Assignment 23A- Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

Assignment 23A- Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1)      Contacts in the cyber-security field that are in charge of protecting large networks and companies.

This is a valuable resource because these people can help me develop a product that is actually effective in protecting people’s online data. I think this is a rare resource because not many people can say that they have so many family members and close family friends in the IT and cybersecurity field. Not only does this mean that they’d be willing to help me without looking for much in return, but I would have extremely qualified people working on the job. Their daily tasks entail protecting their companies from online invaders, so they are aware of the software needed, and the tricks hackers use to steal sensitive information. All this knowledge combined means they could really help produce a product that is effective in protecting sensitive records and data. I also believe this resource is non-substitutable because the knowledge and experience these individuals bring to the field is hard to replicate.

2)      Access to hospital/motel/hotel data for records and statistics on cybersecurity lapses in the past.

This information can also give me insight on the methods perpetrators may employ to hack or steal sensitive information. I also have family that works within hospital administration and run hotels/motels. This is both a valuable and somewhat rare resource. Not only will I be able to increase my understanding on how stealing of customer information has occurred in the past, I’ll know the current measures these places are taking for online protection. Once, I understand this, when I create my product I can make sure that it does much more and offers a wider range of protection than what most hospitals/hotels/motels currently have in place. In addition, should I want a place to test out my product, I can always try it out at one of these places. Due to again having these connections, once again in my own family I believe this resource is non-substitutable.

3)      Laptops/computers for testing

Having access to different types of laptops and computers will be essential in testing my cybersecurity software. The fact that my dad has access to thousands of different hp/mac/and windows computers will really help me in terms of conducting trials. I think this is quite a rare resource because not all startup cyber security programmers can gain access to thousands of computers for trials without a payment or giving something in return. I also think this resource is nonsubstituable because there are no other resources that can compare to having access to many different laptops/computers. In order to test the efficacy of my software system I need to make sure it runs smooth on all types of networks and computers.   

4)      Consumers willing to try the product

Following my interviews, there were some people I talked to who were already saying that once my product comes out that I could test it on their company. I believe this resource is very valuable because having a large company utilize my product will not only give me great feedback, but potentially thousands of new customers should they like the service. I don’t believe this resource is rare because many people can find places ready to accept cybersecurity help for no initial charge. Despite this, I think it is rare to have people already willing to say they’d try out a software system before it is even released based on connections. Due to this, I think this resource to a degree is nonsubstituable.

5)      Connections to people in news and radio that could help me market the product.

My best friend’s father works at both NBC and MSNBC, which could really help me in marketing once my software is developed and ready to be sold on the open market. This is a very valuable resource because making your product more known and talked about is a great way to attract customers. Even if the people that hear about it don’t buy it, if they talk about it, like or share it that could really help spread the word. I believe this resource is both rare and nonsubstituable because products may take years of development, financial pushing and marketing before people start to give it attention.

6)      Social media that can also help me promote the product.

Although I don’t have that big of a following, I know if I am somehow able to market my product on Instagram, tiktok etc. so that it reaches a broader audience, it will really get more people talking about cybersecurity. I think this is an essential and rare resource because the more people know about your product, the more customers you are likely to attract. However, I think it is rare to get much notice on social media, especially because there are so many users and content creators. Getting endorsements or making a product go viral can really have a significant impact on the growth of your business. I believe this resource to be nonsubstituable because in today’s day and age more people obtain information from social media than the news.

7)      Freedom to access mostly everything on the internet

It is a valuable resource to live in a country that doesn’t really restrict internet use. We can access sites and networks of various countries, and by doing so we can get introduced to their online systems. If we become familiar with their systems, we can try to guess how they may use various programs to hack into American computers and networks. I don’t believe this is a very rare resource because a lot of other liberal countries like Canada, UK and Australia exhibit limited censorship. I also don’t think this resource is nonsubstitutable because there are ways around censorship and restrictions in most countries.

8)      Access to advertisers

Learning from professional advertisers in the media can be very valuable tool because teach me the best ways to push my product. I can learn how to convey its necessity in every home and corporation, why it is the best over competitors and how it will protect millions of people from online invasion. Having professionals who have had years of experience in advertising is both nonsubstituable and rare.

9)       The news, to figure out creative methods people have used to hack systems, and measures people can take to boost security.

Learning from previous leaks and breaches of private data, gives us a great pool of information. This is a very valuable resource because it allows us to see what the implemented protection was at the time of breach, how hackers were able to get around the protection and the resulting impact. Therefore, when we create our software we can ensure that these mistakes are not made and additional reinforcement is added so hackers are unable to access sensitive information. While I don’t think this resource is rare because this information is accessible to everyone, I do believe it is nonsubstituable because this pool information is critical in understanding the mistakes of the past and not repeating them.

10)  Energy & Time

As a young student, still in college I believe that energy and time is a valuable resource I have. Although its not that rare because many other students my age could have similar ideas. I do think my work ethic, resilience and drive will help me in this endeavor. I also believe this resource is nonsubstituable because there is no replacement for dedication and grind.

Ø  I think my top resource is having connections to people in the IT and cybersecurity field. This is because they are the ones who can help me develop my cybersecurity software, with multiple checkpoints and antivirus/firewall protection. In addition, they can give me new ideas to implement into the system because they know the latest trends and methods of attack in the cybersecurity field. They also possess networks/and computers where this product can be tested before it is marketed and released. Having these close connections is my most valuable resource because without them my product wouldn’t be able to become a reality.