Reflection
A3 was very challenging for me. This time I had to wear the entrepreneur hat for a change. I have always classified myself as a follower and not a leader. I could be team player by providing ideas that could contribute to the venture, but not being a leader at making decisions. As an entrepreneur one analyzes the situation from different angles. Concreting the idea is easier than said, one needs to look at the concept from the user, investor and creator angle too.
For my A1 assignment I chose to work on the language learning gaming app HelloChinese. For my venture I wanted to work on the same product but taking it to the next level. After viewing VR Team’s OER, I thought of VR language learning. My pitch is based on the fact that there are not enough immersion opportunities for Mandarin learners who do not live in a Mandarin-speaking environment. My idea was: lets bring the environment to the learner. It is not only practical but also cost effective. Unlike the language gaming app industry, there are a few VR language-learning product. Therefore, there is a market and a demand for language learning tools that can improve fluency and accuracy.
The features that VR HelloChinese offers are similar to the ones that competitors offer. I felt somehow intimidated that my venture was not that different to what is already out there. However, I believe that the difference lies on HelloChinese language learning experience. Unlike other VR language competitors, HelloChinese knows what the user needs.My pitch lacked an actual finished product for me to show the potential investor. I believe that I can provide an idea of what the product would be and how it works. However, I wish I could have provided an actual prototype of a VR HelloChinese on video to have investors looked at what it would be like to use it. This may be much more convincing.I am only a language instructor. I might have the vision but lack the technical skills required for this type of venture. I wish I could better understand the hard work that is involved in creating this type of product/ service.