Lancify, digital freelance platform, helps students pocket extra income

It's a common and worldwide decision faced by entrepreneurs and startups alike: when the budget is tight, is a freelancer or an intern the answer?

For the uninitiated, an internship is a temporary form of full-time or part-time employment that can be paid or unpaid. An intern can have several roles and responsibilities. A freelancer, on the other hand, is a contractor for a very specific task or to solve a very specific problem that he/she is highly skilled at.

“A freelancer is typically one who is given a set of deliverables, on the completion of which the contract is terminated. An intern on the other hand is a form of short-term employment where the candidate is given various different roles and tasks,” says Gowtham Sundaresan, a tech entrepreneur. “An intern is meant to be provided with time, mentorship and attention which will lead to their positive growth.”

According to him, most startups and SMEs know they can’t dedicate enough resources to track the personal development of the intern, thus voluntarily signing them up for exploitation.

“This is the perfect situation to hire a student freelancer instead. With minimal dedication of time and effort, the company can be sure that they will be given the deliverables required and with quality. Hiring interns, getting them used to the company culture and processes, and then figuring out what work to give them is big waste of time for the intern and the company. Hire student freelancers for efficiency and quality work. Hire interns when you’re ready to impart mentorship,” he continues.

With the intention to universalise student freelancing, Sundaresan, along with his BITS Pilani classmate Azan Barodawala, launched an online platform called Lancify.

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