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HEnry Bell - Week 7

8/13/2016

2 Comments

 
First and foremost, I want to express gratitude for my computer finally experiencing a full recovery. There have been a series of endless hurdles regarding my technology while in Detroit (and even a little bit of time afterwards) and I can confidently say that they are over with- except for my phone being broken.
 
I now finally have a chance to write about my time in Detroit. Having been back for a couple of weeks, I feel as though I am in a better position to properly reflect on the experience. I can’t help but feel a sense of personal and professional growth after my eight weeks in the Motor City.
 
I came in hoping to get a glimpse of what life in a startup environment would look like, and I feel as though I got just that. As my partner and I mentioned in our final presentation, it seemed as though our project was unique in its size and positioning relative to the other placements. We had a proper product that was being sold, and the team was composed of essentially four people in the office. Progress was tangible, and the work was sometimes erratic. I think the free-flowing nature of working with Mitten Bites is one of the biggest takeaways from my summer. After the first week, it felt as though we had a grasp on the product and what was going on. From then on I felt less like an intern focused on a particular task and more as a member of a team hoping to contribute in a variety of ways. I remember sitting down with Jake, the director of the project, where he outlined the next steps for the product and I helped introduce what I felt could potentially work. It was this personal connection and close-knit environment that allowed for this collaboration, leading to this diversity of work on a day to day basis.
 
While it would be unrealistic to generalize and assume that most startups operate in this fashion, I can imagine some level of flexibility is required to adjust in a young business environment. Reading up on how the most successful startups came to fruition, the general story goes as follows: someone comes up with a solution to a problem and begins working on it. Somewhere along the line, they realize that it is a much bigger problem or that they are focusing on the wrong thing entirely. They then pivot. I hope to get my foot in the door more in this field as I move forward and confirm (or deny) this understanding.
 
Participating in DukeEngage Detroit gave me a chance to get my foot in the door in the professional world, particularly in the startup environment, providing me an invaluable experience as I move forward. I am excited to return to Duke and pursue this interest as much as I can. 
2 Comments
Anna L
8/26/2016 11:31:00 am

Thanks for these reflections, Henry! I hope you get your foot in the door with entrepreneurship as well and that your DukeEngage experience will help you on your way to your future career. Best of luck at Duke and beyond!

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