#intern 2015

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Alexandra Budz

At this point in the summer, if you’ve been following the interns’ blog, you’ve heard all about the hard work and fun that goes on in the Flashstarts office. From Nerf gun battles to Food for Thoughts, developers coding in the “trenches” to marketers living the Flashstarts dream, you already know that being an intern at Flashstarts is a wild ride of an experience. So instead of giving you another tour of a day at the office, I thought I’d give you an outsider’s guide to life outside the office.  

Where to go for brunch:

• Grumpy’s: Located in the Tremont neighborhood, Grumpy’s is everything you want from a typical greasy spoon diner without the greasy spoon. With a modern yet comfortable interior, Grumpy’s would not be out of place for a casual business breakfast or just meeting up with a friend on the weekend. If you decide to visit on a weekend, arrive early or be prepared for a short wait. It’s that good. Recommended: The Grumpy’s special, the perfect amount of traditional food, no frills attached.   • Flying Fig: The Flying Fig is a small farm-to-table café in Ohio City with an attached grocery. They serve food all day, but I want to highlight their excellent brunch. Brunch is served at 11 am on the weekends – perfect for late risers – and with interesting choices like the BBQ Brisket hash or traditional options like the Kitchen Sink skillet, everyone can find something to love.  Recommended: For those who love breakfast potatoes, look no further than the Loaded Breakfast potatoes, complete with Cheddar, Pork Belly, Scallions, Fresno Chilis.

Where to go for happy hour:

• Barrio: Barrio has 3 locations (two in Cleveland and one in nearby Lakewood), which means that you lack zero excuses for not taking advantage of its delightful happy hour, which lasts from 4-7 pm. Barrio can be considered a much classier Chipotle, where you can build your own tacos with fresh ingredients, order a local beer, and enjoy a dollar off both. Or you can just order the monthly margarita special and eat the complimentary chips and salsa. Your choice.  

Recommended: The vegan stoner and the monthly special taco (recent editions include the duck confit taco and the Chipotle-peanut BBQ taco). • Great Lakes Brewery: The Great Lakes Brewery was the first place I was taken to by a friend I visited in Cleveland and is a popular (maybe most popular or most well-known) brewery in NEO. Happy hour runs from 4-7 pm and is a $1 off Great Lake’s quality beers. For people who’ve studied abroad in Ireland or the UK, they also have the best fish & chips I’ve had in town.  

Recommended: Try one of GLBC’s seasonal brews, you won’t be disappointed. 

Where to go for burgers & sandwiches:

• B-spot: There are a few B-Spot locations in NEO (including one in the casino for those 21+) where you can get a burger grilled to your specifications and taste. B-spot is Michael Symon restaurant, and if you haven’t heard of Michael Symon, you may have seen him on the Food Network. If Food Network endorsements mean something to you, there you go, but I’d personally like to endorse the generous and delicious pickle bar and the Lola fries.  

Recommended: If you go to the B-Spot in Beachwood, after your meal you can play a game of chess on the giant, outdoor chess board. • Melt: Take whatever sandwich you usually like (pulled pork, hot Italian, monte cristo, chicken and waffles, etc.) and add a mountain of cheese and you’ve discovered Melt. Whatever you want on your grilled cheese sandwich, they will deliver. You can also build one of your own from their list of crazy ingredients, and make it vegetarian or vegan (including the cheese).  Their grilled cheese sandwiches will feed you for dinner and lunch the next day, so plan to arrive on an empty stomach. Recommended: I’ve yet to have any sandwich from melt that I didn’t like.  

What to get at West Side Market:

• Falafel stand in West Side Market: If you’ve never had falafel, be a little adventurous and grab some while you are at the West Side Market.  Falafel (/fəˈlɑːfəl/; Arabic: فلافل‎, [fæˈlæːfɪl] is a deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas, commonly served in a pita, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces.  Then stop at a bakery stand and pick up some baklava for dessert to complete the experience. Baklava (/ˈbɑːkləvɑː/, /bɑːkləˈvɑː/,[1] or /bəˈklɑːvə/;[2] Ottoman Turkish: باقلوا [bɑːklɑvɑː]) is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey.

Recommended: Falafel and baklava. That pretty much sums it up. • Czhuchraj’s: Coming from Chicago, having a go-to deli stand is a must. So if you love bacon and all things delicious, you have to stop at Czuchraj’s. They have 5+ varieties of bacon (from maple to Cajun) and the best jerky you’ll ever have. Plus, Chicago-style hot dogs and Polish boys.

Recommended: If they still have Christmas Ale bacon – get it. It’s like Christmas in July. Except with bacon.

