4A - Forming an Opportunity Belief

Belief: It would be helpful to have a mobile passport.

Describe Belief: Currently, there is no way to show a valid ID through a mobile device, particularly a passport. Having a mobile passport would be helpful to anyone that has a passport. This need countries would be valuable in a few scenarios. For example, let’s say you lose your passport in a foreign country. Processing a temporary replacement passport takes a standard of six weeks. For an additional $60 charge, this process can be expedited and take up to two to three weeks. During this time, you can’t leave the foreign country where your passport was lost. You’ll have to find housing and pay for food while you wait for your passport to be processed. Let’s say you’re working; you’ll pay consequences at work for your time off and may miss out on a critical paycheck. Second, a mobile ID would be helpful if a domestic or foreign policeman asks for a valid form of ID and you don’t have a physical form of ID on hand. In this scenario today, you would be charged a hefty fee and may be arrested. A third scenario would be if you’re at a restaurant and want to have a glass of wine with your parents but realize you left your ID at home. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy that glass of wine. These are all scenarios where a mobile passport would be ideal. Having a mobile passport would be extremely helpful in this scenarios, maybe even life changing. Because of this, I would say I’m certain that this opportunity exists.

Prototypical Customer: The prototypical customer would be anyone that has a government issued passport. Especially those who frequently travel.

Interviews:

Prototypical Customer 1: Caro

Caro travels whenever she finds the opportunity while holding a full-time job. This year alone she’s traveled to the United Kingdom, Mexico City, and Washington DC. She feels that it would be helpful to have a mobile form of ID. Her concern is that the technology used to secure this ID be strong enough to repel hackers because identity theft is a real concern. She would feel safe if blockchain technology was used. This form of ID would have been especially helpful for Caro two years ago during Spring break. Caro planned a trip to the Bahamas with her friends. The ship departed Friday morning from Miami and her last exam was Thursday morning in Gainesville. When she arrived in Miami, she realized she forgot her passport in Gainesville and couldn’t go on the trip.

Prototypical Customer 2: Bert

Bert owns his own construction company and travels internationally for three weeks each year. Last year he traveled to Ecuador and the Galapagos for his big summer trip. When I asked him whether he felt it would be helpful to have a mobile passport he answered, “yeah for sure man, everything else is mobile.” I then asked him if he had ever been in a situation where a mobile ID would have been helpful. Bert is very organized and has never forgotten his passport or had it stolen. He said the mobile passport wasn’t a necessity but it would be nice. I then asked Bert if he had any concerns with making the passport mobile. He said “offcourse, the same concerns that you would have with any ID like identity theft and fake ID’s.”  

Prototypical Customer 3:

Sarah is a college student and a frequent world traveler. When I asked her whether she felt it would be helpful to have a mobile passport she said, “Off course, cause then I don’t have to carry around my wallet.” I then asked whether she’s ever been in a situation where a form of mobile ID would have been helpful. She answered “Yes, one time I arrived at the airport an hour before I was supposed to fly out and realized that I forgot my ID at home. I would never forget my phone the same way and was rushing and almost missed my flight.” When asked whether she had any concerns with making passports mobile she said “yes, what if my phone gets hacked or someone steals it.”

Reflect: After interviewing these three prototypical customers, I learned that this is a great opportunity. Each customer showed enthusiasm for a mobile passport. I interviewed a college student, a young professional, and a middle-aged man which gave me a more diverse perspective on the opportunity. I also got some input from Caro on potential ways to make the mobile passport secure from hackers by using blockchain technology.

Summarize: All my interviewees had concerns with making passports mobile however, they believed the risks of a mobile passport where similar to the risks of having physical copies of passports. Additionally, the interviewees reflected that the benefits of a mobile passport outweighed those of the physical passport showing that this is a great opportunity.