In our Minor Field Trip we decided to have a conference within the social hall of the University of Southeastern Philippines. The event was entitled Graphic Design and Web Development. In which is a great opportunity to learn about graphic design and web development, there were two topics introduced to us where the first speaker shared his knowledge about graphic tools and the fundamentals of design. We learned the concepts of the principles of design and how it works in real world. The second speaker shared her knowledge about front-end development, and the basic foundations of front-end development and the difference of front-end and back-end development. And lastly the third speaker in which he share his experiences in competitions and being successful and a proud graduate of the Institute of Computing.
Graphic Tools and the Fundamentals of Design
What I learned?
The first lecturer was Mr. Ralph Gideon, a graduate of BS Information Technology in the University of Southeastern Philippines. He first opened up about his experiences in life after college and shared his love for art. His first job as a programmer in PRC or Professional Regulation Commission, he wasnât very fond. When his passion for art grew, he decided to pursue Fine Art in the University of Mindanao. Right now, he is a teacher in Ateneo de Davao University teaching fine arts.
He, then, started his lecture proper about design. From his lecture I learned that the elements and principles of design are the building blocks used to create a work of art. The elements of design can be thought of as the things that make up a painting, drawing, design etc. Good or bad - all paintings will contain most of if not all, the seven elements of design. The Principles of design can be thought of as what we do to the elements of design. How we apply the Principles of design determines how successful we are in creating a work of art. The element of design are as follows: line, shape, direction, size, texture, colour and value. On the other hand the principles of design are as follows: balance, gradation, repetition, contrast, harmony, dominance and unity. He made special mentions on the necessary principles to be implemented on your design. Like balance, he said that in design it is a bit similar to  balance in physics where he give an example of a large shape close to the center and can be balanced by a small shape close to the edge like in seesaw. Balance also provides stability and the structure to a design in which its weight distributed in the design. There was also about proximity, in which he said that proximity creates the relationship between elements. In design, it provides a focal point. Then another about alignment, an element to create order and organisation in a design, He said that aligning elements in order allows them to create a visual connection with each other. Another was repetition, it strengthens a design by tying together individual elements. Repetition can create rhythm and helps to create association and consistency. Fifth was, the contrast, it allows us to emphasize or highlight key elements in our design, he said that it is the juxtaposition of opposing elements. And the last principle is the space, where it refers to the distance or area between, around, above, and below within the elements. It was so fascinating hearing his talk it was very simple but plays a vital role in design. Even his presentation was of a good design to show correlation with his lecture. It was engaging and I truly believed that I can use everything I learned about the element and principles of design.
Front-end Web Development
What I learned?
The next topic was discussed by Ms. Shannen Sapar, an undergraduate of BS Information Technology in the University of Immaculate Concepcion, she didn't finish her studies due to circumstances she didnât share. She told us her experiences in life especially the kind of work she's doing right now. She expressed how much she love working with vectors, graphics design, As so it happened she ended up as a front end developer because when she was looking for a job in Ingenuity Global Consulting what they needed was a front-end web developer, in which she took. She said that being a front end web developer is a tough job.
She said a front end web development is a mix of programming and layout that powers the visuals and interactions of the web. Whereas being a front end developer need some skills and expertise in HTML, CSS, and Javascript or web applications so that a user can see and interact with them directly. She discussed about HTML, CSS pre compiler and boilerplates. It is the very basic language in creating a website. It is easy and simple by just using a notepad you can now start coding a simple web. It was enlightening to hear her discuss some tricks to do a better job as a front-end developer. I was seriously taking notes.
3rd Speaker: Nikko Comidoy
What I learned?
The last speaker was kuya Nikko Comidoy, an IT graduate from USeP. He is well known as "Doc Banana" boy. This is an android application which uses Data Image Processing to check whether the banana has a disease or any problem. When the image is captured and the application detects that it has a disease, it will recognized what would be the specific name of the disease and would gave a certain ways to prevent the banana. He was also asked to shares his experiences when he was still a student and tips when joining a competition. I think his experiences in technopreneurship help lots of the students in the crowd. He tells us about the things we must learn in order to achieve our goals. He also said, âEvery student should always think outside the box and never give up achieving your desired goals in life.â
The subject FTS or Field Trip and Seminars is part of our curriculum. In our class, we chose model A to be our FTS Model. Model A includes one major fieldtrip, one minor fieldtrip a national seminar and two hours of intrapersonal skills and team building seminar. So as stated, when we chose Model A, we are already required to take our major field trip. Our major field trip was last September 7-11, 2015 at Manila. On the first day we went to DOST (Department of Science and Technology) and SSS Main Office. On the second day we went to IBM Philippines. On the third day, we attended the Y4IT Seminar at the SMX Convention Center. Mall of Asia. On the fourth day we went to the MMDA Control Office and then headed to Tagaytay and Enchanted Kingdom. On the fifth day we went to the University of the Philippines Computer Science Department and Resorts World Manila. It was an educational yet lovely trip.
Day 1: September 7, 2015
Today, I went on a seminar to DOST (Department of Science and Technology), Bicutan, Taguig and Social Security System, East Avenue, Quezon City and SSS Main Office.
What I learned?
In visiting DOST, I learned more about the Project Noah. I learned that the one of the developers of project Noah came from the University of the Southeastern Philippines. And that he was a USeP alumni. Making me be a proud-er USePian. With the environmental change and all, I thought that Project Noah is really a great deal and a great help for our country. Â Project Noah researches and deals with undertaking investigations in meteorological and geological hazards to help improve and warn the country about the probable natural hazards that would come in its way. It has several features that is very useful to all Filipinos.
In visiting SSS, I learned about how to process SSS membership and some about their history.
What I liked?
It was enlightening to learn about Project Noah. It was revealed that we have indeed requested for them to do that lecture and I felt great that they indulged us. As it was discussed The Project harness technologies and management services for disaster risk reduction activities offered by the DOST through PAGASA, PHIVOLCS, and the DOST-Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI), in partnership with the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences and the UP College of Engineering.
The biggest shocker for me, that I liked, is that they prepared another lecture besides Project Noah. It made me felt more welcome because of that gesture they did.
What I didnât like?
I was seriously pissed what the Travel Agency that we have picked werenât there waiting to pick us when we arrived at Ninoy International Airport. We had to wait for several couple of minutes for them to arrive and I was really hungry. There was also an issue with the other bus that we were supposedly to use. It broke. And because of that we were further delayed of our scheduled.
In SSS, to be honest I was half-asleep, half-awake. Even so, I still listened to some of the talks. But seriously though, I did not like a second of it. It was all tiring lectures that has nothing to do with us aside from if we planned to get an insurance which defeats the purpose of Information Technology stuff that we are supposed to learn while we are in Manila. It was the tip of my âpissy-nessâ that day together with the annoying tour guide who canât take a hint that we are all tired and wants to get a rest but kept on talking.
Day 2: September 8, 2015
Today, I went on a seminar to IBM Philippines at the Ayala Techno Hub, Quezon City and Accenture.
What I learned?
      In IBM, I learned more about the functionalities and applications of their new Cloud technology which is called the IBM Bluemix. Bluemix will help us build and run our applications because it is a hybrid cloud platform. It is a cloud built for the ambitions of the enterprise with three integrated deployment models - spanning from our data centers to yours - Bluemix represents a new way to experience cloud. And with the ability to easily leverage both existing IT and new SaaS tools, Bluemix is built for teams that appreciate the value of using existing data, systems and processes to power everything that comes next. Thus, it does not occupy a lot of memory in your computer. I also learned how it is being manipulated and used. You can easily go to your sites using Bluemix. I was really quite amazed by it. IBM also spoke about Artificial Intelligence. They have had high level AI programs that were released that we just did not hear of.
      In Accenture, I learned they are a management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company helping clients in Philippines become high-performance businesses. They told us what Accenture really is what they do. They gave emphasis on their core value which is to shape the culture and define the character of our company. They live the core values through individual behaviors; they serve as a foundation in how they act and make decisions. Also, they even showed use a few of their products to get us inspired.
What I liked?
      In IBM, there were really much to like from the accommodation, the area and the lecture. Though we do not get to tour around their building, listening to the lecture and having fun with it is I think the best experience so far in this trip. I did not get bored in the lecture and I actually listened. I really would love to have a full version of Bluemix not just the 30 day trial edition.
      In Accenture, I liked that they were very accommodating there were people who received and saw as off. They even prepared mini games for us that I totally enjoy. But what I liked the most was when they showcased some of their recent finish products to with full demonstration. It was so inspiring as well as the person they chose to speak to us. He was handsome, so easy on the eyes, I really listened close to him.
What I didnât like?
      The lunch. I was relieved a bit when they said we were having KFC because I didnât like the buffet we had in the evening as well as the breakfast served by Kabayan Hotel. But I too hopeful that nothing wrong will happen and they have proven themselves yet again. It was considerable that we waited for the IBM speaker to arrive and because they are entertaining us. But lunch inside a moving vehicle is a big no, no for me. I wasnât even able to eat the most of the food.
Day 3: September 9, 2015
Today, I went to the Y4IT Seminar at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia
What I learned?
I listened to the talks given during the convention. First was Microsoftâs HoloLens. HoloLens is short for Holographic Lens. It is the first fully untethered, holographic computer, enabling high-definition holograms to integrate with your world. It transforms the ways you connect, create, collaborate, and explore. You can use holograms to show your designs, collaborate remotely, and learn new things in relation to the real world. This gave us (lightbulbs) ideas as to what we can propose for our research papers and such. Second was about the gaming. Gaming is one of the most popular computer activities. New technologies are constantly arriving to make it possible to develop better and more powerful games that can be run in any standards-compliant web browser. The speaker inspired us to do more than we can do. As he talked, he shared his experiences up to his success. It inspired us to do better. Third was from Oracle. I liked how he talked and promoted their cloud programming. Modern cloud applications from Oracle help you re-imagine your business. The best-of-breed SaaS applications in Oracle Cloud are integrated with social, mobile, and analytic capabilities to help you deliver the experiences customers expect, the talent to succeed, and the performance the market demands. I learned that they have different perspective from IBMâs cloud technology.
What I liked?
I liked the fun part of the Y4IT Convention. The exhibit hall had plenty of booths  of various companies all lined up with gimmicks, surprises and the FREEBIES that I enjoyed so much. They had Eldar the Magician and even Bumblebee. It was inspiring to have that chance to see diverse career opportunities that we can have with the exhibit. I was fascinated with everything that was discussed in the event especially the latest breakthroughs and innovations in technology.
What I didnât like?
Everything was well except for that fat that we had the worst seat in the convention it was so bad that by the end of Sir Gamboaâs speech we were already thinking of going to the exhibit. But we had to stick for a while because they were still preparing and by the time it was announced open we fled. It was such a waste. The highlight talk felt to be very important but we our seat werenât strong enough to make us stay longer.
Day 4: September 10, 2015
Today, I went to a seminar on MMDA Control Center, a visit to Tagaytay and fun time in Enchanted Kingdom.
What I learned?
