What is the problem that I want to solve?

It is the line that highlights the center of business shared in eBiz: Shaping the Future of

Business with Technology during the Alternative Classroom Learning Experience (ACLE) on the

31st of March, 2016 in the VSB building. It is an ACLE on the role of technology in

entrepreneurship where you learn countless possibilities and the potential entrepreneurial

endeavors that can be reached with the help of technology.

There are invited speakers whose line of business is inclined on technology. A guest was

invited to talk about their online all-in-one, user friendly social-commerce platform that maximizes

merchants’ business potential called Viicart. It has features of (a) order management where

transactions are manage all the way to delivery, (b) online marketing management that provides

tools to create marketing content and designing materials, (c) costumer and product management

that allow merchants to get notifications and messages of costumers directly in the dashboard, (d)

business intelligence which gets real-time reports – order, volumes, earnings, and inventory, and

(e) affiliate marketing that gives more ways to earn through offering products to resellers and

promoters. Another speaker is from Machine Ventures: transforming ideas into companies which

developed an app called Heykuya. The app is sms-based which the company run errands for the

costumer like a personal assistant. They also have Machine Apprenticeship Program where it gives

opportunities for people to experiment and extend the school of education to learn skills. The last

speaker shared about Migo, not technology nor a service, an offline Netflix for the rest of the

world. Migo has hundreds of files ranging from small size data files of music to large size date

files of movies. It offers users affordable sachet prices that provides educational programs for

children and entertainment for adults.

 The speakers were able to discuss different ways of using technology to their advantages

in business ventures and share tips in becoming entrepreneurs. Although they were able to discuss

technicalities in starting up business, what made the event memorable are finding out the core of

the business – a purpose. Migo aims to provide 95% of non-broadband connection users of the

Philippines access to entertainment in a small price. Viicart gives opportunities to the business

owner’s goal to be a leader and bring value to the society as a whole and future generations. While

Machine Ventures develop solutions to problems in the community. Jobs may be open as a person

opens a new business, but we have to see the clearer picture into establishing a business is to have

an ambition – a purpose – that would be the foundation for the idea.

What is the problem I want to solve? That question is embedded in my mind. As one of

many, thoughts of people who wanted to start business is the amount of money that will be earned.

But as I listened through the talks, I was able to rethink why I wanted to do business myself. I

wanted to earn, of course, but to be able to give something back to the country with something of

your passion rewards greater self-satisfaction.

As I think about possibilities, I am able to visualize the idea with a larger scope and a

deeper groundwork. Being a Filipino citizen, and a student of the University of the Philippines, I

will build a business that would benefit not only me, but a lot of people.