

Ask HN: Is asking an early startup to intern Doing It Wrong? - jkimmel

Hey HN,<p>I live in Orlando, FL, far from a tech hub. I'm taking a few classes over the summer at my less than challenging university, and would love to compliment my coursework with some experience at a startup. I've done BigOrg internships before, and I'm looking for something a little different.<p>Startup selection here is limited, but there's one in particular in town that just opened up and still seems to be finding their feet (third webdesign in as many weeks) that is hiring full-time devs with similar skill sets to my own. However, I'm not at the calibur they're seeking for full time. They want a Flask guru, I've mostly coded Python for academic applications and have made only simple apps with Flask; extend that same analog for the other pieces of the stack and you get the picture. Despite this fact, I feel like I could be useful given their early stage.<p>Is it silly for me to inquire about an internship at such an early stage startup, when I don't have the full stack they're looking for? On the other end, would I learn enough from an early stage company to make it worth my while, assuming that they even want me?<p>Thanks HNers!
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mkhalil
I would say do it. Worst case they say you're not qualified yet. THATS WAY
better then the case of you never asking. Besides, if your asking about an
intern position, it usually is OKAY for you not have the "full stack". Heck
when I first interned at this ASP.NET position, I literally had to learn th e
syntax day 1. "Figure it out later" _.

_ note: Not the same as "Fake it till you make it". If you know how to CODE
well, and have the inpsiration to learn you can learn. If you have no idea how
to code (which doesn't seem the case), then start making websites for fun.

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ramsdend
Play to win, don't play to not lose. Be aggressive. Don't assume they don't
want you. Enthusiasm is contagious; if you demonstrate an eagerness to learn
and to help them grow, and if you demonstrate that you have the required
technical ability, that will set you apart from other candidates. Have
confidence in your skills. If you want it you need to reach out and grab it.
Just do it. Don't be afraid of "No".

