One Day, One Internship

I ran out of jobs

Willy Franzen — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 15:49:34 +0000

Seven years ago I was an unemployed college grad with an idea that I thought would help people like me find cool companies to work for.

It turned out to be a pretty good idea. Just look at our list of success stories (and these are only the ones from people who took the time to e-mail me).

Millions of people visited my sites. Tens of thousands chose to get my e-mails in their inboxes every morning. Thousands e-mailed me asking for help or advice. And about 20 people bought a job search prep course that I co-developed (that was a bad idea). I was even able to hire some of my readers as paid interns to help grow the site.

I couldn’t find a job so I made a job helping people find jobs

There’s no doubt that One Day One Job succeeded in its goal to help college kids find interesting jobs and internships. It also helped me escape a trap that I put myself into. After I graduated I waited too long to get serious about my job search. Creating ODOJ gave me something meaningful, interesting, and fulfilling to work on for seven years even though I had no prior experience. ODOJ did for me what I built it to do for others.

I couldn’t find a job… so I created one… helping other people find jobs. It’s a weird thing to explain to people. If you want the whole story, check out one of these links:

99U: How the Internet Has Changed the Job Hunt
PSFK: Recent Grad Turns Job Search Into a Career
The Startup Foundry: One Day One Job – How a pissed off CEO became a startups biggest revenue stream
Entrepreneurs Unpluggd: Why This Sole Founder Still Writes His Site’s Content Every Day After 4.5 Years

For most of the seven years, I worked alone on ODOJ, but I was anything but alone. It started with my parents who let me live at home for free while I got the site off the ground. I guess they felt guilty for infecting me with the entrepreneurial disease

Then there’s Amy, my wife. She was my silent co-founder. ODOJ was as good as it was because she kept pushing me. One of my proudest accomplishments is that ODOJ profits paid for her engagement ring.

I also owe immense gratitude to everyone who subscribed, replied, shared, and encouraged. It was the support from the crowd that kept me going for seven years. I woke up every morning to write a new post because I knew many of you expected it.

It’s not a job if it doesn’t pay

ODOJ gave me my business education. I learned from doing, but also from studying all 2,482 companies and organizations that we profiled. I made awesome friends like Jason Seiden and Sherry Mason. I was mentioned in newspapers, books, major websites, and even on television. It was an amazing “entry level” experience.

I also watched dozens, if not hundreds, of startups try to enter the recruiting space and fail.

That was the problem. ODOJ never really clicked as a business. My initial plan was to grow traffic and see what happened. As our traffic skyrocketed, the economy tanked. I didn’t have a real business model, but I kept going based on all of the positive feedback. After a few years with minimal revenue, I lucked into a pretty good business model. Contextual advertising through Indeed improved the site’s overall user experience and made me money. It got me excited to keep growing the business.

Google had other plans. Somehow ODOJ got caught up in an algorithmic update that cut our traffic in half overnight (that’s what we got for always playing by the rules). I spent years trying to fight it and get back to growth. I repeatedly found ways to increase revenue per page view, but my traffic kept declining no matter how hard I worked to reverse the trend. I even tried using the daily e-mails to send traffic back to the site. Every step forward seemed to be met with a step backward in our search rankings.

It was my fault for not building a more resilient business. ODOJ was really close to being something much bigger, but I was never able to make the right move at the right time. I didn’t give the idea credit for how big it could be, and I played it too conservatively. If you stay small for too long, eventually you are going to get crushed.

For at least the past year, I’ve been on autopilot. I stopped learning, and I stopped having fun. I was waiting for things that were out of my control (Google) to change. That’s no way to run a business.

I didn’t really run out of jobs

Yesterday’s post about Detour was my last. I think it’s fitting to end on Labor Day weekend with a post about a company that was started by an entrepreneur, Andrew Mason, who has been a huge inspiration for me ever since I met him at some random Chicago tech event.

While the decision to “end” ODOJ is a personal one, it’s also a financial one. In the past few months revenue has plummeted, and I no longer think it’s worth trying to fix. I’m reay to start another business, but I’m still working out what it will be.

One Day One Job and One Day One Internship the websites aren’t going anywhere. They’ll continue to exist, but they won’t be updated and the daily e-mails will stop. This is the last one.

You can still reach me at willy@onedayonejob.com. I’d love to hear from you whether you want to share a late success story, buy ODOJ and keep it going, tell me what I should do next, or just say hi.

You can also comment below if you have any questions about the business, what I learned, or anything else that might be interesting to a wider audience. Here’s a picture of Garçon, because dog.

Detour

Willy Franzen — Thu, 28 Aug 2014 17:01:11 +0000

I usually have a really bad attitude about tourist attractions, so when my wife and I were in San Francisco a couple weeks ago I was a little annoyed when she asked me if I wanted to do a self-guided audio tour at Fisherman’s Wharf. I would have said no, but it was through a new startup that her former boss founded, so I figured it was worth a shot. The company is called Detour, and the audio tour was absolutely amazing. I usually hate this kind of stuff, but it was probably the most enjoyable 90 minutes of the entire trip (and that’s including The Serpentarium!). The San Francisco, CA based company set out to offer “immersive, location-aware audio walks,” and they completely knocked it out of the park. They took the audio tour and turned it into something remarkable.

