VRIN vrin vrin vrin... Anybody? No One Likes the Pun Titles?

With the resources at hand, we must figure out what the best resource is! so without further ado, a non-exhaustive (but possibly exhaustive) list of "unfair advantages.

1. Capability: online marketing access

With anything that would be sold on the internet, there is the need to understand markets. With my secondary passion being privacy and anonymity, I have research and experience with non-surveillance marketing demographics tools and networks, which helps with brand image and overall safety of consumers. 

V: Online marketing skills are definitely of high value in general, while my skillset is still rudimentary more intense work throughout the process of creating the business can heighten that skillset to higher levels.

R: Online marketing has become democratized with the simple access to tools like GoogleAds and other means, but the nuance and rarity comes from stepping outside of the normal mold and keeping anonymity and privacy a priority will add to it.

I: The process and skill of online marketing in today's market is highly imitable, so there is little advantage with this that can be taken care of.

N: The skillset of online marketing is also substitutable considering it also falls under the same category for inimitable, which will be a connection that is hard to break or handle.

2. Social Capital: Personal relationships

V: The friendships I have with amateur photographers, high school friends going to school for photography, up and coming models and social media celebrities can be of extreme value when tapping into the reach of exposure to the markets and new consumers.

R: The fact that these people have limited interaction with other people, had the same high school and produced close connections is extremely rare to have some of these links and having them can be huge upsides.

I: technically friendships are imitable as making friends isn't a limited supply issue but the people who are the friends are indeed inimitable, so the resource follows through with it.

N: Again, technically the personal relationships and friendships are substitutable in that i don't need the specific friends to try and reach out to new consumers, but the connections those people have themselves across the market is not substitutable by any means.

3. Social Capital: Mentorship

V: Having someone of professional background in photography, the chances of reiterating ideas and designs with them as well as market knowledge and general guidance is crucial for many businesses and I am lucky to have someone with that skillset so close.

R: Photography is a niche and somewhat difficult world to penetrate, and while my mentor is not the best connected having that point of view of someone actually in that world is more than any rarity that can be done individually.

I: The personal knowledge and experience that a mentor can have is impossible to recreate oneself, and the chance of imitating that in a skill intensive and technical world is also nigh impossible to take off as well.

N: The chance for substituting a mentor is possible, the experience, skills and knowledge may not be the same but they could be equally as valuable if of similar strengths.

4. Social Capital: Market Movers and Makers

V: Having the knowledge of what consumers are buying and selling from actual distributors can be an effective marker of product being a fan favorite or not reaching the right crowd. The connection to resellers and distributors can also be effective in helping figure out proper pricing of items to make sure profitability for myself and other sellers who may pick up my product can stay in the green.

R: With markets getting more diverse, there is more people going into distribution to meet demand and make profits, but having close ties with one willing to talk about the business and product can be beneficial and rare to acquire. 

I: I could become a market mover myself, the level of initial investment is not actually that high. The expertise of those who are already product movers, however, is indispensable. 

N: Again, the fact that these people have their own experiences that are near impossible to replicate makes for the non-substitutability, but the fact still remains there can be other people who replace the role of distributors and market movers.

5: Financial Capital: actual capital

V: The initial amount of investment is slowly shrinking in size compared to potential returns of investment, but the more there is the more room for flexibility. The credit that my parents helped me build up can allow for fairly sizable amounts of credit, which with proper guidance and meticulous work can produce a plethora of product, marketing and consumer recognition.

R: Capital and ways to acquire it are not difficult, but pre-established means that do not require heavy hoops like loans or donations can be great for the beginning of a company.

I: There are others who would also have strong credit scores, but considering there is a need of history for credit to be built up to strong levels, credit is slightly less inimitable but still possible.

N: There are assuredly other ways to amount the capital needed to start production of a company or product line, and in the case of credit there isn't much advantage it could provide alongside other means that make more than marginal differences in the choice.

6: Human Capital: Packing and Shipping experts

V: Having worked in the shipping industry at a UPS Store, I have been learning and practicing proper packing standards and average cost estimates for different services and distances and how to maximize variables as well as have helpers who can pack for me.

