Written by Isaac Frank (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Student Correspondent for CET Taiwan, Spring 2025
If only I’d known how much I’d love my internship, all my nerves about going to Taiwan would have fled away. I’ve always wanted to work for a rapidly growing tech startup, and as the pioneering force of third-party payment systems in Taiwan, Oen Tech has exceeded my expectations. Although I’m not yet coding as much as I thought I would, I’m responsible for working with the engineers to improve user flow for their product’s website. In addition, I’ve gotten to work directly with clients to integrate their website with Oen Tech’s features and research marketing strategies for Oen Tech to enter US markets.
But enough of the technical stuff. Below are some of the things I love most about my internship!
Welcomed!
As this Instagram post reflects, all the staff made a big deal out of my friend Nico and I onboarding at Oen Tech. Although they are famous in Taiwan and gain new clients weekly, since they are a small startup community, they took time to welcome us in. They give us loads of merch, worked through the language barrier, and introduced us to everyone in their small (but very nice) office.
Pictured above is my boss and Oen Tech’s CEO, 蕭新晟 (Xiao Xincheng), introducing us to Oen’s coffee machine and many types of snacks. Mr. Xiao is not only extremely accomplished but also has perfect English and constantly encourages us to pursue whatever will help us learn the most.
Oriented to Oen
The two product managers took Nico and I through the inside and out of Oen Tech, their Agile project management approach, and gave us time to demo the product. There were definitely language challenges during this conversation, but between our Chinese and their English, plus a translator when necessary, we understood the core of the message. Although it was slightly frustrating, I’m already starting to be able to speak more technical Chinese terms!
Thursday Lunch!
Every Thursday, Oen Tech has their “all-hands” meeting, where everyone in the company shares updates about their progress and challenges. Before this all-hands meeting, though, is free lunch and chatting! Above is me explaining my first experience trying stinky tofu.
The Setup
Again, I love everything about the office, from my desk setup to the collaborative atmosphere. Above, I’m translating Taiwan vs US social media marketing research into Chinese before Nico and I plan to present it next week.
I honestly don’t know what else I could expect from my CET internship. I’m gaining various types of experience, experiencing a successful Taiwanese startup environment, and having a lot of fun building connections here. Being only three weeks in, I’m excited to really dive into the technical side of things, push my Chinese to a higher level, and get to know people better.