Take a Detour

Why did the Detour impress me so much? It just worked. Amy and I did the tour together, and we were automatically synched up. If she paused, I paused. If I paused, she paused. If we stopped to take a little bit longer at a point of interest, the audio paused. Multiple times I had to take out my earbuds to see if the sound was real or part of the tour. There was even a homeless person sleeping in the exact spot that it told us to expect one as we rounded a corner. Every detail of the experience was right–except for the boats that were out fishing instead of at the dock for us to observe, but the app has pictures for when the thing that’s supposed to be there isn’t there–but it was the quality of the content that blew me away. You get to know real characters and hear their stories–it’s not some docent reciting facts.

I could keep gushing about Detour, but you just have to try it. The app isn’t available to the public yet, but you can sign up to be notified when it comes out of beta. For now, you’ll have to take my word for it or find a way to get an invite. In the meantime, you will want to take a look at Detour’s Jobs page. I haven’t heard anything on internships yet, but there are some part-time positions like Composer and Detour Creator that could be worth checking out.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Will you try Detour?

Utilidata

Willy Franzen — Wed, 27 Aug 2014 18:18:20 +0000

It’s easy to take electricity for granted. When we plug something in, it usually works. If it doesn’t, the problem probably isn’t with the outlet (though I have had that happen). Our electric system has been around for well over a century, which is why it’s so reliable. However, keeping it up to date still requires a lot of innovation. That’s where Utilidata comes in. They’re a Providence, RI based company that delivers “value to utilities and large energy users by improving operational decisions through the use of new data extraction and digital processing techniques.” We all know that measurement is usually the first step in improvement, and that’s why Utilidata is all about using data to optimize energy efficiencies.

Utilize Utility Data

It’s funny. We all use electricity, but very few of us have understanding of how utilities generate and deliver power. That’s starting to change as more and more students take up an interest in energy efficiency and other green industries. You can read up on Utilidata’s product called AdaptiVolt here. While Utilidata is focused on serving utilities, its offerings have obvious benefits for energy consumers as well. If applying “a real-time, data-driven approach to help address some of the utility industry’s biggest challenges” sounds interesting to you, check out Utilidata’s Careers page along with their postings for interns in Sales & Marketing and Product Engineering. Both positions are paid.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Utilidata?

Lua

Willy Franzen — Tue, 26 Aug 2014 17:01:25 +0000

If there is any skill that is necessary across all kinds of jobs, its the ability communicate effectively. While communication is a skill that can definitely be taught and developed, it’s much easier to nurture when you’re using the right tools. That’s why work communication tools have always been a big business. Some of the latest trends have been in the form of project management and online chat tools. But what about tools for people who work in jobs that might require something like a walkie-talkie? Cell phones and text messaging might have changed those jobs a little bit, but there’s more room for technology. That’s why Lua was founded in 2010. They’re a New York, NY based company that is focused on “empowering mobile workforces by giving them access to the people and information they need to get the job done from the field or the office.”

Communicate Your Skills

Lua is named for a 2,000 year old Hawaiian martial art. Warriors “trained in the dark of night, developing a form of silent communication during warfare that allowed them to move as one.” Lua is trying to recreate that form of communication with their mobile messaging app. While you may think that iMessage or text messages are good enough, Lua stands out with a rich feature set that focuses on security, privacy, and enterprise compatibility. It may not be the latest greatest chat app that all the teenagers are using, but it helps people get real work done more efficiently. If that sounds interesting, check out Lua’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for a a Marketing & Business Development Intern.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Lua?

The Business Backer

Willy Franzen — Mon, 25 Aug 2014 15:38:06 +0000

It’s never been easier to start a business with no capital at all. It’s also never been easier to raise millions of dollars for an idea. But what about the businesses that fall somewhere in-between? Whether you’re opening a restaurant, salon, dental office, or auto shop, you’re probably going to need outside financing. There are plenty of options, but a lot of them are very unfriendly to the business owner. The Business Backer is a Cincinnati, OH based company that “is helping small business owners flourish and grow by re-inventing relationship-based lending for the 21st century.” The company is built on the idea of True Relationship Financing, which a unique underwriting process that evaluates risk and customizes a deal in a way that is very different from most other financial institutions.

Be a Backer

Here’s a video explaining how The Business Backer came to be:

So far they’ve funded nearly 7,000 businesses with a total of almost $200,000,000 in funding. You can read about some of their success stories here. Small business lending is a hugely important part of our economy, so it’s cool to see an “innovative” approach in the space. If you agree, take a look at The Business Backer’s Careers page. Right now they’re looking for interns in Human Resources and Sales. They don’t say if the positions are paid or not.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about The Business Backer?

