One of the problems we face in expanding our original idea from driver-based products is that we risk opening ourselves up to both losing advantages we had and gaining new problems. We must decide how far we willing to expand in the face of this knowledge.. more expansion means more market, but also more problems for our product.

The biggest two points that driving has that I feel we might want to fight to retain our these:

1) Use of stimulants when driving is not always possible, either because of side-effects of the stimulants, or lack of availablity of safer ones (such as coffee) when needed.

2) Wearing a device while driving does not involve embrassment or encumberance: there is no one to see you and you aren't doing anything where a device or its wires would get in the way.

When we move outside the realm of purely driving, we may lose one or both of these points in our favor. Therefore, as stated above, we must decide: how much are we willing to give up in the name of expanded marketability?

To aid us in this decision, I have included our research on the professions and situations sleep-preventation devices could probably be used in, split up into four lists. The lists are based on which of the above advantages are lost (none, first, second, both) in branching out to the professions on that list.

Note that the loss / retainment of advantages is not set in stone: the availability of stimulants does not imply that it would be a great idea for the people in such professions to always use them: stimulants have many well-documented long-term effects, including addiction and fatigue.


II. Market Expansion Lists

List I: Both major advantages retained.
Pilots
Heavy Machine Operation
Air Traffic Control
Lab Assistants


List II: Stimulants are available, and a device is not a problem.
Students: At home
Jurors
Security Guard
Nurses


List III: Stimulants are not available, and a device is a problem.
Hunters


List IV: Stimulants are available, and a device is a problem.
Students: In class
Office Workers


III. List Notes

* Something that defies this listing scheme is people working long or late shifts at jobs (their listing would depend largely on what the job in question is: short of listing every job possible broken down through the four lists, there's no way to show all of these). Suffice it to say however, that regardless of how far we decide to go, we can probably find some jobs where the night or late shifts can benefit from our product.

* When does a stimulant impair judgement enough to be 'not available' according to this list? This is the decision process used above for deciding if stimulants in general were available or not:

1) Coffee, when available and when it can be imbibed without problem throughout the activity / job in question, usually counts as stimulants being available.

2) Situations where only drug-based stimulants are available, but where all the person is expected to do is remain awake and listen, write notes, or other minor tasks, count as stimulants being available, because the minor and uncommon judgement-impairment effect of drug-based stimulants would not significantly impair this low level of activity. Driving, piloting aircraft, etc. are all considered too involved to risk the side-effects of stimulants.

All other situations are 'stimulants are not available'.

* When is a device a problem? This is harder to explain, but an attempt must be made: Anytime the wearer of the device is alone or only with other people who would easily understand the need for it or who would be wearing them themselves, the device is not a problem. If the device would be embrassing, or possibly get in the way of the job itself, devices are considered a problem. Examples of these situations can be gleaned from the lists above.