4A-Forming An Opportunity Belief

By now we all know staying home, and social distancing are the best ways to help “flatten the curve” of coronavirus. Many people are growing tired of staying home all the time, and they want to return to life as they once knew it without those pesky masks and cross-contaminating gloves. But how? The opportunity that exists here is THE CURE. A vaccination, much like the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). This vaccination offers very low, if any, side effects and can make you immune to this highly contagious virus that affects EVERYONE. I am 99% sure that this opportunity exists (because nothing in life is ever 100%.

Although this virus is not even a year old it has infected over 5 million people, and tragically taken the lives of over 330,000 people worldwide. So, the prototypical customer: everyone.

Iteration No. 1: Amber, 26-year-old female who suffers severe asthma and a comprimised immuned system.

Ambers main concern when it came to COVID-19 was that either herself or her father would contract the disease and have serious health complication due to their health issues and compromised immune systems. She believes that people who have pre-existing conditions are most affected by the disease. Interestingly, she made the comment that the most dangerous people are the ones who are essentially “blind” to the disease and believe they are untouchable, because those are the ones that are usually the asymptomatic and are spreading the disease without even knowing. She also made the comment that people who have poor mental health are very effected by this virus because of the isolation and fear for the unknown. She is currently practicing social distancing and has avoided going out in public unless necessary. If she does need to leave, she wears both a mask and gloves. She thinks that a vaccination would be important for some people to receive, but she believes in herd immunity, so a mixture of vaccinations and correct protocol of hygiene, health lifestyle, and social distancing. She personally wouldn’t get the vaccination she would rather follow social distancing.

Iteration No. 2: Sydney, 27-year-old female, licensed chiropractor and practices holistic medication.

Sydney stated that her main concern with COVID-19 is that businesses and families won’t be able to bounce back from it financially and the mental health issues that will come from it. She believes that people who are on a low socioeconomic status are affected the most because people who live paycheck to paycheck can’t support themselves and may not have the healthcare necessary to be able to fight COVID.

In order to protect herself she has been secluded to her home unless necessary. When she does leave, she wears a mask, and is consistently and frequently washing her hands. Sydney believes that a vaccine would be “irrelevant” because it will take 3-10 years to create and by then the virus will be irradiated. What if they were able to produce the vaccine now? She would not get it, “A new vaccine is not something I would put into my body. However, until we understand this virus long term, I would not suggest to anyone to be a guinea pig for a new vaccine.”

Iteration No. 3: Natasha, a 28-year-old, a licensed DO.

Natasha’s main concern with the coronavirus is “the number of avoidable deaths we have had in our country and will continue to have due to a lack of proper federal strategy”. She believes that poor people are the most affected because they do not have affordable healthcare and they typically reside in urban areas where there is a larger population in a small radius making the virus more easily spread. She has been avoiding going in public as much as possible and like the others wearing a mask when she does have to be in public. She believes that a vaccination would allow us to “resume a regular life and be able to occupy public spaces as we did before”, and she would absolutely get the vaccine when it becomes readily available.

Reflect: I tried to cover a good sample of people who definitely view coronavirus differently. You have Amber who is personally considered high-risk for serious side effects from COVID. And then you have Sydney and Natasha who cover both ends of the medical field spectrum. I was surprised to learn Amber’s response to the vaccination. Prior to this I thought there were just the anti-vaxxers and the people who supported a vaccination. I never thought about having the population that would most benefit from it receive and then have others form a herd immunity. I was also surprised that more people didn’t support it, Amber in particular. I figured Sydney and Natasha’s responses in regard to the vaccine would have been what they were. It was also interesting that they mentioned poor people being affected the most by COVID-19. When you first hear about it all the emphasis for at risk people you think of the elderly, but Natasha and Sydney made some good points in regard to lower income families lacking healthcare.

Summarize: My opportunity belief has remained the same. I think that a vaccination for this unmet need would be the best for society. I think that my original opportunity is 99% still there. I don’t really think that it has changed much in a sense of being more accurate or less accurate because contrary to how others may feel about getting vaccinated, you cannot deny that a cure would do exactly that—cure COVID-19. I think that entrepreneurs should absolutely adapt their opportunities based on customer feedback where necessary. Certain products would benefit from customer feedback such as tangible items like food or clothing, but when it comes to vaccinations you can’t really change your stance on them just because some customers are opposed to the idea.