Where to go for classy dining:

• Greenhouse Tavern: Greenhouse Tavern doesn’t really need me to recommend it, as the number of awards it has won pretty much speak for themselves. If you’re looking for some stellar food and a cozy atmosphere, definitely come here. It’s located on East 4th street, an easy walk or trolley ride from CSU.

Recommended: Crispy chicken confit chicken wings and pommes frites.  • Fire: Located on the East side, Fire is another great location for a weekend brunch. Let the complimentary valet park your car and enjoy a walk around the square before settling down to eat some tandoor smoked pastrami hash or almond-stuffed French toast.

Recommended: After eating your fill, check out Loganberry Books, the local independent bookstore or take a short hike on the paths at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.  

Where to go for ice cream:

• Mason’s: People will tell you to get ice cream from Mitchell’s (and by all means do, it is good), but if you want a more authentic, neighborhood-childhood-ice-cream-stand experience go to Mason’s. Mason’s makes small, homemade batches of ice cream, so their flavors rotate regularly, and they are always trying new and interesting flavors. They also serve vegan ice cream (cashew-milk based) for those who want to be a little adventurous in their food lives.

Recommended: They let you taste everything so let that be your guide. • Piccadilly: If you have a car (or a bus pass) and can make it over to Coventry, stop for some fro-yo at Piccadilly. The ingredients are organic and local, and like most fro-yo places, totally customizable. Eat it inside or take it outside and enjoy the hub of Cleveland counter-culture. (I know I already talked about brunch, but I have to mention that the Inn-On-Coventry does have some lemon-ricotta pancakes that are hard to pass up).

Recommended: If you’ve never had mochi before, top your fro-yo with it.

What to visit:

• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Each time I’ve come to Cleveland, I’ve resisted the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with vague objections to its touristy-ness. I’ve since been reformed. When it became my turn to show guests around the city (my parents), I was scrambling for unique things around the city for us to see and do. Knowing my Dad’s love of classic rock, it seemed like the obvious choice. The Rock Hall did not disappoint.  

Recommended: Actually spend some time in the theaters watching the live concert clips – you’ll have a good time finally seeing the names and faces behind all those one-hit wonders you’ve grown up listening to. • Lake View Cemetery:  Some people think visiting a cemetery is a little creepy, but this isn’t your average cemetery (and it’s really not that creepy). Home to several famous grave sites (Rockefeller, President James Garfield, and Elliot Ness to name a few), there is plenty to see. The cemetery was founded in 1869 and was meticulously planned as an urban oasis, so it’s definitely a place to take advantage of on a sunny day, whether to walk, jog, or tour the grounds. I’ve even seen people reading on blankets out there.

Recommended: Make sure to visit Wade Chapel – the chapel contains a great example of Tiffany stained glass and spectacular mosaics on the walls. Go when a docent is available and they will explain the meaning behind the mosaics and the technology used to construct the glass. Position: Marketing Generalist School: M.S. Information Science, University of Illinois ‘16 B.A. Anthropology, University of Notre Dame ‘13 LinkedIn Profile 

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Shyam Kotak

The Flashstarts program is THE internship for students who want to learn. There is nothing that forces you to work harder than being in the trenches of a startup. Each and every day here requires you to learn a new skill and do something you have never done before. Acting as essentially the first employees of these companies, every decision you make directly impacts the chances of a startup’s success. If you’re looking for a corporate job where you can hide in the background while doing minimal work, Flashstarts isn’t the place for you.

Interns in the Flashstarts program are pretty much on equal footing as the founders. Interns are allowed freedom too choose what startups they work for and how they allocate their time between them. An intern’s opinion can help change a startup’s product, whether it is with branding, design, development, or anything off the laundry list of things a startup needs.

Plus, with Flashstarts you have the added benefit of being in Cleveland. As a lifelong Clevelander, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard every Cleveland joke there is. Last weekend in Toronto when I told someone I was from Cleveland, he responded with “Oh really? I’m so sorry.” But as Flashstarts’ interns quickly find out, Cleveland is a pretty underrated place. From when the Cavs were in the Finals at the beginning of the internship, to the Indians game we all went to; from all the great, unique food options right around our new location in Tower City, to the expansive Metroparks system, there is tons to do in Cleveland (when you’re not having the time of your life at Flashstarts, of course).

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Buck Baskin

When I first walked into the new Flashstarts office I had no idea what my summer was going to be like. This was my first software development internship and I was going to work with multiple startup companies in one summer. Although some people may have been put off by the uncertainty of the startup environment, it is something that really drew me in. 

Getting a chance to do all of this in downtown Cleveland was an opportunity that I relished, because it is a city that I have come to love while exploring and making great friends in my past two years at Case Western.

Now, with more than 8 weeks gone by and only a few left in the program, I’m really glad that I found Flashstarts and decided to work here. I’ve worked on a variety of projects and learned a lot since I started. I’ve had a chance to work on every level of web development (and then some) over the course of the summer so far, ranging from making a real time messaging system on the back end to doing the front end work to launch the first website for one of the startups.

