Ask YC: Finding start ups? | Hacker News Reader

Ask YC: Finding start ups?

6 pointskrschultz5 comments

I've heard "the best way to learn about start-ups is to work in one" - it strikes me as great advice. I learned a lot more about selling working as a salesman than I would have if I just spent time reading websites about it. Thats where I am stuck now, I've spent a lot of time reading about start-ups, a lot of time hacking, but I'm not quite ready to start my own company. (I have 2 years left of college, and I definitely want to finish), so I'm looking to intern somewhere this summer.

Unfortunately I can't find any start-ups around here (NYC, northern new jersey). I know there have to be some in NYC and I would gladly commute but it seems nearly impossible to find them. I assume its because people in a start up are too busy actually doing work to bother posting ads for interns. I watch here and search google and craiglist but the results are not promising. How do you find your way into the loop? I feel like it is a game of who you know, not what you know, and at the moment I don't know anyone.

Thanks, Kevin kevinsch@udel.edu

There are tons of startups in NYC. Try going to NextNY ( http://www.nextny.org/wiki/ ) or the New Tech Meetup ( http://newtech.meetup.com/1/ ). You'll meet people in the community fast. You can start by going to Matchup Camp tomorrow night: http://www.nextny.org/wiki/show/MatchupCamp

Even if they're not posting ads for interns doesn't mean they won't take one. I was in the exact same position last summer, so I emailed this one startup asking if I could intern there. It was a completely out of the blue request, but the fact that I took the initiative to write to them and showed an interest in their product/company obviously struck a chord because they offered me a paid position.

As the saying goes, it never hurts to ask.

Good luck.

Edit: I should mention that I did have to rellocate to Seattle for a few months to work there, but it was a nice break from the D.C. Area--Seattle's an awesome city.

I would think most startups would be happy to hire interns... they are paid less than full-time employees and aren't necessarily less productive.

There's also the potential that they'll just get in the way and make things harder for a small team, though, especially if they're only around for 2-3 months.

myyoung8: I agree, I have no problem emailing, cold calling, or even just showing up to ask. When I was in high school I really wanted to work at a snowboard shop and I just went often enough and talked to the owner enough that he hired me even though I was 3 or 4 years younger than all the other employees, I just can't FIND the companies to do that. Thanks for the tips bokonist I'll check those out.

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