In MMDA, I learned that monitoring traffic is really hard and the knowledge capacity of a person and the highly maintained and even constant attention a person can offer needed for that job is very important. I learned that they can analyze and consolidate information for faster mobility, improved road safety, optimized vehicle flow and pedestrian movement, and reduced travel times. The Information Technology (IT)-based traffic signalization system is set towards elevating mobility management in the future, through comprehensive and integrated approach that improves not just vehicle movement, but also the overall network movement of people, goods and services. We also learned to be alert on all times. We learned to be really careful on the road. Lastly, I learned how the MMDAâs system work. I also learned that the Phase 1 of their project includes the installation of  new fiber optic, high definition Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) Traffic Control/Video surveillance cameras and video screens to monitor activities, where CCTV and IP cameras are currently installed all over Metro Manila.
What I liked?
For the whole tour at the MMDA Control Center, I liked their idea comfortable talk and respect. In every actions taken, good manners and right conduct is really very important and they were able to apply it. Despite the strictness and confidentiality of every area of their company, they were still able to deliver and share to us those important details that was happening within the traffic and accident monitoring. The ones who did the lecture in MMDA explained how their system works. They also explained how they manage the traffic with regards to some accidents and natural happenings like earthquakes and storms. We were able to see the real time traffic monitoring. We were allowed to take pictures. They also showed us how their high-resolution cameras work. They do really work. You can easily recognize the face of the violator and the one who was in an accident. MMDA is quite strict in monitoring traffic. We also learned that they are using Project Noah which was discussed in DOST. Our lecture ended earlier than expected.
What I didnât like?
There was not a single thing that happened this day that I didnât like.
Day 5: September 11, 2015
Today, I went to a seminar at the University of the Philippines Department of Computer Science in Diliman, Quezon City
What I learned?
In the Department of Computer Science in UP, we had lectures about some of their studentsâ thesis/research in their Accenture room. They also gave us a tour around their different laboratories. From the UP Department of Computer Science, I learned that in order to accomplish something, one must think carefully and plan intently for success. I also learned that currently they only accommodate twenty five students in their department and they only offer computer science. Then, the lecturer gave us a glimpse of their program. She said that their BSCS Program have the following computing areas: algorithms and data structures, programming languages, computer architecture, numerical and symbolic computation, operating systems, software methodology and engineering, database and information retrieval
, and artificial intelligence.
What I liked?
I liked everything that was shown to us in the tour. I admired the system they have for their BSCS Program. It felt like they are special. I canât say the same thing for our BSCS program since Iâm an IT student but I felt a pang of jealousy. They have great facilities and also the environment that they maintained, I kinda dig. It made me wish that somehow our Department will be the same or better at everything. It might not be right now but I hope for the future.
What I didnât like?
UP tour was a bit too short because I wanted a longer tour. Also, due to Cebu Pacificâs fault our flight back to Davao was soooooo delayed.
APPENDIX
What can I recommend for the improvement of the advance seminar program of USEP?
If the building for the Institute of Computing will be done early, I recommend that they use that building as soon as possible. Our school, is really in need of laboratories and incubation hubs for the students to have better outputs and projects. We are so behind other schools because of our lacked of facilities which is a shame since Institute of Computing students are so bright. If this will happen in the near future, Iâm pretty sure that chances are high that Institute of Computing will lead the IT teaching if not in Mindanao but whole Philippines.
My advised to those who will take their advance seminar program in the near future, be prepared, sleep early and be attentive.
It was the first official meeting of the FTS class. There were new students that decided to join so the officers decided to explain everything again to the class and stressed to pass all the necessary documents they were asking from us within the month because they need to finish filing it before the end of the month.
A tentative itinerary were given and discussed to us. It was also opened to election to whether we will go to Enchanted Kingdom or not.Then there was a question to which 7th company we will visit.
We had another meeting for the Model Selection of our FTS Model. The officers gave the model waivers to us to give it to our parents. Models A, B and C were explained explicitly to us.
It was the first meeting of our FTS class. In the meeting, the president discuss the FTS course and give overview of the possible activities that we may encounter. Then we had an election for the new set of FTS officers of our class and an turnover also happened.
Last July 20-21, 2015, we had an Interpersonal and Team Building Seminar- a pre-requisite for our major field trip. It was organized by our class advisers and the Field Trip and Seminar (FTS) class officers. The seminar was made possible with the aide of the University Guidance and Testing Office (UGTO) and their personnel. The University Guidance and Testing Office(UGTO) is geared towards helping the students who are in need of support and assistance in their personal, social, academic, vocational difficulties. Certain challenges face the youth adult to full-adult form of behavior, expressions and reactions, social adjustment with peers, family and society, establishing goals and directions (educational and career decision-making), and evaluating their own values (conflict between idealism and reality). They work with students who may be experiencing a crisis, their goal is to assist them deal with their concerns before it develops into more serious problems. Guidance is an integral part of the whole educational program. It is designed to serve the development and adjustment of the students who are either in the critical stage or in the normal flow of college life. And as for us â the upcoming flight to Manila for our major field trip.
All in all there are eighty-one students to join the sought trip. Because of the count, the University Guidance and Testing Office decided to conduct the Interpersonal and Team Building Seminar in to two batches. The first batch was held in the University Social Hall and the second one had their seminar in the University Dormitory Function room. To decide which of which from the eighty-one students will be in the first and second batch was given to the Field Trip and Seminar officers. They were the ones who divided the class into two and identified who going to go which batch. Later then they posted on facebook.com, a popular social media site; where we sort of way join in together to stay in touch for this class, the list. In this particular seminar, I was sent for the first batch.
On that day of the seminar, I arrive pretty early and noticed that so many people have yet to arrive. Because of this the seminar was delayed to wait for the others. I felt ashamed for them but thank God that the facilitators of the seminar were very understanding of their situations. From the moment when it felt like the number of the participants were enough, the facilitators decided to start.
For the very first part, we had and activity which was the âWhat Do You Expect in This Activityâ activity. Very typically, I might say. Itâs like an unwritten opening to every workshops, trainings, and seminars that I have been in to, lately. In this activity, I kind of put a leash on myself and tried very hard not to word vomit. I really honestly thought that this seminar is totally unnecessary but it has been quite of a tradition for the Field Trip Seminar class of the Institute of Computing to have this kind of spectacle before the sendoff to Manila. I expected it to be boring because when you first encounter those kinds of things, itâs usually boring. I know their will be stories of other people which makes me cringe-y. To tell you frankly, I can count the people that I get along with in that eight-one class of ours only using my feet and my hands. I am friendly but do not mistake yourself as my friend when I treat you only as a classmate or an acquaintance. I expected that there will be movements in which I really suck at. Iâm a lazy person, I donât like moving too much Iâm too mellow for such activity. The team build part of it, I dread. And when we are talking about team building that it requires running, walking, carrying people and even sweating a lot. After which, we were introduced to the house rules to guide us on the things to do and not to do during the whole activity. This allows us to have the right conditions for the activity. We were then gathered into 6 groups and discussed the expectations we have. We also encourage to share some ideas onto what will happen and what to expect in the program. After the discussion, we have to write our answer in the Manila paper provided. Afterwards, we have one from our group to represent and explanation on the things we expect in this activity.
Next, we have our first session was about discovering me or myself. In this activity, we have been given a picture of a tree with many different kinds of people on the tree. The people in the tree are supposed to represent something that is sort to have a value to us. And because of that we were tasked to encircle the person in the tree that represent our self-best. Then again, we grouped into groups of three and then have to shared and discussed cheesy stuff. Then as expected, they wanted us to choose someone from our group to share to the whole bunch which is intimately weird. Talk about awkward.
After that stitch, we had our â my favorite and most looking forward to, the eating; had our merienda break. Cause I paid my share, the food better be satisfying and, oh boy, was it? Haha. Sure it will do.
The next activity was called âdraw your family tableâ. The activity was about drawing a dinner table with your family members on it. Instead of really conjuring up amaze ball sketches, we were asked to draw a thing that represents that certain family member. Â In this activity, I drew two dinner tables â the other one though is not technically a valid table. The first dinner table was of our setup in the dining room in our dinner table. I went with the basic. I drew my mom as the sunlight for the âilaw ng tahananâ effect and a seed for as to symbolize growing. As for the second set up I had was of my room. Most of the time, I eat in my room or eat together with my mom in my room. Itâs just the two of us so itâs not pretty crowded. My room because I feel the most comfort there. Its personal and I indulge and feel my food more in the kind of comfort Iâm in whenever Iâm in my room. And I repeat again, we grouped into groups and then have to shared and discussed cheesy stuff. Then as expected, again, they wanted us to choose someone from our group to share to the whole bunch which is intimately weird. The other members in the group where I belonged got really into it and had me fed up with their cheesiness. It was unbearable. That was the most uncomfortable feeling I had during this whole activity. I felt really proud of myself that I was able to power myself through and never got a word out of my mouth that will probably hurt their feeling. Iâm not really inept in this kind of things and I donât want being forced to do things like this.
After sharing, we were told to stick our drawings in the wall at the back. Then their crazy facilitator decided to ask us what we learned for other people based on the dinner table drawing that we had. It was embarrassing to a whole new level. I pretty much do not know the people there. And the people that I knew were only a few and can be counted in my fingers. Imagine, how can I say a thing that is very intimate about a person to the bunch of others without that person feeling that you were unapologetic and stuck up. I was pissed but riled it in. I was really outstanding with my patience and control for this whole activity.
And then, we had an hour of lunch break â my favorite.
By one in the afternoon, we started team building activity. We were grouped by six. We had an activity of having one who will look at the picture that will describe the picture to one runner and then that runner will tell us, the workers, the description of the drawing so that we could start to do our job and get it done. The activity lasted for about thirty to forty minutes. Then the rest were lectures. Leadership and Teamwork lectures. This maybe the part that I liked the best. Lectures are mellow. All I have to do is listen, so I was cool the entire time of these lectures.
With the seminar coming to conclusion, I can say that its goal was to improve relationship among us. They want us to have a strong, deep, and close association. They want us to be associated based on inference, love, solidarity, regular interactions, or other type of social commitment. Human beings are innately social and are shaped by their experiences with others. Relationships are important for their ability to help individuals develop a sense of self. The relational self is the part of an individualâs self-concept that consists of the feelings and beliefs that one has regarding oneself that develops based on interactions with others. In other words, existing relationships influence oneâs emotions and behaviors in interactions with new individuals, particularly those individuals that remind him or her of others in his or her life. There is also a thing about acceptance. Accepting oneself. We may have to encounter situation of frustration and regret and feel doubtful towards ourselves. We must always accept our mistakes, made by other people or made by yourself. You must have pride in yourself because there are some things that you can do and others cannot. But it doesnât mean that you can do everything because there are some things that only he can do also that anyone else cannot. We have to accept that we have limitations on what to do and what can we act upon but that doesnât mean that we must always be in that boundary. We have to overcome our limitation and set another limitation towards ourselves. We must always have faith in ourselves and others. And lastly is cooperation and team work. We have to cooperate on what to do and donât do towards the ones who previously gone through Manila in order for us to not have a difficult situation on our trip. And for this to happen we have to have a great team work. Â That is why as our facilitator for the activity said good team-building skills can unite us around our common goal and generate greater productivity. Without them, we limit our self and the rest to the effort each individual can make alone. As we not only share expectations for accomplishing group tasks, but trust and support one another and respect one another's individual differences. Our role is to be lead our leader, the officers, so that we can go toward cohesiveness and productivity. A team takes on a life of its own and we have to regularly nurture and maintain it, just as we do individually.
