I had an internship with Flipkart, a company with a fast-paced and unique work culture. During my internship, I was lucky enough to travel to 5 cities, and conduct a personal interview of over 2200 people, and get insights and create value propositions for an upcoming project. Here is a quick dive in, into my experience there, which consisted of not just work related learnings (which were a lot), but also beyond that.
Only a quick yawn after the alarm rang, I could start to feel my blood pumping and adrenaline rushing. Just a day before, I had got a map from the hotel that was marked with routes and places to cover in one day. The excitement started to grow as I had one day to uncover insights by talking to people from different backgrounds, experiences, and opinions from the most populated to the remotest of the areas in the city. With multiple scripted survey questions in my head and a kid’s curiosity in my soul, I started my day with the nutritious breakfast and surveying the hotel staff for starters. En route, I started to ponder over my recent trips to Pune, Delhi, Ranchi, and Bangalore, and all the interactions I have had.
Recalling one of my best experiences, I deep dived into the conversation I had with an awe-inspiring vegetable vendor and an inquisitive human.
In the whole conversation, the shopkeeper was keen to understand the whole concept on the basis of which the survey was conceptualized, scripted and implemented. He gave his 100% concentration to every word that I uttered and added constructive suggestions. Throughout he was wearing a smile of curiosity and his eyes ogled with any new idea that was presented to him.
Deeper in the conversation, discussing further about the idea, a customer comes to me and inquires about the whole discussion. I explain to him and take his opinions on it as well. But before expressing his thoughts regarding the idea, he emphasizes on the fact that I had landed in the right place to get all the right facts and opinions. With this simple thought along with his opinion regarding my survey, they share a smile.
This simple statement reflected so much about his persona, knowledge, and reputation he had built in everyone’s eyes. I understood how deeply the customers respected him and how he maintained great relationships with everyone.
Moreover, on the personal front when asked about how much free time he had, he gave a very simple answer of having none as he was continuously working, day in and day out, to make sure his daughter achieves her dreams of becoming a doctor. She had managed to get a seat in the college after consistent hard work and support from her family. Therefore, he was doing all he can to make sure money didn’t get in the way of her dreams. How can one not be touched by such a soul, I wondered? These are people who inspire by example.
Jolting back into reality after a hasty break on the wheels, I realized how several such inspiring stories are the highlights of each day and inspire to get back to it even in this heat. The adrenaline and the excitement every morning, helping me traveling to distant places and learning from everyone I met. I have lived in various cities and traveled a lot within India throughout my life, but the amount of sheer knowledge and growth I have experienced throughout the internship by talking people, traveling solo and discovering cities is indescribable.
In addition, not only in the field but also in the office I had an amazing learning curve. The team was very helpful. We debated over ideas in depth and the opinion of fellow interns was also valued deeply. The pace of the working kept me on my toes and the culture made every day delightful. The work I had done was already being discussed, the data deeply used and feed into the business for formulating of new strategies. It’s has been a perfect mix of new learning, experiences and little joys every day.