AAP is the new SEXY - Intern experience at AAP

We want to change the world. We want to work with superstars. We want to chat about social psychology with Zuckerberg, have a coffee table conversation with Bill Gates and share that spark of creativity with Steve Jobs. We want to share our offices with misfits, with crazy people who, like us, think that they can change the world. And thus begins our race towards first world countries, to meet people, to meet greatness, to meet craziness.  And so we strive to work at companies like Facebook, Google, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley. And this past month, even here in India, I got a chance to work with superstars. Yes, I interned at Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Awesomeness greeted me at the doorsteps of AAP with a view of awesome people infused in their awesome work. I could feel the pulse of a startup brimming with energy, everyone working towards a common goal, none with any traces of maligned vested interest. Political Renaissance at play.

In India, so many geniuses are going insane these days, leaving their high-paying corporate jobs to work at AAP for free. They like to go the extra mile working extra hours every day even on the otherwise lazy weekends and they just don’t want a penny in return. How weird is that! The AAP office was full of them. Discuss politics with them. Discuss governance with them. Or just discuss anything you want to with them. And you will always end up with something exciting to think about, something new to change your perspective.

Scene one .“Every company would die to have such a team and that too working for free.” I am in a meeting with my mentor and ten other people. All the ten are/were IITians. One was this IIM and Harvard Business School graduate who left his company, then another guy who took a sabbatical from Deutsche Bank, one IRS officer, all of them coming to join AAP.

Scene two. “Challenge me. Question me if you think this is wrong. Let’s have a discussion”. I had been sitting confused over a certain policy of AAP. So this 1963 IITB graduate, tells me to start becoming more aware, to back up what I think and speak with reasoning and facts. And then we go on to have a long discussion over my doubt.

Scene three. “Travel. Explore. Meet people. You will become a different person.” There was this genius with an offer from Stanford who instead decided to drop out. He started a company, sold it off, packed his bags and travelled for four months. He then joined AAP and is now supporting himself with another startup.

Scene four. My mentor was interesting. He introduced me to Swaraj and the notion of Decentralization. “Look upon its successful and unsuccessful models worldwide and show me how we can implement it best in India.” And I did that. Long political discussions with him and many others on the issue. And every time their ideas used to sweep me off my feet. “Suggest some ways to increase transparency in candidate selection. Think outside the box.” He continuously challenged me to innovate.

An Air India pilot. A TV actress. A Human Rights activist. An RTI activist. Law interns. The list would go on. It was a month with some of the most creative and amazing people.

People join AAP because they are angry that the current political scenario is worsening, because they believe that poverty is not just a state of mind, because they are afraid of the world that might be if AAP loses, because they want to be a part of this change, the first revolution after independence. And my most sincere salute to everyone involved in this effort to clean the country. But not everyone gets inspired by this noble cause. So my newly found discovery is for them. I will come to AAP again because AAP is the new Google. AAP is the hottest place to work at because like Google, it gives the chance to work with the smartest guys and unlike Google, these guys are from pretty diverse fields. The air here is fresh, inspiring and full of sheer genius. Moreover it is a perfect recipe. Do your part for the country. Work on challenging issues. Interact with the greatest minds. Change the history. AAP has it all.

AAP has been the symbol of sacrifice and nationalism.  AAP is the political party India deserved since independence and the one it needs right now. But this internship experience has shown me that on top of that AAP is cool and the place to be. AAP is the new smart. AAP is the new sexy. Aam Aadmi is the new superman.