I look forward to our trip in Manila. There has been a lot of setbacks, which we learned from, I wish we could continue our trip so that we could experience what we need and gain new experiences towards each other. We may have different views on this trip. Some views this as a leisure trip, some for bonding. More of them views this as a trip of knowledge. We have to be ready to mingle with other people. We must have them know that we are all friends and we have to make sure that the university that we represent, should be proud of. It may be tiring at times of the trip, but it should not affect how we deal with others. We have to learn to have grace under pressure. We also have to be resourceful and responsible in our actions since weâre not there only for our personal agendas but also for the sake of representing our school towards companies and agencies.
Honestly, I am not really a travel person. It just never appealed to me. I have been asked many times to travel outside of my hometown, this city, city of Davao; at first I would say âyes, why notâ but then I get to my lazy moments hovering in my bed thanking God for my lovely pillow while it comfort me. I suddenly get all this nice feeling making me attached to my bed like I was chained to it, like even a moment of getting off of it is impossible. That is when we are supposed to go that I say âforget about me, I will stay hereâ. I have been told many times that it was just nerves getting on me. I laugh it off. I mean how could someone not me know how I feel. I know for a fact it was not because of nerves, as much as I have said no I have also said yes a few times. There might have been a certain factor as to why I have said yes but no, not ever because of nerves.
It is not that I hate travelling. Actually, I love travelling as much as I love dark chocolate truffles. Many believe that it is important, to see the world and different cultures. For me, I look forward to the opportunity it gives me to disconnect myself from my regular life â the daily routine that makes me want to vomit to death. I cannot say the same for those who travel for a living. But I believe in the way it makes me forget the problems or issues that I am having back to where I was. I helps me think in a new way that somehow helps in figuring out the things that I have never understood before. And it also make me realize how important the people around me are. The travel relieves me from stress and lets me recharge my batteries. Every time I come back from a travel I feel so invigorated and happy; and happy to be back to my daily routine. Like how the saying says: we never know what we have until we lose it. The best of travelling are the unexpected ones. They are nerve wrecking at the same time ecstatic. It is the feel of risk and the opportunity to go and leave. There is never a better time to go. And I have never felt sorry that I left and disappeared oh so suddenly. From the travel I had with my friends and my family, I had bountiful of memories for a lifetime. It bonded us together and gave new perspective to our relationship. And we are tighter as we get. When run to each other no matter what and we do not turn down each other. Whenever we get together to celebrate we get nostalgic of our trips, we talk, we sing, we laugh, and we drink our asses off.
What I expect from my next plane ride? Planes can be symbols of your wish to get moving with something. It could suggest that you are bursting with enthusiasm for something right now. It may mean that you are thinking about your priorities and wondering what you should concentrate on. It may just mean that you have a flight coming up and it is just linked to that (unclesirbobby.org.uk, 2015)? In the earlier times, people all over the world are obsessed with tradition and in the past, machines are still seemingly an amazing innovation. These days, airplanes are not anything exciting, but back then, they were a total spectacle. A plane ride to me suggests that I am in complete control of the destination of my life. That I am confident and self-assured in my decisions and accomplishments.
It is not yet clear if our educational trip to Manila is a go. From what I have heard it is still pending at the office of the president (University of Southeastern Philippines) waiting for him to approve our trip. I hope it will get approved. A week off of school is what I will really need this semester. I am just having different emotions this academic year. There are times where I want to work very hard and most of the times I get a feeling of just laying in my room pump the air conditioner then listen to some sad sappy songs like from Adele, Sam Smith, and others. I do not know what have gotten into me. I just have this urge to isolate myself and shut everything up. It is making me queasy all the time. Whenever I wake up I contemplate whether there is a need to go to school. Almost everybody is calling me lazy lately. I am being scolded by my mother and I have been neglecting some of my responsibilities lately. I just curse at myself. I stock. I just need to keep my shit together. For many years I have been studying, I was a good student, a ârole model sonâ to the neighbors then this. This trip might help me get a grip of myself and be back to the way I was.
I have talked about travelling from a few paragraphs before this. What it feels like for me. What it is for me. As much as I have travelled much, I have not travelled on plane quite as much. The first plane ride I had I might say is really a blur. I was not old enough that time. I do not think you would remember but truly I am not from this city. I actually was given birth in Sta. Cruz, Manila and was raised in Bulacan for a few years. It was good there, really, really good. We were living in a very decent subdivision with parks and other amusements and was close to the plazas and shopping malls. I remember my aunt from Australia holding me and taking me to places I want to go. Then one day, my parents decided to sell our place in Bulacan and move here permanently in Davao. Moving as different from travelling, I did not get angry with them uprooting me. They were trying to âprotect meâ as they say. Who could blame them, Iâm not up 7:00 am during school days what more to be up by let us say 2 or 3 in the morning I mean that is insane as the traffic and the pollution â oh gosh. I am not up for that I am very grateful for their very wise decision. Funny. We travelled thru air to Davao flying in Philippine Airlines. It was not much of a different kind of travel to me as travelling by a car. Except maybe for the ascending and descending of the plane to the sky and a little turbulence. I was not nervous at all. I had my parents with me and I had a sit and they kept on feeding me chocolates â Cadbury, one of my favorites. When we landed at Davao airport, I was a little tipsy and as we arrived at our new home I was already sleeping in my momâs arms. At least that is what she I have been told when I asked.
After a seemingly long time, I have not travelled in air not until recently. My second plane ride was to receive an award for Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) Open Competition. I got into this competition because of my subject technopreneurship. I never really expected the whole time of me taking that subject that I will some contest and Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) Open Competition that is. I was very skeptical when I received a phone call from an agency telling that I won. I told myself it was all hokum. And then suddenly there were other students as well were contacted that it finally set in. I won something. It was unbelievable. We were invited to join the awarding ceremony at the Raffles Hotel in Makati. Explaining our circumstances to them they have agreed to finance the expense and travel us from Davao to Pasay. They shouldered our plane ride, hotel and food when we were there. They had us booked in Tunes Hotel. The hotel was a decent. We were given a two bed room. The room was small but it the space is enough to move around. It was all glassy â there are just glasses everywhere. There is a mirror parallel to the glass door of the bathroom and the wall to where the headrest of the bed face is full on mirror. It was a bit bothering. I donât need a constant reminder on that room of how I look, I pretty much know how I am. We took our time then and prepared for the awarding ceremony. I took several showers that day. The air is not suitable for me. I am sweaty and every time I get back to the hotel I feel so heavy like I had applied several layers of make-up from head to toe. Hours away from the awarding, a bus is already waiting for us outside the hotel. We finished early so we waited for the other participants at the hotel lobby and snapped some pictures here and there. When everyone was down from their rooms, we got into the bus and head on to Raffles hotel. It been a very long time for me to a five star hotel. Smart executives including Earl Martin Valencia, president of the local startup incubator IdeaSpace Foundation, awarded cash prizes to us (but is still out there somewhere), we will also get one year market runway support from SmartDevNet towards the commercialization of our apps. And we were also assured of additional cash prizes as well as a share of the revenues once our apps achieve commercial success. The next day we flew back to Davao. After several day later, a news article about us was published by SMART Communications in their website and then at SunStar Davao and even made it to the University website.
So, hey, I am not really that much of a stranger travelling through a plane, am I. But it is a different story travelling with people I knew for what almost four (4) years and with a bunch of strangers, so I want the plane ride to be one awesome plane ride. I am really looking forward to it because I get to do it with my classmates. Other than that, I also get to see some of my classmates who are first timers in a plane trip. I will get to witness their reactions and how they would do. But in spite of the fact that we have a busy schedule ahead of us, we still need to have fun that is why one of my expectations is to have fun. Having fun is one of the things that I truly look forward. What excites me more is what we will be facing when we got there. The essence of it should never be left behind in light of the fact that learning is much cooler with the actual essence of fun. Â If the essence of fun is found, then the students or my fellow students and I will be more encouraged to learn. It's hard to know what to expect, and even the smallest occurrences can be confusing or stressful. Honestly, I wish will have a good ride. I want us to all be safety and successful on our ride. I expect the educational tours to increases our knowledge and new thoughts and ideas grow up in us. There was a saying that goes, âthe education of man remains incomplete if he does not visit important places of the worldâ. Reading of books only provides us with half knowledge. But travelling with eyes wide open and mind fully gives us full knowledge. I hope it will make us smart and self-reliant. And I hope that it is both entertaining and instructing for us.
Field Trip and Seminars is a required course. I was supposed to join the last yearâs batch of âfield trippersâ but I withdraw because there were just, I suppose, three or two of us âbatch matesâ. I joined again for this year hearing that there will be plenty of my âbatch matesâ and âfriendshipsâ are eligible to join. I was ecstatic to hear this so I signed myself immediately. I actually was shamelessly latching myself to the next one being egged to be the FTS President just for information. ;)
We had our series of unofficial meeting doing orientation and so on. Â We were asked to select a model for field trip and seminar. There were three models to be selected; model A, model B, and model C.
Model A. Model A requires us to have a Major Field trip (that is outside of Mindanao), a minor fieldtrip (that is within Mindanao) and a two-hour Interpersonal Skills Seminar that is to be held in our school. In the Major Fieldtrip, we are also required to attend a national seminars and go to seven companies these which of course is related to our studies. This one is the most expensive selection from the other models
Model B. Model B requires us to have a Major Field trip (that is outside of Mindanao) and two minor field trips within Mindanao and an interpersonal skills seminar. This also includes two seminars for eight hours within Mindanao. And number of companies to go to, still within Mindanao. This model is cheaper compared to Model A.
Model C. Model C requires three minor field trips within Mindanao, four seminars for sixteen hours also within Mindanao and a 2-hour Interpersonal Skills Seminar. Out of the three model selection this one is the cheapest. But I think this one sucks. I think this one is boring. I will probably quit if this model is what we are going to pursue.
Me being me, I go Model A all the way. I was a bit disappointed though, at first. There are supposed to be two major field trip options â Manila and Singapore. I donât know what happened but Singapore got lost in the wind. I was really looking forward to it. Iâm not really a big fan of Manila. Well, it got some redeeming parts in the city but not so much to kill myself over it. But it could have been worse. And well, I would really like to University of the Philippines, Los Banos. Manila it is.
The previous batch of Field Trip and Seminars, the one I demitted myself from, also picked model A. I heard fascinating stories from their trip. They said they were inspired during the whole trip. This was one of the reasons why I chose model A. There were already a bountiful number of students who, like I, chose model A and were out encouraging the others to choose the same model as us. Although upon learning after that the place that the previous batch of field trip and seminars visited, was the capital of the Philippines - the city of Manila, will probably be the same place that we will visit this year since it needs a majority vote and I think plentiful already thinks that Singapore is too much. Just like what I have said before the other options were gone in the wind. It got annoying when we were told stories that the place is not a great place for us. But honestly, I think we all know that. Some were waning already but got it together. With all of those unpleasantness, I was once again reminded why I donât like Manila. But I channeled positive energy and cleansed myself of all the negativity so I can actually be quite excited about the idea, Iâm not excited about visiting the place but Iâm much more excited about the challenges that we will meet and the practical contact with different people. Aside from the fact that I was inspired about the previous batch trip and the fact that some students encouraged me to choose the first model which is the model A, ever since they had introduced to me or to us the models that we will choose from, my personal choice is this, the model A. When our FTS president Guarino gave us a copy of the Field Trips and Seminars model waiver, we were told that our parents or guardians will be the ones to choose which model we should pick. After my mom read the Field Trips and Seminars model waiver, there were no crazy conversation I just told her to sign the field trip and seminarsâ model waiver and that Iâll be going with model A â no questions asked then she just immediately agreed with me. I have my reasons why I like the first model which is the model A.