One of the most interesting challenges that I faced early on in my time at Flashstarts was figuring out how to navigate the wide range of technologies that the startups were using. In an effort to get started as quickly as possible, I just jumped in with two feet and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been continually learning and applying what I’ve learned, and I’m now to the point where I can discuss an idea with a team on Monday and then learn the technology and implement the idea by the end of the week. It’s one benefit to the startup environment that I didn’t consider, but it’s something that has become a critical part of what I do every day.

The most fun I had in a single day at Flashstarts was the night of the Flash-hack (Flashstart’s hackathon), where I ended up putting together an app that creates a maze exploration game based on Wikipedia pages. While I didn’t quite get it all done in one night like I planned, the night itself was a mix of coding and enjoying hanging out with the people that make Flashstarts what it is -- a fun, exciting and fast-paced startup accelerator full of opportunities for the teams and the interns.

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Jenny Huang

Being the only female software developer at Flashstarts has made me feel all kinds of emotions.

In my first week, I was excited and afraid - excited about my internship and all that comes with it, but mostly afraid because I felt isolated. Because I was the only female developer I was afraid that I wasn’t “good enough” or “smart enough” compared to the other developers. I felt really intimidated when they talked about development and I didn’t know what to talk about or who I could talk to without being judged. Honestly, I wanted to quit because I felt dumb and incompetent. Fast forward to week 9. I am still excited about my internship, but I am no longer afraid. I am not afraid to ask questions, and most importantly, I am not afraid to ask for help when needed. I was given the task of creating a website for a team my first week, and it is the project I am most proud of so far this summer. I had complete control of the website. I was able to pick the language I wanted to program with and design most of the website myself. 

While I was working on this project, I learned so many new and valuable things. I wasn’t an expert in the programming language I used, so I did a lot of readings online to help myself self-learn and I also learned a lot from my peers. A few of the great and new things I learned more about for web development are: bootstrap (!!this makes your website look 100x better!!) and developer tools (a feature in most browsers that helps users look at the html and other stuff on a website). I have grown to love my internship, and everything that comes with it - from self-learning a new programming language to shopping for office plants. I’m so glad I didn’t give up my first week because Flashstarts makes me feel some typa way.

Position: Software Developer intern  School: Smith College, Class of 2017

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Jonah Roth

Demystifying the First Day

As you’ve probably heard by now, working at Flashstarts is different from working almost anywhere else—different enough that even after all the helpful orientation emails I received as preparation for this summer, I walked into Terminal Tower on the first day having no idea what to expect. I quickly learned that although there is no typical day at Flashstarts, I could come to expect a few things out of my time here:

I work on exciting projects for different startup companies every day. In the past week alone I developed the backend for one startup’s web app, installed and styled software for another’s corporate site, and administered a database for Flashstarts itself. I spend a lot of the day moving around the office, meeting with different people about different projects. There’s never a dull moment, because when you’re working on a startup company, you never know what will happen next.

I learn on the job like crazy. My biggest worry going into the program was that I wouldn’t be able to do development fast enough or well enough for the startups, and I definitely spent the first two weeks working my way through a lot of online tutorials! (A great starting place is Michael Hartl’s Rails tutorial at https://www.railstutorial.org/book/, which I think at least half of the developers here have used this summer.) Working on a startup is dynamic and flexible enough that learning on the job is not only expected but encouraged. I had no web development experience at the beginning of this summer, but this week I’m expecting to finish developing a web app that I wrote from the ground up.

Interns have lots of autonomy. Every Sunday, each intern fills out a survey detailing their work over the past week and makes requests for the next week. Generally, if I like a company, I can stay with them, and I can move between companies as needed. How I manage my time is completely up to me, and most companies give me the freedom to choose what technology I want to use or how I want to make some implementation.

The office culture is like no other. In the Flashstarts office, ten different companies and 20+ interns all work at tables within 50 feet of each other. Every moment is an opportunity to learn or get great new advice; some of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten were from people who overheard me telling someone else about my project. Everything in the office is on wheels, which means that we can set up new workspaces as needed—and that if an occasional chair race or ping pong tournament is necessary, it can happen easily.

So far this summer, I have learned how to develop as part of a team, finished work on several websites, and participated in the formation of a few important and fascinating businesses—and we still have a month to go! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds.

Name: Jonah Roth School: Case Western Reserve University Position: Software Development intern

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Elaina Lin

When I applied for the internship at Flashstarts, I browsed through the Flashstarts intern blog and read through the various posts filled with the interns' experiences. I remember thinking to myself, “Wow they all seem so happy and to be enjoying their work! I wish I were them.” And now a few months later I am living the ☆ Flashstarts Dream☆.

