Forming an Opportunity Belief

I believe there is an opportunity to increase the safety of individuals who feel endangered or harassed while walking home alone at night. In the United States, one in three women and one in six men experienced someform of sexual violence in their life. Finding an application or program that could enable that sense of self-defense or safety for these threatened individuals would be revolutionary. I know in the past there have been different smartphone applications, such as the Red Panic Button or Bugle app which have established alert systems for emergency situations. The idea is to create an application that can incorporate the alert feature while also provide tips and videos on how to prepare and subsequently a crisis or threatening situation before it actually happens. There are many in-person programs and YouTube videos that feature these self-defense and crisis handling methods, but if they were to be incorporated into an app it would make these preventive measures and safety protocols much more accessible. I believe there’s a 70% chance that this opportunity exists, especially with the media covering the prevalence of sexual violence and assault amongst women and men.

Interviewee #1: Young college female, early twenties (prototypical customer)

·      Have you ever experienced a sense of endangerment while walking home alone at night?

·      Yes, sometimes there aren’t any available lights in dark places where there should be. And even though it is a college campus, there is danger wherever we are.

·      How often do you have this fear when walking home alone at night?

·      Sometimes, depending on the time of day. The later at night it is, the greater fear I have.

·      What do you currently do to prevent that feeling of endangerment when walking home alone at night?

·      Walk faster, or try to find a buddy. I’ll try to have my phone and keys in hand as well.

·      Did you know that according to Gallup’s 2014 annual Crime Survey, 37% of U.S. adults feel unsafe walking alone near their home at night? How does that make you feel?

·      Wow, that’s kind of high. It’s pretty eye-opening and makes me realize that that fear is everywhere. It can target anyone.

·      Did you know that by gender, in the U.S. 45% of women and 27% of men do not feel safe walking alone at night? How does that make feel?

·      As a female, it makes me want to be more prepared when I am walking alone at night.

·      When did you first become aware of this fear of walking home alone at night?

·      My first year in college, as I am transitioning to live on my own, I realize there are more dangers I have to face.

·      Do you think having an app that featured an alert system but also included safety tips and videos on how to handle endangered situations would make you feel more safe and confident to walk home alone at night?

·      Yes, I think it would make me feel more knowledgeable and prepared for what I would need to do when I go walking alone at night.

REFLECTION: I believe this young college female was the ideal prototypical customer because she was quite outspoken about these fears and felt obliged to voice them. She has experienced that fear before and felt that having the resources to prevent that fear would help.

Interviewee #2: Young college male, early twenties

·      Have you ever experienced a sense of endangerment while walking home alone at night?

o   No, I have not.

·      How often do you have this fear when walking home alone at night?

o   Never, but I do fear rain and I fear dogs when walking home alone sometimes.

·      What do you currently do to prevent that feeling of endangerment when walking home alone at night?

o   Check the weather. I try to avoid questionable situations. I always have a mini flashlight on me or on my phone.

·       Did you know that according to Gallup’s 2014 annual Crime Survey, 37% of U.S. adults feel unsafe walking alone near their home at night? How does that make you feel?

o   No, I did not that know. People don’t always live in the best areas so it kind of makes sense.

·      Did you know that by gender, in the U.S. 45% of women and 27% of men do not feel safe walking alone at night? How does that make feel?

o   I would imagine the women’s statistic to actually be higher, about 55% if anything.

·      When did you first become aware of this fear of walking home alone at night?

o   When I moved out of my parent’s house, about 18 years of age.

·      Do you think having an app that featured an alert system but also included safety tips and videos on how to handle endangered situations would make you feel more safe and confident to walk home alone at night?

o   No, I do not think an app will do anything. I think you need physical changes such as a carrying a flashlight or avoiding dangerous places is the only way to go.

REFLECTION: This candidate has never truly experienced that sense of endangerment that our prototypical customer probably would. Their answers showed the lack of awareness around the issue in general. He has never been in a typical position of fear and found it a bit difficult to relate on something of the statistics as well.

Interviewee #3: Middle-aged women, mother of one child

·      Have you ever experienced a sense of endangerment while walking home alone at night?

·      It depends on the area I am in. But yes, I have felt that before. There were some times I was in a dangerous area, and it was pretty scary.

·      How often do you have this fear when walking home alone at night?

·      I don’t remember the last time I had that, since I do not put myself in those kinds of situations. When I walk alone around my community, I do not have that fear. It was some time ago when I felt that.

·      What do you currently do to prevent that feeling of endangerment when walking home alone at night?

·      I try to think positively, walk faster to get to my destination or maybe even run. Trying to think about something good to make the fear go away also helps.

·      Did you know that according to Gallup’s 2014 annual Crime Survey, 37% of U.S. adults feel unsafe walking alone near their home at night? How does that make you feel?

·      Oh my goodness, that’s pretty scary. I did not think that many people feel that unsafe to walk near their homes. I live in a safe community, it makes me feel surprised and shocked a little bit.

·      Did you know that by gender, in the U.S. 45% of women and 27% of men do not feel safe walking alone at night? How does that make feel?

·      I didn’t know the statistics, but being a woman it makes me feel more vulnerable. It makes me feel angry that women have to experience it more than men. Being a woman, this doesn’t make me feel good.

·      When did you first become aware of this fear of walking home alone at night?

·      When in I was in University back in Ukraine, there were a few times I had to walk home alone 5 km from my school to my house. I was about 19 years old.

·      Do you think having an app that featured an alert system but also included safety tips and videos on how to handle endangered situations would make you feel more safe and confident to walk home alone at night?

·      Maybe, but this technology is all around the world. How did we live before cell phones? But I guess since we live in times like these, the app would help.

REFLECTION: Although, this candidate was substantially older than the other two interviewees, the fear of walking home alone at night is still prevalent. There was some hesitation towards involving technology as a preventive measure (a very common denominator amongst the older population), but they were open to the idea and believed it might help.

SUMMARY:

I believe that there is a specific demographic this opportunity caters towards and due to that, the opportunity still exists. After interviewing three very different candidates, I believe this product may need some modifications for it to produce realistic results. Evidently, it may not be as accurate as I originally thought it would be. But through the proper research and marketing, the app could be put to good use and have some highly beneficial outcomes for these individuals. All in all, change is the most constant thing in life and therefore, being adaptable is the better trade-off than staying firm. Customers’ preferences are always changing and the world is changing too, we must continue to be perceptive to these changes and look at their trends.