Forming an Opportunity Belief: Assignment 4

As the world begins to adjust to a post-COVID-19 society, there are going to be many new opportunities. Something that has been impactful for me, even before the pandemic, is the lack of mental health resources available to a UF student. In 2019, about 20% of students were treated or previously diagnosed with depression. Telemedicine is a huge opportunity to help students see a mental health professional faster, safer, and more efficiently. If seeing/talking to a counselor was as easy as texting or calling a friend, more students would have access to the help they need.

 

Prototypical Customer 1: UF student that has tried to use the current on-campus resources

            This student has tried to see two different therapists on campus; both times she left unable to make a follow-up appointment. She first tried to go 3 years ago and then tried a second time 2 years ago. Not only are the on-campus resources meant to be short-term, but there is also a long waitlist to see a counselor—it could take weeks before the first triage appointment. This student gets anxious sitting in the waiting room with other students and would prefer more anonymity. After proposing my opportunity to her, she thought it was a great solution. Depression makes it hard to get out of bed. Having an app on your phone that allows you to chat with a counselor, would benefit more students and allow them to get the immediate attention and help they seek.

 

Prototypical Customer 2: Healthcare professional

            This healthcare professional is someone that has worked in this field and is familiar with counseling. He could potentially be a counselor on the app, and he believes there is an opportunity for telemedicine. Over the last decade, he has seen suicide rates among students rise. The need for virtual counseling is ever increasing, especially because of COVID-19 when students have gone home and perhaps have gone months without seeing their therapist. He proposed the problem that body language is helpful with a therapy diagnosis, but virtual resources such as calling or texting doesn’t allow for the visual cues in an appointment.

 

Prototypical Customer 3: UF student who wasn’t in Gainesville during spring 2020

            This student was working in a different state during the spring semester. She had never tried to use the on-campus resources because she had heard negative reviews. Instead she looked for counseling outside of UF and her parents paid out of pocket for her to see a therapist. She has been going to therapy for about a year; and when she was in Utah, her therapist continued to call and schedule appointments. She said the calls were awkward at first, but then she came to see them like any other session. Once she heard my idea of an app, she felt very excited about it and said she would love to see it happen for students.

 

Reflection:

This was pretty sensitive topic to talk about. It’s something that has impacted my closest friends and family. But I know there is a need for more mental health resources. The most surprising thing that I learned was the overall agreement that the opportunity exists for this type of telemedicine. Even if it’s not officially “medicine” and doesn’t offer diagnoses from doctors, having a counselor or “friend” that is able to chat with you on an app on your phone just like WhatsApp would benefit students and overall young people.

 

Summary:

            The original opportunity is definitely still there! Logistically, it could be challenging to figure out, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor. The feedback from the interviews was insightful and I was able to see some of the potential problems. Entrepreneurs should adapt their opportunities based on feedback to an extent, but they should also have the confidence to know when their idea is solid. It’s unlikely an entrepreneur is going to satisfy everyone or market successfully to everyone. It’s all about finding the right balance. Prototypical customer 3 posed the idea of having a video call option as well. Personally, I thought of this opportunity as a chance for students to talk to a counselor with no-makeup on, still in their pajamas, and laying bed. But there could be an option to call, text, or even video call—whichever the student prefers. Overall, I think this opportunity has the potential to save lives.