My Summer Trip in San Francisco (as a TripIt MBA intern)
Today we have a superb guest blogger: Anika Gupta (Class of 2016)! Anika had the opportunity to spend the summer at TripIt as a Senior Product Marketing Manager intern. Anika is already an accomplished marketing maven, but this was her first experience in a tech startup. Read more about her experience below!
This Summer 2015, I had the amazing opportunity to intern as a Senior Product Marketing Manager at TripIt by Concur an SAP company, in their Channel Sales team. My main objectives of this internship were to understand how to maximize the B2B sales channel for growth in user acquisition, get a better understanding of the company structure and culture post acquisition by SAP and make the most of my first summer in San Francisco.
This was my first full-time stint working in the US and to be honest, I had no idea what to expect. Coming from a career in high stress agency and corporate work, I was completely thrown off by the tech start-up scene in San Francisco. I had never known what it was to work in an employee-driven market, where companies really understand that their people are the key to their success, and therefore, take REALLY good care of them!
It is hard to call TripIt a startup since they were acquired by Concur and SAP, which makes them part of a successful global conglomerate. That said, they still try to maintain a startup feel, with a small team in SF, flat corporate structure and a welcoming and casual corporate culture. They encourage employees to keep innovating and there are no closed doors or ideas that are off limits.
For example, while I was interning at TripIt, I had the chance to experience and partake in Hack Day – a two-day event where people across functions collaborate to conceptualize and develop new business ideas. This experience really showed me how much the company encourages ideation and creativity. My team comprised people across levels, functions and geographies and we collectively worked towards enhancing consumer experience and left with an award and a promise of implementation!
]2 Hack Day!
Even as an intern I was given tremendous authority to enhance the work experience, and run with my ideas. After hearing much said about the challenges of being a women in technology – a male driven market, I thought it was important for the women in our office to take the time to discuss their experiences and challenges dealing with such issues. TripIt has an impressive set of inspiring female leaders, and I was excited to learn about their journeys and ask for advice on how to succeed. With the help of my manager, I was able to set up the first “Women in Technology” panel at TripIt with representatives from Concur corporate, Concur global and the TripIt leadership team. The event opened up the floor for discussions on various subjects from promotions to managing motherhood while being a high performer at work. The event received great feedback and has now been incorporated as a recurring monthly event.
TripIt’s employees make the experience a truly unique one. Over this summer I’ve had lunch with very senior executives just by reaching out to them and asking for a short casual chat. They are passionate, encouraging and want to enable you to achieve. This summer, I have made unbelievable memories and some amazing relationships that I will definitely take forward with me for a long time!
]3 TripIt Interns!
About the Author:
Anika was born in London and spent most of her life in different cities across the USA and in Mumbai, India. She worked in Strategic Marketing Communications and Marketing for over 6 years, leading international communications teams at top global agencies such as Ogilvy & Mather and Lowe and Partners Worldwide. Anika managed multinational clients across an array of industries such as Rolls Royce, Etihad Airways and Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Anika is a trained Hip-hop and Bollywood dancer and loves to travel!