The Institute for Humane Studies

Willy Franzen — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 16:50:04 +0000

While the United States may not hold the patent on freedom, I’m pretty sure that we hold the trademark. Freedom and liberty are a huge part of our national identity, though a nation, almost by definition, imposes limits on freedom. That’s generally where political differences arise from–how much and what types of freedom should be limited? The people at The Institute for Humane Studies would probably say not much and not many. They are an Arlington, VA based organization (housed at George Mason University) that “advances a freer society by discovering and facilitating the development of talented, productive students, scholars, and other intellectuals who share an interest in liberty.”

How Freedom Loving Are You?

The Institute for Humane Studies was founded in 1961 by Dr. F.A. “Baldy” Harper. He believed that “research and education in the conviction that greater understanding of human affairs and freedom would foster peace, prosperity, and social harmony. The IHS sees more freedom–not more regulation–as the best solution to many of the world’s problems. That’s why they give out more than $1 million in scholarships annually while also offering Seminars and Conferences alongside Online Programs. If you love freedom and are seeking a career in ideas, check out the IHS Internships page. They have opportunities in Academic Networks, Talent Management, Development, On-Campus Programs, Online Programs, Marketing, Find Scholars, and Program and Data Evaluation.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of The Institute for Humane Studies?

Juvenile Law Center

Willy Franzen — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 13:38:52 +0000

Have any of you seen the movie North? Roger Ebert said, “North is a bad film – one of the worst movies ever made” (and Siskel agreed). I sheepishly admit that I liked it. It’s about a kid who sues his parents so that he can be a free agent and have potential new parents try to woo him. I think the reason that so many people found the movie so distasteful was that North, the main character, has an exceptionally good life–and this makes light of the fact that there are so many real-life kids who really could use legal help to get out of truly terrible situations. Luckily, there’s a real-life organization to help them. It’s called the Juvenile Law Center. They are a Philadelphia, PA based non-profit that “plays a leadership role nationally and in Pennsylvania in shaping and using the law on behalf of children in the child welfare and justice systems to promote fairness, prevent harm, secure access to appropriate services, and ensure a smooth transition from adolescence to adulthood.”

Justice for Juveniles

Most of the kids that the Juvenile Law Center serves are between the ages of 10 and 21–the ages where you have to bear some responsibility for your actions but you’re not an adult yet. The goal is to “enforce and promote the rights and well-being” of these kids when they “come into contact with the justice, child welfare and other public systems.” That’s why the JLC’s current initiatives include Minimizing Court and Systems Involvement, Promoting Fairness in the Courts, Improving Outcomes for Court-Involved Youth, and Ensuring Access to Services and Opportunities. The JLC also has an extensive docket of litigation that they’re partaking in on behalf of kids. If standing up for kids in jeopardy sounds like rewarding work to you, visit the JLC’s Careers page. They offer both Undergraduate Internships and Law & Policy Clerkships.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about the Juvenile Law Center?

CompStak

Willy Franzen — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 16:29:53 +0000

While the residential real estate market is often driven by emotion and hype (as the season premier of Million Dollar Listing L.A. reminded me), that’s not nearly as true when it comes to commercial real estate. The market for commercial properties is much more data driven, but getting your hands on the right data to make decisions can be very difficult. That’s why CompStak was started. They’re a New York, NY based company that aims to “create transparency in commercial real estate by gathering information that is hard to find, difficult to compile or otherwise unavailable.” How do they do this? By offering a place to buy and sell lease comparable data.

How Do You Stak Up?

CompStak’s data is “used by institutional owners to compare properties, hedge funds to make investments, and provides meaningful data for brokers, investors, appraisers, asset managers, economists and more.” You can get a sense of how the platform works here. It’s a pretty basic marketplace business model, though CompStak adds value to the raw data by validating it and making it easily searchable. If the business of commercial real estate comp data sounds intriguing to you, visit CompStak’s Careers page and look at this listing for a paid Research Analyst Intern.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about CompStak?

Victorious

Willy Franzen — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 17:08:34 +0000

I don’t watch a lot of YouTube, but I go on occasional binges. Most of the people who are “YouTube famous” annoy the heck out of me, but I do have one favorite. It’s The Food Reviewer… he does “reviews on the YouTube… you never knew such a cool dude…” I have no idea why I enjoy watching a high school kid review packaged snack foods, but I do. Anyway, YouTube stars like The Food Reviewer (not sure if he’s a star yet with 17k followers) should do everything they can to capitalize on their fame. That’s where Victorious comes in. They’re a Santa Monica, CA based startup that is “motivated by the challenge of powering and uniting the world’s most creative communities.” In other words, they help digital stars build their own platforms so that they can make the most of the attention that they receive.

Will You Be Victorious?

One of my favorite articles about online content is called Digital Sharecropping. The premise is that you lose a lot of control when you start publishing content on other people’s sites. Often they make more money off of your handwork than you do. Victorious wants to end this phenomenon by giving creators their own apps and digital platforms to reach fans. Victorious’ website doesn’t provide all that much information yet, so you’re better off reading this Techcrunch article to better understand the business. The end goal isn’t to replace sites like YouTube and Instagram but instead to offer creators a better way to capture the value that they create. If that sounds interesting, visit Victorious’ Careers page. Use their General Interest to inquire about an internship.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Who’s your favorite YouTube star?

