My Internship Experience at Streambased: From Confusion to Confidence

Interning at Streambased has been an incredible journey full of challenges, learning, and growth. While my first day was tough, it was also filled with excitement and new ideas that set the tone for what became a transformative experience. Looking back, I can honestly say I haven’t regretted a single day.

Day One: A Thrilling Start

The first day was a whirlwind. I joined a meeting with the marketing lead and team members, where we kicked things off with introductions and an icebreaker to get to know each other. That helped ease the nerves, but things quickly shifted into technical territory. I was introduced to how Streambased works and what the company does. While the core concepts like the MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers and prompt engineering were initially hard to grasp, I loved seeing my school knowledge being applied in a real-world setting. I spent time recording LLM (Large Language Model) responses and updating context to improve output accuracy and relevance. To be honest, I felt lost at times, especially since I had never worked with AI before. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone—Jack, one of the team members, patiently guided me through the tasks. He also helped me understand Streambased’s mission better and supported me with writing LinkedIn posts. I was surrounded by a talented team that made complex ideas easier to understand, which gave me the confidence to keep pushing forward.

Day Two: Gaining Clarity

The second day felt smoother. I started coding context for MCP tools, helping the LLM choose the right tools to complete a task. Later, I wrote tests using Vitest to validate that the tools behaved as expected. This day deepened my understanding of TypeScript, especially arrays, data types, and for-loops. Although I was still getting familiar with the syntax and framework, I could follow the logic and purpose behind the code. I began to appreciate the importance of combining testing with learning good tests are just as important as good code. Through this hands-on experience, I started understanding the fundamentals of prompt engineering, a skill that’s becoming increasingly valuable in the AI space.

Day Three: Designing the Future

On the third day, I shifted gears from code to design. I created a mood board for a portfolio website I’d be building on my final day. Using Google Docs, I mapped out the site’s structure, visual direction, and the content I wanted to showcase. This planning phase taught me how important it is to build a strong foundation before jumping into development. Having a clear vision made me feel more organized and prepared for the next step.

Final Day: Bringing It All Together

On my last day, I brought the portfolio design to life using Next.js, Tailwind CSS, and shadcn/ui. I used shadcn/ui to prototype the design quickly, Tailwind CSS for styling and layout, and React.js to build reusable components, reducing duplication and streamlining development. It was amazing to see my plan turn into a functioning website and to realize how much I’d learned in just a few days.

Final Thoughts: Lessons That Stick

This internship taught me more than just coding and design. It showed me how to use AI as a tool, whether it’s prompt engineering or using ChatGPT to draft content. More importantly, I picked up real insights from experienced developers about what makes a good programmer. The biggest lesson? Problem solving and debugging are essential skills. It's not just about writing code it's about understanding problems deeply and figuring out smart solutions.

Thank you to the team at Streambased for such a supportive and inspiring internship. I walked in uncertain and walked out more confident, curious, and motivated to keep growing as a developer.