R: While several stores can offer packing services and assistance, the personal relations I have with the store as well as the experience my mentor and boss has with the industry is still vital with how shipping can be done effectively for low costs.

I: The only inimitable part of the UPS Store connection is My boss' history in the industry, the certification of packing standards and help can otherwise be copied throughout several stores or myself individually.

N: as similar to the inimitability, the rest of the assistance and certification in packing can be substituted unlike the knowledge my boss has.

7. Financial Capital: Current Job

V: There is value in hard work, sure. Minimum wage, while not graceful, can help with supplementing initial costs but can easily be upgraded to higher pay work.

R: Current employment is at an all time high with unemployment ranging between 3.8-4%, but there is still demand for minimum wage work so the rarity of it is nothing special.

I: Any employment can essentially be replicated elsewhere to fund any initial costs, and higher pay workers have their own unfair advantage in the amount per hour they make.

N: The open market of jobs is more competitive than ever, so substitutability will be somewhat difficult if I would lose my job.

8. Capabilities: Video editing

V: Creating video content for any social media presence can be a powerful tool for marketing or brand presence, so there is guaranteed value in the ability to self produce videos.

R: The capability to be a video editor are low as the process can be learned by anyone, but the personal perspective and connection to the product and the message can be rarer than simply hiring an editor for a stock professional video shot for the product.

I: As with the learning tools being so open to everyone to learn all sorts of online skills, the ability to be a video editor can assuredly be replicated.

N: The market for video editing is saturated with the demand growing from sectors like up and coming Youtube or online video production companies seeking new hands, making the chance of substituting the work and delegating it to someone else is just as feasible and economical.

9. Human Capital: Test subjects for feedback

V: while similar to having relationships to people who are into photography on multiple levels, the value of having others who are also similarly experienced to give feedback alongside mentors and competent as well as photo incompetent people can give constructive and well rounded feedback.

R: The access to market testing isn't rare, but the personal connections and in person interviews and feedback can be a marker for greater response and constructive comments for the sake of supporting my venture.

I: the ability to market test is much easier for larger corporations who can fund entire marketing teams means there is a definite advantage for others to replicate the testing.

N: The substitutability of market testing is meant to be a marker of how well product does across different demographics, so it cannot be considered a meaningful factor in the VRIN analysis in my opinion.

10. Social Capital: My School <3

V: Higher education is still a valuable factor for the development and networking it can provide, no matter the background or major as well as provide resources that previously would've been impossible to compensate for altogether.

R: with the competitive nature of college applications, and the nationwide competition for the best students, the rarity of college entrances can still be rare for the program one may be interested in.

I: With the available options across the country, there is the ability to get a higher education in general, but the exact personal networking and environment can never be fully replicated anywhere else.

N: The substitution for higher education is a risky but also rewarding process, which inevitably comes down to ow one dedicates and works with their time in cultivating the proper skills to enter the world and create whatever product or art they can.

The conclusion? It's probably who you know.

With all these resources in mind, the most well off idea is ideally the relationships and friendships with people who consistently work with photography as this is where my focus and product is targeted towards. The personal connections and tradeoff of opportunity leaving both people better off can be a major boon for both my acceleration to new consumers and with my friends being at the forefront of photography as well as possible free product for the help of promoting it.

Oceans... What Number Are We On?

1. F, 53, over 20 years in freelance photography: The Brains (domain expert)

F has been around the world of photography for longer than I have been born, and his knowledge of tech both old and new is quite impressive. We have conversed on occasions before this as he is related on my mother's side of the family and he was even so gracious as to gift me with an old DSLR of his that he was willing to part with since he was upgrading. We have gone over the necessity of the camera lens quality and durability, and how the current quality of camera phones having a place in being competitive choices as is. Through engaging with his endless curiosity of photography I gain the vital marks of an avid lover of cameras and what are important vectors of targeting in the build and capture quality. With this connection, getting the seal of approval on prototypes and even betas of the product would be great signals of being on the right track.

