This week, I planned a lab in which I would test the levels of Calcium Carbonate in my

zebra and quagga mussel shell powder. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to reschedule

this lab for the upcoming week. But, this is what entrepreneurship is all about: pivoting and

adapting; this shift in schedule allowed me time to step back and review my syllabus for this

ENV295 independent study.

My original plan was to start modeling weekly Business Model Canvases (BMC) in

March, but now, I see that it will be best to create these BMCs weekly starting this Monday. By

reviewing my Value Propositions, Key Partners, Key Activities, Key Resources, Customer

Relationships, Channels, Customer Segments, Cost Structure, and Revenue Streams every week,

I will be able to stay focused on two main goals — pitching at Davidson’s Venture Pitch

Competition and filing a utility patent — while, at the same time, complete all of my lab work in

a timely fashion. For example, one of my labs involves exploring possible sources of tensile

strength testing. The purpose of this lab is to compare the strength of my filament to the strength

of other filaments such as PLA or ABS. This data would neatly fall into the value proposition

segment of my BMC: if Z Spools filament proves to be stronger than its standard counterpart,

my data serves as a value proposition for those looking for stronger filament options. On the

other hand, if Z Spools filament proves to more brittle, I can conclude that Z Spools filaments

has greater biodegradable qualities than standard PLA filament, a value proposition for the

environmentally conscious. I am currently looking to outsource such testing as to receive reliable

data. But, before I send off any filament for testing, I must finalize my extrusion process.

With an official job at Studio M, I am able to dedicate more time to working with my

filament. Not only this, but I also have been afforded the ability to work closely with a variety of

high-end PLA 3D printers. Working with filament with such a consistent quality, I think to

myself, “this is my goal, this is where I want to be, and I am close;” this upcoming week, I am

changing my printing tactics as to further refine my filament. This involves changing certain

temperature settings and extrusion speeds on my filament extruder — located in Studio M.

Hopefully by the end of the month, I will have a finalized edition of Z Spools filament. Until, I

will be working closely with my Business Model Canvases as to stay on target.