From the beginning of the Model selection, not every one of us who wanted to join the coming field trip and seminar decided on model A. Some chose model B and there were others who chose model C. Because of this, we again convened. Since the number of students who chose model A were far greater than those whose the other models B and C. It was decided we will be following model A. Happy day for me.
Unfortunately, University of the Philippines, Los Banos will not have a shot to be part of our trip. So far, the only thing that is sure in our trip will the Philippine Y4IT (The Youth Congress on Information Technology). I donât really know about it much though, so I did a tiny bit of research. Philippine Y4IT was formerly known as the Philippine Youth Congress on Information Technology. It is an annual information technology event in the Philippines organized by the University of the Philippines System Information Technology Foundation and co-organized by the Y4iT Volunteer Corps (YVC). This one is supposed to be one of the biggest information technology gathering in the Philippines. Y4iT are for college students, professionals, educators, IT experts and enthusiasts. During this event, several IT topics will be presented and discussed in SM Mall of Asiaâs Convention Center.
What is a business model? It is how a company creates values of itself.
There are nine component of business model: value propositions, customer relationship, revenue streams, cost structure, key partners, key activities, key resources, channels and costumers segments.
A business model canvas it not as easy to do as I thought it would be. There are a lot of things that are needed to be considered. But once you will be able to finish a good model canvas, it will fruitful. The very essence of the business model canvas is to simplify and represent the core aspects of your business in a very precise manner that is understandable and could be of use when you present your business to your prospect investors.
Last August 9 of 2014, the mark of our 5th meeting for Technopreneurship 1, we had our make-up class from eight oâ clock in the morning until five oâ clock in the afternoon. Our professor started off with a lecture from more than a hundred slide presentation converted into a pdf format. He said that will be the last discussion or lesson ha we will be having for the subject. In the lecture, he had discussed the ways to be a successful technopreneur. He first asked us three things: what we love, what are we best at and finally, what our irritants are. It took a very long awkward silence from us. No one dared to answer our instructorâs questions and because of that our instructor decided to skip the questioning and instead, he proceed with telling us as to why he had asked those questions. He said that is important to us to identify these things. It is important because these are catalyst to becoming a technopreneur. In a way, it is a self-mastery. The first question, what we love, for me is somewhat related to what they say that you are not giving it all if what you are doing is not actually what you love. Like in a movie, where a girl is just satisfied on what she was in her work that she gets frustrated and it was because she did not learn to love or at least have a passion on her work and that is why her performance was poor. I guess the same goes with technopreneurship, you cannot really expect to excel on your business if it is not what you love. You will just see it as a burden once things will start heating up. The next question, what are we best at, I think that one was pretty much established from our previous discussion. That it is important to know our strengths and make good use of it. The third question, what our irritant are, this, I believe, pertains to our weakness. It is not just simply telling us to be aware of our weaknesses. Our instructor told us something that I see as something inspirational â turn your weaknesses into your strengths. It way a good one, I think, and always keep on hearing those from movies. That part of the discussion was one of my favorites. Weaknesses cannot just be simply overcome in just a snap but they will never be always be our weakness and if given time we will be able to turn these weaknesses into strengths and better our chances as a technopreneur. Another part of the sharing that I liked was the SWOT. Our facilitator discussed to us SWOT analysis. SWOT is an abbreviated term for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. He said to us that this analysis might be a big help in our future to overcome struggles. It was said that through this, we will be able to identify the weaknesses that our business might be have and be able to prepare preventive measures to avoid failure. Next thing that our facilitator had discussed to us was teamwork. We all know what teamwork is. Teamwork is the coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause. The word teamwork is something that is very common to all of us, but still it caught me off guard. Perhaps, it was because I had focus on different things that I have overlooked teamwork. And of course, as we always say teamwork is essential.
What do I liked the least during the sharing? Well, there is nothing much, I guess, because during that day as I have had remembered I was in the very good mood and, well, there is nothing not to like at all. It wasnât dull. The atmosphere was right. Maybe there is one thing I slightly didnât liked. The in and out of the students. Our facilitator was generous enough to grant us that make-up class and have a class all day. The problem was that the some of us had classes and just as well they had an activity on the other class. That was a bit distracting but beside that everything was fine. Everything that was discussed was informative and was delivered to us exceptionally. Though my retention is somewhat bad, I still get bits of what our facilitator had said during that time. I thing I did not expect was the lecture ended earlier than I had expected. Probably that would from the hundred plus pages of the lecture. Everything our facilitator had done was splendid. It was a bit fast and ,yes, we had skipped some part that he deemed not important or have already been tackled to us from our previous discussion, and there were some side stories but everything stayed straight and correlated to the topic, everything. From the previous meetings we had, I already have observed that our facilitator is very good on discussing, on unloading the topic unto us and I am very grateful for that. Because I know I takes a lot of skill to be able to do such. I guess our class was lucky to have him as our instructor for this subject, Technopreneurship 1. As I have said earlier, everything was fine, the atmosphere was fine but what I had forgotten to mention before was the air conditioning, well, it was poor. Consider this there are about 70 people in our class and that excludes our instructor, luckily a bunch of my classmates were gone attending a scheduled class which had lessen our numbers in the room the place but ,gosh, all I felt during the first few minutes of the class was the hotness in there. I do appreciate the presence of the air conditioners in the room but they were not in a good condition. To sum everything up, besides the air conditioning I have nothing else that I could say I liked the least. Everything went smoothly there we no incidents and we ended the discussion fine. I just hope everything will continue as it is and maybe a better air conditioning next time.Â
For me, the experience was nerve racking. I had these moments while presenting and catching glimpses from my classmates and our facilitator I feel discourage and just want to stop. There are times when I question myself if perhaps I did this, did that could the result be different but I didnât dwell much on those thoughts âcause I felt it holding me back. I also had these un-containable excitement feeling that finally this idea might get approved. The day I had another idea to present I was thinking to myself it's high time for me to get an approval, and I did. I was just simply happy with it and all. The important thing, I guess, in presenting was to give it directly, not too detailed that youâre boring your audience, just enough to have them the gist and understand it very well.
As far as I could remember, it was said that were four things that comprises the technopreneurship ecosystem â the ideas, the pre-requisite (i.e. materials, money, personnel, etc.), the business model canvas and its nine components. These were drawn from the pictures that our instructor have shown to us. There was a photo of someone fixing a computer, someone building a bahay kubo and another photo. To be a successful technopreneurship you will need HELF. HELF stands for human resources, environment, law and policies, and financial resources. HELF is the four components of technopreneurship ecosystem. Human Resources pertains to the researcher, developer, scanner and marketing people, financer and etc. They are the workers. And where the workers work is the environment like science parks, incubators, academic institutions, R and D centers, internet access, communication and other support services, geographic accessibility, venturing and monitoring services and support. But for these to work without any problems we have to follow laws and policies cause there are such things like intellectual property rights, technology licensing â facilitates commercialization of inventions, and legal services; these are one of the things you need to check before making everything official. Lastly, is the financial resources; this is where we are going to get our money to start the business such are the venture capitalists and investors, business sectors, funding agencies, financial services (i.e. accounting).
Why Technopreneurship?
From my previous post, as said by our facilitator, technopreneurship is "Creating the NEW and destroying the OLD": new knowledge, new products, new processes, new services, new market and new business. It is high tech ventures in ICT, electronics, internet, life science and biotech. Service firms where technology is critical to their mission, such as: e-Bay, FEDEX, Smart money transfer and e â learning. It is the use of technology in the delivery or conduct of normal business activities.
 Based from the presentation we had last meeting here are why:
               Population         -             84M (somewhat 4 or 3 years ago)
               Working age?                   Approximately 50 % of the population â 16 years old and below
               Employment generation
               Gross National Product from large companies > 100 employees
               Gross National Product from small companies < 100 employees
               Number of large companies 5 %?
               95 % are small companies?
Technopreneurs are important agents in the economic growth of the country as they help the increase the national capital and the country gets maximized beneficial outputs from them. They are also an important agents of progress. As they are like entrepreneurs who are also financial capitalists the waste output from their projects, business and etc. is minimized.
The How
As our instructor had said we must start the ball rolling. Under this are four â innovation, triggering events, implementation and growth. The discussion of each was fascinating especially the innovation part were until now I still stuck because I havenât had a single idea approved by our instructor. This part is where the person gets an idea either by active search by chance, present employment or experience. The triggering events would pertain to how you come up with the innovation. It could be due to your career prospects or deliberate choice.
There were common components that was introduced: excellent market opportunity, superb technopreneurship and resource that you need. Though I forgot I these were explained by our instructor, I still have this feeling that it is somewhere in the back of my mind, I just couldnât pinpoint it exactly.
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS: The DIFFERENCE OF COMPANY AND START UP
What is a company? A business organization which sells a product or service in exchange for revenue or profit.
What is a startup? Unlike a company, a startup is a temporary organization designed to search for a repeatable and saleable business model.
What is a business model? It is how a company creates values of itself.
There are nine component of business model: value propositions, customer relationship, revenue streams, cost structure, key partners, key activities, key resources, channels and costumers segments.
There are two types of value proposition as discuss by our instructor the qualitative and quantitative types. Value proposition is the newness, services, customization, accessibility and etc. It is the description of what the company offers. Costumer segments describe who the company offers their value to. Channels is how the company will reach their customers. Customer relationships is the relationship that the company builds. The revenue streams is how the company makes money or profit. Key Resources is what capabilities are required. Key partners are the partners that serve as leverage for your business model.
But before you think or make of this â making a business model canvas, you might first think if it is in need or are there lots of people who will need your values and the timing, is it the right timing? Like the question thrown to us by our instructor that day, can you give me the names of your prospect customers? He said that if we canât answer this â give any names then we only had an idea not a market as to where we will gain profit thus losing the essence of building the canvas. Because the thing we your values is that no one is going to buy or the selling market is indeterminate making it a non-revenue or non-profit. With the timing, usually if entrepreneurs see a window briefly they rush to open a business and this is usually done without inadequate planning. Because of this, it can led to costly mistakes.
Which part of the sharing you liked most and least; and why?
This post is in regard to the meeting we had last June 24, 2014 wherein we had further discussed technopreneurship and the following: roles of technopreneurship in job creation and national economy, importance of technopreneurship, types of technopreneurship (entrepreneurship), characteristics of a good entrepreneur and the SEED model together with the different the mind quotients.
