#thirdblogentry

Hi! It's me again. We have already completed our BMC Presentation and as of today, we already have a prototype for the app. So this is what happened last week:

Customer Narratives, Hypothesis Tested, and Results Found

Hypothesis Tested: The customers will be delighted with the existence of an app for their orders. The Facebook page will serve as the customer feedback channel for faster and more convenient communication with the customers. The utilization of a Facebook page will be beneficial for both parties since it is an already established form of communication and it is commonly used by the target market.

Customer Narratives:

Customer 1: Nice na naay app and hopefully dali ra siya gamiton and accesible siya para sa tanan. Unta ma push jud ninyo kay for me as someone na galisod ug mata ug sayo, lisod najud kaayo mamahaw pero kung naa siguro koy groceries naa siguro koy makaon before musulod sa klase.

Customer 2: Okay ra ang app na feature pero suggest lang nako na ma connect ninyo ang app sa inyong page para bisan naa ka sa app, if naa kay gusto i feedback regarding sa imong order kay mahimo nimo siya without manually exiting sa app. Other than that, nice jud inyong idea. Unta madayon ni.

Customer 3: Diba naa moy app as you stated ganina, pero what if mag error? Dili na lugar maka order? Sayang pud sa inyo if maka encounter ug ingon ana. Pero other than that wala naman koy maingon. Padayon lang mo kay dako siyag tabang if ma push na ninyo.

Customer 4: Maayo na naa moy app pero have you considered na additional expense siya if ever need ninyo mag maintenance run? Need na ninyo i consider.

Results Found:

The customers were delighted with the fact that an app would be launched together with the start-up. However, they still have initial concerns about the usability of the app, the convenience of making feedback, the app maintenance, and costing.

2. Team's Decision:

The app will be the only channel for order placements. Feedback on the app will only cater technical concerns, not on the order itself. The Facebook page will be used for promotions, announcements, event information if there are any, and order concerns for customer service.

3. Team's Options:

a. Only utilize the app for orders

Pro: The team is focused on one thing since only one channel will be utilized for the orders.

Cons: No immediate customer feedback through the app, no backup in case the app encounters technical difficulties

b. Utilize a Facebook Page for those who cannot access the app

Pros: More accessible for others who are still learning to use the app, immediate customer feedback through direct message

Con: Additional task for the team since we will be monitoring two channels for the orders.

4. Lessons Learned:

With the things that we did for the past week/s, I learned that adding features to your start-up is not an easy feat. More features may also mean more maintenance costs. However, this does not mean that we should not add those features for us to lower maintenance costs. We just have to assess whether or not the upgrade is worth the money. As for our app, I do think it is worth the shot. With the rise of technology, I am confident that we can make it as user-friendly as possible for the convenience of our customers. Moreover, I have also learned that customer feedback is vital. As the start-up team, we may not see issues since we sometimes cannot see the whole picture. This is where customer feedback and validation come into play. These people can recognize possible challenges of the features designed for them that we sometimes cannot see. Thus, we should consider their opinions on this matter.

Through 16personalities, I found out that at this point I am an ISFJ-T (so-called Defenders grouped under Sentinels), and I relate with the results very well in general. Indeed when it comes to how I interact with my environment, I am more introverted than extraverted; when it comes to where I direct my energy, I am a bit more observant than intuitive; when it comes to how I make decisions and cope with emotions, the determining factors are more on my feelings rather than thinking; when it comes to my approach to work, planning and decision-making, my judging trait prevails over prospecting; and when it comes to how confident I am in my abilities and decisions, I am slightly more turbulent than assertive. Add to this, I would quote this paragraph that captured accurately my personality type in its entirety. 

“The Defender personality type is quite unique, as many of their qualities defy the definition of their individual traits. Though sensitive, Defenders have excellent analytical abilities; though reserved, they have well-developed people skills and robust social relationships; and though they are generally a conservative type, Defenders are often receptive to change and new ideas…”

Almost all aspects displayed in the results were also very true to me. I say almost, because there are certain descriptions on who I am in parenthood, and in the workplace, that I could not confirm at my current status as a college student. Other than this, I think the results pretty much gave me a clearer explanation on who I am.

By doing the SelfStir assessment, I was able to identify my core competencies, and found out the aspects I can further work on. It made me feel happy when the results showed that what I thought would be my top strengths matched with the evaluations of my peers and friends, but it did not make me feel sad when the opposite happened on some statements. I also learned that receiving this kind of evaluation from your friends and peers could motivate me to improve myself in order to fill in where I lack. 

Based on the results, my greatest strength is that I am responsible, and my greatest weakness is that I tend to assert for what I think is right, which I believe are both traits applicable to the contexts I chose (family and work). 

Honestly the traits did not surprise me, but I still readied myself for suprising results just in case they think actually differently of me. I am already aware that I exhibit these traits, although I am constantly working to maintain my strengths, and improve on my weaknesses. 

The results were not totally shocking. I am already aware of the image I project to the world, I am very much conscious of my actions, and reflective of them too. Receiving lower, but still actually fairly high, ratings on some competencies reassures me that I still have areas to improve on, and that makes me feel relieved.

In the workplace a 360 degree assessment is important, because it gives you feedback, makes you reflect on the feedback, and encourages you to improve yourself.