Basecamp, Meet Brendan :)
I’m not a “Jason,” but I think we can make this work.
Plus, I hear you have a lot of them already.
Like you, I prefer the cover letter to the resume, but let’s get a few fun points out of the way.
Why I Want to Be an Intern at Basecamp
I purchased Rework on September 6, 2014 and immediately felt like the book was speaking into my soul. Rework, along with the collected writings of Signal v. Noise, have evoked a feeling of transparency and honesty . I’d like to do the same:
What I’ll Get Out of This
- There’s a strong chance that my writing will improve.
- I will get to work remotely, or at the awesome Basecamp headquarters.
- I’ll get to be a contributing part of what DHH outlined in Reconsider, which is everything I think business can and should be.
- I’ll get to work for a company that cares about family.
- I will make a very small dent in the universe and do work that I’m proud of for a company and customers that I respect, such as…
What Projects I’m Interested in Working On
The internship project that interests me the most is:
Help us target a specific industry (or “vertical”) by picking an industry, identifying the various stakeholders who are involved, interviewing them, and building out a sample Basecamp to demonstrate how Basecamp can help them accomplish their work. You’ll launch your work and then measure the impact of that work on the targeted vertical.
This is exciting work for me because:
- I’m excited to see what industries Basecamp is currently used in and where there might be untapped verticals that could be improved with the inclusion of Basecamp.
- The potential upside for Basecamp in an entirely new vertical is huge.
What Work I’ve Done in the Past
I’m not a librarian like Ann or Joann, but I am a teacher.
During my time in education, I’ve made a few things:
- I built a jiu jitsu gi review website and community
- Seeing an industry lacking in what I wanted in a gi, I started my own jiu jitsu company (and drew a few lines in the industry, something you’re no stranger to)
- Raised almost $3,000 to send jiu jitsu gis across the world
- Raised over $2,000 for a cancer charity
- Started a podcast that’s been downloaded over 111,000 times
- Wrote and shared what I’ve learned with other entrepreneurs, especially dads, focused on on starting and growing their online business
Why You Should Hire Me
When I worked as an assistant principal, I took my hiring guidelines directly from Rework.
This experience informs how I present myself as a candidate and I credit Rework, and my experience applying it, to obtaining the position that I have now.
My Skills Fit the Intern Position
Writing — I am a strong communicator. Most of my communication style has been honed in speaking, but I’ve spent thousands of hours considering how others will interpret directions, rubrics, emails, and letters.
Manager of One — I’ve been self-sufficient in every position I’ve ever held. From summer camp counselor, to teacher, to my own business, and possibly at Basecamp, my initiative and drive has always been an asset.
Sell by Teaching — Part of this internship will be selling the benefits of Basecamp to a new vertical and since I won’t be able to outspend Basecamp’s competitors, I get to out-teach them.
My Personality Fits Basecamp’s Culture
I’m a starter — You told me to build things for myself, and I listened. I’ve been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for almost nine years and, dissatisfied with the uniforms available, I started my own company.
I don’t have a marketing background or an MBA — Everything that I know about marketing, researching, and teaching is 100% self-taught.
I’m Not Thirteen — And you won’t treat me that way. As an achiever / activator, I do my best work when I’m not micromanaged. I ask really thoughtful questions when I’ve exhausted the ability to answer them for myself. You’ll give me the autonomy, privacy, and responsibility that I need to rock this.
I’m transparent and honest — Most likely to a fault, but I don’t lie about who I am and what I can do. From what I’ve read, neither does anybody at Basecamp.
I also enjoy Fight Club.
The Dates that I’m Available
I am available from June 29th through August 28th, 2016. This is my summer break as a teacher and it would be a privilege to be able to spend it adding to Basecamp.
Success!
At this point, you know that nobody else is getting an application like this from me. If I don’t work for Basecamp this summer, I won’t be working for anybody else but myself. I don’t want a summer job. I want an internship with Basecamp.
I was tweeting with Jason recently and he mentioned it might be possible to coordinate with the person responsible for this position. I’d love to take a quick drive downtown some day to meet the team at your office.
Thank you Jason, DHH, Noah, and the entire Basecamp team for the opportunity to possibly become a part of Basecamp for a summer.
PS — In writing this entire ‘cover letter,’ I’ve kept tabs in Medium on how long it will take to read. Before I even started, I promised myself it would be under 1k words, and the process of reducing it once, and then again to make room for this paragraph :)