Sprout Social

Willy Franzen — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 17:34:18 +0000

For most of us social media is a time waster. It’s mindless entertainment that fills in gaps in our days. But for some people it’s a job. For them the mobile app just won’t do. They need power tools to manage all of their social media accounts, and that’s exactly what Sprout Social offers. They’re a Chicago, IL based company that offers “a management and egnagement platform for social business.” Sprout Social’s software offers all of the tools that one might need to engage with customers, publish content, and analyze the effectiveness of social marketing. This kind of platform is a must have for any company that takes social seriously.

See What Sprouts

Social media marketing may seem cheap, but it can get expensive fast. I’m not even talking about buying advertising–it’s a massive time investment to do social right. Sprout Social helps ensure that time is used efficiently and that businesses are able to measure results. You can learn all about Sprout Social’s features here. Brands including Dove, UPS, Hyatt, Yahoo!, and Cornell University are using Sprout Social, so it’s meant for serious social media management. If the business of social media sounds interesting to you, check out Sprout Social’s Careers page. Right now they’re looking for a paid Marketing and Communications Intern.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Sprout Social?

Domo

Willy Franzen — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 18:26:11 +0000

Being the CEO–even of a tiny business like mine–is hard. You have to either be aware of everything that is happening or trust other people to be aware of everything that is happening. Even if you have a team that you can trust, you want to be able to keep tabs on them in the most efficient way possible. That’s what Domo is all about. They’re an American Fork, UT based company that “transforms the way executives manage their business and drives value from the tens of billions of dollars that’s been spent on traditional business intelligence systems.” They pull all of the important data from every important source and put it in one intuitive platform.

Do More at Domo

When I was in college, we had a system called Blackboard that was supposed to give us all of our important academic information at a glance. It was terrible–mostly because professors didn’t use it properly–but it was built on a good premise. It’s a lot easier to stay organized when you can get an overview of all of your important stats in one place. You can dive deeper in the actual data source if you need to, but that’s usually only if you spot an issue. Domo provides visualization, reporting, and dashboards for clients like eBay, National Geographic, Goodwill, and Nissan. You can get a sense for what the software looks like here. If that looks interesting to you, check out Domo’s Internships page. They are currently looking for interns in Business Content, Field Marketing, IT Helpdesk, Sales Enablement, Software Engineering, and Software Training Video Production. The Software Engineering position is definitely paid, but I’m not sure about the other positions.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Domo?

Emerge Media

Willy Franzen — Mon, 18 Aug 2014 16:04:50 +0000

When I think about potential new websites that I’d build, I usually look for underserved niches–gaps to fill. There are so many companies building large generalist sites that you really need to do something different to have a chance at building a real business. At least that’s my take. Emerge Media has a completely different philosophy. They are a Chicago, IL based company that is “taking on the essential roots of everyday tasks and breathing real life into the technology behind them.” They’ve been launching new sites in broad niches with a lot of competition. It seems crazy to me, but it might just work.

Are You Ready to Emerge?

Emerge Media’s properties include Translate.com, Information.com, Directions.com, Bands.com, and Person.com. For the most part each of these sites is exactly what it sounds like. Apparently Emerge Media’s sites add up to bring in more than 50 million unique visitors per month, so they must be on to something. There isn’t much more information available about the company, but they’re strategy really is intriguing. If you want to find out more, check out their Careers page. Right now they’re looking for a Marketing Intern. The position is paid.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Emerge Media?

Future of Fish

Willy Franzen — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 19:54:09 +0000

I am a fisherman. I love to eat fish, catch fish, watch fish, read about fish, and talk about fish. Obviously I’m extremely worried about the state of our fisheries–both commercial and recreational. While we would all probably be healthier if we ate more fish, we have to be sure to make decisions that allows us to keep eating lots of fish well into the future. That’s why Future of Fish was started. They’re a Seattle, WA based non-profit that “envision a global seafood supply chain that produces legal, traceable, trustworthy fish; that rewards responsible fishing with better prices; and that fosters resource conservation.” They’re trying to revolutionize a very old industry, so they certainly have their work cut out for them.

Is Fish in Your Future?

It’s easy to forget how important fish are to society, but they’re the primary protein source for more than a billion people. Here’s more from Future of Fish on why they think it’s important. Their solutions are focused on the business side–so they’re not a traditional conservation focused organization. You can learn more about the ideas behind Future of Fish here, and you can see the services that they provide here. The goal is to end overfishing, and if you want to help Future of Fish do that, check out their jobs on their About page. I don’t see anything about internships, but they seem to be a somewhat new organization. Why not reach out and see if one is a possibility.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What’s your favorite fish?

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

Willy Franzen — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 16:13:30 +0000

Bikes have to be one of the most versatile inventions of all time. They’re transportation, entertainment, and exercise all in one. You can even rig one to turn human power into electricity if you really want. They may have been around for a long time, but they’re still a surprisingly good solution to many of our society’s problems. That’s why the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition was started to promote the bicycle for everyday use. They’re a San Jose, CA based non-profit that is working to “to create a healthy community, environment, and economy through bicycling for people who live, work, or play in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.”

