This is a real-life experience from my studio, Groovio. For two weeks, I had Honza a high school student interning with us, and from a purely operational standpoint, it was a complication. You have to slow down, explain everything patiently, and give up a chunk of precious time that you feel like you don't even have.

So why should you do it too? Here are a few reasons.

A Perspective We Are Gradually Losing

When you spend fourteen days straight sitting with someone like Honza working on a website, you start hearing feedback from a completely different angle. This generation has different digital habits they see the world through eyes we can no longer use or perhaps eyes we choose to close, even though that world is already here. They are incredibly fast and skilled at finding efficient shortcuts. Honestly, Honza surprised me with how advanced he is in this regard. Their approach breaks our established patterns, and it’s crucial to learn how to work with that and leverage it.

A Drive That Might Put Us "Adults" to Shame

Honza wasn't lazy. Even a week after his internship, while working at his parents' convenience store, he was still sitting at his computer helping out with the web project. Why? Because he has the hunger to improve. Maybe he’s an exception, but his communication and attitude were at a higher level than what I sometimes experience from "finished" adults. This potential exists in young people; we just have to give it space and "strike while the iron is hot and flexible."

If Not Us, Then Who Will Train Them?

I often hear companies complain that schools are turning out "useless" juniors. But let’s be honest: who else is supposed to prepare young people for the reality that comes after graduation if not those of us in the field? If we don't open our doors, we can't be surprised when they sit down at a real project for the first time in their lives at age 25.

The Verdict? Stop Seeing Inexperience as a Burden.

Finding the courage to take someone under your wing costs energy. But starting to see them as a source of fresh thinking and an investment in the future is a win for both sides. Thanks to Honza, we gained a new perspective, and he got to see what real work looks like. He tried it, he understood it, and eventually whether it’s him, us, or someone else it will pay off.