This is what I have written in my paper on my view of the situation given to us, âThere is only the two of us in my family, me and my mother. If ever there will be a case where my mother will lose her job, Iâd feel sad be because my mother works very hard to provide everything that I need. And because of that I know my mother will try to find another job whatever it takes. If this will ever happen but I hope not, I will take a step and help my mother with our finances. I can try finding a job but still continue my studies. Both of us will set aside some money that will serve as capital. My mother is not a newbie when it comes to business or starting a business. So, when our capital is enough, my mother can start a business like a mini-store or a small eatery.â
As for my take on the other situation, the case wherein I am an unpleasant looking person seeking a job but keeps on getting rejected even though I have meet the qualifications and yet even better than the other in all aspects but failed on looks. Though there is an existing law in regards to discrimination, it is not properly implemented here in our country; as it was pointed out by our facilitator. I think this situation is the hardest among the others as to which the beauty is still a big issue in our country contrary to other countries. Ever saw the fliers and online posts of job advertisements? Head to the requirements portion and there you will see âmust have pleasing personality.â It quite harsh but reality is, it is hard to land a job if we lack an aspect in beauty even though you possess killer skills. I liked the answer of the group who was assigned to that situation, though I donât remember most of what she had said; the representative of their group, I was able to get that they will start a business and prove those jerks that they are far better than the others and give them âhereâs to overlooking usâ kind of thing.
TECHNOPRENEURSHIP
Technology, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2014), is making use of science in industry of engineering, etc. to invent useful things or to solve problems. It is the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area.
Entrepreneurship is an action of starting a business to supply product and service out from seeing the need of a particular product and service. It is the organization and management of a business or enterprise.
From my previous post on the Pirates of the Silicon Valley, on the question âHow do you see yourself as a technopreneur?â I have given the definition of technopreneurship as entrepreneurship that involves application of high technology. And made a reference on an article, entitled âSMX Convention at Mall of Asiaâ, written by someone that goes by a blogger name âhrs1aâ (April, 2011) said, âthe first speaker Mr. Francis Kong the international speaker, well renowned motivational speaker our topic is technopreneurship term is a derivative of two words, namely âtechnologyâ and âentrepreneurshipâ in general, the word technology is used to refer to the practical application of knowledge to the industry or as a framework of knowledge that is used to create the tools to develop expertise and materials in order to solve the existing problems. The term technopreneurship in a wider scope, as a technology entrepreneur in the field of semiconductor technology, which includes accessories to the personal computer and internet, all electronic payment system (EPS) is a system of financial exchange between buyers and sellers in the online environment that is facilitated by a digital financial instrument backed by a bank, an intermediary, or by legal tender. The absence of inadequacy of legal infrastructures governing the operation of E-payments is also a concern hence, banks with E-banking operations employ service agreements between themselves and their clients.â
Some says that both technology and entrepreneur is the one idea of technopreneurship which means that the development of entrepreneurial activity (such as: operating small business) must be in line with the technology use. It means that in this era, both technology and entrepreneurship cannot be separated. It supports each other (technology has made the entrepreneurship activity easier and entrepreneur can utilize the technology as wise as possible) to conduct the social welfare and prosperity (Wardhana, 2012).
For me technopreneurship, as said by our facilitator, is "Creating the NEW and destroying the OLD": new knowledge, new products, new processes, new services, new market and new business. It is high tech ventures in ICT, electronics, internet, life science and biotech. Service firms where technology is critical to their mission, such as: e-Bay, FEDEX, Smart money transfer and e â learning. It is the use of technology in the delivery or conduct of normal business activities.
Who are technopreneurs? A technoprenuer is an entrepreneur who is technology savvy, creative, innovative, dynamic, dares to be different and take the unexplored path, and very passionate about their work. They take challenges and strive to lead their life with greater success. They donât fear to fail. They take failure as a learning experience, a stimulator to look things differently and stride for next challenge. Technoprenuers continuously go through an organic process of continual improvement and always try to redefine the dynamic digital economy. Technopreneurs are entrepreneurs who are into the core businesses involving technology-based industries. They make use of technology to come out with new or innovative products through a process of commercialization. The businesses are generally marked with high growth potential and high leverage of knowledge and intellectual property. Potential Technopreneurs must be equipped with both technical and business skills (Suhartanto, Setijadi and et al, 2010).
THE MINDSET
To be able to be a good technopreneur you have to have a proper mind set.
When you are sent to school what is your usual perception? Or what does your parent want of you to go to school? The usual answer is to get good grades and land a job. Let us face it, most Filipino parents send their children to school to get a good transcript and land a job in a company. With this kind of thinking that Filipino parents have, it is instilled to the childâs mind. And the child carries this ideology and passes this way of thinking to the child theyâd be soon in the future be having. And so on and forth, we all know how this works. The way these children will think will affect their future. It is like the parents had influenced the child and enclosed his thinking and sights to what the parents like their children to be; to have a job in a company. This is the old mind-set. We have a saying that goes, âAim for the moon.â It wonât hurt aiming high since we got nothing to lose if we fail, but at least, we got to the chance to try. Contentment of the way things are is not a good attitude to have being a technopreneur. You are aiming to innovate to better the living situation of every person in this planet. Instead of carrying that old kind of rationality, break it and go to school to get a good transcript and be the owner of your own company. Do not worry about how youâd be able to start your own company, just simply start your own company and everything else will follow.
Like I said, our mental inclination will help us make it in this world. But if we live by the old mind-set then this fixation we have on our life should be changed because we need to in order to further our living situation. We must not be brought by under rules, regulations or whatever there may be that will hinder our mindâs functionality due to dictatorship of the person who imposed on you like our parents. The works in our mind is complicated but the thing is this complication can be manipulated just burry a seed and grow it, and later on this complication appears to cease to exist. As I had said, this will continue on if donât put a stop to it. That is the thing with rules and regulations set by other people in your life. People can be easily persuaded; and people can easily adapt that we lose a touch of our true self. It is part of a person to grow but growing under the influence of other people, I donât think so. So live up, think and influence yourself. This is just my way of saying to not let anybody control you and be the person who you really want.
Take what I said earlier regarding what Filipino parents commonly instil in their childâs mind. Yes, you do go to a good school, have earned many awards, achievements, and good grades; and landed a job on a company; but think of this, is this what all you can see yourself in. You did everything that is necessary to be the best. And you just ended up being someoneâs beef. This mind set reflects most of the people here in the Philippines.
I gave it a thought, as our facilitator said, we have to change this mind setting we have. Let us not settle with what our societyâs ideology has been since the past ages. Let us seek beyond it. Enough with the school, good grades, then become an employee; it is time for school, good grades, then become an employer. There are a lot of risks in starting your own company or business. Chances are your either going to fail or better yet succeed. Our facilitator made us grasp the gist of this alternative mind set. A mind-set that can set us free of the burden of our past ideology. A mind-set were you could possibly set your own terms. A mind-set that could give you better possibilities.
Everything in our life is a risk. Opportunities come and go. It is all in the matter of proper mind-set. And with that, beware that choosing either the old mind-set or the alternative mind-set does not mean a job or a success. For me, the most important part of this mind setting is yourself. It just does not give saying it out loud, I choose alternative mind-set; you have to do it. Work it on yourself and figure it out. Always have the right kind of attitude and you will be able go far in your life. And with that, the bullets of risks raining on you could be easily dodged.
ROLES OF TECHNOPRENEURSHIP IN JOB CREATION AND NATIONAL ECONOMY
IMPORTANCE OF TECHNOPRENEURSHIP
In the slide presentation that was showed to us by our facilitator these are the importance of technopreneurship:
Employment creation
Local resources
Decentralization and Diversification of Business
Promotion of Technology
Capital Formation
Human Capital - skills, capabilities and knowledge of the firmsâ people
Organizational Capital - patents, technologies, processes, database   and networks
Social Capital - quality of the relationships with customers, suppliers and partners.
Promotion and Entrepreneurial Culture
Technopreneurship driving many economies to prosperity. Technopreneurship-merging technology prowess and entrepreneurial skills- is the real source of power in today's knowledge-based economy. A technopreneur distinguishes logic from tradition, tradition from prejudice, prejudice from common sense and common sense from nonsense while integrating a variety of ideas from diverse groups and disciplines. As for technopreneurs are entrepreneurs who are into the core businesses involving technology-based industries. They make use of technology to come out with new or innovative products through a process of commercialization. Technopreneurs must be equipped with both technical and business skills (Universiti Kuala Lumpur, 2013). They play a vital role in a countryâs economic growth as they foster technological advancement as it is their way to gain profit. Technopreneurs uses technology in creating and improving products. They are innovators and risk-bearers who does everything in their hand to produce something that is incorporated with technology and appeals to the masses. They learn to develop their ideas and turn it into a venture and develop market strategies for the product.
Technopreneurs carry a heavy burden as they employ in creating and improving the products, services and production process. When they innovate, they have successfully introduce and commercializa a new product or a process in the masses. As technopreneurs creates new knowledge, new products, new processes, new services, new market and new business, they are able to keep the local economy moving forward. Like for example the one of the most famous technopreneur and also the richest of them is Bill Gates, who makes Microsoft a household name all over the world. There is also Steve Jobs â well known for his innovations, the co-founder of Apple and developed the dopiest iPod â most carried gadget by young population. Another are Sergey Brin and Larry Page the brain of Google. Who donât know Google?
TYPES OF TECHNOPRENEURSHIP (ENTREPRENEURSHIP)
Incremental - routine business, modest industry. Example: new coffee shop
Imitative - limitation of a venture, same business model and template. Example: new regional branch and franchise operation
Rent seeking - business that utilizes standards, regulation and laws to show on value of an enterprise. Example: licensing of patented ideas, products or trade secrets.
Innovating - business type based on innovation. Example: new cure for infectious disease, new DVD format, new memory chip, new ICT enhance home appliance
What is Entrepreneurship? A way of thinking and acting that is opportunity obsessed, holistic in approach and leadership balanced for the purpose of the wealth creation.
Who are entrepreneurs? A person who pursuit opportunity without regard to the resources currently under one's control. Entrepreneur searches for charges responds to it, exploits it is an opportunity for a business or a service.
How to be and entrepreneur? There are many opportunities for a person to become an entrepreneur. In some communities, there may be a need for services such as subject tutorials, or making deliveries. You might produce and sell goods â for example, pandesal and small sari-sari store. Or you could become involved in knitting, tailoring and etc. and sell your products.
CHARACTERISTIC OF A GOOD ENTREPRENEUR
Hard Working
A good entrepreneur must show continued hard work, effort and determination. He or She must be able to work hard and careful to do things well. Efficiency is a must and must be able to work quickly and is good at organizing their work in the way that gets the best results.
As a saying goes, âHard work is the key to successâ and is somewhat the same with Edisonâs âOne percent inspiration, 99 percent perspirationâ, if we want our aim to be realized hard work is essential. This trait will help develop our potential to the highest level and strive for excellence in the business. It makes us better prepared of the things that is out there that could possibly wound us.
Self-Confident
It is the feeling that you can do things well and that people respect you. As a confident person does not only attract friendship but also commands respect. It is the sureness of the feeling you have upon yourself that you could do the task at hand. If you are confident, this will show on every work you do. Self-confidence is a key entrepreneurial trait. You have to be crazy-sure your product is something the world needs and that you can deliver it to overcome the naysayers, who will always deride what the majority has yet to validate. Being confident, you can easily overcome any bad hitches that will happen to your life and your business and will always have the positive outlook that you will be able to do better on your life and your business.
