I just got out of one of my daily meetings with Director of Product Management at BrightRoll, Barry–and I’ve been re-energized with the information, guidance, and freedom I need to finish off my current project and tackle the next one. The past week has been full of research, scouring the Internet for the real facts about the competing ad networks so that our team can have a fuller understanding of the complex market that the customers are trying to navigate. The reported metrics data I collected earlier has helped our company tremendously in terms of deciding how to grow our already-broad and established network.
As the end of the program draws near, I will be preparing a presentation for the founders and senior management that details what I have been working on during my 8 weeks here. Today, I look forward to how full and informative that presentation will be, along with how this experience will serve as a foundation and a springboard for me to jump into the next chapter of my life after the summer.
There’s a common feeling, even in San Francisco, that a summer internship for undergrads is supposed to be difficult, extremely focused, but disappointing in the department of excitement. Friends who listen to me go on about the open conversations at True or the fun atmosphere at BrightRoll are consistently impressed with the experience the TEC program has allowed me to create for myself. Most importantly, the internship has provided a great opportunity for me to jump in and learn, socialize, and think as much as possible about this special place. I attended an event Tuesday afternoon and had the chance to meet some amazing people who love San Francisco even more than I do– one of them described the SF Tech community in this way:
“It is a tight community, and from the outside it might seem like it’s closed..but the door is unlocked; all you have to do is open it and you will be welcomed.”
The event was the release party for “Her Code: Engendering Change in Silicon Valley,” an extensive research report and fascinating documentary about women in the tech industry. The woman who spoke to me about the local community was Megan Mcarthy (@megan), who is the editor for tech news aggregation site Techmeme. I heard about the party from a few women I follow on Twitter – @WomenWhoTech, @shesgeeky, and @anitaborg_org – I suggest you follow them too!
I realized that I probably wouldn’t know anyone there, but I remembered what Christiaan, Joyce Kim, and my grandfather always told me: “Get out there, Take all the opportunities, and learn as much as you can.” So I showed up at the party, and had a great time celebrating the release of the documentary, “Her Code” which you should be able to view below. I discovered that I felt comfortable and welcomed by this group–entrepreneurs, developers, Stanford grads, designers and more. I made new friends and began to build a network in a place I wouldn’t have imagined I’d be in just a year ago. Enjoy the video!
-Stephanie