Ride with the Coalition

Biking tends to be a local issue because its affected by things like traffic laws, road/bike path construction, and other things that are the realm of counties and municipalities. That’s why you see locally focused organizations like the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. The Coalition runs a variety of programs that help people in their area bike more. These include Bicycle Eduation Classes, a Bicycle Exchange, a Bike Friendly Work Program, Bike to Work Day, Route Maps, and even a Valet Parking Service. If this sounds like the kind of stuff that you’d like to work on, visit Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s Internships page. Right now they have internship opportunities in Communications and Marketing and Events and Fundraising.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you use a bike for transportation?

ListenLogic

Willy Franzen — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 10:35:08 +0000

We live in a world of data. Everything from the prices on financial markets to our weights can be measured and tracked very easily. Even an average person can use easily accessible online tools to fake being a “data scientist.” But what about data that isn’t obviously data? I’m talking about stuff that isn’t neatly sorted into rows and columns–the kind of stuff that you’d have to painstakingly tabulate by hand. We now have technology that can do the hard work for us, and one of the companies behind such technology is ListenLogic. They are a Conshohocken, PA based company that extracts “insights from unstructured big data to drive business outcomes.” Their “big data” technology allows clients to act on information that they never before could have acted on.

Listen to This Logic

You don’t have to look any further than ListenLogic’s clients list to see that they’re for real. Right now it includes Comcast, Merck, Fidelity, Pfizer, Pepsico, Allstate, and Abbott. As you can see, they’re working at the highest level across a variety of industries. You can get a little more info on what they actually do for these clients here. A big focus is on social insights, which makes sense social media has become a huge source of free, but extremely valuable unstructured data. If ListenLogic sounds intriguing to you, visit their Jobs page. They’re always looking for people in Software Development, Research and Analysis, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Support, and they have a specific listing for a Social Media Analyst Intern. The position is paid.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about ListenLogic?

Tripping

Willy Franzen — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 15:12:40 +0000

My favorite vacations when I was growing up were our annual trips to Nantucket. While it’s an awesome island and I had a lot of fiends there, there was something else that made the vacations special. We rented a house. I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it makes a vacation more relaxing. You may not have someone who makes your bed every morning, but there’s something really nice about having a place that feels like home while you’re on vacation. Back then we found our rental through an agent, but today it’s much easier to just go online and use a site like Tripping. They are a San Francisco, CA based company that has build “the world’s largest search engine for vacation and short-term rentals.” They tap into other sites’ inventories and let you compare properties easily.

Are You Tripping?

Tripping’s listings include more than 1.5 million properties across 50,000 cities. Oddly enough, they say that they tap into HomeAway, but a search for a rental in my favorite fishing town turned up nothing on Tripping and a few results on HomeAway. I’m not sure what that’s about, but more populated cities seem to have much better inventory on Tripping. Previously Tripping was a social travel site, but they couldn’t find a revenue model that worked. As a result they switched to travel metasearch, but I’m still not clear on how they drive revenue. My guess would be advertising or referral fees from the sites whose listings they display. Either way, Tripping is an interesting take on travel search, and it’s worth checking out their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for interns in Software Engineering, Marketing, and Sales. They offer a stipend, but I’m not sure that makes the internships truly “paid.”

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Where would you like to rent a house?

BustedTees

Willy Franzen — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 17:47:20 +0000

Who doesn’t love a good t-shirt? For me it’s all about comfort. That’s why I generally pick solid colored tees made out of high quality fabrics. For others it’s more about expression–you want your shirt to say something about who you are. If what you’re saying about yourself with your shirt is that you have a good sense of humor, then BustedTees mint be the place for you to shop. They are a New York, NY based company that was started by the same team as CollegeHumor. They started in 2004 because they wanted “people to have fun, laugh, look good, feel comfortable, get good jobs, get sweaty dancing and go home with someone who also did those things.” It’s amazing what something as simple as a t-shirt can do for people.

Busted!

Somewhat recently BustedTees launched another brand called TeePublic. It’s a platform that “enables designers to upload as many t-shirt designs as they want, create their own store and build a following without having to worry about printing or shipping.” While BustedTees works with some of the top pros in comedy including CollegeHumor, Saturday Night Live, Funny or Die, Upright Citizens Brigade and Conan O’Brien, TeePublic opens up the opportunity to be funny on a shirt to everyone. If wearing a t-shirt to work everyday sounds like heaven, check out the BustedTees Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for paid interns in Community and Design at TeePublic.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Do you own any shirts from BustedTees?

