In the summer of 2019, we welcomed seven interns to the Neighborhood! We were eager to host a group that brought a great deal of energy, passion, and excitement to the company. Over the course of the summer, our interns had the opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the company through the projects they worked while gaining insight and mentorship from their teams.
Check out what our interns got the chance to work on, what they learned, and their favorite Nextdoor memories!
What project did you work on?
“I was working on a new user experience for Nextdoor Groups. It was a really cool opportunity to be involved in a new product launch, so I decided to work closely with other engineers on my team instead of having my own intern project. At the time, Nextdoor users could only form groups within their neighborhoods. So we were mainly focused on adding functionalities to groups that would allow users to invite neighbors from near-by neighborhoods. This has been a highly requested feature on Nextdoor and one that would allow neighbors to form stronger and vibrant communities. Over the course of my internship I was able to do full stack development, build features included in our pilot launch and write unit tests.” Mahlet Yifru, Software Engineering Intern – Groups Team
“My first project was to build out and deploy an Agency application for Android users. Agencies include anyone ranging from government employees and mayors to firefighters. These individuals use Nextdoor to put up “urgent alerts” and stay in contact with the communities that they serve. One of their biggest asks was an “Agency App” that they could download and have easy access to on their mobile devices (so that they did not need to use a laptop whenever they wanted to use Nextdoor). In order to do this, I got to work with all sorts of different people at Nextdoor like employees on the Agency team, designers, and our Core Android team to design, develop, and deploy the Agency app.” Aakash Adesara, Software Engineering Intern – Local Business Team
“I worked on 1) preventing compromised passwords on the platform for users signing up or changing/resetting their password, 2) adding a functionality where users can revert email address changes for compromised accounts, and 3) implementing, building, and testing password-less sign-in (via “magic link”, a link sent to your email).” Daniel Lee, Software Engineering Intern – Trust & Safety Team
What did you learn throughout your internship?
“Engineering aside, I learned a lot about Nextdoor as a company and all the potential that it has. There are the really interesting sociological problems that the people at Nextdoor grapple with everyday, from engineers to senior leadership, and it was really exciting to be a part of the conversation of making sure that Nextdoor is doing good for communities.” Joyce Duan, Software Engineer Intern – Notifications Team
“I learned so much this summer, which is in part because this was my first internship and also because my team is so inclusive and gave me so many different opportunities to learn and grow. I now know how to pitch, write blog posts, direct member calls, conduct research, develop a social strategy, and so much more! I also learned the importance of working for a mission-driven company. Nextdoor is a place that emphasizes community and connection, which means every employee is working to serve that goal. Everyone that works here loves what they do, and are excited to meet new people and hear more ideas! My team especially are some of the most hard-working people I have ever met. That motivation and drive is fueled by their desire to do right by their members. They taught me what it means to act like an owner.” Emma Smith, Communication & Policy Intern – Communications Team
“I got to know how engineering teams work in companies like Nextdoor. I loved the collaborative and helpful nature of everyone here, and was able to see how different teams interacted with each other at the company. I also learned a lot about the company’s leads team through ‘Meet the Leads’ speaker series, where the interns could talk to the leaders of the company in a more informal and intimate setting. Overall, this summer has been one of the best summers yet, and I have learned so much!” Prachi Khandekar, Software Engineering Intern – Ads Team
What was your favorite Nextdoor memory?
“The Intern Challenge! Competing with the other interns in the Scavenger Hunt and racing around SF for a day to complete our challenges was an absolute blast (my team also won!). Additionally, taking impromptu trips with the interns to Yosemite, Tahoe, and even white water rafting definitely made my summer unforgettable. I also really enjoyed R-3, our internal hackathon, where my team built a ping-pong table “availability” website, where anyone could check and see if the table was available or not (we attached an Arduino to the table).” Daniel Lee, Software Engineering Intern – Trust & Safety Team
“My work-related favorite memory was completing my lead generation advertising unit project and presenting it to people on my team and on the sales teams. That moment made me realize that my project had a real impact on the company, and would be used by advertisers in the future. My non-work-related favorite memory was going on a weekend trip to Tahoe with all the interns. The weather was beautiful, and we spent the entire time swimming, kayaking, and lounging by the lake together. Our intern class was amazing, and I’m definitely going to miss all of them!” Prachi Khandekar, Software Engineering Intern – Ads Team
“I presented our Neighborhood Favorites Influencer Campaign at All Hands, the company-wide weekly meeting, in the first month of working here. I never thought I would be capable of leading an entire social campaign from start to finish, let alone one that is worthy of being presented to the whole company. It goes to show how every intern here is contributing to important and meaningful work. “ Emma Smith, Communication & Policy Intern – Communications Team
