24A - Alemora Tech.

Opportunity

The opportunity for this idea is pretty large. There is always a need for entrepreneurs to make better and more effective use of time. There are of course many applications out there that are great for organization and give a good template for what can help you be productive, however, very few of these platforms actually teach the user what the best strategies for organization are, or how to break up a task over time in an effective manner. I think that, with the use of AI and consultation from experts on organization and productivity, these points of lack can be improved.

Another large sector of potential opportunity is students. Students are bent on finding the most efficient ways to complete tasks and utilize a multitude of software to accomplish this already. This combined with the fact that they are willing and open to learn and aren’t stuck in their ways would make student a great market to go for. Study habits and time management are skills that are still being developed in this demographic  so, if the most optimal method of organization is taught to students in a piece of software that they already use, I can’t see a reason they would return to the method they previously took advantage of.

The need of better organizational services is rooted in a lack of knowledge. You can provide the greatest tools in the world, but if the user doesn’t understand the best way to utilize what is given to them, the effectiveness and potential value that was envisioned by the creator of the product is lost. I hope to use artificial intelligence in the creation of this product to provide two things: a tailored instructional experience and an automated task creator/ manager. 

The forces in the current tech, cultural environment right now that have contributed to the creation of this opportunity are a focus on efficiency and a boom in the field of artificial intelligence. There is such an abundance of resources and opportunity in this climate that some sort of tool that can take the best elements of all existing platforms would be useful. Additionally, to utilize the learning power of technology is almost an essential element in modern tech ventures: the capacity for understanding and adaption shouldn’t be kept to the limits of the human mind.

The market of machine learning and my specific idea is interesting in that it has very few boundaries. Organization is an issue that pervades everyone, regardless of industry or location, and with the large reach that tech has, a product that could help fix this issue would be applicable and make sense in countless places. The use cases of this kind of product are innumerable and would definitely bring value to me so I could see it doing the same for others.

Innovation

The product is a user friendly mac/ desktop/ mobile app in which your time can be scheduled, tasks can be organized and ideas can be recorded. Information can be imported or synced from most all other calendar/ organizational platforms and will integrate with this new software seamlessly. The software will be formatted in more of a game-like structure than that of a typical program. Along with the features listed, you will have a virtual companion who, while one goes through their day to day use cases, learns and configures the platform to the most efficient use of the user. If one feature is used a disproportionate amount more than another, it will be the first thing to show up to the user, if the calendar is used a lot more that the note taking feature, that is what will end up having the most screen time by default, Additionally, suggestions will be made to the user after regular use as a way to boost productivity. There could even be a suggestion section where events, websites or any content that seems related to the user’s habits or could increase productivity will go. There is a lot of ideation that can go into refining this idea but the end goal is to really make the product seem “smart”. 

The key to bringing this idea to consumers will be marketing. I plan to have a slow onboarding process at the beginning, offering the software free of charge to influencers and popular names in the local startup community. Once those relationships are established and the increasing power of influencer marketing is taken advantage of, the product will become available to consumers, with a price tag of between $10 and $30 a month. I understand that there are plenty of products that can do the same types of things for free but with the co-sign of successful entrepreneurs and influencers, the temptation to try it out will be evident. This same worry was had by products like monday.com but they have a similar business model that has made them into one of the most profitable pieces of team management software available on the market.

Venture Concept 

Currently the competitors are companies like Trello, the Google ecosystem, Notion etc. None of these competitors, however, have fully taken advantage of the possibilities available with artificial intelligence. Even google, arguably the most recognizable company ever made, hasn’t really implemented the concept of machine learning into their calendar/ organizational structure.

In order to organize this business I would utilize a few strategies. Firstly, and probably most importantly, I would take advantage of the fact that I live in a college town. Plenty of students are willing to work for free as interns to get experience and have great ideas and insights regarding what could be done to make the product more applicable to what their life is like. I would start off with a small team of people that I am already acquainted with: building company culture is one of the largest priorities at the beginning of a venture like this. 

Minor Elements

The most important resource that will be possessed by the members of the venture will be our network. Already having such great access to resources and people in gainesville like my friends working at companies such as ApexTek, Charlotte AI, Sharpspring and Chromatic Games will allow me to not make as many mistakes during the initial stages.

The next for the venture is incorporating more software that works seamlessly with the initial product: maybe a POS system or finance software, something else that can bring value.

As an entrepreneur I want to create great products and businesses with the user in mind. I hope to create several branches of my software company, specifically relating to art and the promotion of artists. This venture will give me the confidence and experience to get there.