At Rocketgenius, our internship program is more than just a summer opportunity – it’s a launching pad for growth, learning, and lasting relationships.

Every year, we welcome a new group of interns to collaborate with our remote teams, work on real projects that support Gravity Forms and the broader WordPress ecosystem, and discover what it’s like to build meaningful software in a people-first environment.

We are excited to announce that applications for the Summer 2026 Rocketgenius Internship are now open! As we embark on another season of learning and innovation, we want to share what the experience is really like – from the inside.

In this post, Martin Grigoryan, one of our 2025 interns, reflects on his first two weeks at Rocketgenius and what it was like joining the team, learning workflows, and growing as a developer.

The beginning

It started on a summer hike. Somewhere along the way, a familiar phrase came to mind: “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.” I wasn’t sure what that meant to me at the time, so I let the thought pass and continued climbing. Later that day, back at my desk, it came back in a way I couldn’t ignore.

I opened the Gravity Forms newsletter, a newsletter I always look forward to because it consistently highlights updates and new features. Normally, I browse the changelog, but this time something else caught my eye. It was an announcement of an internship opportunity at Rocketgenius. I stopped for a moment, put my phone away, and sentences from my hike replayed in my head. I love working with WordPress. I love using Gravity Forms to solve real-world problems for clients. And here’s an opportunity to combine both in a team setting. That realization brought a unique sense of excitement, and without hesitation, I proposed.

The next morning, I woke up to an email from Rocketgenius. Expecting automatic confirmation, I was surprised to find a personal note outlining next steps. Those small details gave me a glimpse into the company’s culture: thoughtful, intentional, and people-focused. This internship includes a curriculum to complete, which I think is a challenge worth accepting.

Pre-start course

I’ve been building websites with WordPress and Gravity Forms since 2012, so this course felt familiar yet valuable. It covers everything from HTML and CSS to plugin development, custom post types, and PHP for WordPress. My favorite is the PHP for WordPress course, which brings together concepts I’ve used for years and explains them in an easy-to-understand way.

Throughout the pre-internship phase, I stayed in touch with my mentor on Slack, shared updates, and joined Zoom calls to review progress. This was the first time I experienced what a 100 percent remote team would be like, and it made me excited for the future.

Beginning of internship

Before I knew it, the internship had officially started. A new laptop was sent to me, and an initial call was scheduled with my manager and a few people from the team. From the first minute, I felt welcomed and supported.

The onboarding documentation was extensive: schedules, wikis, links, and checklists that answered almost every question I had. It’s clear how much attention is paid to ensuring new interns feel part of the team from day one.

Week one: Getting into the workflow

My first week was a mix of introductions and learning the rhythm of the company. I met my manager, my senior developer mentor, and several other team members in various fields. On the first day, I had spoken to six people, each of whom was generous with their time and eager to help me solve the problem.

I was introduced to the tools that keep Rocketgenius moving: Slack, GitHub, an internal wiki, and a Slack bot that prompts daily check-ins. That little bit of automation turned out to be one of my favorite aspects of the workflow. This not only keeps me accountable but also gives teammates a quick way to see what I’m working on, where I might be getting stuck, and how the week is going.

At the end of the week, I hold my first weekend meeting, where everyone shares updates and reflects on what went well. It struck me how structured yet flexible the culture is. Meetings are never filler; they have clear goals of alignment, accountability, and support.

Week two: Dig deeper

In the second week, I started to move beyond just setup and practice. I spent more time on the documentation and wiki, finalized my local development environment, and started exploring Gravity Forms directly. Weekly kick-off meetings on Monday provide direction for the week, while one-on-one meetings with my manager provide space to ask questions and get feedback.

One of the highlights of the week was meeting with the customer support team and troubleshooting mock issues via HelpScout. This was my first look at how support operates at scale, and it taught me that technical accuracy is only half the job. The other half is communicating the solution clearly and empathetically.

Every interaction reinforced what I had felt from the start, that this was a company that valued communication as much as code. Questions were encouraged, feedback was constructive, and every teammate I contacted responded well.

Lessons from the first two weeks

Two weeks may not sound like a long time, but the learning is very meaningful. Some standout lessons include:

• Important details. From annotating screenshots to writing clear reproduction steps, the little things make collaboration smoother.
• Communication is everything. Whether in a Slack message or a customer reply, clarity builds trust.
• Remote doesn’t mean disconnected. With the right structure, tools, and culture, distributed teams can feel as connected, if not more connected, than face-to-face teams.

Looking ahead

The first two weeks were more than just an introduction to Rocketgenius. It’s a window into how a team can combine technical excellence with genuine human connection. In just two weeks, I learned new skills, became more comfortable in a remote environment, and gained a deeper appreciation of what it takes to build and support products at scale.

I’m excited to move forward, learn more about a product I’ve relied on for over a decade, and contribute in a meaningful way. If the first two weeks are any indication, this internship is not the only job I enjoy. This will be work I will be proud of.

Apply for the Summer 2026 Rocketgenius Internship

Inspired by Martin’s journey? Your own Rocketgenius story can start this summer.

Rocketgenius Summer 2026 Internship is a paid, remote program designed to help aspiring engineers learn, build, and grow with the people behind Gravity Forms and other leading WordPress products.

Learn more and register now – registration is open until February 1, 2026, but places are limited.