7A Testing the Hypothesis part 1

1.     The opportunity I would like to pursue is a low-cost way to grow a small indoor garden configured for the base/top shelf of a closet or in a general area for display.

2.     Apartment dwellers are unable to grow a vegetable garden due to the challenge of having no yard of a sort and very little room.

The Who: Individuals who want to eat healthy and garden but are confined to small apartments and spaces.

The What: They need a way to grow vegetables in their apartment with little room

The Why: Apartments have very little opportunity to grow your own vegetables due to the lack of a yard.

3.     This is your 'hypothesis' about the opportunity. It is a statement of your belief related to an opportunity. I'd like you to test the boundaries of the hypothesis by pushing and prodding each of the three elements. That means:

I believe that those in my who have this need as well as others. If you enjoy gardening and live in an apartment this would be the only viable option for growing your own vegetables. If you are not the gardening type but want to learn it also offers a safe space for you to practice. The boundaries could be around those who have power, space, affordability, or who are completely unknowledgeable about gardening, but there would be instructions included for many vegetables. Many whys can stretch from elderly people who can’t get out of the house or who are trapped in nursing homes. A why could be the college student who is avoiding the freshmen 15 and enjoys growing food but cannot due to the fact they have no sort of land. The why is for people who are aggravated with the random winter of Florida or floods, can now adjust the conditions how they choose.

4.     In Part 1, you must interview five people. 

Trey

Would You Purchase this and Why?

Yes, I would buy it because it would be more convenient because you can plant your vegetables and the convenience of not having to leave the house. Also, you would not have to worry about the weather conditions outside especially in Florida where the weather is unpredictable. The plants would also put of a great smell.

Do you know at least 3 people who would buy this?

All ages. Aunts, grandma, and all garden lovers. My grandparents struggle to leave the house sometimes, so they wouldn’t mind having something with such easy access.  

Have you heard about this being done or have you seen something similar?

I have never seen them in the closet, but I have seen people with hanging stuff in there closet. Mainly by the window on a shelf.

What would you pay for this product?

Around 200 dollars, more if it is super fancy.  

Would you mind someone coming into your home to do it for you or would you rather build it yourself?

If it just seeds or little sprouts. That way people would not say my seeds are damaged or not working, because they got the plants when they were obviously alive.

I think it should be option but most of us would probably build it ourselves if it had instructions.

Do you see any cons of this product?

Maybe have a different size so people can have a cool display or design in the living area to impress friends. Some people might now want it in the closet or pantry.

How do you feel about an app or website where you could hire someone to take care of it a few times a week or when you are on holidays?

If I did not have people I could trust, I would definitely call a company because they would be more reliable and trustworthy or have some sort of insurance where if something was damaged, I could hold them accountable. 

Bert

Would You Purchase this and Why?

I would buy this product because I find it a hassle to make time to go to publics and get fresh foods which expire literally in less than several days. My bros and I are always out of the house doing something so our fridge remains empty. If I could buy this product and just leave it growing, and then when I am craving a healthy diet out of nowhere, I could then pick a few of the vegetables and eat it.

Do you know at least 3 people who would buy this?

I do know at least three people who would buy this. My ex-girlfriend was very into non-GMO food and would constantly say that we should know where our food was going. I also have a few older relatives who garden very frequently.

Have you heard about this being done or have you seen something similar?

I have never seen this before or heard about this before.

What would you pay for this product?

I would pay maybe 100-200 dollars for this.

Would you mind someone coming into your home to do it for you or would you rather build it yourself?

I prefer building it myself.

Do you see any cons of this product?

The only con is to make sure it is not too much work to maintain. Sometimes I leave town for a day or two for work.

How do you feel about an app or website where you could hire someone to take care of it a few times a week or when you are on holidays?

I would most likely have my roommates do this.  

Crystal

Would You Purchase this and Why?

I would purchase this because I love filling my house with things that growing. It is great for interior design and gives it great smell.

Do you know at least 3 people who would buy this?

