Konnex Shadowship Program

Founder-Level Shadow Internship

At Konnex, we hire differently intentionally and transparently. Every person who works at Konnex starts with a Shadowship. A Shadowship is a short, real-world trial period (typically one week to one month) where candidates shadow our team, observe real work, and contribute in a live business environment. This gives us exposure to how you think, learn, and operate and gives you exposure to how Konnex truly works. If the Shadowship is a strong mutual fit, it may convert into an internship. Successful internships may then convert into full-time employment. This process is mandatory for all roles and ensures alignment, clarity, and long-term success on both sides.

What Makes a Shadowship Different

Most internships teach tasks.
A Konnex Shadowship teaches thinking, judgment, and execution.

Shadowships are built on the idea that the fastest way to learn is proximity:

Proximity to decisions
Proximity to pressure
Proximity to leadership
Proximity to real consequences

Instead of being assigned isolated work, Shadowships observe and assist in live environments — meetings, strategy sessions, negotiations, product discussions, and execution planning.

What Shadowships Do

Shadowship participants may:

Sit in on real business calls and meetings
Observe founder-level decision making
Assist with:
- Research and analysis
- Drafting outreach, proposals, or notes
- Product feedback and testing
- Event coordination and logistics
- Social media or content ideation
- Operational support

The emphasis is always on learning how decisions are made, not just completing tasks.

You learn why something is done — not just what is done.

What Shadowships Do NOT Do

This program is not:

A classroom or training course
A guaranteed job
A guaranteed paid position
A structured 9–5 role
A place for hand-holding

Shadowships require self-direction, maturity, and discretion.

Program Structure

Duration: Typically 2–8 weeks
Time Commitment: Flexible / part-time
Format: Remote, hybrid, or in-person (depending on availability)
Cohort Size: Very limited (selective)

Each Shadowship experience is slightly different depending on:

Current Konnex initiatives
The Shadowship’s strengths and interests
Live projects happening during the program

Who This Is For

Ideal candidates include:

Students or recent graduates
Aspiring founders or operators
Creators, builders, or strategists
Individuals curious about startups, tech, events, or media
People who learn best by watching and doing

This program is best suited for people who are:

Curious
Observant
Coachable
Discreet
Comfortable in fast-moving environments

What Shadowships Gain

Participants gain:
Founder-level exposure
Real understanding of how companies are built
Insight into leadership, decision-making, and tradeoffs
Resume and LinkedIn experience
Mentorship through observation
Potential future opportunities if there is strong alignment
Many Shadowships leave with clarity — about business, careers, and whether entrepreneurship is truly for them.

What Konnex Gains

Konnex uses Shadowships to:

Identify high-potential talent
Build a trusted pipeline of future team members
Test working relationships before formal hiring
Gain fresh perspectives and support
Teach the Konnex way of thinking and building

Shadowships are mutually selective — both sides evaluate fit.

Confidentiality & Professionalism

Because Shadowships are exposed to real operations:
NDAs are required
Discretion is mandatory
Professional conduct is expected
This is a real business environment, not a simulation.

One-Sentence Summary (Public-Facing)

he Konnex Shadowship Program is a selective shadow-internship that gives participants real-time exposure to founder-level decision making, strategy, and execution.

If you want, next I can:

Turn this into a job posting
Create a Shadowship application form
Draft an acceptance or rejection email
Decide paid vs unpaid vs stipend
Design a Shadowship onboarding checklist

Just tell me the next move.