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.