DESIGN QUESTION
“How might we democratize access to internships and career resources for university students?”
SOLUTION & APPROACH
Adopted a wedge-first product strategy, starting with the most accessible users in the ecosystem.
Instead of beginning with universities (the long-term core user), we started by:
- Focusing on students and employers as the entry point
- Prioritizing rapid validation of job demand and engagement
- Reducing friction in posting and applying to opportunities
- Building early network effects through active listings and usage
This approach allowed us to:
- Validate whether real demand existed outside institutional structures
- Understand how employers behave without institutional mediation
- Test student engagement patterns early
- Avoid long enterprise sales cycles at the start
BUILDING THE MVP
The first MVP was designed for speed and validation. Started with a simple setup using a Google Form to collect student sign-ups, which fed into a Google Sheet and newsletter distribution system for internship opportunities. The goal was to quickly test whether there was real demand from students and the internship culture in general before investing in a full platform.
We intentionally began with students, as they were the easiest group to onboard and engage within the ecosystem. This allowed us to validate interest in internship opportunities with minimal build time and complexity.
“…designed for speed and validation.”
LEARNINGS FROM THE MVP
Bypassing complex development allowed us to validate student and early talent interest and engagement patterns with Zero build time
Distribution matters more than features. A simple newsletter generated engagement.
Strong interest in internships among students.
Students struggle to find internships in their field of study and location, making relevance and proximity key barriers.
Visibility and structured access to relevant students is a bigger need for employers than just posting roles.
DESIGNING & LAUNCHING THE WEB APP [V1]
This marked the transition from manual distribution (Google Sheets + email) to a dedicated platform experience designed for early talent access.
TARGET USERS
Anaanse is designed to bridge the gap between students, employers, and institutions by making career opportunities more accessible and discoverable.
Early talents (Student)
University students and recent graduates looking for internships, entry-level jobs, industrial attachments, and career opportunities relevant to their field of study and location.
Employers
Companies and startups looking to hire interns, trainees, and junior talent efficiently.
Institutions & Career Centers
Universities, colleges, and career offices responsible for improving student employability outcomes.
MAKING ONBOARDING FEEL LIGHT, FUN WITH GIFS
The job seeker signup flow breaks registration into short, skippable steps — each screen paired with a playful GIF to keep the experience approachable and reduce drop-off before profiles are complete.
EASY JOB POSTING WITH AI JOB DESCRIPTION GENERATOR
Employers can publish roles in minutes — enter a few details and let the AI draft a polished job description they can review, edit, and post without starting from a blank page.
SHORTLIST, BULK MESSAGE, BULK CV DOWNLOAD & REVIEW SCREENING QUESTIONS
Once applications come in, employers can move faster — shortlist candidates, message groups in one go, download CVs in bulk, and review screening question responses without switching between tools.
PROACTIVELY SEARCH TALENTS & SEND JOB INVITES
The talents page lets employers go beyond inbound applications — search the talent pool by skills, location, and availability, then reach out directly with a job invite to the people who fit.
BROWSE JOBS & APPLY AS A TALENT
On the talent job page, students and early-career professionals can browse open roles, filter by what matters to them, and apply in a few steps — no cold outreach required.
TRACK JOB APPLICATIONS
Talents can see every application in one place — where they applied, current status, and what happens next — so nothing falls through the cracks after hitting submit.
Key learnings
Make value visible
Users shouldn't have to search for what matters — show key info like role details, application status, and next actions upfront.
Visual simplicity wins
Breaking down complex flows into clear, bite-sized steps builds user confidence and reduces overwhelm.
Post-launch matters
Continuous iteration after launch helped us ship meaningful improvements based on real user pain.