Internship at Bolder

Internship at Bolder

Why Bolder? 

Bolder believes in being conscious of the world we live in. Bolder’s philosophy centers around the idea that every person has the potential to add value through their own unique skills and talents. Bolder encourages people to explore their creative potential, we nurture an environment that is conducive to building you into a more creative version of yourself. We value innovation, and therefore we must value diversity. An experience at Bolder will leave you feeling energized and motivated to develop your innate potential. We are not afraid to fail because we believe failure helps us grow. 

Bolder endeavors to provide you an environment that keeps your own needs first. Where traditional organizations focus on a ‘herd’ mentality Bolder finds purpose in creating an environment that is tailored to your needs. There is no black sheep at Bolder. Bolder is not a traditional ‘Hierarchy’ instead we are a ‘Holarchy’. An environment where each person’s value comes from her or his uniqueness and the capacity to engage and interact with others to make the fruits of that uniqueness available.  

Meet our interns and discover what they have to say about Bolder:  

 

Meet: 

Leila Beig

Origin: Iran 

Interests: Business Model Innovation, Knowledge Management, Sharing Economy, Hiking, Zumba 

Motivation  

My story of joining Bolder started when Bolder’s founder Eirik lectured in our university. It was a cloudy April morning and I was sitting in the innovation management course class. The course focus was on theoretical and practical aspects of innovation management process and Bolder was supposed to be a practical example. 

Surprisingly, Bolder’s way of looking at the whole phenomenon was extensively different from what was found in the literature of organizations. Different philosophy, different way of looking at what is happening around us, experiencing a conscious and active life.

The whole time that Eirik was presenting I was thinking about what the world would look like if our society actually thought this way. The perspective was so new and unique that I was required to imagine them and analyze the feasibility of them. It was like an explosion of new concepts in my mind which was impatiently waiting for them for to think differently and be a part of change. So, the novelty and demand, as well as the challenging nature of the subject motivated me to apply for internship in Bolder.    

First impression 

Now I am an intern in Bolder and my first impression was “deeply different way of thinking, open minded leaders and employees, friendly and dynamic environment, freedom to do the job in an innovative way that you think is the right way and letting the employees to fail and learn”. 

Working in Bolder 

Working here is totally different from my previous workplaces. Trust is the main part of the job and plays a critical role. There isn’t any traditional control that limits you or puts a frame around you to work on a specific predefined structure. Being frameless and experience dynamic changes is something that you observe every day. I think this helps a new employee to find his/her part in the whole puzzle and contribute to shape the final picture altogether. Being involved in the whole process even in forming the Bolder picture imbedded in Bolder culture is an amazing part that attached me to the company and I feel integrated and united with the company now.  

I recommend students to intern with Bolder if they want to think differently and want themselves to discover their unique gifted potential. Thank you Bolder for giving me this opportunity.  

 

 

Meet: 

Julia Onuchak  

Origin: Russia 

Interests: Human Interaction, Nature, Arts, Learning & Development 

 

Motivation 

I was really thrilled by Eirik’s (founder of Bolder) lecture. He came to UiS to run the lecture on business management methodologies, but insensibly the lecture  transformed into a  lively dialog. It was unexpected to meet a company face to face that had values that are so advanced and also so close to mine. So, when the internship at Bolder was announced I  already had no doubts that I wanted to be a part of it.   

First Impression 

I got my first  impression at the University lecture when I was exposed to a company that implements advanced business approaches which I was willing to get acquainted with. After the first few days at the Internship at Bolder I understood that it was just the top of the iceberg. It required a few days to understand and to get to the center of a creative flow. And I am still constantly learning something new about industry, business, product development, people and culture. And I am looking forward to learn more.   

Working in Bolder 

I came to Norway to make a break in my working career and get a new perspective on my future. I used to work in huge companies with a scope of implemented procedures, rules, understanding of roles and responsibilities of every team member. I can see that that is different in Bolder. Here I feel the freedom to learn, propose and come with new ideas – freedom of creativity. That is new for me to be a part of innovating  team that shapes the future.    

 

 

Meet: 

Bakhtawar Khan 

Origin: Pakistan 

Interests: Responsible Innovation, Human Consciousness, Philosophy, Hiking, Nature   

Motivation 

It was a dreadful Friday morning with the typical Stavanger weather in February. I was in no mood of going to class that day. Feeling very tired from a long hike the previous day, all I wanted to do was to sleep in and enjoy a good breakfast by myself. However, my intuition pushed me to get up and go. To my surprise, we had an unannounced seminar that day in our Management of Innovation class. 

Eirik, the founder of Bolder, presented the company to the students. He talked about the values at Bolder of being adventurous, playful, active, and most importantly, being conscious of your actions. Immediately, these values struck a deep chord within me. I knew Bolder was onto something meaningful. I am an introvert, and I opened right away feeling at home. I felt that even if I was not understood I would still be encouraged to be myself. Classified as an INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging) per Myers Briggs personality types, I am a rare type forming only approx. 2% of the population. I have always found accepting the concept of competition challenging. It is not who I am innately. Nurturing human potential has always resonated closely with me.  

Ideas of raising human awareness and consciousness that create environments where contribution not competition takes precedence, where leadership is not about giving orders and excelling over others but unlocking people’s potential to go after their dreams has always been my higher calling. Listening, to Eirik speak about Bolder’s philosophy was what my heart searched for in life. That moment I made the decision to join Bolder.  

First Impression 

The first few days felt different. For me it was the first time I was working in a startup and I could see that some things were a bit up in the air. I have also worked in both organizational setups i.e. both hierarchical and flat organizations however, working in a holarchy is a totally different experience. I was used to working in an environment that existed more on a boss subordinate type of a relationship dynamic. Obviously, we all know that nowhere its very strictly followed to that extent because the world is changing and with that leadership styles also change however, there is always to some extent this invisible barrier that lies between the two. At Bolder this was almost entirely nonexistent. At least for a person like myself who thrives on a balanced relationship was great to experience. 

Working at Bolder 

It has been unique and in many ways a liberating experience. I am doing things that I never did before and I am getting to exercise my creativity more in the professional arena. The work environment is relaxed. As a masters’ student and having other commitments in my life, Bolder allows creative and flexible approach to work. There are days when I must stay at school for class or group discussions, but I have the flexibility to work from home/school. Everyone I found here is super cooperative and understanding. For example, we conducted an exercise where employees were stressed to think and convey their needs to their team members. I find this practice to be conducive to develop more cohesiveness between team mates and helps everyone feel excel at what they do best. Bolder people believe that everyone is special and that the right environment therefore will bring out the best in people. Bolder endeavors to create such an environment. Quite frankly, that is just awesome.

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