Builds for the Future
Your vision of your business does not only aims for to today but for the decades to come. You must be able to foresee future business opportunities based on data or whatever means that you have gathered because if you only base things on your gut feeling, there is a bigger chances of losing or error.
Profit â Oriented
One of the reasons as to why we build businesses is to gain profit. As you foresee for future business opportunities you must also consider if it will be profitable for it is as defined that entrepreneurs provides supply for products and services for profit.
Goal â Oriented
Your goal needs to be focused and detailed. You must be able to determine when your goal is achieved. They must be practical and reasonable. Your goals must be: specific, action-oriented, realistic and time bound.
Persistent
You must continue to do something in determined way. It means refusing to give up or let go of your work. Being persistent can help you stay focused on your goals as to where your business should be heading.
Responds to feedback
Instead of dwelling and sulking, you absorb everything and put it in good use. In your life, you will always be mocked, judge and it is a good way to put in in good use. Never take it personally as it will destroy you and your business.
Demonstrate Initiative
You must be able to decide independently on what to do and when to do it. Your business will never go further is you wonât take initiative.
Willing to Listen
You will never know how effective you are if you are not willing to listen as to what others want to say to you. This trait could help build trust which could help greatly in your business as it is essential when you and your employees work together.
Set Own Standards
You must make your own standard. Originality and quality are the best two things you should aspire for your product or service that you are going to present to the public. You wouldnât like the sound of hearing people that you are product is just a copycat of this product and also this product is cheap.
Copes up with Uncertainty
It is sometimes good to have a nervous feeling that something bad might happen. But never make that feeling hinder you, if you feel something bad might come up, think of the things that will lessen the chance of it happening. Always cope and do not be swallowed by your uncertainty.
Committed
You must be loyal to the beliefs you have set for your business and work hard for it. You must be serious. This can help do your tasks better and faster and the results are assured to be good.
Builds own Strengths
You everything you can to flourish your strengths and conquer your weaknesses,
Reliable and has Integrity
Every employee needs a reliable boss. You are expected to be trusted by them. And you will only be trusted if you have a decent integrity. Ask anyone around if they will trust a man who has no or a questionable integrity and they will always answer no. Although some new business owners may experience immediate success through cheating or lying, in the long run, clients and investors will lose interest in doing business with an entrepreneur who lacks credibility.
Risk â Taker
âThe greatest artists like Dylan, Picasso and Newton risked failure. And if we want to be great, weâve got to risk it too.â â Steve Jobs
Risk is inherent when starting a business. This requires possessing well-developed decision-making skills, even in the face of failure, as well as being flexible enough to alter methods when things to not go as planned. Like any successful businessmen would say if asked what their secret in their success is; their answer will have, it is always about the risks you take.
THE SEED MODEL
What is SEED? SEED represents self-mastery, environment mastery, enterprise mastery and development. It was developed by our facilitator and his colleagues in one of their gatherings were they were making a module about technopreneurship to serve as a guide to those who are teaching such course subject. This all started when he and his friend from Ateneo de Davao University were invited to study technopreneurship in Australia. Instead of going to Australia, they had ask for them to come here in the Philippines and preach of technopreneurship, in that way it is not only them who have learned but a lot of them which had greatly benefited the Philippines. They had invited dean of colleges that offer computer science and information technology, and other computer related course. They have all gathered together and brainstormed which gave birth to the technopreneurship module. They wanted to make sure that the subject course will be taught properly by teachers and facilitators. It really sounded very cool to me. I have a facilitator who have pioneered technopreneurship here in Mindanao. SEED is a kind of practice that will help you become a great technopreneur.
SELF-MASTERY
What is a self-mastered person?
A self-mastered person
Does not need high IQ
Does need high EQ and AQ
Is naturally a/an:
Performer â competitive and efficient
Epicure â sensual and cherry    Â
Boss â takes charge and loves a good fight
Is whole-brained
Has personal vision
The very first core of SEED is self-mastery. Self-mastery passion comes from knowing oneself. Self-mastery in all kind of aspect there is. It is the mastering of yourself. You must know yourself very well that even taken on a sudden situation you know how to handle yourself and adjust. I see SEED as a ladder to success and you got to start at the bottom which with the self-mastery. If you are not able to master this, you wonât be able to do the same to the other masteries. I view self-mastery as the main core of SEED. And honestly speaking, it does make sense since everything do starts with yourself. You got to have self-awareness, sensitivity and understanding with yourself. You must know your physical limits, your weaknesses and your strengths. If you are able to do all of these you will be able to achieve your goals. All you need to do is to keep on practicing and practicing this until you are able to fully master this. A self-mastered person is a performer and a boss. Self-mastery brings passion. How hard could it be to know oneself? When you yourself, you know what you want and do not want. But if are having a hard time doing so there are a lot of books out there that could help you to. The importance of knowing oneself should not be taken for granted. Do this and you will be able to do anything. Once you have fully grasp of yourself you can now proceed to the next mastery which is the environment mastery.
ENVIRONMENT-MASTERY
What is an environment-mastered person?
               An environment-mastered person
Understands the industry he / she is in
Sees the opportunities, not the problems
Is on top of the situation instead of being under the situation
Is the organization / industry innovator and strategist
In this mastery it is no longer always about you now it is about your surroundings. And to be able to know what is going on, on your surroundings you have to have awareness. In self-mastery, you are trying to figure yourself out. You now know yourself fully from weakness to strengths and honed everything that could be honed. But in environment mastery your concern will go beyond yourself. Here you will be starting to ask questions like âHow can I help the people?â, âWill this do better for them?â Technology can affect society in more than one way. It is about generating business ideas and seeking opportunities out from his or her environment through serendipity walks, crises, trends, etc. Previously, I have been writing about the goods it does in our human life but it does not touch all people and things in the same way because it can have harmful effects. Harmful effects often seem to accompany developments in technology. For example, the automobile has resulted to faster transportation, but it also led to many highway deaths. Other changes in technology have made some aspects of life less pleasant and have harmed the environment. The harmful effects of technology can be widespread. But technology also can provide ways to solve many of these problems. These is why it is important to know and be aware of your surroundings. You have to protect it. Learn how to deal with them. I will not be done overnight but always think of the sake of others. Would you rather live a life full of advancement but have a deteriorated environment? I donât think so. Would it be better to live a life full of advancement and an improved environment? Always think of counter measures. It is not about just the idea you have, you must also think of all the possibilities that it could affect the life of all people living. So, here is a challenge for you: make sure the benefits of your ideas can outweigh the harm effects. Like for example, materials can be recycled. This preserves raw materials and often saves energy. New synthetic materials are being developed to replace the natural materials that are in short supply. With that, always created ideas that will make people live better and our environment better.
ENTERPRISE-MASTERY
What is an enterprise-mastered person?
Understands and integrates the functions of management (marketing, human resource, operations, and finance)
Understands and integrates the process of management (planning, organizing, processing , and controlling)
Leads and inspires rather than manage
Another is the Enterprise mastery. This mastery, I think, is the easiest mastery there is to master. Basically, this mastery deals more on the industry where you are taking to make in. In this mastery, a lot like really lots of people can help you. Just look around every one of them can help you whatever you want to achieve. This mastery is very unlikely with self-mastery and environment mastery wherein the resources is limited in terms of textbook. With effort and luck you will be able to meet people that are so knowledgeable in this area. So, what is this enterprise mastery? It is how you market your business to the masses. You have to answer the questions like, how will I earn a living? Chances are that the answer to this question involves business. Here you are going to earn a living by operating your own business. It does not sound hard, right? But you have to make sure that the item you have produced or distributed from this idea of yours is profitable. And how will you be able to sell your product? Be confident most people love those who are confident. It will give you more edge than others. Out of the other mastery there is, this might be, my friend, is the one where you got to bring it all in. This mastery will decide whether your idea is a fail or success. Risks. In enterprise mastery, risks will be always thrown through you not at you. Like I said before, everything is a risk but do not be afraid; instead, take it because opportunities come and go and if you fail there is no lose because you got to learn the important part of how to make it on your own out there. You can just stand up again and fight for the success that is rightfully yours. This is the mastery wherein you will learn how to run a business. This pertains to the knowledge of different enterprise discipline such as: creating the business, marketing management, operations management, financial management and risk management.
DEVELOPMENT-MASTERY
The last mastery there is in SEED is development master which stands for the letter D. It is a stage where you will start to develop idea and see what else you could possibly do to it to make it even more enticing as you think it is. Here you will gather information and all other business stuff. You are going to make business plans. You do more research and writing here than on the other mastery. There will be a lot of questions that you will be facing, like how will you project your idea? You must answer all of these questions. You will make your idea feasible here and you will be using the other masteries to help you do this. So put on your thinking cap and work through that brain of your because it is not just Steve Jobs or Bill Gates who can have the right to be rich we all do but like them we have to strive very hard to achieve what they had achieve or even go beyond what they have achieved.
THE SEED
 SEED is more than just a module assembled together. SEED is a way of life, knowing yourself, awareness of your environment and development are not just practised in the technopreneur industry; it can be applied to everything. We see it every day, most people are just not aware that they have been practising these masteries. SEED is not only a guide for those who want to start their own business but it is for all people. Start your climb in the ladder and you will be amazed of where it will take you.
FINAL NOTE
 As it was almost time to end our discussion during that meeting, our facilitator asked us to take an IQ (Intelligence Quotient) test, AQ (Aptitude Quotient) test and EQ (Emotional Quotient) test. In order for us to have a guide on how we should deal of ourselves in a way that could be beneficial to us as we take in technopreneurship to another level.
Reference:
Eko Suhartanto, Ary Setijadi (2010) Technopreneurship: Strategi Penting dalam Bisnis Berbasis Teknologi Retrieved from:Â http://books.google.com.ph/books?id=wwm7YTSLfNYC&pg=PR4&lpg=PR4&dq=Technopreneurship:+Strategi+Penting+dalam+Bisnis+Berbasis+Teknologi+by+Eko+Suhartanto,+Ary+Setijadi&source=bl&ots=JRZpga4f8Y&sig=JeyBvgk8LL0cjFKUAK0iGwA-KNY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7iTCU83mFMf-8QXj6IKwAw&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Technopreneurship%3A%20Strategi%20Penting%20dalam%20Bisnis%20Berbasis%20Teknologi%20by%20Eko%20Suhartanto%2C%20Ary%20Setijadi&f=false
 Firmansyah Shidiq Wardhana (March 2012). THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY-ENTREPRENEURSHIP (TECHNOPRENEURSHIP) IN DEVELOPING SMALL BUSINESS ESTABLISHED BY THE INDONESIAN YOUTH Retrieved from: http://firmansyahshidiqwardhana.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/role-of-technopreneurship/
What are the factors that contributed to the success and failure of Steve Jobs as a technopreneur?
âYouâve got to find what you love⊠Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you havenât found it yet, keep looking. Donât settle. As with all matters of the heart, youâll know when you find it.â- Steve Jobs
âThatâs been one of my mantras â focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But itâs worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.â â Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was not the typical Silicon Valley chief executive type because he was unlike most companiesâ founders; he neither had any engineering experiences nor any business training. He learned it all along his way. Based on his painful experience, Steve Jobs trusts his own beliefs and values, and completely disregard the conventional views on how to run a company, including the traditional duties of a CEO (Moisescot, 2012). He was someone Iâd like to call a visionary and because of that the business he and Wozniak started is now one of the largest information technology company in the world.
