Hiring Interns! is that a good decision?

Hey guys,

I am building thrivify.ai an employee engagement platform which caters to wellness, mental well being and overall skills development of an employee. I have worked with contractors to build the prototype however I am also adding new features in the system to enhance it further. Is it a good decision to hire fresh graduates as intern and managing them on my own with tech or should I continue with contractors. I have a pilot users signed up and ready to enroll starting Jan2025 and in the meanwhile I want to introduce some new features. We are bootstrapped and burning our savings with the contractor hours. How do I go forward in this case ?

any suggestions would be great! Also DM me if you want to work with us as tech help.

Hey Shivraj,

Congratulations firstly on the bold step of using your savings and building what you are passionate about.
Given your current situation and the pilot users you have, you might need to start having some stable hands on the tech. So hiring interns can be pocket friendly and can have scope to hire them if they turn out to be good or fire if don’t add much value.
Hope this helps :slight_smile:
Best regards,
Dr Akhila
Augsidius Health

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The risk of relying on interns could be high, especially since this is your first pilot user, and it’s crucial to provide an excellent experience to build trust and credibility. While hiring fresh graduates as interns may reduce costs, their lack of experience might affect the quality and timelines needed for a successful launch.

Given that your pilot users are already signed up for January 2025, I would recommend continuing with contractors for now, as they bring the expertise and reliability needed to ensure a smooth rollout. At NutriMap, we took a similar path, focusing on contractors initially to deliver a robust experience. Now that we have more feedback, we are moving towards building an in-house team.

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Hi Shivraj,

In my opinion, you are the right person to make this decision since only you truly understand what you aim to achieve with the Freshers. Interns or Freshers come without preconceived notions, allowing them to think freely and innovatively. If your goal is to encourage out-of-the-box thinking and foster creative problem-solving, interns could be the ideal choice. However, it’s crucial to invest time in guiding them—clarifying your objectives and explaining what you expect from them. Selecting the right candidates and providing proper direction can turn them into valuable assets for your team.

On the other hand, if your project requires a technical approach rooted in health science to analyze employee issues and deliver effective solutions, it may be preferable to hire experienced professionals in that domain.

When making this decision, be clear about your goals. Based on these considerations, you can confidently move forward.

It sounds like you’re in a pivotal phase with Thrivify.ai—congratulations on getting pilot users lined up! Here’s a suggestion that aligns with your bootstrapped setup and need for both technical and non-technical expertise:

  1. Technical Inputs: Consider engaging interns who are pursuing an M.Tech after gaining a couple of years of work experience. These individuals often bring a solid foundation of practical knowledge and fresh academic insights. They are more likely to require minimal onboarding and can adapt quickly to the demands of your project.

  2. Non-Technical Inputs: For wellness, engagement strategies, or user-oriented research, approach interns from social work institutes. Their expertise in behavioral sciences and community engagement can add a meaningful perspective to your platform’s non-technical aspects.

This approach will allow you to balance costs while still ensuring quality contributions. Additionally, offering these interns meaningful projects can foster a mutually beneficial arrangement, especially if you emphasize skill-building opportunities.