Testing the Hypothesis: Part Two
5 Interviews:
1.) My Brother: My brother who goes to FSU does not feel the need for the service. He uses apps like Uber a lot, but has never felt unsafe in one possibly due to the fact that he is usually with his frat brothers.
2.) My Best Friend From High School (Female): She does not feel the need for such a service simply due to the fact that she is from a small town and does not feel as though any rideshare service will pick up traction/be successful there, considering the presence of Ubers and Lyfts there is already extremely rare.
3.) My Boyfriend's Frat Brother: My boyfriend's frat brother does not feel the need for the service even though he uses Uber a lot. He doesn't think it will solve the issue since drivers may still be predatory.
4.) My Big in My Sorority: My big pointed out that men may hail taxi services from the app with the goal of assaulting the female driver, which is not an angle that I had thought about before.
5.) My Equestrian Friend (Female): She also did not think it was a good idea. She does not think that an app will get big enough to compete with Uber and Lyft and does not like long wait times with her rideshare services so sees this as a problem.
1.) My Brother: My brother who goes to FSU does not feel the need for the service. He uses apps like Uber a lot, but has never felt unsafe in one possibly due to the fact that he is usually with his frat brothers.
2.) My Best Friend From High School (Female): She does not feel the need for such a service simply due to the fact that she is from a small town and does not feel as though any rideshare service will pick up traction/be successful there, considering the presence of Ubers and Lyfts there is already extremely rare.
3.) My Boyfriend's Frat Brother: My boyfriend's frat brother does not feel the need for the service even though he uses Uber a lot. He doesn't think it will solve the issue since drivers may still be predatory.
4.) My Big in My Sorority: My big pointed out that men may hail taxi services from the app with the goal of assaulting the female driver, which is not an angle that I had thought about before.
5.) My Equestrian Friend (Female): She also did not think it was a good idea. She does not think that an app will get big enough to compete with Uber and Lyft and does not like long wait times with her rideshare services so sees this as a problem.
| Inside The Boundary | Outside The Boundary |
|---|---|
| Who: People who feel worried/vulnerable in Ubers due to the sexual assaults reported, specifically women and men concerned for their love ones or their own safety. | Who: People who have never felt unsafe in a rideshare service or do not think it will solve the issue. |
| What the Need Is: A safer alternative. Since women are less likely to be assaulters, women drivers may help alleviate the issue. | What the Need Is Not: It will not be a fast, reliable, or impactful enough venture. |
| Why the Need Exists: Lack of extensive background checks and monitoring on the part of rideshare companies. | Alternative Explanations: It will always occur, there is not much one can do to mediate the risk posed by getting into a car with a stranger. |
Summary: Many people are skeptical that the idea that a female-driver only rideshare company will solve the issue of sexual assault within the cars. They also do not believe any company has the power to compete with Uber/Lyft, which are services that provide unmatched convenience and ease of use. Others simply have never felt unsafe in Ubers and thus do not feel the need.
Hi Katherine,
ReplyDeleteI thought the interviews you conducted provided a lot of insight into who wouldn’t need a ride share app with female drivers. I think the interview with your big in your sorority offered an interesting perspective to the app. I was previously unaware that men would hail taxis just to assault women. That is shocking and very scary and could potentially hurt your idea.
Hey Katherine! We ended up having similar ideas for our app, so I think you’ve got a great idea! It’s cool that you also interviewed men like your brother, I really only interviewed women.
ReplyDeleteHey Katherine,
ReplyDeleteI think your idea is pretty interesting and I liked the way you analyzed who may not fall into the opportunity boundary via your interviews. The answer your big in your sorority gave about assaults to female drivers was frightening, but is something to consider when continuing to solidify your idea with this opportunity.