Idea Napkin No. 1: Assignment 11

 

1.    I am Chaplin Fertig, a fifth-year business student at the University of Florida. I also work at a ramen shop in Gainesville as the lead server. I have always loved working in the service industry because I love interacting with people—both coworkers and guests. I thrive in a fast-paced, teamwork orientated environment. I hope one to day own a few different businesses, but specifically my own restaurant. In my personal life, I have seen the direct effects suicide and poor mental health. The business that I have proposed in this class is something that I do believe would benefit any student. The resources on campus aren’t adequate for the quantity of students that need them. I believe that a more anonymous, immediate response when asking for help from a counselor or therapist is an investment worth pursuing.

 

2.    I want to create an app that connects students to a therapist or even just a “friend” whenever they feel the need to talk to someone. I’d be as easy as texting or video chatting with a friend: with just a few taps on your phone, you’re able to connect to a real person. While I am aware of the on-campus resources at UF, I don’t think they are sufficient enough for a top-ranking university. With rigorous course work and the pressure to excel, it’s paramount that UF students have a safe place to open up—even if it’s at 12 o’clock on a Friday night when other on-campus options are closed for the weekend.

 

3.    Initially, this app would be available to UF students: anyone with a valid UF ID. Incoming freshmen could use it as soon as they go to Preview. Our customers would have a huge range of things they would like to talk about: stress, anxiety, homesickness, previous traumas, sexual assault, and so forth. The customers will all have a need to have a safe outlet for their feelings.

 

4.    I don’t believe that students should have to pay directly for this app. I think it should be provided by the university that they attend. This is a valuable service because it could save lives. It could help students feel heard and understood. It wouldn’t be that expensive. I would hope that it would have some volunteer counselors and future medical professional students that want experience in the mental health field.

 

5.    This app would be so different than any other help that is currently offered on campus. It’s being able to talk to a neutral friend 24/7. It can be anonymous; I, personally, always hated waiting on-campus because I didn’t want to run into anyone that I knew. This allows people to find the right fit for them: video call, text, phone call, or even planning to meet for a cup of coffee!

 

I do believe that these elements fit together pretty well. For me, it’s a little harder to identify the customer. Is it the students or the college itself? But I do believe the students need to express to the college that this is something that they want/need. The logistics are a little muddy, but I am really passionate that this is something that is going to be useful for a lot of students.

Comments

  1. Isabella P.GJune 12, 2020 at 12:44 PM

    Hey Chaplin,
    I think the customer in this case would be the university since it is an app that would be sold to the Health Care Center to be used by their patients. I agree that the university should give greater options for mental health treatments, and your idea is great! I specially like how you mentioned that that volunteers and students in training could help with lowering expenses.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Morgan MoweryJune 12, 2020 at 2:45 PM

    Chaplin,
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas with us. I loved getting to learn a little bit more about you. What ramen shop do you work at? Crane Ramen? If so, I love that place. Anyways, I think the way you analyzed all your answers at the end to come up with a conclusion of your product/service was really well done. I think all of the elements that you discussed cam together really nicely and you gave your audience and readers a better understanding of why this makes sense for you to be selling.
    Thanks again for sharing,
    Morgan Mowery

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sophia PinedaJune 14, 2020 at 5:54 PM

    Hey Chaplin, I really love this idea. I think this would be used by many and students would be able to benefit from having a faster connection for their mental health. This problem, as you said, has been bashed in some cases, which makes it harder for some people to be open about going to seek help. This app would let everyone access the benefits and would help release the stigma behind getting help.
    Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Maria PivaralJune 15, 2020 at 12:17 AM

    Hi Chaplin, you did a really good job with this assignment! You described all of the elements really well and developed your points clearly. By the way you described each element it seems like they would fit together well. I think that the app idea you came up with is awesome! It would be user friendly and would be a great resource for different people. Great job, and thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jackson GoreJune 15, 2020 at 7:57 AM

    Hi Chaplin.
    I can tell from your writing that you are very passionate about this idea. I agree that mental health should be prioritized on campus as college can be a very stressful environment. I believe the customer could be either the university or the students, depending on who you would decide to charge. If you wanted to offer it to universities specifically, they could pay to use the app and allow all students to use it. Another option is to include it in tuition and students would be the customers. Overall, great work and thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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