2. K, 18, extensive Amazon salesman: The Brawn (market expert)

This connection actually came tangentially with my work at a UPS Store right now. (Highly recommend a job in an active store for the wealth of box owners and their specific field knowledge). Being an Amazon reseller he knew the ins and outs of how the online sales process worked, and how certain market products move due to industry or demand changes. Being a worker at the store helping out with pickups of product that are held there, we would converse on the topic and he would give me the details of account setup and common practices for increasing reach and market prominence, slowly yet steadily. With his experience in online sales, his expertise and consulting over marketing and placement can help make or break marketplace presence and prestige.

3. The Supplier

Unfortunately, due to the demand at work at the UPS store I'm currently working at, the chance of establishing direct connections with product suppliers has proven the most tedious and unfruitful at the end. My foot in the market is still one that is unknown, but the accrued knowledge may be enough to create an opportunity with suppliers who may want to join early to get first mover advantage. Until then, I am still on the hunt for a supplier.

The time is - maybe not now? 

The act of targeted networking is one that feels paradoxical: when attempting to explicitly network the connections never feel strong enough to follow through on, yet when experiencing a connection over a topic that networking opportunity becomes much easier to establish and act on as there is a personal rather than professional rapport. Considering I have not done a full networking event for the sake of professional connections, there is no real source of comparison, but I can say that the personal connections I have made over the years prove there is worth in seeking other's help in a more meaningful, connective way.

I Ran out of Napkins, Will Paper Towels Do?

1. Who I am

I am a sophomore at the university of Florida studying Journalism, with experience in photography through casual means as well as amateur work with DSLR cameras. I have a solid grasp of Youtube policy and media dissemination for the pursuit of creating a media presence, as well as the editing capabilities to bootstrap video production until all aspects of the business can be streamlined. My aspirations with the business are to create a strong video and social media presence with creating videos and reviews that help further accessibility to new photographers or hobbyists seeking to record their crafts and create a vital part of the supply chain of photography and video products that are both inexpensive and valuable enough for even professional photographers to justify its use. I would see this business and product propelling me to being a voice in the photography community and allow me more personal and business connections with idols and industry leaders.

2. What to offer

The main offering will be a collection of inexpensive and technically proficient camera lenses that can be attached to smart phones to increase focus quality and pixel focus. A secondary service alongside the primary product is creating a social media and video presence on hosting sites like Youtube to become a source of knowledge and to promote the primary product.

3. Our target

The perfect target to put our product in the hands of would be up and coming social media models and photographers, ages 17-25, ranging both genders and focusing on tailoring experiences to how photography and video are shared through major apps like Instagram, Facebook and more niche communities like VSCO. From establishing ourselves amongst new faces in the sphere, we can gain traction amongst followers of these models and influencers and spread to more generic circles that create concentric waves across different fields and find different communities hat re not primarily targeted but could benefit from quality access to photo/video tools, an example being field researchers. 

4. Still, why us?

In the case of the secondary service, the natural interest in photography drives focus to voices of the industry for guiding through the muck. With establishing authority with reviews, technical guides and all forms of education on subjects or processes the advertisement revenue system will reward quality and expansion. In the case of the primary product, providing an alternative to expensive camera options with a similar level of quality that is even more convenient than some bulky systems renowned for their pillar in the industry.

5. What's the dividing line?

I have been establishing myself with online vendors to understand the full process of online sales, storage with fulfillment centers and some services that can connect me with producers to create mass batches to help bootstrap the initial sales. I have the advantage of my father helping build my credit while I was younger, allowing me to have the financial credit records to be able to drive the initial capital all by myself before trying to expand investment, allowing me full control of the beginning stages of production and sales to create the company that I envision before I open up to the market if I even want to get bigger in the industry.

While I understand more of the market and what some photographers and social media users may be interested in, the overall aspects of these different markers all seem to slide into each other fairly well. The synergy of being in the midst of high school friends and college acquaintances who are avid social media names, the knowledge of market connections and drawing the lines between different groups tat would take part in the market culminate into an all-around business idea.

re: The Memo

The biggest change from feedback is moving away from creating my own site at the start. The initial setup requires media attention before any landing page of the knowledge can take place. Creating video and written materials can be more encompassing but the strain at the very start can be too much to possibly derail the quality. The second feedback change is implementing my own work in some aspects of the workflow, including my own class experience in creating video and editing software familiarity.

