LIFE UPDATE:

Interning at a Startup, In Retrospect.

Thoughts at the end of my first-ever job.

Considering how it’s been so long since I last wrote here, I thought it’d be the perfect time to catch up and remind people that I actually haven’t disappeared from the face of the Earth.

For the past month, I was interning for a startup called Talk Social, where we were (and still are) building the future of human connection. Today marks my last day on the job, and I wanted to use this as an opportunity to celebrate everyone that made this experience so memorable.

To Solon and Zvi

First off, I’d like to thank the co-founders of Talk Social (Solon and Zvi) for taking a chance on me last month and inviting me into the team. None of the other things I’ll be talking about would’ve been possible without that. But, more specifically…

Solon: Thanks for checking on me every week, thinking so much about my growth, and helping me learn more about the startup world every day. I’ll remember the advice you gave me long after this internship.

Zvi: Thanks for motivating me to never settle. I appreciated your always-on mindset, the time you let me sit in and learn from one of your meetings, and the micro-lessons you gave us on gratitude every Monday. Your dedication to the mission is inspiring.

Both of you went above and beyond — both as managers and mentors — and with your guidance, I know we’re going great places.

To All The Interns

At the same time, I had the absolute pleasure of solving problems and working with an ultra-motivated circle of interns every day. I’m glad we grew close and had the opportunity of collaborating on so many meaningful projects in our time together.

Ellie: Thanks for being the first person to talk to me when I joined. If it weren’t for your friendliness back then and your continued support, I might’ve been nervous the entire time!

Dron: Thanks for being such a great friend and keeping me in check when I barely knew what refactoring meant. Talking to you never gets old, and I always leave our conversations slightly wiser than I entered them.

Byeongjun: Thanks for all those late nights of designing, your top-notch sense of humour, and saving the day by officially making me the 2nd newest member on the team :)

Mollie: Thanks for bearing with me through every project and meeting we worked on. You were great company — right from the first day to the last.

It’s thanks to you that every moment of work was so fun and this internship flew by so quickly. I’m not sure if that should make me happy or sad.

To My Team

And, of course, this article wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention all the designers, developers, and peers that helped make my time here outstanding. Thanks for giving me valuable advice every day, preventing me from blowing things up, and rooting for me the entire time.

Mahad: Thanks for always being open for a casual conversation and blowing my mind every single time. Your design skills and ambition are off the charts.

Calum: I’ve never met a more enthusiastic project manager in my life! Just being around you is fun, and your positive attitude is contagious!

Gabi: Thanks for putting out such high-quality work every day and being so committed to the success of our product and team. People like that are hard to come by!

Hamza: Thanks for being such a hard worker. I know we only got to meet once so far, but I wish you the best of luck and am sure you’ll do great things!

Scarlett: Thanks for always keeping such a watchful eye on Talk Social. Your tireless work from behind the scenes helps everything run at 110%.

Kerry: Thanks for bringing a unique perspective to every situation and a funny, refreshing moment to every meeting. Working with you on our top-secret project was one of the highlights of my month.

Reflections

This internship was one of the most fast-paced, action-packed learning experiences I’ve ever had. But most importantly, it was a learning experience I could enjoy with a team of talented, committed, and genuine people. And looking back, I think that made all the difference.

It was a wild ride, everyone, but now it’s time for me to hop off the ship.

Back to normal-ish,
Aaryan Harshith
(Ex-)General Intern @ Talk Social

P.S. If you can code, design, or think deeply about problems, consider applying to the team by sending a note to Solon or Zvi. We’re always looking for extra hands on deck, and you just might be the next one.