The Wirecutter

Willy Franzen — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 16:13:44 +0000

Whenever I buy electronics, outdoors gear, or kitchen equipment, I do a ton of research. I want to ensure that I am buying the best that I can afford. It’s easy to spend hours on this stuff if you’re not careful. While that can be a form of entertainment for some people, it’s a lot of time to spend on something that might only cost a few hundred bucks. What if you had someone to read all of the reviews and even test the products for you? That’s what The Wirecutter does. It’s “a list of the best electronics and gadgetry, each pick chosen mindfully and in accordance with many hours of research, interviews with the world’s most knowledgeable experts and testing, all backing up smart opinion.” While lots of other sites are constantly churning out new content to get more eyeballs, The Wirecutter just wants to give you all of the facts that you need to make the best purchasing decision.

Cut the Wire

I haven’t used The Wirecutter to research a purchase yet, but here’s how they recommend that you use the site. They cover a pretty wide range of product categories including headphones, TVs, cameras, laptops, water bottles, office chairs, tents, and yoga mats. They have an offshoot site called The Sweethome that covers stuff for the home (excluding electronics). A lot of product review sites are super scammy and you can’t tell if they’re really just advertisements. The Wirecutter does make it’s money through affiliate marketing, but they pretty much just use Amazon links. It’s pretty clear that they really want to help you find the absolute best product. If you want to help people do that, check out The Wirecutter’s Jobs page. There aren’t any actual internships posted, but there are quite a few freelance, remote positions that seem like a good alternative.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Have you checked out The Wirecutter?

Kiwi Partners

Willy Franzen — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 16:46:08 +0000

While non-profits may not be businesses, they still have to worry about financials. In fact, non-profits can often be more financially complicated than a lot of companies. Some organizations have accounting teams to manage the finances, and others rely solely on specialists. Whether a non-profit needs a little help with accounting or wants someone to do it all, they can go to Kiwi Partners. They are a New York, NY based firm that “gives the nonprofit leader the ability to focus on their mission, and provides clarity to the donor, giving them confidence to give.” They may not be a non-profit themselves, but they’re helping all kinds of organizations make the world a better place.

Does It All Add Up?

Anyone who donates serious amounts of money to non-profit organizations probably wants to know that his or her money isn’t being wasted. That’s why organizations typically post their financial information prominently on their websites (non-profits are required to disclose this information, but many choose to make it easily accessible). Kiwi Partners has been helping its clients get their numbers right since 1998–and many of their clients have been with them for years. There’s not much more to say about Kiwi Parnters, but you can check out their Careers page. Right now they’re looking for interns in Accounting and Human Resources. The positions are paid.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Kiwi Partners?

Environmental Traveling Companions

Willy Franzen — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 19:34:37 +0000

I spent yesterday morning teaching kids how to fly fish. It’s my favorite thing to do, so I am thrilled to share it with young people to ensure the future of the sport. Those who enjoy the outdoors need to do everything they can to share their passion with people from all backgrounds. That’s what Environmental Traveling Companions is about. They’re a San Francisco, CA based non-profit that “opens the beauty and challenge of the great outdoors to people with disabilities and disadvantaged youth.” They’ve been around since 1972, and in that time they’ve helped thousands of people enjoy activities like whitewater rafting and alpine skiing.

Everyone Needs a Companion

At this point ETC serves more than 2,000 people annually through adventure trips. The goal of these trips is to “enable participants to access the wilderness and develop an environmental stewardship ethic.” Another cool thing that ETC does is that they fundraise by offering trips for the general public and corporations. This not only helps them keep doing what they’re doing, but it also raises awareness of their mission. You can check out some of the organization’s adventures here, and if you like what you see, check out their Jobs and Internships page. There aren’t currently any internships posted, but the title of the page says it all.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Environmental Traveling Companions?

The Bostonian Society

Willy Franzen — Sat, 09 Aug 2014 12:09:14 +0000

I have a thing against Boston. Actually, that’s not true. It’s just Red Sox fans. Boston is actually a pretty cool city. There’s great seafood and a ton of history–it might even be the most historically important city in our country. That’s why The Bostonian Society exists. They’re a Boston, MA based non-profit that “is dedicated to studying, and preserving Boston’s uniquely important history, embodied in materials, records, and structures.” It’s easy to lose our past in the push to create a better future, so it’s good that there are organizations like The Bostonian Society to preserve what’s important.

Be a Bostonian

One of the structures that The Bostonian Society is responsible for is the Old State House. There’s a ton of information on that link, which I’m sure will occupy the history buffs. You may also want to check out their Research page. You can also read up on their education programs. If it all looks interesting, visit The Bostonian Society’s Careers page. They don’t have any internships posted at the moment, but I know that they’ve had a number of interns in the past.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about The Bostonian Society?

Chalkfly

Willy Franzen — Fri, 08 Aug 2014 14:34:19 +0000

If you’ve watched The Office at all, you know that the office supply industry is not only mind-numbingly boring, but it’s also dying a slow, painful death. And if you pay attention to the news, you know that Detroit is a dying city with nothing good going on. So what if I told you that there is an office supply startup based in Detroit, MI that is anything but boring and growing rapidly? Their name is Chalkfly, and they provide “the supplies you need to do your best work.” There are a lot of narratives working against Chalkfly, but they’re just narratives. Results are what matter, and Chalkfly already claims brands like Foursquare, Moosejaw and Etsy as clients.