Pavlov's Customer: Ring Them Up and Sell

With the understanding of how the demographic I am targeting responds to approaching the market, it now comes to understand how they will picture competitors and the tradeoffs that come with features that others provide at their price point.

For the sake of brevity I will be condensing and clarifying conversations as to not be weighed down by entire transcripts.

J: Male, 17, High School Senior, photo hobbyist at best, occasional selfies at worst

J has had little experience in the process of purchasing anything related to photography equipment, but is definitely an online shopper and consumer of online content. He is partial to online video content and understands how to navigate online consumer guides and reviews. When offered several options for cameras, ranging from the cheaper options like digital hardware cameras, more advanced automatic digital automatic cameras, bridge cameras which include some manual mirror reflection combined with digital collection and DSLR which are the most competent consumer option for quality to price, he was most averse to price even with the level of quality. By providing an alternative for the quality that works with an already sunk price of a smartphone, there was steady interest in what the quality could provide given the costs, but aversion this time was centered around lack of knowledge of the product. His main form of research would be preliminary search engine queries, coupled alongside a quick survey of youtube videos of comparison videos. There was a lack of complete authority in how to properly compare different systems, and relied upon a synthesis of different sources of varying degrees of quality and information. the biggest regret would be to misinterpret technical explanations of differences and to sink a purchase into a product that doesn't facilitate its own use and is disregarded soon after purchase.

E: Female, 20, College student, attending art school with passion for photography

E is an incredible artist in her own right with her photography blowing me away constantly. With her dedication to her art inclining her to focus on quality and consistency, her perspective as a young photographer is insightful for those who value the quality that larger price tags entail. When comparing the different options between digitals and zooms and bridges and the DSLR, she already has purchased a DSLR and still considers them the best option for quality to dollar ratios. When exposed to another alternative with the inclusion of more inexpensive pieces meant as additions to a sunk cost like a phone, she expressed an interest in what it could mean from a photographer's perspective to try and make quality more accessible and portable. Considering her background in photography spanning early in her high school years, she understands the technical meanings and breakdowns of the hardware, and could synthesize what would be beneficial for her work or recreation. Her more prevalent regrets include lack of knowledge on her purchases or impulse buys that may not have been accurately assessed and have just been emotional rather than pragmatic.

J: Male, 20, College Student, Not a photographer but loves taking photos 

J is a great well rounded guy, being a former student athlete in high school and always intrigued in everything. His personal curiosity also allowed a shift in perspective with being open to all options without placing too much weight on a certain factor and is more malleable  to hearing out different perspectives. When going through the options, his lack of technical knowledge does not stop him from seeing each camera as unique and valuable in its own right, and would agree the level of interest he has and what he would expect of it in the future combined with the long term investment of the cost would be the two largest criteria for the choice of camera. His main form of research would be a mixture of web searches and asking the opinion of other friends who are experienced themselves in photography for further knowledge and even hands on trials with various cameras. When given an alternative in the attachments for a phone, his interest was similar to all other pieces. his main aversion is finding a camera that seems interesting but limits the chances of learning about the process and craft of photo taking, which means even our phone attachment can face scrutiny should it be limiting in what it offers.

After the collection of all this data, the most I can take away is the best way to consolidate the value of the product as well as become a major figure in such a cutthroat industry is to both provide quality gear that can give enough functionality to the user as well as create informational breakdowns of all products and features on the market and possibly help set standards for non-expert users to be able to comprehend and feel more confident in their purchases to mitigate that possibility of feeling like one lost their money or purchased something that was not what they had in mind. This segment as a whole feels like a success, mainly with honing in on what could possibly be the source of one of the most struggling processes in the entire time: the sale.

