most through the process of developing a business idea versus seeking an opportunity to fill an unmet need. The lows for me were the interviews. Every semester I have at least one class that requires me to do interviews and I always dread them. This class had more than others I've had in the past, and it was sheer dread every time. I think the elevator pitches were I experienced the most drudgery, but also where I could see my own improvements the best.  
2) I think my most formative experience was at the beginning of the class. I started with a restaurant concept, but as I looked through future assignments, I could see that I would struggle with that concept. There are already plenty of restaurants in my area, so opening a new one does not meet a need. When I finally thought of the business incubator, I felt very accomplished. I did end up finding out that there was already one technology incubator, but I still feel like I stumbled upon an opportunity to fulfill a need in my community.
3) I do think I have moved closer to an entrepreneurial mindset. I was already a small business owner, and I will definitely own and run small businesses in the future. I always thought when I opened my brick-and-mortar that I would stay there and run it until I retire. After this class, I'm not so sure! I might be a serial entrepreneur who sells businesses to open new ones.  
4) I would recommend working ahead as far as possible in this class. Most assignment are short and just require some deep thinking about your business concept. The most daunting assignments are the interviews because they require you to depend on the cooperation of others for your grade. Start at the very beginning by finding out which weeks you have interviews due and start looking for candidates on day one. That way, when you are two months into the semester and drowning, you already have interviews lined up or, even better, completely done. To foster this work-ahead mindset you must work on this class every day (weekends, too, so you can do your peer reviews!).  

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