What is the Flashstarts Dream?

It means doing meaningful work every day that relates to your career path and at the same time enjoying what you do. The corporate culture at Flashstarts really embraces the work hard, play hard mindset and balance. Everyone here knows how to work hard at their job and when to take a break, have fun, and play some ping-pong. At Flashstarts it's about taking the initiative and knowing how to contribute to the teams you are working with.  I have gained so much knowledge and skills from working here. I often hear interns mention how much they love their jobs here at Flashstarts.

I remember when I received the e-mail in my inbox announcing I was offered an internship from Flashstarts. I was really honored, but I was also extremely conflicted. It was mid-April and I had already bought plane tickets to go home for the summer. I hadn’t seen my family in 2 years and I was completely torn apart as to what to do. I only had 48 hours to decide. I knew that this opportunity from Flashstarts was very valuable and once-in-a-lifetime. I felt it was important to invest in my career so I did eventually cancel my airplane ticket back home. While my family is important and dear to my heart, I do not regret my decision to come to Flashstarts.

It's funny how a few months ago I was reading through the intern blog posts wishing I was in their shoes. And now here I am, writing the intern blog post myself.

Position: Marketing Generalist Intern School: Case Western Reserve University, Class of 2016 LinkedIn

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Clayton Kennedy

Lets Make Some Sausage

An old saying goes, “To retain respect for sausages, one must not watch them in the making.” I think most of my friends would not hesitate to replace the word sausages with companies. This is because everyone wants to work for a Fortune 500 company, but not many people want to be on the ground level and put in the time, effort, and energy to turn an idea into a prestigious enterprise. However, everyone at Flashstarts and I side with Dwight Schrute when he so eloquently stated, “Once you see sausage being made, all you wanna do is make sausage cause it's so much fun.”

Once you see a company being made all you want to do is help make companies because it is such a wonderful experience. Maybe I am a bit weird thinking that building financial models, using Quickbooks, and writing strategy is fun (to each their own right?). The awesome part is that you get to be a part of growing something as simple as an idea into a full-fledged company with revenue, expenses, and (hopefully) profits.

When I was looking at internships, like many college kids I was drawn to New York, San Francisco, and Washington D.C (my home city). Since I didn’t want to live at home for another summer and wanted to get real world experience, I decided to come to Cleveland and join Flashstarts.

Through my experience so far I have incorporated a company, written a proposal, and guided companies on how to become more efficient and when to acquire more capital through projections. So far that means I have played the role of lawyer, consultant, and CFO for some of these companies. I truly cannot think of any other internship that would allow students to take on this much responsibility.

While many other interns are simply making coffee and copies for their bosses, every intern at Flashstarts is able to come into work and help a company actually move closer to a goal. This is exhausting, but is extremely rewarding when you see your work presented to an investor or sent to clients. That is by far one of the best feelings because you know for a fact that the work you are doing is not simply busy work.

When you combine 22 interns with very different backgrounds, interests, and specialties, and give them all responsibility, you get something special. This something special allows for everyone to become smarter, work harder, and do more on a consistent basis. This is why I love working at Flashstarts.  

[flashstarts]

Meet an Intern: Leo Pena

Halfway Through the Summer

These past 6 weeks have gone ridiculously fast, which you might think is a bad sign but it’s definitely not. 

I love the immersive nature of this program, especially while being a developer. I never thought that I could personally have such a large impact on a piece of software. As a Computer Science student you are used to doing somewhat meaningless projects in the classroom. While they definitely strengthen your understanding of the core concepts of whatever language or paradigm you’re learning at the time, they often do not leave you as fulfilled as they do relieved (especially when you’ve been up all night). Sure, you can work on side projects throughout the year as well as attend hackathons, but life and school tend to get in the way of those and they often just end up taking up one of your private repos on GitHub. It is completely different here. 

Working on startups gives you the power to have a large impact and really contribute to the development. Everything you do here has a purpose and usually a large one. As a developer, that constitutes my favorite part of working for a startup, or in the case of Flashstarts, multiple startups. You are continuously fighting in the trenches and you will love every minute of it. Every single bug that you have to squash will be incredibly more rewarding at this level. I love how I personally got the opportunity to choose the development stack for some of the startups I was working on, definitely something that set the tone for the previous six weeks and the remaining six.

The atmosphere perfectly matches what I wanted in a workplace. Coming from Cornell I have always been a huge fan of the “work hard, play hard" mentality and I think that is something that really attracted me to Flashstarts. While I have had many straight coding binges, I have also had a few (some would say more than that) ping pong binges. I have also yet to work at a place where you can bring pool noodles to the office… not because we have a pool but because they are great for office chair jousts. I can’t wait for the next 6 weeks but I also don’t want them to fly by.