You Have An Opportunity, Now What?

(1) The opportunity that I would like to pursue is creating protective equipment for roofers that would protect them from potentially hazardous weather conditions. (2) Roofers are often susceptible to lightning strikes and other perilous injuries because lightning tends to strike taller objects (i.e. roofs) as they provide upward streamers to connect with downward lightning streamers.

(3) I believe that an opportunity exists because it addresses a real-life concern that is applicable to individuals who work within a prominent industry. There are currently over 50,000 corporations engaged in installation and roofing work valued at a total of $31.4 billion. In addition, the U.S. has 75 million single-family homes and on average, about 7% re-roof each year. While general guidelines are provided as to the type of clothing a roofer should wear (depending on the roofing system that he or she will be working on), there are no standard protective roofing equipment or gear that can be purchased. My current "who" captures an audience of individuals that all share this need because I am targeting a very particular market sector. As for the "what," this is somewhat dependent on the conditions in which a roofer finds him/herself in. I addressed earlier that the concern was regarding lightning strikes that may strike roofers due to their point of location, in terms of an elevated surface. Thus, the boundaries of the need could be considered limited by weather conditions---but weather conditions are not always predictable or accurately forecasted. This is therefore a rather loose limitation on the need. The reason for this need, or the "why," is prominently described in terms of scientific explanation. Since the basis for this need is rooted in science (higher platforms, like roofs, provide upward streamers that are more likely to connect with downward lightning streamers), there is a uniform "why" that holds for everyone who has this need.

(4) After interviewing five individuals who work within the roofing industry, I received some clarification regarding this opportunity. When asked why standard equipment is not offered for roofers, the general consensus was that variance within working conditions (some places may be extremely hot, while others extremely cold) prevent a particular uniform from being common-place for all roofers. Further, a primary concern among roofers, particularly those in southern states, is that the heat they work under can often be unbearable. I was told that wearing protective equipment would be very uncomfortable and stifling when working in the scorching sun for 8+ hours a day, making light-weight clothing often the preferred choice for these workers. The roofers did acknowledge the concern, however, regarding lightning strikes and potentially dangerous weather conditions. This was agreed to be a universal problem for all roofers, although protocols may be taken to avoid such problems. For example, all five individuals explained that their team would not perform roofing repairs during a thunderstorm or if the weather forecast implied dangerous working conditions. At the same time, it was also acknowledged amongst the interviewees that weather can often be unpredictable, offering some unforeseen circumstances. Of the five individuals, only one has experienced a serious injury after having fallen off a roof during an unexpected storm.

(5) After conducting the interviews, I better understood the perspective of the roofers and why standard protective equipment is not readily offered. As previously mentioned, heat was a primary concern. However, if protective equipment can be designed to be lightweight and airy, I still believe that this opportunity exists. For individuals performing work in colder conditions, he or she can wear multiple layers beneath the protective equipment. Although the exact specifications of protective gear, or what that would exactly look like for roofers is not yet known to me, I learned that there definitely is a need for such equipment due to the uncertainty of weather.