Chalk It Up

Dunder-Mifflin’s alleged competitive advantage was their great service. Chaklfy has that. They can be reached 24/7 and they have a 365 day return policy. Beyond that they offer low prices and fast free delivery with great selection. Whether it’s for school or work, you’d be crazy not to order from them–they even get love letters from customers. There isn’t much more to say about Chalkfly. Selling office supplies is pretty straightforward, but it’s the way that they’re doing it that is allowing them to grow. If you want to join in on the fun of building an awesome business in Detroit, check out Chalkfly’s Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for interns in Account Management, Catalog Management, Digital Marketing, and Graphic Design.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Chalkfly?

Chute

Willy Franzen — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 15:10:23 +0000

For a long time marketing has been about piggybacking on other people’s content. You buy ads in newspapers, during tv shows, and on billboards (I guess scenery next to the highway is content?). At some point marketers realized that they could become the content creators–that’s what soap operas were originally about. Today social media has forced nearly every brand into content creation. Doing it right on all of the important platforms is really hard. That’s why Chute, a San Francisco, CA based company, has developed a “visual content engine for brands” that makes “it easy to keep pace with your customers and create compelling, fresh content to engage with your fans, build awareness and, ultimately, increase conversion.”

Climb the Chute Ladder

Chute has more than 4,000 customers including Nike, The New York Times, Daily Candy, ESPN, and Starbucks. They’re using the platform for a variety of use cases that range from advertising to contests to geolocation. It’s a little hard to grasp exactly what Chute does for brands, agencies, and publishers, but basically it helps them “discover, organize, obtain consent and publish fan photos and videos at every customer touch point.” If working on that sounds interesting to you, take a look at Chute’s Careers page. Right now they’re looking for a Marketing & PR Intern. It’s unpaid, but there is a small stipend.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Chute?

Piece & Co.

Willy Franzen — Wed, 06 Aug 2014 18:55:22 +0000

If you think of J. Peterman from Seinfeld, all of his successful products were inspired by journeys around the world. But what did he do for the people he was inspired by? I have no idea, but usually when brands are inspired by a particular culture they knock it off and manufacture it somewhere else. Piece & Co. is changing that. They’re a Chicago, IL based social enterprise that is fighting poverty “by providing sustainable employment opportunities to female artisans in the developing world.” They do this “by partnering with leading fashion and retail brands” and having the female artisans “create beautiful, handmade products and accessories” for them. This means that you get to buy cool stuff and feel good about it instead of worrying about the condition of the person who made your shirt.

Everybody Gets a Piece

Piece & Co. has already created nearly 5,000 jobs and had an enormous impact on the quality of life for those people. Piece & Co. not only connect brands with the right people, but they also offer design services, access to a wide array of materials, production management, and marketing assets. You can see examples of the products that Piece & Co. has already delivered here, and you can see the impact that the sale of these products has here. It’s an amazingly cool model, and if you’d like to be a part of it, check out Piece & Co’s Jobs page (and their other one too). Right now they’re looking Sales and Marketing Interns.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What do you think of Piece & Co.?

BioLite

Willy Franzen — Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:46:42 +0000

When it comes to electronics, heat is usually the enemy. You want to dissipate heat as quickly as possible so that you can get the maximum performance from your hardware. That’s why the idea of using a heat source to power your electronics seems a little weird. But that’s exactly what BioLite does. They’re a Brooklyn, NY based company that “develops and manufactures advanced energy products that make cooking with wood as clean safe and easy as modern fuels while also providing electricity to charge cell phones and LED lights off-grid.” While the big audacious goal is to change the lives of people who cook over open fires and may not have electricity, BioLite has also developed some pretty sweet camping products.

Lite It Up

The line of BioLite products is already really impressive. Their HomeStove is targeted towards people who cook their meals over open fires (think developing countries), and its distribution is funded through the purchases of other BioLite products. These are the products targeted towards the camping market. With one set of easily packable devices (here’s the bundle), you can cook, boil, and charge. BioLite also offers BaseCamp, which is a more permanent solution, and KettleCharge, a charger and water purifier. I love this kind of innovation because it has applications across all types of lifestyles. If you agree, check out BioLite’s Jobs page and their posting for a Fall Engineering Intern.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

Would you use BioLite products?

Vayable

Willy Franzen — Mon, 04 Aug 2014 11:25:55 +0000

I come up with a lot of business ideas. More often than not I find that someone is already doing it–and usually I’m fine with that. It’s cool to see someone putting the idea to the test since I can’t try most of the ideas that I come up with. A lot of my ideas center around a thesis that more and more people will forgo traditional jobs and instead make a living (or at least supplement their incomes) by reaching new markets through the Internet. Vayable is a company based on this thesis. They are a San Francisco, CA and New York, NY based company that offers “a home for anyone looking to experience honest, local culture through experiences created and hosted by passionate local Insiders.”

Is It Vayable?

