Entrepreneurship and product creation provides opportunities for individuals to earn a profit while providing value to clients. Innovation is a crucial part of entrepreneurship, as it enables people to solve problems in efficient and unique ways.
Jonathan Klein, a second-year Entrepreneurship and Barrett Honors student, was able to apply the principles of entrepreneurship while founding a venture in ENT 360 – Entrepreneurship & Value Creation. Jonathan used this opportunity to create EAR (which stands for the Electronic Audio Reader), an application that helps connect those at risk for hearing loss with licensed health care professionals.
While conducting interviews with potential users and payers of the application, Jonathan discovered numerous cases of individuals experiencing ear discomfort and pain following the usage of headphones and earbuds. Kimberly, a 21-year-old music lover, is worried her usage of online audio has impacted her hearing in a negative way.
By researching the causes of this type of discomfort, Jonathan realized that people were putting themselves at risk for noise-induced hearing loss by listening to online audio. According to the Nemours Foundation, a nonprofit children’s health system, “Noise-induced hearing loss from using earbuds usually takes a while. Because it happens gradually, a lot of people don’t know they have a problem until it’s too late.” Jonathan also conducted interviews with otolaryngologists and health care professionals who expressed a desire to reach new clientele through online marketing. By working diligently with his colleagues, Jonathan was able to produce an application that informs users about their risk of potential hearing loss while also allowing those with a high risk to get in contact with professionals who can help.
While sharing his thoughts about ENT 360, Jonathan stated that “This class was a great opportunity for me to apply the principles of entrepreneurship in a realistic and real-world way. I was able to work on a venture I am passionate about while receiving feedback from experienced individuals who understand the world of business. I would encourage anyone interested in entrepreneurship to take this class because it allows you to learn the process of product creation in a fun and interesting way.”
Jonathan’s pitch about his venture EAR can be found here: https://youtu.be/-uVbacvEeL0