There has to be a better way to wake up in the morning without being startled awake. This is something everyone does. If you need to wake up at a certain time, then you use an alarm clock. This device has been around since the 1800s and although it has advanced it has a long way to go. Right now the only advancement made has been to put silent alarms on smartwatches but it is very unconvertible to sleep with one on. I am 98% sure this opportunity exists.
A prototypical customer is anyone that needs to wake up in the morning or at a specific time.
The first person I talked to understood that there was a need for a better method of waking up but did not think the problem was worth taking on. He has been using alarm clocks since high school when his parents stopped waking him up for school. When I asked if he had any ideas on the matter he stated that alarm clocks do not bother him that much.
The second person I talked to realized she hated alarms clocks in high school. She used to use them every day for work and school. Like my other friend, her need for alarm clocks came when her parents stopped waking her up in the morning. She decided to stop using them and now sleep with her smartwatch on. She is happy with it. Said she hasn't used an alarm clock in months and loves waking up now.
The last person I talked to does not really use alarms. He has picked afternoon classes and does not have a job so he just wakes up whenever he wants to. He did not use them in high school either because his parents would wake him up. He has used them in the past for certain events but never on a constant basis.
I learned a lot about my conversations with these three individuals. I still think it is a fixable problem even though one did not think so and there has to be a better fix than wearing a smartwatch. I also learned this doesn't affect everyone since the last person I spoke with didn't even use alarms.
I think my opportunity is still there. It might not be for everyone but then again nothing really is. I think my conversations enforced my opportunity if anything. I think entrepreneurs should adapt but to a certain extent. You can't please everyone so if you try you'll just fail. One person can't see a problem from every angle on his own but if he listens to other he can.
Gonzalo,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing! Given that it is a product that has remained so prevalent and relatively unchanged throughout the years, I think a new take on the alarm clock is a very interesting concept. Although I had not thought that the alarm clock needed a replacement, I do think it would be a good idea, especially for those who need to wake up without making much noise, such as people wo sleep in the same room as another person and don’t want to wake them up, which is a problem I encountered freshman year living in a dorm.
Gonzalo, I agree that being startled awake is an inconvenience. It jolts you awake and it is unsettling for most, if not all people. Technology has surely advanced to the point where simple mechanical alarm clocks are archaic. For you to find a solution to this problem, I would talk to a biologist or some type of scientist that works with the body and knows how the body functions in respect to sleep. With that knowledge, you could probably think up a more user-friendly system to wake up instead of a conventional alarm clock.
ReplyDelete