In a startup, no task is too small.
That’s what I learned on my first day, watching people in suits assemble their own desks and engineers pitch in to move furniture.
The unspoken rule was simple: roll up your sleeves, no matter your title.
Not everyone saw it that way.
One intern stood out—not for their work ethic, but for his uncanny ability to avoid anything resembling effort.
He called it “staying in their lane.”
I called it “waiting for karma.”
Little did I know, it would come around faster than expected.
The Entitled Intern
The first thing you noticed about Blake was his confidence.
Not the good kind—the kind that made you wonder if he’d ever heard the word “humility.”
While the rest of us were juggling coffee runs, spreadsheets, and last-minute requests, Blake had a talent for disappearing when anything outside his “job description” came up.
“Hey, Blake, could you help me set up this stand for the product demo?” one of the marketing leads asked during a team prep session.
Blake didn’t even look up from his phone. “Not my job,” he said with a shrug.
It became a running joke among the interns.
Need something done? Don’t ask Blake.
But it wasn’t funny when it meant more work for the rest of us.
I gritted my teeth every time he sidestepped another task, wondering how someone could coast so shamelessly.
As the weeks went by, the tension in the office only grew. A huge investor presentation was coming up, and everyone was scrambling to prepare.
The stakes were high—if we nailed this, it could mean major funding for the company.
Even Blake seemed to sense the pressure, though he didn’t let it interrupt his habit of doing as little as possible.
“I’m here for strategy, not grunt work,” he’d say with an infuriating smile, lounging at his desk while the rest of us stayed late.
The CEO’s Request
The day of the presentation was chaotic. People darted around the office, carrying equipment, double-checking slides, and adjusting lighting in the boardroom.
The CEO, a whirlwind of energy, was everywhere at once, trying to make sure everything was perfect.
Then it happened.
“Can someone help me set up the projector in the boardroom?” the CEO called out, waving a handful of cables.
Blake was the closest. He glanced up, made eye contact, and then…nothing.
“I think someone from IT is better suited for that,” he said, turning back to his laptop as if the CEO wasn’t standing right there.
I froze, unsure whether to laugh or cringe.
The CEO blinked, clearly taken aback, then turned to the rest of the room. “Anyone else?”
Without thinking, I stepped forward. “I’ve got it,” I said, taking the cables from their hand.
It wasn’t a big deal—just plugging in some cords and adjusting the projector settings—but the CEO’s relief was palpable.
“Thank you, Jordan,” he said, giving me a rare smile.
I finished the setup quickly, stayed for a few minutes to make sure everything worked, and then slipped out before the investors arrived.
It was a small moment, one I didn’t think much of at the time.
Blake, on the other hand, had no idea how big of a deal it would turn out to be.
Rewarding Initiative
The Monday after the presentation, I was catching up on emails when I saw the CEO approaching my desk.
My stomach tensed. I thought I might have forgotten something, but the warm smile on his face put me at ease.
“Jordan,” he said, leaning against the divider, “I wanted to thank you again for stepping in during the presentation. It meant a lot that you took the initiative without being asked twice.”
I nodded, trying not to look too pleased. “It wasn’t a problem. Just glad it worked out.”
“Well, it didn’t go unnoticed,” he said. “I’ve got a new project in the pipeline, and I need someone sharp to help coordinate it. Think you’re up for it?”
I was stunned for a moment, the weight of the offer sinking in.
This wasn’t just another intern task—this was a chance to work directly with senior staff on something important.
“Absolutely,” I said, my voice steady despite the excitement bubbling underneath.
The next few days were a whirlwind. Meetings with executives, research sessions, and brainstorming calls filled my schedule.
I found myself working on things I’d never dreamed of touching as an intern, soaking up knowledge at every turn.
Blake, however, noticed the shift immediately.
“Why are you getting pulled into all these meetings?” he asked one afternoon, his tone sharp with irritation.
“The CEO asked me to help with a new project,” I said simply, not wanting to rub it in.
“Seriously?” he said, throwing his pen onto his desk. “What’s so special about you?”
I shrugged. “Maybe it’s because I say yes when people ask for help.”
A Lesson in Humility
By the end of the week, the gap between Blake and me had widened considerably.
I was neck-deep in meaningful work, while he was stuck sorting spreadsheets and drafting reports no one read.
The irony wasn’t lost on me—or anyone else in the office.
But Blake wasn’t done yet. During a coffee break, I overheard him venting to another intern about how unfair everything was.
“I could’ve done that project,” he said, his voice laced with bitterness. “They just didn’t give me the chance.”
I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to remind him of the opportunities he’d brushed off.
The turning point came during a team meeting, where the CEO casually recapped the success of the investor presentation
“It’s moments like these,” he said, looking around the room, “that show who’s willing to step up when it counts. People like Jordan.”
The room broke into polite applause, and I felt my face flush with pride.
But my eyes couldn’t help drifting to Blake, who sat stiffly, his jaw clenched.
Later that day, as I packed up my things, I caught a glimpse of Blake at his desk, his usual swagger replaced with a tense, distracted air.
The weight of his choices—his non-choices—was finally catching up with him.
I didn’t feel the need to say anything. Blake had made it clear what he thought was “his job,” and now he was living the reality of it.
Sometimes, opportunities aren’t handed to you—they’re waiting for you to step up.
And sometimes, the smallest tasks lead to the biggest breaks.