Mariam Kobiashvili on transitioning from theory to practice
As an intern at Dropbox, Mariam Kobiashvili discovered a love for building products
Mariam Kobiashvili is a rising senior at MIT, studying computer science. She worked on Carousel for Android during her internship at Dropbox this summer. Here she shares how she discovered a love for building products.
Where do you call home?
My home is in Georgia (the country). I grew up there, my family’s still there. That’s my home.
How did you get interested in computer science?
I was always really good at math. When I was ten, I participated in a math competition, and I won first place. They offered me free classes in math and computer science, and I took them.
I started learning algorithms and Olympic math, so I started participating in a lot of different math and computer science competitions. Since then, it was decided.
How did you decide to intern at Dropbox?
I love Dropbox as a product. I’ve always wanted to work on something I really like. The work itself can be similar at different companies. The difference is what you’re working for and what you’re trying to make.
I wanted to make something I would be excited about, and I’m excited about Dropbox. So it was an easy decision. And all the people I’ve met from Dropbox are extremely smart and cool.
You’re working on Carousel for Android this summer. Are you a photographer yourself?
I love taking pictures. I wouldn’t call myself a photographer, but it’s a hobby. I prefer taking portraits, but I just love taking pictures in general.
Who do you share photos with most on Carousel?
Right now, it’s my roommate for the summer, who also works on the Carousel team. (laughing)
She works on iOS, and I work on Android. We also have a lot of fun together and spend the weekends together, so we share a lot of pictures.
So you’re roommates, and you both work on Carousel?
It’s great. It’s the best match they could make. She’s also from MIT, but we didn’t know each other until we came to Dropbox. Now we spend all of our time together.
Who is your mentor this summer?
My mentor is Tony Grue. Tony is amazing. I’m a huge fan. He’s extremely smart, hard working, and experienced. He has really high expectations for everyone, which makes everyone work harder and try to do their best. I think he’s a great leader for the team, and he’s just a cool guy.
Tell me about your team.
I work in a small group, but I also feel like part of the whole photos team. We have a team lunch every week in Dropbox’s music studio. We sing, actually.
Everyone is really pumped about what they’re doing. It’s really exciting to work with them.
What challenges did you face this summer?
My project didn’t just touch a small part of the codebase. It was spread across the codebase, and it was hard to get familiar with things that people had been working on for a long time.
Non-technically, I don’t think it was a challenging summer. It was a happy one.
What have you learned this summer?
Technically, I learned more this summer than in three years at MIT. I learned a lot about working on a team, working with people.
I learned about what I like doing. I like working on products. In computer science, there are a lot of different things you can do. I didn’t know what I liked before because I have a really theoretical background.
Starting the practical work, I wasn’t sure what I would like doing, but now I know I really love working on products and seeing the thing I created. Seeing people use it — that’s even more exciting.
You’ve made a lot of progress in a short time. How have you been able to ramp up quickly and get your project ready to ship?
My project was really well planned by the time I arrived. My mentor planned out, step-by-step, how I could bring it together by the end of the summer. They already had everything ready to make it easy for me to get started.
I’ve had lots of help from the team, so I’m never alone. They always say that we don’t ask for help enough, which is great.
What were some of the highlights of your summer?
Haxpo (the showcase for Hack Week projects) was amazing. Seeing all of the projects people worked on, I was mindblown by how smart and creative people are.
We also had an intern rafting trip. That was amazing. We went to American River — all of the interns and their mentors — and we spent one night there camping. It was really nice.
How would you describe the Dropbox culture?
It’s really friendly. Everyone I’ve met here is extremely friendly, and people take care of each other. Everyone’s extremely hard working, but they also know how to have fun. They’re intellectual and hard working but also interesting and social.
What advice would you give for getting the most out of a summer internship?
The first thing I would say is to socialize more with full-timers. It’s great to meet other interns, but full-timers are so amazing. They have so much to teach you. It’s a great thing to be closer with them. They’re really understanding, and it really helps to talk with them.
What other things would you like to work on in the future?
I want to work on something that is useful for people, that makes them happy, and that makes their lives easier. That’s why I love Dropbox so much, because I feel like every day it makes people’s lives so much easier.
Learn more about opportunities at Dropbox for students and recent graduates.
