Snacks, software and generosity: a month of interning at Hex

Working at Hex may include generous holiday time, a free Macbook, excellent socials, hybrid working patterns, stocks of menstrual products and the most welcoming work culture I’ve ever experienced. However, before we cover these peripheral details, we must acknowledge the true heart and soul of the company: the drinks fridge. As a source of eternal hydration, energy and collective joy in the office, these are the perfect visor through which to explore my month as an intern so far:

Dash waters.

The liquidised bread and butter of Hex life, we must get through at least twenty of these cans per day. Like many things within the tech world, I had never heard of these delicious twists on the norm before working at Hex. Nevertheless, half their number can now be found empty on my desk. Likewise, before this internship, I studied History at Durham University. A humanities student to the core, I was ignorant to the workings and terminology of digital product. UI? UX? Wireframing? Mixpanel? Terrible diseases and complex medication solutions, I would assume. Now, they are terms I use each week, consistently curious to learn more. I am grateful to Hex for these entry-level opportunities into an industry that can feel elusive and exclusive from the outside. Equally, I hope my experience will provide a valuable perspective to youth-focused products and, excitingly, the Hex Tiktok. Like Dash, the social media team is twisting the original with a focus on new media. Keep an eye out for our ‘Day in the Life of an Intern’ video on Tiktok and Instagram. 

The Nepresso machine.

You’d like a coffee, but would you like a caramel, decaf, intense, origin-specific or espresso variety? Dairy, almond or oat milk? Even as a diligent coffee avoider (I am not), you will pick up knowledge of these features through everyday life - every visit to a coffee shop for tea, or when your co-workers ask each other for orders. There is a similar everyday osmosis for traditional professional roles. By contrast, when I thought of tech, I only thought of coding, as do government campaigns encouraging entrance into the industry. As I have no coding experience, working in tech was unfathomable. However, coming to the career coffee shop now, the menu of opportunity has become legible. Would I like project management, client services, UX research, UI / UX design, business development, marketing, CRM, product strategy, product ownership, branding or something else? Even a third of the way through this internship, I have experienced some of every single department at Hex. I am assisted by the generosity of my colleagues, who are always glad to explain something just for experience’s sake, give meaningful tasks and value my opinion. The world of opportunity continues to open with their help.

Beers.

Personally, I hate beer and have never taken one from the drinks fridge. However, at the end of every Friday, all Hex employees (who can stand the taste) crack open a can for our ‘five slides and vibes’ meeting. Finishing off the week, one lucky employee is chosen from office manager Bhav’s wheel of death to present a five-slide topic of their choice. Beforehand, people chill and chat, catching up on their week and plans for the upcoming weekend, and so connecting the thirty+ team across the hybrid working arrangement. Tuesday and Thursday are our ‘hotspot’ days, when the office is filled with those who might usually choose to protect themselves from the coughing hoards on the tube and train. For this reason, these tend to be the most popular days for ‘quick drink?’ call when 5:30 or 6pm hits. Heading down to a local pub in Farringdon, the collective agreement on one drink before home time is almost always bent or broken - an inevitable consequence of hiring such friendly, interesting people.  A couple of weeks ago, we had an almost company-wide celebration of a product launch into the MVP stage. This week, twenty-three of us will be heading to Rowans for a company social consisting of bowling, boogying and conversation. These events are not only great fun but instrumental to team bonding and the maintenance of this positive, caring and close-knit community at Hex. Missing out? Just wait for the Instagram reel about the event.