Tenacity: How? Who? Me? You?? And Now The Weather

Heres the thing about tenacity. It's such an enticing feeling to think you can attain, but the second you feel that being out of your comfort zone is too much to handle, which will happen every time, you will want to retreat to the comfort of the known. Many would say that going back is what weeds out those with tenacity and those who may still be afraid to try and put themselves on the line for something they believe. I always take issue with the idea that you have to go into the unknown to innovate. Innovation can always be found outside of the realm of what one can understand, but some of the most innovative ideas I would dare to state are actually closely linked to the known space of knowledge. Artists innovate the best when in the realm of art, scientists innovate the best when exposed to the processes and logical progressions of life, and we can innovate in our lives by getting to the root of what may be the pain points in our lives. It is with self reflection that enlightenment comes, and innovation is as much an inward as an outward process.

One trick to really keep with the work of the class is to just find inspiration in the things you love. Are you hundreds of videos into a vlog and realize they are all connected because they reflect the aspects of living as a minority voice in the culture and society you live in that you are a part of? Bring your voice into the fold too. Are you cutting corners trying to pay for a new camera? get into the nitty gritty of how they are built and create your own design for a cheap camera instead and hell maybe you could even sell the model too.

To be more practical, I'd recommend a journal. An honest, physical journal that you write everything you can into. Schedule your day, make time for something and it will be done before you know it. You can dictate how fast or slow the day goes and how much is done, you just need to keep track. its okay to skip a day or miss a weekend, but always try your best to keep in touch with your time.

My own tenacity is a dreadful mixture of anxiety, procrastination, a fear of failure and knowing I'm too deep to say no to what I'm already doing. But the biggest factor is being able to just look at the day and laugh through the fears and hesitations. The one thing that really helped me break through is knowing how putting my words down on paper or on type like right now will be a huge advantage in getting me to actually sit down and write what I want to write and what I may need to write.

for those who like TL:DR's, here is your TL:DR:

1. Make every day have a purpose. Fulfill that purpose. If you overachieve, be happy. If you achieve just the goal, you made the day count. If you didn't, reflect on what you did learn and what you can do with it to help your goal further down the line. Every moment is a learning moment, you just need to take account of it.

2. Laugh. Really, find laughter in everything, make jokes and make time for merriment. the more you find joy in life, the more you can do mundane work and see it as a chance for focus and more possibility for fun.

3. Learn that you are responsible. No matter if you were taught incorrectly, misheard the guidance given or acted on the behalf of another, learn that you are the agent for all that has occurred. You may feel others are at fault but you should be ready to take the blame for all the mistakes. If you can be okay with the idea of total failure, nothing will stop you from making mistakes for success. I still struggle with this tip, but its one I dare not live without.

In Posthumous Reading of Shoe Dog

For the unaware of the underground-now-mainstream world of shoe culture, the presence of Nike is one of a Titan in the room. Considering the origin story of Phil Knight and his dream of making shoes the next big thing way back in the day is a story filled with some of the most uphill luck anyone can wish to accomplish, but with the tenacity to buckle down and just push through every missed opportunity to make sure he kept surviving for the next battle.

What surprised me the most about Phil was just how much the beginning of his struggle is so relatable. The internal struggle with trying to achieve something respectable, the measure of success by his father, compared to his own dreams of achieving more in a not so respectable field. The bootstrapped beginning of trying to sell by himself from the back of his own car, meeting with those who he knew from his past, barely struggling to meet each milestone needed to get to the next obstacle he would come across.

The thing I most admired about Phil is his almost candid nature about how some things just fell into place for his success. It wasn't that he was surrounded by pure luck, but that he always seemed to be at the right point to take hold of an opportunity when he saw it and drive it forward into his next goal and break his record every time. It isn't an innate skill, nor a skill that requires thousands of hours honing but one that comes with a fundamental trust in your instinct to thrive with whatever comes your way.

With that admiration comes some admonishment. The one point of least admiration is Phil's take on justice, fairness and on the idea of sides and enemies. There are formalities that are respected, like cultural norms of running business that you can get away not following, like keeping major heads o your office all CPA's and still getting design and marketing done. But there is a point where fairness and justice take too much weight on the self, especially when dealing with the antitrust case in the 1980's over the Treasury's retroactive import bill. Constantly rejecting settlement offers when you feel like you are completely in the right is understandable but also unfair to the sides of the negotiation that may have been in the wrong, and no matter how much you think you should pay(in Phil's mind 0 dollars) there is a value in concession that can be more humbling than backbreaking.

