We at PriceBaba have had several interns in tech and content over the past 2 years and have greatly benefitted by having them around. Some of them have interned with us twice now and one of them was even the acting CEO 🙂
Here is a case for having interns at your startup:
1) Admit it, you need them!
It’s a trying time for your product when you don’t Have the resources, but you still need talent to drive the product. Startup founder(s) are typically juggling too many things, that can dilute focus.
Interns are affordable and can provide a great return on investment, provided you get the right ones. So, spend time in getting quality interns and you might be surprised to see the quality they deliver. The thought process of “intern equals low quality workforce” should be abolished!
2) They need it too & they love it
Interns have a burning desire to learn and create things. Many students we’ve come across want to pursue an internship not for the pocket money. They have the liberty of financial freedom thanks to supportive parents, who want them to get ahead in the world. Because what they earn in return is exposure; the chance to be a part of a real product in the making.
A Startup will assign them with real work and not just menial, clerical tasks that they say they’re usually offered in bigger companies. This gives them a sense of responsibility, it helps them evolve into becoming able workforce of the future.
And the pocket money is a bonus!
3) Your Focus Is Business, But Everything Else Is Important Too
Your core team will work on certain priorities. You will focus on those and deliver the best. But your social media, some extra product features that increase engagement, marketing campaigns, user feedback, customer survey etc are all important too. Having interns allows you to make a quick process and let them drive the non-core activities. It kickstarts some important processes in the company that would otherwise get buried under ‘Urgent’ work.
At PriceBaba one of our most loved features, the price history charts, was done by an early intern who then joined Accenture full time.
4) It Makes for a Merrier Workplace
I can’t tell you how vibrant the office space is when you have some kids around. A 16 year old kid cracking jokes isn’t always funny to all the serious adults at the startup, but it lightens things up!
On the flip side, they get to get a taste of what ‘office life’ is; which isn’t just the number hours spent in front of your computer. We recently helped an intern shoot for her advertising project. Our Christmas party was a ton of fun thanks to their presence and participation.
All work and no play does make Jack a dull boy.
5) They bring a perspective closer to your users
For a consumer internet product like ours, we are dinosaurs on the digital era. The new-gen college kid is much more social, mobile and closer to our average user. What better than having the people using your product to be part of your team 🙂
Thus we are always interested in what they have to say about the product and sometimes bug them with beta testing.
About The Author – Annkur Agarwal
Annkur Agarwal is the C2C (Clerk-to-CEO) and co-founder of PriceBaba.com. He has been creating business on the internet for over a decade and he believes firmly in student empowerment and practical learning. 