When I travel I often go fishing, and I often hire fishing guides to take me. While there isn’t a convenient site to find fishing guides in any location, they do offer very localized experiences. I usually learn a lot from a guide, so I see how valuable it would be to have someone similar for other types of travel adventures. That’s exactly what Vayable offers. You can learn how it works here. It’s essentially the complete opposite of the cruise ship experience, and the activities are often way more affordable than typical touristy “adventures.” I think Vayable is a really cool idea, which is why you should take a look at their Jobs page. Right now they’re looking for interns in Sales and Community, Business Development, and Marketing & Communications. The positions come with a stipend.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What Vayable activity would you do?

ArtStream

Willy Franzen — Sun, 03 Aug 2014 14:42:30 +0000

One cool thing about art is that anyone can create it. You don’t have to be a profession or even have any training. And even if you don’t create, you can still enjoy other people’s art. The only problem is that sometimes the arts community can get a little stuffy and exclusive. It goes against everything that the arts are about, but it happens. That’s why ArtStream was started. They’re a Washington, DC based non-profit “whose mission is to create artistic opportunities for individuals in communities traditionally under-served by the arts.” That includes “persons with disabilities, seniors, people with short or long term illnesses and their families or caregivers, immigrants, veterans, people who are grieving, and students and teachers.”

Be Included

What’s cool about ArtStream is that they get new people involved in the arts by bringing professionals to them. You can see all of their Classes and Companies here, and you might also want to check out their FAQ. ArtStream works with a wide range of community partners who make it easier for them to reach the under-served audiences that they exist to serve. If ArtStream sounds interesting to you, check out their Jobs page. There aren’t any internships posted at the monument, but they have a recent tweet about interns. Why not reach out to see when they’ll need interns again?

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about ArtStream?

Cradles to Crayons

Willy Franzen — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 15:29:36 +0000

We all know that childhood is one of the most important periods in our lives. It sets the stage for what we’ll do and how we’ll do as we become adults, and it’s a time where it’s extremely important to make sure that the basics are accounted for. That’s why Cradles to Crayons exists. They’re a Brighton, MA based non-profit that is focused on “providing to children ages 0 to 12 some of the most important basics of life—free of charge.” For Cradles to Crayons, the focus is on hard goods–things like clothes, school supplies, and toys.

The Basics

There’s obviously a lot more to raising a child than providing the basics, but having the basics makes everything else a lot easier. Cradles to Crayons’ goal is to “make children feel valued,” and they do that by providing high-quality goods whether they’re new or gently used. The organization gets a lot of the products that it distributes through direct donations, but there are a number of ways that people can participate including “organizing a clothing collection, hosting a fundraiser, or working in one of [their] warehouses.” You can also get a job with them. That’s why you should check out their Internships page. They are currently looking for unpaid interns in Volunteer Management, Community Outreach, Distribution and Logistics, and Development and Fundraising.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Cradles to Crayons?

Rocketrip

Willy Franzen — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 15:10:24 +0000

When you get into the corporate world, one thing that will blow your mind is how much companies spend on employee travel. It often seems stupid, and a lot of times companies realize that travel expenses are a huge cost center. What if you could incentivize and reward employees to help your company reduce travel spending. That’s what Rocketrip does. They’re a New York, NY based company that aims “to enlist employees as engaged partners in managing corporate travel costs.” How does this work? Employees get points for activities that save their company money. They can redeem these points for rewards. It’s pretty simple.

Take a Rocketrip

Rocketrip pushes employees to do things like “stay with friends, book a bundled flight/hotel package, and use their own miles.” You can see how TheBlaze saved 29% on travel expenses by watching this video:

It’s a pretty cool concept. It’s also backed up by a suite of tools that help travel managers track all of the important numbers. If this sounds like an interesting business to you, check out Rocketrip’s Internships page. Right now they’re looking for a Data Science Intern.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about Rocketrip?

GuideSpark

Willy Franzen — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 11:41:43 +0000

Chances are that most of your communications with employers at this point are your submitting applications and their not responding. If you’re lucky, you may get a rejection letter… or even an invitation for an interview. Eventually it will get better and your communications will lead to the acceptance of a job offer. From there it will get boring–stuff like health insurance enrollment and reminders to clean up after yourself in the communal kitchen. While employee communications are often mundane, they’re an extremely important part of running a business. GuideSpark is a Menlo Park, CA based company that has built a “robust employee communications platform” that “allows HR executives to toss out the stacks of pamphlets and eliminate time-consuming seminars, and offers a new way to educate employees on complex HR topics like benefits, health care reform, and compensation programs.”

There’s a Spark

GuideSpark has only been around for six years, but they already claim names like Adobe, DHL, Dropbox, GoPro, Toys ‘R Us, and Yelp as clients. You can learn more about why these major companies are choosing GuideSpark here. I worked in an HR office about ten years ago, and I know that our jobs would have been a heck of a lot easier with the kind of technology that GuideSpark provides. The core of the GuideSpark product is video, which wasn’t nearly as easy to deliver online back then. If find what GuideSpark is doing interesting, check out their Careers page. There aren’t any internships posted at the moment, but that’s common for late July. They do offer internships, so it’s worth inquiring.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

What have you heard about GuideSpark?