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.