Assignment 4A

I believe that there is an unmet need for something to solve the problem of burning your mouth on coffee or hot tea. Anyone who enjoys drinking hot drinks but doesn’t have time to let it cool down and cannot tolerate such intense heat has this problem. The need exists because the best temperature to brew coffee at is 192 degrees Fahrenheit. I am not sure about the temperature for tea but I would guess it is similar to coffee. I think the general way that people deal with this need now is by either waiting for their drink to cool or by putting ice in it, which dilutes the flavor of the drink. I think that a mug or cup could be created that regulates the temperature of the drink quickly before you take that first sip, leaving your taste buds scolded for some time. I am about 47% sure that this opportunity exists.

Customer 1: Middle aged woman, not an avid hot drink drinker

·      How often do you drink hot drinks such as coffee or tea?

o   Probably about 2 times per week

·      Do you ever burn your mouth on these drinks and if so, how frequently does it happen?

o   Yes, this happens every time that I drink hot tea

·      How long have you been burning your mouth on hot drinks?

o   I’ve been burning my mouth for as long as I can remember

·      When did you become aware of the need to fix this?

o   When I scorched my tongue

·      How do you currently prevent your mouth from being burnt?

o   Cool the drink with ice cubes

·      How satisfied are you with this solution?

o   Not very satisfied

·      Would you use a cup or mug that can regulate the control of the temperature before you drink it?

o   Sure

Reflection: She is probably not a prototypical customer since she doesn’t drink hot drinks very often. I was happy though that even though she doesn’t drink hot drinks often, she still experiences the negative effects that prompt my opportunity.

Customer 2: Early 20’s male, drinks coffee every morning

·      How often do you drink hot drinks such as coffee or tea?

o   Every morning

·      Do you ever burn your mouth on these drinks and if so, how frequently does it happen?

o   Yes I do. This happens to me every day.

·      How long have you been burning your mouth on hot drinks?

o   Since I was about 14 years old

·      When did you become aware of the need to fix this?

o   I have never realized that this was a problem in the first place

·      How do you currently prevent your mouth from being burnt?

o   Waiting for a while for it to cool off

·      How satisfied are you with this solution?

o   I am not very satisfied because it slows down my morning

·      Would you use a cup or mug that can regulate the control of the temperature before you drink it?

o   Yes, I would.

Reflection: He would be considered a prototypical customer. He has been experiencing the problem of burning his mouth since he started drinking coffee and has never found a solution that is satisfactory. This shows me that the idea of a cup that regulates temperature could be a possibility.

Customer 3: Early 20’s male,

·      How often do you drink hot drinks such as coffee or tea?

o   4 times a week

·      Do you ever burn your mouth on these drinks and if so, how frequently does it happen?

o   About 1 out of every 5 times I drink hot drinks

·      How long have you been burning your mouth on hot drinks?

o   Since I started drinking them

·      When did you become aware of the need to fix this?

o   I haven’t thought it needed to be fixed

·      How do you currently prevent your mouth from being burnt?

o   I either put ice in my drink or I wait for it to cool down

·      How satisfied are you with this solution?

o   I think it’s not a huge deal to have to do this. It doesn’t cause any problems for me so I am fine putting ice in my drinks.

·      Would you use a cup or mug that can regulate the control of the temperature before you drink it?

o   Depending on the cost, I might. But if it was significantly more expensive than other reusable coffe mugs and cups then I would not.

Reflection: This interview definitely made me less optimistic about my idea. It showed me that even if there is a problem, people might not want to spend money to fix it so this opportunity might not be realistic.

Summary: I think that my original estimate of 47% would probably increase to around 55%. After the first two interviews I would have said 75% but after the third I would bring it down. After the interviews, my thoughts on the opportunity are definitely more accurate because I got feedback from people who would potentially buy it. I think that entrepreneurs have to adapt their ideas. This might make them feel a little worse since their original idea isn’t going to be implemented but they would forget about that after making some money from the ending idea.