18A – Create a Customer Avatar

My app has two sources of revenue. Half of it is from businesses; the other part is through monetizing the apps through individuals. For this exercise I will create an avatar that describes the individual. In order to describe this avatar, I will explain a typical week of this individual.

Its Monday morning, Dylan doesn’t have any class today but works at Jimmy Johns from 11 am till 6pm. After work he comes home and watches Netflix for a two hours. He then decides he’s hungry so he texts his buddies and they all cram in his Honda Civic and go to Chipotle. When they all get there, Dylan remembers his check hasn’t come in yet and he doesn’t have any money in his bank account. Fortunately, one of his friends has a lot of money and covers Dylan.

It’s about 9 o’clock now and Dylan decides to go to the gym for about an hour.  After he finishes at the gym and has chugged his protein shake he goes to the library. Spending roughly an hour there, he heads home and watches Netflix until 2 am.

Tuesday is more school related, he has class from 10am until 4 pm. Because he was in class all day, Dylan is exhausted so when gets home he takes a two-hour nap. After his nap he eats and watches Netflix until one of his friends come over and they play video games the rest of the night.

Wednesday is identical to Monday except now he can pay for his Chipotle bowl.

Thursday hits and Dylan is in class all day. Once he finishes classes and takes his nap, it’s time to go out. All of his buddies squeeze into an Uber and go out to the Ave “a strip of bars”.  He spends $30 on beer for himself and on a few girls he was talking to. Unfortunately, the night comes to an end and everyone crams back into an Uber and goes home.

Friday comes and he has work from 10am until 4 pm.  Right when he gets home he starts drinking and plays video games until 7 o’clock. Then everyone goes out to the club and he drops another $45 on alcohol. He finally gets home around 4am and passes out. Saturday comes and its game day! He wakes up around noon and heads to the tailgate. By the time the game ends its about 6pm. Dylan goes back to his room and takes a power nap then is up and its back to the club until 2 am.

Now its Sunday, Dylan has done about one assignment and needs to hammer out homework.  He goes to the library and grinds away for a several hours. He gets back and watches Family Guy for several hours then hits the gym. The week is almost over, all Dylan does now is drink a couple beers and plays GTA V with his roommates.  

What do you have in common with the customer avatar?

Being in college I have many of the same experiences as Dylan does. We both have work, classes and enjoy going out. Money is tight for an overwhelming majority of college kids, but we all would much rather focus on the now rather than the future.  

Do you think that is a coincidence?

Not at all, I have found this problem because it directly relates to my life. If I was a 45-year Wall Street banker I would never think up this problem, because it’s not a problem in their eyes. It’s hard to find problems when they are not effecting your life, because you have to put yourself in another person’s shoes and mind.