Why write to a founder
At a small company there often isn't a recruiter. The person who decides whether to take an intern is the founder or the engineering lead, and they decide on whether you can be useful soon. A short message that shows you have used the product and built something is the right kind of evidence.
Ten minutes of homework
- Use the product. Sign up, try it, and note one specific thing: a rough edge, a missing feature, something you liked and why.
- Read the changelog or recent posts. You'll see what they are working on and what they care about.
- Look at the public repo or docs, if there are any. Find something you could actually help with.
- Check whether they hire interns at all. A line on the careers page, or a past intern on LinkedIn, tells you.
What to send
Subject: Queue Library, and something I built
Hi Ana, I used Queue Library in my college project to retry failed webhooks. I noticed the docs don't cover dead-letter handling, so I wrote an example. I'm a second-year student and I built a small job queue in Go (github.com/alexchen/jobq). If you take interns, I'd like to help with docs or examples. Could we talk for ten minutes, or would a small task be better? Thanks, Alex Chen
The names are invented for the example. Only write what is true for you.
The offer matters. "Could I help with this specific thing?" is easier to say yes to than "Do you have any internships?"
If they offer a small task
A small trial task is a fair way for a startup to see how you work. Keep it to a few hours, agree on what you'll deliver, and ask what happens next. Be wary of long unpaid projects that look like free work. If it grows beyond a few hours, say so politely and ask about the internship terms, including stipend, before you continue.
What to avoid
- Praise with no detail. "I love what you're building" is what everyone writes.
- Pretending you used the product. They can tell, and it ends the conversation.
- A long message. Founders read on a phone between meetings.
- Asking for equity or a title. Ask to help, and learn what the arrangement is first.
- Following up more than twice.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I find a founder's email?
- Check the company's website and its public profiles first. Many founders publish an address, or use a format such as first@company.com. See how to find a recruiter's email address for the steps.
- Should I write to the founder or the CTO?
- At a company under about ten people, the founder. If there is a CTO or an engineering lead and you want an engineering role, write to them, since they're the ones who'd work with you.
- Will startups pay interns?
- Many do, but not all. Ask about the stipend early and politely. If you are asked to work for free for a long time, be careful.
- What if there's no internship listed?
- Write anyway, and say what you'd like to help with. Many small teams hire interns they've never advertised.