Vantaggi
Working for Techweek gives you a feeling like you are a VIP in Chicago's startup scene. People want you participating at their events, they want to discuss and contribute, and are generally excited to be involved(** see below for caveat) Learn how to measure an organization using KPIs, work in a cross functional team environment, and be a part of a tight knit small team. The team members were all great people and I had a great deal of respect for everyone. Everyone brought their talents to the table and we always found a solution to any problem. I would modify the saying "best idea wins" to be "fastest idea wins". Action is rewarded more than thought at Techweek, so if you can act or produce faster than the next girl/guy then you can expect more responsibility. It is a place to create quick growth for yourself if you can cut. You will be amazed about how hard you are able to push yourself. You shouldn't expect to have too much of a social life while working there but if you are looking to create your own startup or join a new one, Techweek will teach you the limits on how hard you can work.
Svantaggi
- Don't expect management to care about your development, growth, or personal well being. The selling point that the organization is essentially "flat" really means that everyone is a glorified intern - Every year the conference is metaphorically burned down to the ground in terms of its format, vendors, sponsors, participating companies, and staff. So don't expect to use last year as a baseline to improve upon. **Chances are if you run into someone who has been a part of the conference in the past they will not be happy to meet you. - Action is rewarded more than thought. Countless times you see poor decisions being made and continued with just because they are quicker and have inertia behind them. - Be ready to make decisions based on vanity instead of data - Don't expect to enjoy the actual conferences. If you are doing it to get better access or insight in the conference itself then be a volunteer Overall, expect to be worked to the max the entire time at Techweek. If you have a plan on why you are working there, make sure you document that, read it at least once a month and be selfish about what you want in order to make this opportunity worth it. Otherwise, if you do not have a clear idea about what you want to do after Techweek, I wouldn't work there.