First of all, I can’t believe I’ve already been in Stockholm for almost two weeks now. I arrived a few days prior to the program start date to avoid any problems with flight delays, as well as to have the opportunity to explore the city with my parents before my schedule filled up with my internship and activities. These first two weeks have been absolutely amazing. The city is absolutely beautiful and the weather is perfect, sitting around 65 degrees with incredibly deep blue skies in the late evenings. Now at the end of my second week here, I have just finished my first week working as a Finance & Data Intern for MyTelescope.
MyTelescope is a tech startup that is creating an artificial intelligence layer for larger Large Language Models (LLMs). They initially created this tool to work with Anthropic’s Claude but have been moving quickly to make it available to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. This artificial intelligence layer is built through using search result data from major platforms like Google, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, Perplexity, and a number of other platforms to gain an idea of what topics, brands, or products are popular with consumers. They also combine their own marketing expertise to give the model extra insight and function. The end result is a tool that allows users to forecast demand, optimize search engine results, complete market research, and a number of different use cases. MyTelescope has moved out of its startup phase and has accumulated experience working with some major companies, however, it still remains a relatively small company. Going into this internship, I was pretty nervous that the work culture and speed of the company would be too fast for me, considering that it is a tech company in its early stages. I was also concerned that the culture of the company would be very serious and high stakes, placing immense pressure on me to perform. I knew that I would find a way to adapt but thought that if this were the case that I would not have time nor energy to enjoy my time here in Stockholm. I have been pleasantly surprised that this is not the case. Obviously, I, as well as all of my coworkers at MyTelesecope, take the tasks at hand seriously, but the atmosphere is very laid back. It has been incredibly enjoyable to get to know everyone in this first week.
As for skills and strengths necessary to operate in this space, the tech industry moves incredibly quickly, especially with AI. This means any professional tied to the industry has to stay up-to-date with new developments and trends. While my position at MyTelescope doesn’t deal with the software architecture of the product, developments still effect both the quality and the way my tasks are completed. Just this week, for example, Anthropic released a new model, Fable 5, on Tuesday. On Friday, the U.S. government issued an export control directive to limit foreign access to Fable 5 due to national security concerns. This caused Anthropic to remove access to this model from everyone until they are able to come up with a resolution. For companies that work with these models directly, like MyTelescope, it can cause a list of issues. Another aspect that is important when working in this space is to be able to be self-directed. Tech startups create an environment that does not lend itself to have much structure, not only in the work you’re completing, but also in how the company is structured. As for the work you’re completing, you’re typically trying to solve a problem, either an issue with the software or find an issue that the product can solve for customers. Many of these tasks are not outlined and there isn’t a proper method to solve them in the same way you could solve a math problem. It can make the problem seem too intimidating or cause you to go into a state of analysis paralysis. It’s important to narrow down a potential path to solving the issuing, then pivoting if that path isn’t working. In terms of company structure, tech companies in their early stages usually consist of small teams. This means there aren’t many manager roles to keep you on track or to give direction. It can be challenging, but these skills are incredibly beneficial if you can learn them. It helps build discernment and decision-making skills. While the technical skills in these companies can vary greatly depending upon your role in the organization, these are always applicable in the tech industry.
