Life as an Intern in a Startup

What if I told you that startup is not for you?

What if I told you that its small size will only limit your learning and experience?
What if I told you that interning in a MNC will probably guarantee a brighter future?
Would you believe them? Well, I used to be in that position, where others questioned over my
decision to join a local startup for a summer internship, but I made up my mind that the only way to
know the truth is to take a leap of faith and experience it for myself. So here we go.
I am a Junior Year student majoring in Information Systems at Singapore University of Technology
and Design (SUTD). With only one year of programming experience in Python and Java, I was
unsure whether I could get hired or not. So, it was indeed both a calling and blessing to receive the
internship offer from a local startup called Tinkerbox Studios.
So what does Tinkerbox do? Tinkerbox provides a platform for startups to build their web products
on Ruby on Rails. To be honest, I did not have any experience on any of the above-mentioned
fields at the start, and yet, I still went with my guts and ready to face the challenges with an open
mind.
First two weeks of internship was an onboarding period for all interns, where we were exposed to
the industry best practices Tinkerbox practiced. There were only 9 interns and since all of us came
in from different programming backgrounds and had no prior experience with Ruby on Rails, we
spent almost everyday learning from the comprehensive resources Tinkerbox provided. Be it
physical textbooks or online courses from Codeschool and Onemonth, I was encouraged to make
full use of the resources available so that my foundation would be strong enough before I
undertook an existing project together with the full-time developers. Tinkerbox believes in
continuous learning right from the start. I like the company culture to actively share ones learning
or challenges with one another. This removes the top-down approach many industries are still
practicing today. Platforms like TinkerThursday and LunchTalk are also organised on a regular
basis to spark new interests and discussions. We, interns, also took turns to be the speakers and I
would say it is really encouraging when you have a company that cares about your interests other
than just work.
As I got too comfortable with the learning materials, I was then asked whether or not I was ready to
take the challenge to another level by joining one of the existing client projects. Deep inside my
heart, I did not know whether or not I was ready. What if there were concepts I am still weak in?
What if I was not good enough? There were so many what-ifs that were hindering me at the start
but I came across this quote that totally changed my perspectives.
The only way to be ready for anything is to be ready for anything.
The Organic Prepper
Mistakes are parts and parcel of learning and you can never be good enough for anything in life. It
is all in our mind whether we think ourselves as good or bad and everyone has their own varying
expectations and standards. So, instead of worrying how painful you might fall and injure yourself, I

decided to let go of all the negativities and enjoy the journey. Anyway, you can only get better from
all the mistakes you learn right? So there I was, with my new team the next day, ready to start
tinkering.
There were 6 of us in the team including Jaryl (the founder) himself, three other full-stack
developers and two interns (Kia Yong and me). Our project is about building an all-in-one stop
solution for an online commerce in the simplest and most effective way possible. I had the
opportunity to experience how it feels like to be a full-stack developer, which means I learnt skills
ranging from front-end (like HTML, CSS, Javascript) to back-end programming (like third-party
integration with Braintree and Ruby on Rails). All happening simultaneously. It is unlike school

Kris and I pair-programming

where subjects are taught in an orderly manner. We are responsible for managing our own learning
here in Tinkerbox, especially with the help of many passionate developers who are experts in their
own field, the impossible is made possible.
Tasks were delegated on a daily basis and as interns, it could be quite intimidating when faced by
the steep learning curve and the complexity of the project does not make it any easier. Well, that is
exactly what motivated me to keep learning. I want to live each day as if I had accomplished
something or learnt something new at least.
Always work hard on something uncomfortably exciting.
Larry Page
I could still remember the nights where our team worked even after office hours to meet the clients
and our own expectations, and there was once when Jaryl, Kia Yong and I camped over Starbucks
to do more coding and got a fresh air out of the office. And yeah, all these are done voluntarily. It all
started by how we were inspired by how committed the other team members were. We, as interns,
wanted to give our best for this very product that we had been a part of. Thats all.
But it sounds like work is all we do. That is not true at all because we played a lot too. On a daily
basis we religiously had Fika (which means coffee break in Swedish) where everyone is
encouraged to take a break from coding and have some fun playing games or simply stuffing their
stomach with snacks and beverages (like milk, juice and coffee) in the pantry.

Introducing our very own UNO experts

Tinker Trampoline Treat

The relatively small size of the company allows more interaction between its employees and that is
what makes us very bonded as a team. So much so, some of us hang out on weekends to play
basketball together or watch new-released movies in the cinema after work.
What started off as sheer curiosity had now blossomed to a decision that I will never regret in my
life. I had so much fun while learning, so much so that I did not feel like resuming school after my
internship ended. While all good things must come to an end, I would like to take this opportunity to
thank Tinkerbox for the opportunities and trust in me. I have grown a lot both as a developer and a
person, thanks to the people in Tinkerbox who have helped in one way or another.
I hope my experience can provide you guys with another perspectives of how enriching and
awesome an internship at a startup can be. So what are you waiting for? Get ready to write your
own epic chapter by taking an internship in a startup.
Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.
Hellen Keller

Katherine Fennedy
SUTD Class of 2016
Information Systems Technology & Design