The question is what made him the Steve Jobs we all had known today. From what I have seen in the movie âPirates of the Silicon Valleyâ, a movie that highlights the life of Steve Jobs and bits of Bill Gates, I had come up with the possible factors that may or may have not contributed to Jobsâ success and failure.
 Out of the Box and a Passionate Revolutionist.
Steve Jobs had proven all over the years that had passed that his way of thinking was beyond something that could be described. As his friend Wozniak had said, he was never like us. Jobs approach things in a very different way than most people typically does. He always see things differently. Like Wozniak had said in the movie, âEven when I was in Berkeley, I would see something and just see kilobytes or circuit boards while he'd see karma or the meaning of the universe." It meant Steve Jobs had a creative thinking. Because of that his choices in the business and his personal life was expandable which he took advantage of as it is a critical need to have as the world of information technology is fast-paced. Being able to think outside the box made a great contribution to his success in his career.
The movie set in a year where some kind of revolution was starting between the students and government or is it between students and the school (I donât know but I think it is somewhere between there). And Steve Jobs saw a different kind of revolution, a revolution that he and Wozniak is starting that lead to the development of Apple. They were the change makers during those times. As he was set to rewrite and make a mark on history his hunger grew. His determination never went downfall and he persevered. It meant no less to him, all the setbacks they had experienced.
 Invests to Flourish.
 âIâm not dismissing the value of higher education; Iâm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.â â Steve Jobs
Though Iâm not fond of the idea of taking education as optional but the way he put it in his words makes you see things that wasnât there when you started thinking of it. Steve Jobs was all about flourishing his creativity. It is was said that it is essential to have broad set of life experiences. Jobs took classes and studied different cultures and art forms to do this.
 Takes Risks.
âThe greatest artists like Dylan, Picasso and Newton risked failure. And if we want to be great, weâve got to risk it too.â â Steve Jobs
Like any successful businessmen would say if asked what their secret in their success is; their answer will have, it is always about the risks you take. And Steve Jobs was not new to this in fact he had taken a lot of risks in his life. All of which were well calculated and of course bear fruitfully.
âI would rather gamble on our vision than make a âme, tooâ product.â â Steve Jobs
If Jobs wants something he sees to it that he will get it. He was never afraid of failing, as he once had said that if you are afraid of failing, then you wonât get very far.
 Strategist and Showman
Jobs had an uncanny ability to anticipate what the consumersâ wants and needs. He is able to distinguish key factors that can greatly appeal to the masses. His marketing and advertising skills never failed. He takes everything from the opinion in the inside and the outside, and takes it to do something more.
He leads the company as he bears all of the responsibility of what Apple is and does. The way he manages people and handles them is incredible though some of it is questionable. His sensibilities carried Apple to the direction he had set to.
Steve Jobs became famous because of his superb showmanship in every Apple event. Truly, Jobs had a magnetic charismatic that contributed to the selling point of Apple products. Every presentation they do is rehearsed too perfection; a world-class. Jobsâ charisma is often described as âreality distortion fieldâ. It was because he, Steve, can practically convince everyone about anything. And this made him âthe closest thing to a rock star in the business worldâ.
 Perfectionist
It could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Steve Jobs wants to make a product that is flawless and has excessively high performance standards. He had a critical eye that even small details receive polishes. Details matter for Jobs and because of him Apple became a high standard.
âWeâve got to make the small things unforgettable.â â Steve Jobs
Because of this particular trait of his, he was often said to be a jerk. Yet his employees remained loyal to him and the company remained so efficient.
 Hot Tempered and Slave Driver
It is true that Steve Jobs got a pretty shitty temper. He was indeed great but his employees find it hard to communicate to him in fear that they might push a wrong button with him. They are even said to be too afraid to ride an elevator him because they might find themselves unemployed during the ride. This might have been contributed greatly by his being a perfectionist. And perfectionist tends to experience more stress. Ha! A thin line there.
Because of the employeesâ fear of him, they work their butts off to meet the Appleâs standard. It only has one possible outcome either he will be pleased or displeased. And he, Steve, displeased is not a very good sight.
In the movie, there was a part were Apple Computer Inc. was in a transition in developing its first graphical user interface that Steve was having his employees work all night and raining them endless rants.
 Brutally Honest and Internal Disputes
Steve Jobs can make his employees feel his love and feel crappy about themselves. If an employee does an appealing work or made something flawlessly and in with Appleâs standard, Jobs makes them feel important and well-loved but if you give him something that worth less of his time, you will be hearing how crappy your work is and just keeps ranting on you; at least, that is what they have said. This harsh treatment he gives to the employees happened to extract the best of them. In fact, they work their asses off to be in his good side, earn favours, and give twice work if insulted by him. This was the culture he had imposed on Apple over the past years.
It was shown in the part were Apple was heading its launch for Macintosh that internal dispute was starting to happen. Steve Jobs was comparing the pioneer Apple and Macintosh and its employee members of the developing teams. Jobs had proclaimed that Macintosh was better so as its team, which is true (the part where Macintosh was better), that had caused both teams to fight. It was said to be bringing the company down internally.
As his comeback at Apple, he manage to develop a type of office organization wherein it is much simpler than before and every employees are clear of their responsibilities. This had reduced the probability of having internal disputes in the company.
Reference:Â Moisescot, Romain (March, 2012). Steve at Work. Retrieved from: http://allaboutstevejobs.com/person/steveatwork.php. Retrieved date: June 27, 2014.
Steve Jobs Quotes. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2013/08/16/10-powerful-quotes-from-the-steve-jobs-movie-and-what-they-teach-us-about-leadership/. Retrieved date: June 27, 2014.
 How do you see yourself as a technopreneur?
From the previous discussion we had in our class in I.T. Elective 1 (Technopreneurship 1), technopreneurship was defined as entrepreneurship that involves application of high technology. In an article, entitled âSMX Convention at Mall of Asiaâ, written by someone that goes by a blogger name âhrs1aâ (April, 2011) said, âthe first speaker Mr. Francis Kong the international speaker, well renowned motivational speaker our topic is technopreneurship term is a derivative of two words, namely âtechnologyâ and âentrepreneurshipâ in general, the word technology is used to refer to the practical application of knowledge to the industry or as a framework of knowledge that is used to create the tools to develop expertise and materials in order to solve the existing problems. The term technopreneurship in a wider scope, as a technology entrepreneur in the field of semiconductor technology, which includes accessories to the personal computer and internet, all electronic payment system (EPS) is a system of financial exchange between buyers and sellers in the online environment that is facilitated by a digital financial instrument backed by a bank, an intermediary, or by legal tender. The absence of inadequacy of legal infrastructures governing the operation of E-payments is also a concern hence, banks with E-banking operations employ service agreements between themselves and their clients.â
 As for technopreneurs are entrepreneurs who are into the core businesses involving technology-based industries. They make use of technology to come out with new or innovative products through a process of commercialization. Technopreneurs must be equipped with both technical and business skills (Universiti Kuala Lumpur, 2013). They play a vital role in a countryâs economic growth as they foster technological advancement as it is their way to gain profit. Technopreneurs uses technology in creating and improving products. They are innovators and risk-bearers who does everything in their hand to produce something that is incorporated with technology and appeals to the masses. They learn to develop their ideas and turn it into a venture and develop market strategies for the product. Is it possible for me to be a technopreneur? I believe that all of us have the potential to be a technopreneur. It will matter on how we nurture and flourish ourselves to be able to attain this. Thus, everybody can be a technopreneur. I also believe that I do possess some qualities that could help me become a technopreneur and I can learn some to become one. And I can definitely be something greater if Iâll be frustrating about it. I can survive and thrive like a mad bull. As a technopreneur, how do I see myself? A successful one, of course. There is no other thing for me but success. That is how set I am, if Iâll ever choose the path of technopreneurship.
Of course, who would even think of not being successful in any field we choose, right? You might be asking as to why I am so attached with success? Every time we hear of the word success what comes immediately to our mind is the wealth and the fame. But my view of the success that I want to achieve as a technopreneur is way different than these two things; the wealth and the fame but the money actually gave more appeal to me. For me, it is for when I have achieved harmony. Believe it or not, not all of us are aware that we are very far away in achieving balance. We always associate this with the way we manage of our mundane activities and sudden changes or factors that affect our activities. But it isnât just that, it is the satisfaction we get from helping someone instead of benefiting our self that gives us the peace in mind. And with the deeds we make to achieve the harmony within ourselves, we are communicating to ourselves as to how we take an act and do the task that we do all the time. With this, we take to know ourselves more and more. If we have something that is lacking or something that is too much, we tune ourselves. As we realize this, we better understand what benefit the others aside from our self. We no longer stress about the things that bother us, since most of our stress as I can attest comes from thinking too much of how we act or the way our personality is being perceived by the others. Being successful, it opens a lot of doors to unfamiliar patches. I will be able to gain courage and be able to offer to everyone the things that I can do and will be able to do. These challenges; I will perceive and solve to define my success and me as a person. Since I have learned and will learn to properly set my mind with the help of this class (Technopreneurship 1), I can definitely be able to deal them and remove them effectively. With these, I will be a role model to others and as they could imitate me. Being a role model is one of the things I dream to be able to achieve. I might be sounding too full of myself but there is no harm in seeing myself to achieve these, I take no shame. As these, I believe, are the things I want to define myself in the future that will come in my way. And through technopreneurship I feel strongly to be able to do such so. But, I will not settle with just these. I will continue to expand my vision of my life, and, yes, that includes by career path as a technopreneur. I know will not find a hard time doing this as I will invest in nourish and flourishing, like what Steve Jobs had done, myself. This will make my capabilities expand and I will be able do more beyond my limitations. In this way, I will be able to set my goals higher and be able to achieve more. At every possible opportunity, I will grasp. I will believe in myself as other believe in me. I know for myself that Iâm a big risk taker and I just donât dream big, I act big (I hope). I will convey all of these with character and demeanor and also in every interaction that I will be having. Of course, the bonus of these all is the wealth (money, baby).
How am I going to achieve all of these? I am brave and adventurous. I will be able to handle the things that will come in my way even the thing I expect least to happen. I overthink things, I think of everything ahead and make every counter moves and best defense there could possibly be. I take things that are needed to be taken seriously with. I can be collaborative. I deal of whatever the consequences my actions may result to and assume full responsibility of everything I am part of. I am a kind of person who will see things through. Though at first I can never imagine myself being a technopreneur. I was satisfied on how the things were going for me. I never complained on how things are. Everything before, for me, was simple. I was still in a shell of the ideology, a sickening ideology of going to school â get good grades â graduate â and land job at a company. But it all changed, when I got the chance to enroll in this course subject. So far, I have learned a lot of things that I deem very beneficial to me and could be of use in the near future. Like with the 9 dots activity we had, I had learned violate the common assumption. We have to start experimenting and actually think outside the box. We must remove the assumption we had imposed on ourselves as it could be the reason for weakness. As mental constrictions limited the way we think. Also with the alternative mind setting, as I had said, our mental inclination will help us make it in this world. But if we live by the old mind-set, going to school â get good grades â graduate â and land job at a company, then this fixation we have on our life should be changed because we need to in order to further our living situation. We must not be brought by under rules, regulations or whatever there may be that will hinder our mindâs functionality due to dictatorship of the person who imposed on you like our parents sometimes does. We must weigh everything before we take it in. And I am sure I will learn more in the coming meeting that we will be having in this course. And I can say for sure that as I set myself in the world of technopreneurship, I am very well aware of the cases that I will be in and will never regret. And I will assure to myself and prove that I was not wrong in choosing the path of living as a technopreneur.