Phil consistently came across competition, whether with his own sponsors going back to old shoes, his own team feeling disillusioned at times when the company hit small slumps in otherwise incredible growth, the truly unfair treatment from manufacturers in Japan over sales rights, but through it all Knight rebounded. Taking his shoe and putting it on every top athlete he could sign, ramping up morale in the cheekiest of ways during "Buttface" conferences, and sticking to shady yet timely tactics of keeping tabs on his suppliers to make sure he stayed ahead of being blindsided by early termination.

Phil has an interesting perspective in that he continually thought ahead of what may be needed in the market like trying to push shoes into different sports like switching from track to tennis, sourcing and starting up his own shoe factory in the Northeast just to keep up with production and escalating tensions between competitors by naming shoes as acts of defiance ie the Cortes to the Adidas Aztec. Staying creative and productive is a draining task, but Phil's lightheartedness combined with always searching for inspiration is a lesson anyone can take to heart.

I have thousands of questions that I can ask Phil and his entire team, but I guess I can narrow it down to two for the case of exercising precision:

1. What is the one thing that you do every day that is not related to work or family that you do to give you inspiration or to act as your mental reset button?

2. If you had to keep one lesson from all your years of experience that you feel is the foundation to the rest of your growth, what is that lesson and how succinctly can you distill it?


For Phil, the shoe dog didn't see work as a drag but as an absolute escape from the reality of mundane offices and paperwork. This for him was a space for those who were completely manic to the most coolheaded to come together and know that differences aside there was a commonality and shared experience in the shoe that drove them all to make the best of whatever aspect of that shoe they were working on that day.

Snapshot. Get It? Because Cameras?

1. Who am I?

I am a sophomore in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida, an amateur photographer with experience in DSLR, polaroids, smartphones and physical film reels. I have focused primarily on DSLR work to further improve my understanding of the mechanics of hardware cameras and have competency in photoshoot necessary skills. My aspirations in creating my business concept is to provide the tools necessary and the means to learn and master said tools to enhance camera quality for both newcomers and professionals alike whose most common exposure to photography is through their phone. This brand would hopefully bring about more awareness of the intricacies of photography and respect to the craft and skill required for incredible work and bridge the gap by being a mediator for all to how to improve their skills even minutely.

2. What can I Offer?

I wish to provide a multi-pronged approach to cover the multiple anxieties of customers. First I wish to provide information about products and their uses to help newcomers and amateurs understand the common industry practices and terminology to follow along, with more in-depth reviews, articles, hands on guides and videos to improve and walk the customer along through what can be a daunting interface to interact with. I also seek to provide a marketplace, whether that be a singular webpage or more physical locations to provide videography and photography hardware as well as produce my own set of hardware specifically designed to work with the most common camera, the smartphone, and bridge the gap of photo and video quality from dedicated materials to everyday experiences.

3. Well Who's buying?

The specific markets that I would be targeting include all genders from ages 15-45, mainly Millennials and Generation X with targets in social media and interests in videography and photography. There will be a small yet possibly dedicated market to online personalities like vloggers who could benefit from inexpensive attachments to phones to keep video quality similar without the costs of entire digital cameras. Other options of paths can home video producers, young teens seeking social media exposure and other amateur to semi-professional photo hobbyists who may want more accessible, inexpensive options that can easily be carried around.

4. Why do they want this?

As a Millennial- Gen X bridge child, I myself have found it seemingly difficult to come across a site or brand that easily funnels and sift through the countless different options photographers may want or have questions about, and the social stratification and fear of exposing oneself as "not up to date" within a field of interest can be personally devastating, so by providing a one stop shop of practical guides and introductions alongside selling both inexpensive hardware alongside industry known systems we can provide a source of ease and comfort for consumers to feel ready to jump in to any new camera system or elevate their current understanding and execution with what they have.

5. Why me?

Having family who uses photography as both a passion and a form of side income, I have immediate access to understanding amateur markets. Being young and well within the demographic that would be targeted, alongside my own experience with social media and its grasp on cultural and social growth I wish to bring that knowledge and understanding to fruition to help clear the obstacles that others may face in trying to change how the interact and present themselves.