FIELD NOTEBOOK // ENTRY #005
Cataloging the Species: Personas & Journeys
BUS 399: Entrepreneurship Capstone
Mon Feb 02, 2026 | Week 4, Day 1
Your Fieldwork Evidence Pack was due Friday. Let's reflect.
Each team: 60 seconds
Interview notes, quotes, observations, photos, recordings
Raw specimens in jars
Personas, journey maps, needs statements, insights
A field guide to your ecosystem
A persona is a research-based archetype that represents a meaningful segment of your target users.
Runs a 3-person marketing agency. 5 years in business. Tech-savvy but time-poor.
Every detail should trace back to your research!
Start with 1-2 primary personas
More than that = you haven't found the patterns yet
A customer journey map visualizes the steps someone takes to accomplish a goal, including their actions, thoughts, and emotions along the way.
Think of it as tracking an animal's path through its habitat
Realizes need exists
Explores options
Chooses approach
Takes steps
Result achieved (or not)
The "product" in your map is not your product. It's whatever the user currently uses: routines, coping hacks, friends, calendars, apps, guilt, willpower, playlists, scrolling, etc.
"I tried to go outside… didn't." — These are often the most valuable to map.
You're mapping the ecosystem as it exists today — before your solution enters it.
Pick one approach for your journey map:
Current-state journey
User does accomplish the goal (sometimes) — map how they succeed today.
Current-state journey
User intends to accomplish goal but doesn't — map where it breaks down.
Substitutes journey
User tries existing substitutes — map tradeoffs and why they revert.
All three produce pain points + opportunities without proposing a "solution."
One persona + One concrete goal + One timebox + One context
"On a weekday after classes, Jamie tries to take a 20-minute walk outside without falling into a 45-minute scrolling spiral."
Now the journey is map-able.
Every customer need falls into one of three categories:
How they want to feel
"I want to feel confident that I'm not missing anything"
"I need to feel in control"
What they need to understand
"I need to understand why this matters"
"I need to know if I'm on track"
What they need to accomplish
"I need to complete this task in under 5 minutes"
"I need to share this with my team"
Great solutions address emotional needs, not just functional ones.
[User] needs a way to [accomplish goal] so that [benefit/outcome]
"Resourceful Rachel needs a way to quickly onboard new clients so that she can spend more time on creative work instead of paperwork."
✓ Grounded in research
✓ Focused on the need, not solution
"Rachel needs an app that automatically fills in forms."
✗ Jumps to solution
✗ Assumes implementation
Challenge: "People aren't getting outside / stuck on phones"
Feel less fried; get a bit of fresh air
Phone = social connection + logistics + boredom relief
"Missing messages, losing streaks, being out of the loop"
Let's map Jamie's current-state journey (failure path)...
| Stage | Actions | Thoughts | Emotions | Pain Points | Opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Feels restless; checks screen-time; sees outdoor post; notices headache | "I need a reset." "I've been inside all day." "I'll go later." | Low-grade stress; boredom; guilt | Awareness happens late (after depletion). "Later" becomes never. | Earlier triggers/cues; identify when motivation spikes. |
| Research | Looks at weather; considers where to go; checks schedule; texts friend | "Is it worth it?" "What do I even do outside?" "Do I have time?" | Ambivalence; friction | Too many micro-decisions: destination, time, clothes, companionship. | Reduce decision load; default paths; clarify "what counts." |
| Decision | Bargains: "10 min" vs "one more video"; chooses shoes (or sits back down) | "If I leave I'll lose momentum." "I might miss something." | Anxiety; resistance | Intent–action gap: phone offers immediate reward, outside feels effortful. | Find the "point of no return" that flips them into leaving. |
| Action | Gets ready; grabs phone "for music"; steps out; checks notifications; walk is stop-start | "I'll just check quickly." "I should respond." "This isn't working yet." | Brief relief → distraction → irritation | Phone is both tool and trap. Outdoor time contaminated by pings. | Identify when phone-use stays instrumental vs spirals. |
| Outcome | Returns; feels better OR feels like it "didn't count"; scrolls; tries again tomorrow | "That was nice… but I'm behind." OR "I barely went out." | Uplift or disappointment | If outcome doesn't feel rewarding, behavior won't repeat. All-or-nothing thinking. | Define what makes it feel successful; capture reinforcing loops. |
This map produces pain points + opportunities — enough to extract needs → HMW.
Using Jamie's journey, we can extract needs statements:
Each need traces directly back to a pain point in the journey!
Each HMW derives from a need — still no solution specified:
This is how you go from research → actionable opportunities.
Full specs: deliverables.html#interpretation
Work with your team. I'll rotate for feedback.
Every persona detail should trace back to your research. No assumptions.
If you have 5+ personas, you haven't found the real patterns.
"25-34 year old urban professional" tells you nothing about needs.
If there's no emotional variation, you're missing the insight.
Framing to Action - We'll refine your HMW statements and prepare for ideation. Come with drafts ready for critique.
by Derek Sivers
Book Memo #1 due Friday Feb 6
Choose 3-5 passages that connect to your venture. Reflect on how they apply.
The field guide is taking shape.
What specimens need examination?
After questions: Workshop time continues.
Use the remaining time to make progress on your Interpretation Pack.