When searching for an academic internship for the fall semester this year, the career services staff at Rhodes College (based in Memphis, TN) presented me with many options, and I found it very hard to narrow down what I really wanted to spend my time doing for an entire semester. That’s when I came across Start Co. and their mission to grow the greater Memphis economy through digital advancement. I was introduced to the founder, Eric Mathews, and knew it was the right choice — this was something special and unique and I wanted to be a part of it.
What was truly captivating early on were the opportunities for real learning including how an actual business operates. The bonus was working directly with Eric. On my first day, Eric asked about my passions and helped tailor a role for me as an associate at Start Co.– they call all their interns associates to set expectations for performance. It showed right away; rather than giving me an arbitrary assignment or busy work, I utilized my interests and talents, creating a work-return balance so that I actually enjoyed firing up my laptop and getting to work. At first, I was tasked with learning all about Start Co., what they offered, and thinking about where I would want to contribute and take action during my time with them. Over time, I found that what I was researching and presenting to Start Co. was extremely flexible as the Company is constantly looking for ways to branch out and build digital infrastructure within the Greater Memphis area. I was encouraged to spend time demoing new technologies or reading about smart infrastructure, because those are always opportunities for growth and innovation in these realms. The nature of Start Co. encourages imagination and creativity in ways that I did not expect within a finance, computer science, or venture capital role.
Most of my work at Start Co. from there forward involved targeted deep research and some “sprint research” (where perfection and presentation don’t matter and getting it done fast does). Ultimately my major projects for the semester resulted in technology roadmaps, customer journey strategies, or blog posts like The Starter’s Toolkit or Workforce Development with Shared Data. Learning about Start Co.’s Toolkit and writing about it was one of my first tasks, and I think that it also matched my journey with Start Co. The four D’s of the Toolkit are founder development, customer discovery, product delivery, and dollars for scaling. Looking back on my own development I see it as going through similar stages; I first had to learn about what I wanted to do and uncover my own motivations when working, then discover what Start Co. needed of me, from there, actually creating something that would be worthwhile for both myself and the company, and ultimately having the reward of putting a genuine product together that will produce monetary and other returns for Start Co., startups and myself.
From scheduling meetings with members of Start Co. to interfacing with potential customers or providers to motivating myself to work from home and remaining professional while working from my dining room table during a pandemic — there was a lot to be garnered from the experience. But the biggest lesson that I have adopted into my personal life is that iteration trumps perfection, a Start Co. mantra. If I am given a project and I am doing it how I think it should be done without contacting my team for feedback along the way, I could be heading off in a completely different direction than would be expected. The direction is neither good nor bad in the eyes of the team at Start Co. They may course correct things with me along the way to make sure I get to the right destination but in many cases they are more interested in the new direction and are encouraging further and deeper pursuit. This is how they encourage all their team members to find new ways, increase creativity, and harness the energy of the team to make big changes. It is easier to build a better world with a collaborative and iterative approach.
Since the beginning of my internship, emphasis has been placed on learning — each mistake is a teachable moment — and I feel as though I have been coached into a more professional person. Eric says, “Every education has a cost,” and the “return on learning from mistakes is high.” I felt like I was on a journey with the team and given the autonomy to do my own research and my work. I always felt like it was a part of something bigger than myself and my contributions were valued.
If you are a student who is interested in Finance, Venture Capital, Digital Cities, innovation, starting up a business, or working with ideas to better Memphis, I would highly recommend interning with Start Co. This semester has definitely benefited my industry knowledge and overall life experience so that I am much more confident and prepared to enter the workforce after college. Despite working specifically for the digital advancement of Memphis, the skills and work experience at Start Co. is highly transferable to other firms and other areas. As an International Business major, I have noticed the applicability of my experiences to my classes in International Management, Finance, and Marketing, and I find it rare that someone can get the opportunity to practice in more than one of those areas without leaving the city that they are going to school in. I’m immensely grateful for the opportunities that I have been presented and relish my time spent with the Start Co. team.