Having previously worked in an MNC culture, this was my first time to work with a start-up. With millions of thoughts springing up in my head whether to take up this offer, I am grateful to have accepted it. My internship at ONN Bikes enabled me to closely look at the journey of entrepreneurs – how an idea in the mind of a novice can turn into a sustainable business.
My suggestion to the neophytes anxiously awaiting the fascinating big brands on their resumes is to critically evaluate the options in hand. Yes, these big b’s seem fascinating to everyone. I don’t deny that. But there’s definitely a lot in store for a newbie in a start-up.
ONN Bikes gave me a host of real-life experiences. Having spent two months at ONN Bikes, I can vouch for the people who boast the exponential learning curve at the start-ups. The culture, the people, the motivation, the feeling, the thought process – it was so different than working at an MNC. The experiences of the CEO, the chit chats with the CxO at the ONN Bikes - their struggles, their ambitions, their learnings taught me more than my MBA books could.
And yes, “Start-up is not for everyone.” It’s only for the dedicated and passionate souls who have a spark for their work. There were days when we at ONN Bikes, worked remotely, there were days when there was no one over our heads but still we all loved to work. Only the work was valued, no matter how you do it, when you do it and where you do it. You can sit even in some restaurant and spend the entire day working. It might be a Eureka moment at 12 in night and you just want to talk about it with your senior and yes this was so very common to experience. There was no time constraint nor any location constraint. It was a feeling of belonging that tied everyone together despite the absence of properly structured functions which is so ironical when we talk about the MNCs.
I was fortunate to have interned with ONN Bikes as a Decision Sciences Intern at their most crucial time – when they were undergoing a huge transformation – the right set of circumstances to delve into the realms of what it takes to get a company up and running.
Another advantage of interning at ONN Bikes was that I was not treated as an intern but as a full-time employee. The two reasons that sufficed the above statement were – firstly, due to resource constraints and crucible conditions, I was expected to contribute and be resourceful. Secondly, the average age of the employees was in the late 20s. Truly an icebreaker!
ONN Bikes gave me an experience to work with the Strategy team, Marketing team, Technical team and Operations team all at once. I wasn’t confined and this was something I truly loved during my internship. Last but not the least, receiving a recommendation from a C-suite executive, well that is something I can definitely boast about.
I am thankful to Mr. Shobhit Saxena (Chief Business Officer, ONN Bikes | previously associated with Volvo| Daimler | an IIM alumnus) for being my mentor and inspiring me with his dedication and respectful attitude towards work and employees at ONN Bikes.
Some key takeaways from my experience: GOOGLE, GOOGLE and GOOGLE. Try to find experiences of the past interns of the company and be inquisitive and ask questions so that you understand what the job can offer you and what it expects out of you. Interact with the interviewer keeping in mind to give away something, and not wasting his effort of sparing time interviewing you. I try to imbibe this motto in my day to day work, “Wherever you are, be all there” – Jim Elliot.