10 Ideas to Impress Founders [Internship Edition]

Why do almost 9 out of 10 internship applications get rejected?

As a founder, I have asked myself this question many times. Not because candidates are bad, but because most applications fail to answer one simple question every founder has in mind:

“Can this person actually do the work?”

I am Riten, founder of Fueler. Over the last few years, I have freelanced with more than 70 brands, worked closely with early-stage founders, and now help companies hire through assignments instead of resumes. I see internship applications every single week, and I can tell you this with confidence: rejection is rarely about talent. It is about lack of proof.

Most interns apply with resumes filled with marks, certificates, and generic statements like “hardworking” and “passionate”. Founders don’t reject you because these things are useless. They reject you because these things do not reduce hiring risk.

Founders operate in chaos. Limited time. Limited money. Limited team size. Every hire matters. That is why proof of work matters more than anything else.

Let me break this down in a way that is simple, practical, and honest.

Why resumes fail in the internship world

Resumes were designed for a different era. They work when companies have time, layers of HR, and structured training programs. Startups don’t have that luxury.

Public data supports this clearly. LinkedIn’s Global Talent Trends report shows that a large majority of recruiters struggle to evaluate skills using resumes alone. A resume tells what you claim to know, not what you can do.

Another widely cited NACE survey shows employers consistently rank problem-solving, work ethic, and communication above GPA. Yet most internship applications still revolve around marks and college names.

Now add one more layer of reality. Founders are extremely busy. Discussions on Quora and Reddit startup communities repeatedly point out that founders spend less than half a minute scanning an application before deciding whether to respond.

In that time window, a resume rarely creates conviction, but proof of work does.

That is the mindset shift most interns need to make.

1. Show, don’t tell is not advice, it is survival

• If you say you are a writer, founders expect to see writing.
• If you say you are a designer, founders expect to see designs.
• If you say you are into marketing, founders expect to see campaigns, breakdowns, or ideas.

Harvard Business Review has published research showing that work samples are far more predictive of future performance than resumes or interviews. This matches exactly what founders experience in real life.

Execution removes doubt. Talking increases it.

This is why candidates who attach a portfolio, a Notion doc, or even a Google Drive link immediately stand out. You are not asking the founder to imagine your skills. You are letting them see it.

2. Solving a real problem changes the game

Here is something very few interns do, but founders remember forever.

Instead of only applying, you add value before being hired.

You research the startup. You understand what they do. You identify one gap or opportunity. Then you create a small solution and share it.

It could be a landing page suggestion, a content idea, a feature improvement, or even a competitor analysis. It does not need to be perfect. It needs to be thoughtful.

On Reddit startup forums, founders often say that candidates who do this instantly move to the top of the list. Why? Because you are already behaving like a team member, not an applicant. You are reducing the founder’s workload, not adding to it.

3. Proof of work works best when it is public

One mistake many students make is keeping their work hidden. When your work lives publicly on the internet, it compounds. People can discover it. Share it. Validate it. Trust it.

GitHub’s public data clearly shows that developers who consistently publish work get discovered faster. The same principle applies to writers, designers, marketers, and generalists.

This is one of the core reasons I started Fueler. We needed a simple way for non-coders to showcase proof of work the same way developers use GitHub.

Founders trust what they can see repeatedly over time.

4. Following up is not annoying, it is professional

Most interns send one message and disappear. Founders miss messages all the time. Not because they are rude, but because they are overloaded.

HubSpot’s outreach data shows that the majority of responses happen only after two or more follow-ups. Still, most candidates never follow up.

Following up politely shows seriousness. It shows you care. It shows persistence. Founders respect persistence because startups are built on it.

5. Social media is the new internship portal

Many people underestimate this.

Some of the best people we have worked with were discovered on Twitter and LinkedIn. Not through job portals.

When you share your learnings, talk about your projects, and engage with founders thoughtfully, you build social capital. LinkedIn data shows that hiring managers are more likely to trust candidates who actively share relevant insights.

You don’t need to go viral. You need to be consistent and useful.

Visibility builds credibility before you even apply.

6. Founders value a learning mindset over a money mindset

Early-stage founders rarely expect interns to know everything. What they expect is hunger.

