WRITTEN BY SAGE CORPS SUMMER 2018 FELLOW, ANDREW FAGIN.
Curious to see what your summer would look like interning abroad as a Sage Corps fellow in Melbourne, Australia? Andrew, an Informatics major and Business, Human-Computer Interaction, AND Psychology minor from Indiana University, has the inside scoop for you:
HOUSING
“I live in a hotel (Oaks on Market Street), sharing an apartment with 3 other interns. I’m not much of a gambler but the Crown casino nearby is one of ten largest casinos in the world, and a great place to watch a world cup game. Melbourne’s coffee culture is incredible – there’s a cafe on almost every other corner, with great coffee…you can test this by asking if they can make a “magic”. I enjoy starting my morning with a coffee from Saluministi, a nice hole-in-the-wall type of place with wonderful coffee and sandwiches…can’t sleep on the housemade prosciutto. When I’m at home usually I’m hanging with my roommates and other interns in the cohort, we’re all pretty close.”
Lobby of the Oaks on Market hotel.
COMMUTING
“My commute changes as my company rotates working spaces, but everywhere is within a 5-20 minute commute. I take the tram always – Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world. In the morning it’s a lot more chill than I was expecting. Some days I pass by the infamous MCG or Melbourne Cricket Ground, one of the largest stadiums in the world; others I pass by different parts of the CBD.”
WORKING
“One unique thing I enjoy about my startup is that their current office is under renovation, requiring me to utilize unconventional offices. We rotate from an agtech co-working space, a startup accelerator, the lounge at my bosses’ incredible apartment complex, coffeeshops, etc. These are all within 5-20 minutes of where I live so relatively close to the CBD and surrounding suburbs. The team is small with just myself, the CEO, and lead agronomist – we haven’t gone out yet but I plan on trying some Israeli food & drinks with my boss.”
A coworking space Andrew works at occasionally.
STARTUP LIFE
“My startup, Tie Up Farming, is a software-as-a-service for horticulture farmers. The software is like a ‘Salesforce for farmers,’ allowing them to manage their entire organization using the service. My daily tasks vary, and currently I’m working on numerous projects: product scope, market research, front end and UX design, research for future forecasting algorithms, and newsletter ideas.”
AFTER WORK
“Our cohort is small with only eight people so we are all pretty close. Sometimes we’ll chill at the pool and sauna downstairs or we’ll play cards in the room. We also enjoy finding local spots and taking advantage of their happy hours…everyone is a big fan of rooftop bars. Also big fans of going to Aussie rules games, arguably more fun to watch than our American football.”
WEEKLY PROGRAMMING
“My favorite program event so far has been our first – we went to a pitching competition called PitchX where entrepreneurs pitched their startups for potential investors and other prizes. Our city managers Bill and Paal are incredible guys, super driven, and really chill. I enjoy usually getting a bite to eat with them after events. Its great connecting with these guys and learning more about Melbourne’s startup community.”
PitchX Winter Event in Melbourne.
WEEKENDS
“Most of our cohort went on an incredible weekend trip, hitting multiple spots on the Great Ocean Road. We had some great food, wonderful wine, saw some incredible scenery such as the 12 Apostles and an extinct volcano, and crazy wildlife such as an Emu, Koalas, and Wallabies. It was great getting out of the city and experiencing some of the Australian rural areas. I also really enjoyed the challenge of driving on the left side of the road.”
WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST?
“How chill everyone is in Melbourne. Much different than many large cities in the U.S., other than that the helpfulness of Sage Corps staff such as our city managers, staff back at HQ…all very helpful when it comes to questions and other situations.”
Andrew (left) and other 2018 fellows Max, Alex, and Sami.
ADVICE
“Say yes to everything. Well, maybe not everything…but if your cohort wants to take a cool weekend trip or get drinks on the weekend say yes. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, don’t just sit in your apartment all day, be active and make connections. Who knows when it comes to networking, somebody could offer you a full-time job abroad.”
Want to see more from the Melbourne Summer 2018 fellows? Check out their Instagram account, @sc.melbourne_ !
