We don’t always know what to expect when we start something new. At times like these, I feel a mixture of curiosity and vertigo. I’m not quite sure what to expect, but I do know that attitude makes all the difference.
That’s how I started my internship at Telefónica, eager to discover, try and take advantage of every opportunity that came my way. I couldn’t have imagined then the amount of experiences, learning and challenges I would have. It was an intense year, but above all, it was a year marked by the atmosphere, an incredible team, attentive and generous with their time, always willing to teach and make you feel part of the team from day one.
My experience as an intern in such an environment was a real immersion in the technological and human culture of the company, which broadened my personal learning. I was part of a team that explored new ways of applying artificial intelligence to different projects. It was a very dynamic period in which I trained models, analysed results, tested different frameworks and tools, and learned as much from successes as from failed attempts.
Internal training
But it wasn’t all about models and frameworks. I also participated in internal training on artificial intelligence, product dynamics, and even volunteer activities. This combination of experiences allowed me to collaborate with people from very different backgrounds: product, design, development… and discover how each perspective brings something different to the process.
Among all these experiences, there was one that summed up everything I had learned and combined the balance between technical skills, creativity, and teamwork. I am talking about Equinox, a 24-hour innovation marathon in which teams from different areas come together to brainstorm, design, and prototype solutions in record time.
Equinox: 24-hour innovation marathon
It is known as Equinox and is an initiative that takes place twice a year, coinciding with the equinox. For one day, the work environment is transformed into a shared space for collaboration, ideas and constant rhythm. From the outset, the atmosphere is different from any other day; there is excitement, some nerves and a shared motivation to get something done in such a short time.
The event is held in person at Telefónica’s various offices in Spain, but remote participation is also possible. Teams are formed freely, with whomever you want to join, and can be completely different from each other. Some mix product, design and development profiles, while others are more homogeneous. This flexibility allows each group to work in its own way, and that’s part of the magic.
During those 24 hours, the pace never slows down. While some continue to refine ideas or write code, others take a break by participating in trivia games, tournaments or activities designed to keep the atmosphere lively. And, of course, there is always pizza.
The rules are few but clear: the proposal must be submitted within the deadline and a five-minute final presentation must be prepared for a jury made up of executives and professionals from different areas of innovation, strategy and technology. Five minutes that are not for showing slides, but for presenting the idea live, its potential and what the team was able to build in just one day. As for the awards, they are divided into several categories that recognise different aspects of the work.
The categories may vary in each edition depending on the most current technological trends. However, beyond the awards, what really defines the event is the feeling of collaboration, moments of total concentration, others of controlled chaos and, always, that shared energy of building something together. Between coffees, trivia games, and pizzas, the hours fly by.
When it’s time to present, the fatigue is noticeable, but so is the satisfaction of having reached the end with something that was born from scratch just one day earlier.
I had the opportunity to participate in two editions of the event. In both, I was part of a team of developers. They were intense and collaborative days, where I learned a lot about how to coordinate efforts, solve problems quickly and stay motivated even when things got complicated or didn’t seem to be going as we had hoped.
In the first edition, we won one of the event’s prizes, which made us especially happy after so many hours of work. But the best came later: the idea continued to evolve, some demos were developed and presented to the team. It was an example of how something created in 24 hours can become the starting point for further development.
From all these experiences, I am left with the certainty that the most important thing was not the technique, but the way of facing each challenge. Equinox was the best summary of what my scholarship has meant: working as a team, making mistakes, trying again, and enjoying the process.
Each edition left me with the satisfaction of having reached the end with something that was born from scratch and the feeling of having grown, not only professionally, but also in the way I face challenges, with curiosity, collaboration and a desire to continue learning.