And a word of encouragement to those who are planning to be a technopreneur from an article written by Nikko Comidoy (July, 2012): Things are not always going to work the way you want them to. People are going to let you down as well. But you have stay focus on your vision and be your own chief encouraging officer (CEO)! Be optimistic, but be practical and not just idealistic. It may take longer and be more painful than planned, but if you stick at it, keep learning and improving, youâll soon experience the miracle of fulfilled dreams. I say to myself and others, âit can only get better!â
Reference: Universiti Kuala Lumpur (2013). Technopreneurs. Retrieved from: http://www.unikl.edu.my/web/unikl/technopreneur. Retrieved date: June 29, 2014.
âhrs1aâ (April, 2011). SMX Convention at Mall of Asia. Retrieved from: http://smxconvention.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html. Retrieved date: June 30, 2014.
Nikko Comidoy (July, 2012). Pirates of the Silicon Valley. Retrieved from: http://nikkomidoy.blogspot.com/. Retrieved date: July 3, 2014.
 Would you take the same career path that Steve Jobs took? Why or why not?
Steve Jobsâ career path was epic.
"We started out to get a computer in the hands of everyday people, and we succeeded beyond our wildest dreams." - Steve Jobs
Steve Jobsâ vision has made him a very important person in history. He had made a great impact in the world of technology as well as in the world of business. He was not just able to realize the âcomputers for the rest usâ but defined what computers are now in time of our age.
Steve Jobs was born on February 24, 1955, in the city of San Francisco. His biological mother was either an unwed graduate student named Joanne Simpson, or his biological father was a political science or mathematics professor, a native Syrian named Abdulfattah John Jandali. Steve was quite a turbulent child. He really didnât care about school for some time until he did and soon after Steve Jobs became the co- founder, chairman and was the chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs had shown interest in electronics in his secondary school years. Steve Jobs showed an early interest in electronics and gadgetry. While in high school, he boldly called Hewlett-Packard co-founder and President William Hewlett to ask for parts for a school project. Impressed by Jobs, Hewlett not only gave him the parts, but also offered him a summer internship at Hewlett-Packard. It was there that Jobs met and befriended Steve Wozniak, a young engineer five years his senior with a penchant for tinkering. As Steve Jobs reunited together with his computer and electronic whiz friend, Stephen Wozniak also called as âWozâ it started everything; from the first ready-made personal home computer to the legend there is of Apple. Steve Jobs was the co-founder of Apple Computers, the makers of well-designed, well-coordinated, and good-looking personal home computers. Steve Jobs was not the typical Silicon Valley chief executive type because he was unlike most companiesâ founders; he neither had any engineering experiences nor any business training. He learned it all along his way. Based on his painful experience, Steve Jobs trusts his own beliefs and values, and completely disregard the conventional views on how to run a company, including the traditional duties of a CEO (Moisescot, 2012).
Steve Jobs worked very hard for the company and had made strive to produce âinsanely greatâ computer products. Â He had worked at Atari Inc. as a video game designer.
âIâm not dismissing the value of higher education; Iâm simply saying it comes at the expense of experience.â â Steve Jobs
As he dropped out of Reed College, he reconnected with Wozniak, who knows more about electronics than he did. Together they got into a business and gave birth to Apple 1, which was a logic board, which was built in a garage. They then earned enough money to start up a company and called it â Apple Computer, Inc. Followed then was the creation of the Apple II with complete keyboard that became popular to the masses. The board of the directors relieved Jobs from his position during the time of slumping sales and replaced him with another CEO. This was also the time were there were internal disputes going on inside the company. Jobs continues and started another company that aims to design computer for education purposes called the NeXT Corporation. He also had help the launch of Pixar Animation Studios, which is now the leading computer animation studio in the world and is merged with The Walt Disney Co. The Apple hired yet another new chief executive to raise the companyâs financial hardship in competition with Microsoft but failed to do so. Unhappy with the results the company turned back and asked Jobs to lead the Apple again as the CEO. Jobs once described himself as a "hopeless romantic" who just wanted to make a difference. Quite appropriately like the archetypal romantic hero who reaches for greatness but fails, only to find wisdom and maturity in exile, an older, wiser Steve Jobs returned triumphant to save his kingdom. Jobs had introduced the iMac, a curvy, one-piece computer with a simple design; the iBook, a laptop computer built for students; and the powerful G4 desktop. Apple then introduced iTunes, for playing and converting music for portability, and the iPod, a portable music player. This had made one of the biggest impact the Apple Company and also in the music industry. Jobs then worked and worked, and introduced the touch screen iPhone cell phone and the iPod Touch, a portable music player high than the iPod with the touch screen functionality. Jobs was also the one who have unraveled the iPad tablet, which was another huge hit for the company. Jobs also continued to improve and launch series of iPhone till iPhone 4S. Steve Jobs died
Seeing how great he was despite the other flaws he has, he was able to make something of himself. It was just like how he had seen it. He and Wozniak had indeed started a revolution â a revolution that had change the way we are living now. It is an undeniable fact that Steve Jobsâ works is inspiring. The career path he took was not an easy one but being a risk taker he took every opportunity and never had fallen down as he kept determined that he can do things great. More than everyone else, Jobs was known to be very hands on in the design and different phases of every project his company have. This shows his pure dedication. He was in love of his art. If you have seen his keynote speech every Apple presentation, you can deduce that Steve Jobs had a unique talent; he was a showman. Jobs had a good eye for marketing and advertising; he has the ability to anticipate the consumerâs wants and needs. Steve Jobs became famous because of his superb showmanship in every Apple event. Truly, Jobs had a magnetic charismatic that contributed to the selling point of Apple products. Every presentation they do is rehearsed too perfection; a world-class. Jobsâ charisma is often described as âreality distortion fieldâ. It was because he, Steve, can practically convince everyone about anything. And this made him âthe closest thing to a rock star in the business worldâ.  Every time Jobs does his speeches he always emanated a magnetic charisma and always appeared incredible which had drawn every attention of the people he is speaking to. Everyone knew that Steve Jobs was a master showman and a product visionary but he is also a very good businessman. He always make sure that he always wins and never gives in if he have all the leverages. Indeed, Jobs had played a big role not just in Apple but also in our lives.
Considering the efforts and works that Steve Jobs pursued and the other responsibility he had, if given an opportunity I will follow his career path. The way he had set everything in his order or the way he sees it is need to be done is admirable. "From the time he was a kid, Steve thought his products could change the world," says Lee Clow, chairman of TBWA/Chiat/Day and Jobs' longtime ad man. Because of his confidence and knowing; and determination; he did just that and definitely rocked the world. He became a very successful technopreneur. He might lack in things that involves emotion with his employees besides anger but he always manages. His career path is realistic. It was not just in his imagination that he will change the world, he sought for it. He planned things through and endured every hardship and struggles he had to face. He always make a way to go back to the route he needs to be. Though lacking, Steve Jobs know how to recognize and he recognized that he lacked things that is needed to be fine-tuned with. And he does. All of the things Steve Jobs had done led him to the path of success that I believe he deserves. Steve Jobs was ideal for me because in time he was able to face himself as he battled to gain inner harmony and uncover the parts of him that he did not know existed of him. Based on his experiences he had embodied a great deal of passion. From his visualization and determination, he came with success. Jobs not only took off himself, he also knows how to recognize the efforts of the people he works with. He really did worked hard in his career. And worked hard. Â His career was an inspiration not only to me and also to the other future technopreneurs out there. His career made me realize that everything should simple. That anything should not be complex but simple and clean. In all of these cases, I will definitely follow. From his mistakes I will perpetuate. As we are a different person, Steve Jobs and I, I will work my very best to make a latch of my own in our history. Steve Jobs will serve as my guiding light in my career path in technopreneurship.
When you are sent to school what is your usual perception? Or what does your parent want of you to go to school? The usual answer is to get good grades and land a job. Let us face it, most Filipino parents send their children to school to get a good transcript and land a job in a company. With this kind of thinking that Filipino parents have, it is instilled to the childâs mind. And the child carries this ideology and passes this way of thinking to the child theyâd be soon in the future be having. And so on and forth, we all know how this works. The way these children will think will affect their future. It is like the parents had influenced the child and enclosed his thinking and sights to what the parents like their children to be; to have a job in a company. This is the old mind-set. We have a saying that goes, âAim for the moon.â It wonât hurt aiming high since we got nothing to lose if we fail, but at least, we got to the chance to try. Contentment of the way things are is not a good attitude to have being a technopreneur. You are aiming to innovate to better the living situation of every person in this planet. Instead of carrying that old kind of rationality, break it and go to school to get a good transcript and be the owner of your own company. Do not worry about how youâd be able to start your own company, just simply start your own company and everything else will follow.
Like I said, our mental inclination will help us make it in this world. But if we live by the old mind-set then this fixation we have on our life should be changed because we need to in order to further our living situation. We must not be brought by under rules, regulations or whatever there may be that will hinder our mindâs functionality due to dictatorship of the person who imposed on you like our parents. The works in our mind is complicated but the thing is this complication can be manipulated just bury a seed and grow it, and later on this complication appears to cease to exist. As I had said, this will continue on if donât put a stop to it. That is the thing with rules and regulations set by other people in your life. People can be easily persuaded; and people can easily adapt that we lose a touch of our true self. It is part of a person to grow but growing under the influence of other people, I donât think so. So live up, think and influence yourself. This is just my way of saying to not let anybody control you and be the person who you really want.
Take what I said earlier regarding what Filipino parents commonly instill in their childâs mind. Yes, you do go to a good school, have earned many awards, achievements, and good grades; and landed a job on a company; but think of this, is this what all you can see yourself in. You did everything that is necessary to be the best. And you just ended up being someoneâs beef. This mind set reflects most of the people here in the Philippines.
 I gave it a thought, as our facilitator said, we have to change this mind setting we have. Let us not settle with what our societyâs ideology has been since the past ages. Let us seek beyond it. Enough with the school, good grades, then become an employee; it is time for school, good grades, then become an employer. There are a lot of risks in starting your own company or business. Chances are your either going to fail or better yet succeed. Our facilitator made us grasp the gist of this alternative mind set. A mind-set that can set us free of the burden of our past ideology. A mind-set were you could possibly set your own terms. A mind-set that could give you better possibilities.
Everything in our life is a risk. Opportunities come and go. It is all in the matter of proper mind-set. And with that, beware that choosing either the old mind-set or the alternative mind-set does not mean a job or a success. For me, the most important part of this mind setting is yourself. It just does not give saying it out loud, I choose alternative mind-set; you have to do it. Work it on yourself and figure it out. Always have the right kind of attitude and you will be able go far in your life. And with that, the bullets of risks raining on you could be easily dodged.