Vít Svojše: “Start-up internships are amazing adventures”
When this 19-year-old StarLifter joined the team of the German start-up Sennder in August 2017, their offices were in a garage — literally. Sennder has since then moved to a prominent address in the western part of Berlin and Vít has become an indispensable member of the fast-growing team. As he says, the internship StarLift arranged for him has been a mind-opening experience that includes learning about new tech as well going on trips to the Middle East.
Many developers dream of going to Silicon Valley, but you asked StarLift to be placed in a start-up in Germany. And we found you a position at Sennder in Berlin. Why not America?
I always dreamed of going abroad for work, but the United States is simply too far away from home. I wanted to get the experience start-up internships offer, but I did not want to lose contact with my family and friends. When I was in high school, I was quite good at German, so I thought maybe Germany or Austria would be the right pick for me.
What was your experience with StarLift like?
I got a lot of tips and contacts and started going through a string of interviews pretty soon after I the screening process. I found out it takes time to find the right start-up internship — sometimes the start-ups expected different skill sets or level of knowledge and offered positions that I didn't interest me. I'm still a student, but I know I want to focus on UX and design. And let's be honest, not many start-ups care about that. In fact, I’d say most start-ups are looking only for front-end developers.
In the end, I got two offers, one from Munich and the other from Sennder in Berlin. It was a no-brainer — Berlin is very cheap and rents are inexpensive, the prices here are completely out of the context of Western Europe. And it’s just a four-hour drive from Prague.
Can you describe the process of the job interview at Sennder?
It was really pleasant! I had a Skype call with David Nothacker, the owner of the company, who told me about the placement and the skills they were looking for, and it was a match! Then they invited me to Berlin for one day to show me the offices and meet the whole team, which was really nice. They asked me a few technical questions, too, but it was just a formality.
How did your first day at Sennder go?
It was quite adventurous! Right after I signed the contract, the owners, the team and I got on a plane and flew to Jordan to meet with our investor. In other words, my internship began with a five-day holiday, and I got the meet and get to know everybody, which was amazing.
What exactly are your responsibilities at Sennder at the moment?
Sennder is a typical start-up, so I do everything. However, my main responsibility is to make the product user-friendly to raise its marketing and investment potential. That includes working on the UX but also the UI, I also had to learn basics of Python since we now fiddle with big data… There’s no chance to get bored!
Are you enjoying the start-up atmosphere?
I love it! Everything gets done fast, which is great. We have a meeting in the morning and start implementing new features in the afternoon. We brainstorm ideas all the time. There is no bureaucracy, no strict set of rules, no pressure to be perfect all the time as long as you contribute with interesting solutions. Since my task is to work on many things simultaneously, I get to try and learn new things all the time. I'll give you an example: I worked with JavaScript before, but I’ve got a solid grasp of it only thanks to Sennder.
You had worked for big companies such as Principal Engineering or the Moneta bank before joining Sennder. Are you more of a start-up or corporate person?
Definitely a start-up one. I always hated the long meetings where you didn't even have to be and that led nowhere. Yes, when the bosses’ bosses finally reached an agreement, it all went fast — sometimes too fast in my opinion, even to the point when things had to be whipped up, which usually led to problems and sluggish implementation. The whole process was very uncomfortable.
On the other hand, I met my mentor Jan Valder at Principal. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him, so I guess your experience in either environment depends on if you can make the most out of the situation.
You took this “German trip” after being accepted into the Czech Technical University in 2017, which meant you had to postpone your first year at the college. Why was it important for you to get the start-up experience?
I admit schools never really appealed to me. It’s not very entertaining to be there. As a kid, I spent most of the time after school programming and exploring new technologies, which is something that schools, in general, don’t allow you to do. In addition, I want to do UX, and it’s impossible to find a university program in Czechia focused on it. Rather than looking for a university abroad, I thought a hands-on experience would be more convenient.
Funnily enough, I actually want to go back to school after I’m finished at Sennder. I’m looking forward to meeting new people, learning new things apart from programming and enjoying the benefits, such as the Erasmus program. I’m not doing it for the diploma — I found out that no one really cares about your education in the start-up environment. They are looking for skills, experience, open-mindedness and drive.
What motivated you to take up programming, anyway? I heard you started when you were 12.
I was always interested in computers and especially in how websites were made. So when I was 12, my mum signed me up for an HTML-coding group at the local community center. I was the only one there, so the group was canceled after only three sessions, but I learned the minimum and where to look for the rest. HTML and CSS were the first techs I dived into, and I gradually got to explore JavaScript and Python. At one point I realized I was good at programming, so I registered at various web forums for freelancers where I got my first work projects. I set my price very low, of course, but I was 15 and didn’t need a steady income.
Would you say it's difficult to break through in IT ?
You just have to try it. I got my first job at Principal as a result of the small freelance stuff I'd done. I saw they were hiring on their Facebook page, so I sent my references, and they got back to me. The worst thing you can do is to do nothing.
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