Jessica started her first internet company at the age of 13, finished high school at the age of 15, and is now studying computer science at U.C. Berkeley. Through speaking engagements and side projects, shes been teaching young people how to get a jump-start in entrepreneurship and their future careers. In November of 2008, Jessica launched internshipIN as a way to help fellow students in finding internships, and has since helped thousands of students explore their passions through real life experience. She’s now working on Indinero.com, a company that creates software that help organizations manage their finances.
Hey Jessica! First of all, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Sure! I’m Jessica Mah, a senior at U.C. Berkeley studying computer science, and I’ve been programming since elementary school. I started a site called internshipIN.com in the fall as a way to help students find internships, and I recently started Indinero.com to help small businesses manage their finances through intuitive software.
What made you want to start InternshipIN and Indinero?
internshipIN was started as a cool project to help our peers in college. There wasn’t a profit incentive when we first started it, and we’ve since learned so much about the software development process. Indinero was started to help a problem we had with managing our own company: taking care of finances. And seeing that it was one of the biggest things that stressed us out, we thought that it would be cool to create a product that solved that problem.
How do you manage to balance college life and your online endeavours?
I think it’s important to keep a good work/life balance. I take Friday night and Saturday off, I meet regularly with my college friends, and it’s been working out quite well!
How does it feel to have been profiled in such websites/magazines such as TechCrunch and Inc?
It isn’t too big of a deal. Getting profiled on top blogs and magazines definitely helps business, but it can also be a distraction from innovation. When the press rolls in, don’t lose sight of building a good product!
What tips do you have to other students who want to follow in your footsteps and start an online business?
Pick an idea that’s quick and easy to get started with. This means an idea that requires very very little upfront capital, and can be launched in no more than a few months. A lot of first-time entrepreneurs try to start with a “big idea”, but it’s important to realize that the biggest companies were started with modest goals. For example, Microsoft was nothing more than a software consultancy for its first year of existence. If they had the goal of being the software empire it is now, they’d never have gotten there.
What is the best advice you were ever given?
Be relentlessly resourceful. Take advantage of your connections, read a lot, and do everything in your power to make your business successful.
Asides from your companies, what else do you enjoy doing?
Hanging out with my friends, going swimming, reading, among everything else that college-aged students enjoy doing.
What do you plan on doing after Berkeley?
Just build Indinero : )
Future projects?
Nope, just Indinero. Commitment is key to building a great company.
I’d like to thank Jessica for being part of the 1st interview @Student On Campus. I’m sure you have just inspired other students to follow in your footsteps. Good luck for the future!