I am sure I could go and find three people in my friend group but a lot of them don’t eat healthy or are single mothers like me so time is not very abundant.

Have you heard about this being done or have you seen something similar?

I took my classroom on a field trip to a local hydroponic garden in a low-income community that provided food for many. If something like this were cheap and easy to downscale, I think that would be unique.

What would you pay for this product?

I would pay about a hundred dollars for this and then I wouldn’t mind by the plants separately.

Would you mind someone coming into your home to do it for you or would you rather build it yourself?

I would rather build it myself.  

Do you see any cons of this product?

Only con I have is that my cats like to climb in what I do have growing in the house as far as vines and ferns so it would be difficult to keep them out of something that is not enclosed.

How do you feel about an app or website where you could hire someone to take care of it a few times a week or when you are on holidays?

If it was simple and did not cost that much I would not mind scheduling someone to take care of it during the holidays.

Mel

Would You Purchase this and Why?

No, because I feel like it could be a lot of extra work and a lot of money when I could just go to the store. I barely cook so another whole step of growing it and cleaning it would just be to much.

Do you know at least 3 people who would buy this?

A lot of my friends are vegetarian so they would enjoy the food but they are more of the college party people who prefer less responsibilities. 

Have you heard about this being done or have you seen something similar?

I used to work at the YMCA and they had a few hydroponic machines that were growing lettuce but they were very expensive. They seemed very easy to maintain though, a lady would just come by and add water and replace some sort of piece.

What would you pay for this product?

I would imagine your own food source that would basically be infinite would cost like 250-300 dollars.

Would you mind someone coming into your home to do it for you or would you rather build it yourself?

I rather have someone do it for me, plus I know I won’t mess it up.

Do you see any cons of this product?

I think people are more likely to just go to the store or if I was super nature person I feel like I would somehow find a way to grow it outside.

How do you feel about an app or website where you could hire someone to take care of it a few times a week or when you are on holidays?

If it were just water that I needed to add or something super simple I would maintain it and when I am gone I would just have roommates or friends.

Phil

Would You Purchase this and Why?

Yeah, It would add so much so much décor to the environment and it really stands out. Plus you can grow whatever you want and really live a healthier life style.

Do you know at least 3 people who would buy this?

For sure

Have you heard about this being done or have you seen something similar?

I have seen people who grow plants in their house. But not necessarily in the closet.

What would you pay for this product?

I like the idea that you get little seeds because you would have a fun way to learn to garden. It would also be cool to watch it grow. With the whole LED lights and water recycling systems I would pay from 300-400 dollars per unit.

Would you mind someone coming into your home to do it for you or would you rather build it yourself?

I would rather have instructions and set it up myself. It is more fun and exciting to do yourself and saves money.

Do you see any cons of this product?

I don’t think it is good to take up a closet space for your clothes, otherwise it would be awesome. I also don’t know the maintenance of the garden but hopefully it’s only a few times a week.

How do you feel about an app or website where you could hire someone to take care of it a few times a week or when you are on holidays?

I would rather have my friends do it.

5.     Include your write-up of each step in your assignment. For step 4, please summarize what you find. Given your interviews, what do you know about the opportunity that you didn't know before? 

After the interview I learned that people wanted and disliked this product for reasons I did not know. Some of the pros that I never took into consideration is that people enjoy the smell and the décor that having a living piece of art in the common area would provide. I also did not realize that things that are currently growing did not have a very short expiration date because you can pick it when your ready to eat. Some thing thing that I learned through asking questions which were cons was that people may not have space, especially in their closet when they are living in a 4 x 4 with other people.  I also learned that most people would want to have their boyfriend or themselves build it for them versus paying to have a person come over do it. I also noticed that this would be very pricey for students, but some recognized they would be growing their own food so eventually they would get their one back another investment. Some people rather just go the store with such an always on the go attitude. This all has taught me that I need to keep costs low, make assembly as easy as possible, provide a guide of how to grow your plants because a lot of people are not sure, and also to devise a way to present the product in a more visual pleasing way.