We built a SaaS MVP with Interns. Here’s How.
Finacular.in is a Robo Advisory platform aimed at providing wealth management services to middle-class Indians. Founders are Sanchit Garg, Atanu Mazumdar, and Preetam Das
We have been able to build the functional MVP for Finacular. And now we are ready to test it out with the first set of Beta customers.
Had you told me six months back that this could be done with the help of Interns, I would laugh it off. And I did laugh it off. When Sanchit suggested that we hire interns and start building it, I just could not believe it could be done.
Let me take you through this journey, as I reflect back, and the key learnings along the way:
The Struggle to Find a Technical Co-Founder
This is an undermined struggle. Sanchit and I both hold Computer science degrees but had not coded for years. I was always a bad coder. So the question of one of us handling the technical side of things was unlikely. And so began the search for a technical co-founder, who could take up this role.
We did not have a product. We were first-time Founders. Finding that third partner was difficult. We spoke to friends, seniors, put up job posts on Linkedin, Angel Jobs. The struggle was real.
Atanu was a godsend in this regard. He comes with deep engineering expertise and above everything is a fantastic hands-on coder. He believed in our idea, and joined Finacular, as the third Founder.
Building the Backend
With Atanu in the team, we started developing the Backend code-base. Following a microservices-based architecture, each functionality was converted into APIs. These APIs would later be consumed by Frontend.
Enter the Interns
The backend architecture was now looking in good shape. To turn the code into a workable prototype, we hired our first set of interns. The initial two months were difficult and the outcome was not as expected. But we did learn two key lessons:
a. Interns need active guidance. At least when they start working. Because they have not worked in a professional setting before, it is important that they are hand-held for the first few days.
b. Our Front-end codebase (which is in React JS), lacked the necessary structure, on which the interns could build upon.
Improving the Hiring Process
With the learnings from the first iteration of working with interns incorporated, we also worked on improving our hiring process. We followed a simple three-step process for hiring Developer Interns:
- Assignment Round: In this round, we would ask the applicants to work on a live component that was being developed. For front-end interns, for example, we would share the UI with them and ask them to replicate the same in code. This step itself would act as a funnel, and many applicants would drop off at this stage.
- Technical Round: This round would involve a deep dive into the submission of the candidate, along with an evaluation of their technical skills. The pattern of this round would vary with the candidate.
- Intention Fit Round: This round would primarily be aimed to evaluate the intent and drive of the candidate. Apart from a general conversation to know why the candidate wants to work with us, we would ask the candidate to make real-time changes to the submission he made in the Assignment round. Proficient coders generally thrive at this round.
The Results Achieved with the Interns
With these great organization-fit interns, we have been able to achieve satisfactory results. The Minimum Viable Product that we had envisioned is close to becoming a reality. We have been able to do this at a fair speed while keeping the costs under control.
If you are interested to test out the work contributed by our interns, do sign up on finacular.in. We will get in touch with you.
If you are looking out for internship opportunities, follow Finacular’s Linkedin page.