Observations and Insights from My Internship
That is it. Every good thing has to come to an end, and that also had to happen to my internship at Red Alert Labs. As it is my last blog post, I decided to sacrifice it for some insights I came up with during my work.
B2B is all about relationships
Unlike B2C, B2B models require a lot of perspiration to build a strong customer base. If you provide a really sophisticated service, you will be very unlikely to convince the customer to purchase it with simple online marketing tools. Obviously, a good and responsive website helps a lot, but it is the relationship with the customer that is most important. You should invest in each relationship, maintain it, and push for a deal only when your customer fully trusts you.
Team-building is essential
Especially in case of start-ups, the chemistry between employees plays a crucial role in how a company develops. A bad atmosphere in a team can cause many business issues and, in some cases, bankruptcy. In case of Red Alert Labs, the chemistry between the employees has always been exemplary. It was during the coffee breaks and lunches when the team had the chance to “connect” on a deeper level. As a result, they were more motivated and cooperated more effectively.
Always try to find a niche in the market
Although there is no business that has a pure 100% chance of succeeding, you can greatly increase it by finding a need which has not been met yet. Roland, the founder of Red Alert Labs and my boss, has noticed a niche in the market of the Internet of Things device security and built a successful company around it. Because of being one of the first in this market, he not only enjoyed smaller competition, but was also able to advertise more effectively and receive attention from the French government.
Those were only three of the many things I learnt during my internship in Paris. During the past two months, I had the chance to work in a highly supportive environment with truly amazing people. I have learnt a lot: from managing leads to applying cybersecurity frameworks, and enjoyed every part of this process. If anyone asked me whether I would like to do my internship again, I would respond without hesitation: YES! It was a truly wonderful time.