Blackbird Software Engineering

Why complete this job simulation

A risk-free way to experience work on the job. Practice your skills with example tasks and build your confidence to ace your applications.

Self-paced

6-7 hours

No grades

No assessments

Advanced

Welcome to Blackbird’s Virtual Experience Program! We are so excited to have you here!

We are a venture capital fund based in Australia and New Zealand. We invest in every type of technology and are unified by wild ambitions. This program is an embodiment of what we value the most as a company and will allow you to explore the compelling work that startups do all over the world.

During this program, you will gain valuable insight into what it’s like to be a software engineer in a startup environment. You will also get the opportunity to practice practical skills such as how to build and verify code, assess cloud infrastructure, and more! The best part? After completing each module, you will have the opportunity to compare your work with real work sample answers from experts working at some of Blackbird's portfolio companies. This will give you the chance to learn from their process and improve in the future. Upon completing the program you will also earn a certificate that can help you stand out during your job search!

We hope that this program will be an interactive and valuable resource for you as you explore the world of startups and build skills for your future career!

Please note: to complete this program and earn your completion certificate, you will need to submit only 3 out of 6 tasks.

Lilypad: The place our startups hire great talent from. 🙌

The Lilypad is an exclusive hiring platform for Blackbird’s 90+ portfolio companies, helping you get in front of startups and leapfrog into your dream job. It’s free and takes less than five minutes to create a profile and fill out your career preferences, where you’ll then get introduced directly to our founders and operators.

Sign up here.

How it works

Complete tasks guided by pre-recorded videos and example answers from industry experts. No live sessions, all self-paced.
Earn a certificate and add it to your resume and LinkedIn as an extra curricular activity.
Stand out in applications. Confidently answer interview questions and explain why you’re a good fit for the job.

Skills you will learn and practice:

A/B Testing

Agile Methodology

Amazon Web Services

Arduino Programming

Cloud Computing

Collaboration

Hardware Knowledge

JavaScript Programming

Product Analytics

Project Management

React Development

System Architecture

Unit Testing

Version Control

Introduction from Blackbird

Tasks

Task One: Collaborate Using GitHub with Propeller

1-2 hoursIntroductory

What you'll learn

The role of Git and GitHub in managing and reviewing code changes
How branching and pull requests support safe, collaborative development
How command-line workflows can be documented and reused

What you'll do

Create a React application and push it to a GitHub repository
Use GitHub CLI to create a branch, open a pull request, and merge changes
Document your Git and GitHub commands in a shell script

Task One: Collaborate Using GitHub with Propeller

1-2 hoursIntroductory

What you'll learn

The role of Git and GitHub in managing and reviewing code changes
How branching and pull requests support safe, collaborative development
How command-line workflows can be documented and reused

What you'll do

Create a React application and push it to a GitHub repository
Use GitHub CLI to create a branch, open a pull request, and merge changes
Document your Git and GitHub commands in a shell script

Reviews

4.5

I enjoyed the hands-on nature of the simulation and the opportunity to work on tasks related to software engineering, product thinking, cloud infrastructure, and agile development. The activities provided practical exposure to real-world scenarios and helped me understand how startup engineering teams operate.

Student, SRM Institute Of Science & Technology ( Deemed University)

I liked the way the program made me perform tasks which would be commonly performed by SWE interns at the office and help me gain invaluable insights in to the kind of expectations and tasks which is expected from an engineer at Blackbird. I loved that each task was broken down in to simpler steps which prevent the student from feeling lost in an alien environment

Student, University of Kansas

I enjoyed the hands-on approach of the simulation and the opportunity to work on realistic software engineering and cloud infrastructure tasks. The activities were well-structured, practical, and helped me better understand AWS services, system design, and decision-making in a real-world environment.

Student, PSG College of Technology