CODE2040 Fellows: Yuri Farias Gomes
By Yuri Farias Gomes, CODE2040 Fellow, @yurifariasg
This summer was one of the best in my life because it opened me up to a whole new world that I had no idea existed before. It all started when I got an e-mail from Tristan Walker with an invitation to participate in the brand new CODE2040 program. To make a long story short, I passed the exam to participate in the program and I became one of the first few CODE2040 fellows.
Startups, by my previous understanding, were companies with 5-10 people, living in a sad office with some old machines, working on something not-that-interesting because, well, if it was interesting the company would not still be so small.
I was totally wrong. The surprises began the day I started my internship at Jawbone. First, I was totally amazed by the culture they had, which showed through in offices, the likes of which I had seen only in pictures of Facebook or Google before. To work in offices with open spaces, cool decorations, a fridge full of food and drinks, and everything else that Jawbone had to offer was totally amazing. Also, the work was exciting. I worked on a project that will be used by a wide number of people - not be just some small improvement that nobody would really notice. That's what interns like me look for - meaningful innovation! We want to know that we're part of something bigger and can actually make a difference. It was also great because I had the opportunity to bring my own ideas to the product, which was thrilling during the summer as I could see my own ideas coming to life.
The best part is that this exciting environment does not only describe Jawbone, but also a lot of other startups that I visited throughout the summer through the CODE2040 program. Of course each company has its own culture, but they're similar in the sense that they care about the employees and give interns the chance to make a difference during the small amount of time they have there.
I’m so glad I discovered this startup world. In Brazil we rarely see these startups, and even on the East Coast, where I’m in school, I notice that people don't seem as informed or enthusiastic about such companies. I bet if students knew what and how they could innovate in startups, they would surely look for them a lot more for internships and even full-time jobs when they graduate.
This summer was great in many ways, and I hope to keep in touch with all the awesome people I met over these past three months, including the rest of the CODE2040 fellows. They surely can expect to see me again in the future!
Learn more about CODE2040 here.
Meet Amy Quispe, a CODE2040 Fellow, here.
Meet Alexandria Cattron, a CODE2040 Fellow, here.
Meet Kaleb Ayalew, a CODE2040 Fellow, here.
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