4 - Forming an opportunity belief

I believe that there is a need for weighted, breathable blankets designed for veterans and other people with PTSD because they like the pressure while they sleep. This need has existed for some time, but people are not currently meeting it to its full potential. Currently, service dogs are trained to lay across the legs of people who want this sort of thing, but it seems like that's a very complex solution when it doesn't have to be. As someone who has spent time in a mental hospital, I've known a lot of people that struggle with this specific problem. I'd say I'm 80% sure that this opportunity exists.

The prototypical customer would be people with PTSD or other mental conditions who crave the comfort of weight. Further, people that would be even more likely to buy this product would be people who, for some reason, can't or don't have a service animal. These people could include people with allergies, people living in dense urban areas where a dog isn't practical, or people who just don't like dogs (they exist!).

Note: The following names are NOT the real names of the interviewees. Their names have been changed to protect their identities. This can be a touchy subject.

Justin: "I've had my dog for six years, I got him about a month and a half after I got back from Iraq. He sleeps in the bed with me, and will lay his head on my chest or legs. Just having him there with me helps a lot in getting me calmed down. I guess I never really thought about it, but yeah, the pressure is probably part of it."

Tanner: "I served in the first Gulf War. I have dogs, but they sleep on the floor. I don't really think about it or anything. Yeah, I sleep with a light blanket, like a sheet. My wife sleeps next to me, but she's not sleeping across my legs [laughter]. I don't know if I'd buy a weighted blanket or something."

Aisha: "My dad is a war vet; he was in Korea and the Gulf War. He's had more dogs than I can count, there's been dogs around since I was born. The dogs always sleep in the bed with him. I don't think he'd replace them for anything, but now that you point it out, he always sleeps with big heavy blankets and a ton of fluffy pillows. I guess you could say he has claustrophilia! So yeah, I think he'd buy a blanket like that."

Reflection: I still think that the blanket would sell, but I'd have to focus on the segment of the population that doesn't have a dog.