Proof of Concept

by Ignacio Alvarez

After coming up with our idea for our project, one of the next stages of product development is the development stage.  During this stage, we will be testing various Bluetooth transmitters and adapters to make sure that there is communication between the guitar and the iPhone. Once we get proof of this, then we will outsource for the software application. This will be done concurrently with the business planning and marketing stages of product development.

Dr. Won, a wireless networks specialist here at Fresno State, has ensured our group that Bluetooth is the way to go as the communication protocol between the guitar and the phone. The guitar samples will roughly use up about a third of the total bandwidth of Bluetooth, making it more than enough to handle what our product is intended for.

At this point, we will be utilizing the A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) Bluetooth profile. A2DP is how stereo quality audio can be streamed from a media source (guitar) to a sink (iPhone.) After researching a little bit over the last couple of days, we will need to purchase a Bluetooth dongle for the iPhone in order for the A2DP profile to work with the iPhone. When the iPhone 3.0 comes out in a few months, it will have A2DP Stereo Bluetooth support without the need for the dongle. If all goes well, we should be able to hear raw guitar samples through the iPhone without the software program.  

Touring With The Band

 

guitar

TOURING WITH THE BAND

 

by Dalitso Ruwe

 

Have to admit, I felt it was going to be a daunting task when I was asked to coordinate a design workshop for our potential target audience for our product. Sure the folks at IDEO made it look easy when we watched their video in class but things often are different in reality than what we see on the screen. Nevertheless, I welcomed the challenge as an aspiring Social Scientist/Entrepreneur.

 

Using ethnography techniques I have been exposed to in class, Dr. Delcore and I were able to come up with three ideal prompts for our pilot workshop.  For the first workshop we solicited eight local musicians who are pretty well established in town and have been acquainted with each other either through a mutual friend or played at the same venue. As the attendees began to come in and converse about various projects they are all working on, I began to realize that whichever marketing guru ever said  “Your customers don’t know what they want” must have been in a closed room working as a “lone genius” trying to come up with the next best marketing idea.  Listening to the conversation going on in the room it was apparent that no one knows more about your product than your customers who interact with the product on a daily basis and often cover up  their frustration with the products by finding innovative ways to supplement what the original product lacks or go buy a different product.

 

A lot of companies are begin to realize that the only way to get customers to articulate their frustration is to conduct field work and have face to face interaction with consumers. Hence, more cross discipline methodologies are being practiced by a lot of Fortune 500 companies. As I eavesdropped on the conversations it was also clear that the workshop was an outlet for the participants to enhance their personal creativity as they bounced ideas off  each other about problems they are currently having with equipment and would invite the other participates to offer suggestions. The suggestions were loaded with a lot of witty satirical comments.  Almost like a friend’s status on facebook,  where everyone can comment back on and generate a long thread of dialogue and humor. The interaction helped set the mood for the workshop.  It helped to make the participants more open and receptive to the workshop.

 

The workshop took about three hours. Dave and I observed the attendees articulate, draw, and create new software or equipment to meet their needs. We gleaned a lot of insight about what some of the things musicians value in a product as well as what they hope to have to help them create better music.  With the knowledge that each participant had, our challenge was to stay objective as possible, but as well create a platform that was flexible and conducive towards creative and lateral thinking, generated ideas. 

 

Being a novice with musical equipment, I learned  a lot about what equipment works best and what doesn’t.  Most importantly that there is a sense of camaraderie between band members or fellow musicians due impart  to the fact that instruments  and equipment are an essential component in the relationship with fellow musicians.  Also that musicians are proud  of being proficient at playing their instruments well. Overall, the workshop went well.  We got a lot of inspiration and information that will be valuable when we begin to compress the data and begin to create a marketing campaign for the product. Stay tuned for the next blog on workshop design.

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“As with any discipline to become good you need first to learn the rules. To become great you need to break them“–Tim Hurson

Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning

By Donna V. Dizon

After a couple of weeks we have made a solid decision where we as a group are heading to.  We all took the task of being responsible for the business writing competition. We knew coming into this class we would develop an idea, and at the same time learned from the idea we are creating.  This idea would come to life with strategic planning we would all contribute to.

Elfego has helped us organized who is doing what and when it is due.  Dave has consistently making sure we are on top of our game and has given us an opportunity to observe his band to help us see how our project can and will help guitarist in the future.  I do believe everyone is given the chance to make sure we are all part of the project.

After breaking down what we needed for the business plan, we had an idea how much time we have and how far along we are at. By April 17, 2009, the first semi-final round of Business Plan Competition will be held.  If we make it through the first-round the Final round of business Plan Competition is on May 2, 2009.  After taking Josh Long Business Planning class, it has help me what I need to do, but if anyone doesn’t have an idea how to write a Business Plan, there are workshop provided by the Lyles Center teaching how to write a Business Plan. 

 

 

The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing

By Elfego Franco

 

Everyone at some point in their life has thought of the “next big thing.”   They usually never pursue it from more than just being a thought due to lack of knowledge of making it feasible and/or lack of resources.  In our Anthropology 138T/Engineering 1T class, with the guidance of Dr. Hank Delcore, we have been given the opportunity and resources to pursue a venture to market “the next big thing.”

Our class consists of a mix of entrepreneurship, anthropology, and engineering students.  The three disciplines bring essential knowledge from their distinctive fields to the table.  One would think that by having the three disciplines coming up with a product/service to promote would be an easy task.  This is where the brainstorming comes in.

Initially the “next big thing” was to create an effects pedal, used when playing guitar, which would be connected to an Iphone.  The pedal would then have the capability to be programmed in a manner to eliminate the use of several foot pedals.  The hardware would be marketed to the professional user as well as the novice user. 

Josh Long, who teaches a class on business plan writing at CSU Fresno, was a guest speaker to our class. The idea was pitched to Josh and he gave us some helpful advice as to what our potential market should be.  The advice helped the class to over haul the idea of creating a new type of hardware and marketing to professional guitar players to creating a new software application targeting the novice, occasional player.

By creating a software application, our team has the opportunity to target a much smaller niche and increasing the likelihood of producing “the next big thing.”

Did You Know!!!