Y Combinator founders often mention that they prefer interns who want to learn deeply and contribute meaningfully rather than those chasing stipends alone.

This does not mean you should work for free blindly. It means your first signal should be curiosity, not entitlement.

People who focus on learning grow faster. People who grow faster earn more in the long run.

7. Hustle is visible when you don’t wait for permission

Hustle is not about long hours. It is about ownership.

Side projects, freelance work, experiments, and self-initiated ideas tell founders one thing clearly: you don’t wait to be told what to do.

Stripe Atlas data and multiple founder interviews show that early hires who later became leaders almost always had a habit of building things independently.

Self-starters reduce risk. Founders love that.

8. When you understand the founder’s “why”, you stand out

Every startup exists for a reason. When you understand why the founder started the company, your application becomes personal. Not emotional. Intentional.

Quora threads from founders highlight that candidates who reflect the company’s mission and values feel like a natural fit. You stop being “one of many” and start being “aligned”.

9. Consistency beats everything else

Anyone can do one project, but consistency proves commitment.

Behavioural hiring research shared on LinkedIn shows that consistent effort over time strongly predicts perseverance. And perseverance is one of the most important traits in startups.

Founders will always prefer someone who has built ten small projects over someone who did one big thing once. Consistency builds trust quietly.

10. Your unfair advantage is proof of work

I come from a small town. No big college tag. No powerful network. Proof of work is what built my career, helped me freelance globally, and helped us build Fueler with zero savings.

Resumes expire. Work does not.

If you want to impress founders, stop asking how to improve your resume. Start asking how to ship more work.

Build. Document. Share.

If you do that consistently, opportunities will find you.

You can start by creating your professional portfolio on Fueler. It is free. More importantly, it is designed for how founders actually hire today.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I get an internship without any prior experience?

Not having prior experience is normal when you are applying for internships, and most founders are aware of that. What they look for instead is proof that you can apply what you are learning. You can build this proof by working on small, self-initiated projects related to the role you want. Writing articles, redesigning existing products, breaking down marketing campaigns, or editing sample videos are all valid ways to demonstrate ability. When founders see real work, even if it is basic, they gain confidence that you can handle responsibility and learn on the job. Experience comes after action, not before it.

2. Do startup founders really look at portfolios, or do they still prefer resumes?

Founders do look at resumes, but portfolios often carry more weight, especially in early-stage startups. A resume gives a summary of what you claim to know, while a portfolio shows evidence of what you can actually do. When founders are short on time, seeing real work helps them make faster and better decisions. In many cases, a strong portfolio can compensate for a weak or incomplete resume. This is why assignment-based hiring and proof-of-work platforms are becoming more common among startups.

3. What kind of projects should I build to impress founders?

The most effective projects are those that are relevant to the role, simple in scope, and completed properly. Founders are not looking for large or complex projects from interns. They care more about clarity of thinking and the ability to finish what you start. A few well-documented projects that explain your process and decisions are far more impressive than many half-finished ideas. The goal of a project is not to show perfection, but to show effort, learning, and execution.

4. Is it okay to directly message founders for internship opportunities?

Yes, it is completely acceptable to message founders directly, and in many cases, it works better than applying through formal portals. The key is to be respectful and thoughtful in your approach. Founders respond better to messages that show you have taken time to understand their startup and have something specific to offer. A short message that highlights how you can contribute or shares a small insight is more effective than a generic request. Polite follow-ups are also acceptable, as founders often miss messages due to workload.

5. Should I focus more on learning or earning during an internship?

In the early stages of your career, learning should generally take priority over earning, but it should not be blind learning. A good internship offers real responsibility, mentorship, and exposure to how work actually happens. If an internship helps you build skills and confidence, it can have long-term benefits even if the short-term pay is modest. However, it is important to avoid roles that offer neither learning nor growth. Over time, people who learn faster and build strong skills tend to earn more consistently.

What is Fueler Portfolio?

Fueler is a career portfolio platform that helps companies find the best talent for their organization based on their proof of work. You can create your portfolio on Fueler. Thousands of freelancers around the world use Fueler to create their professional-looking portfolios and become financially independent. Discover inspiration for your portfolio

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