Phil Tee, CEO of Moogsoft.

Sussex undergrad, Kea Tossavainen, who completed an internship with Moogsoft.

After receiving an email seeking applicants for a unique internship with IT incident management specialists Moogsoft, Computer Science student Kea Tossavainen couldn’t wait to apply. Sussex alumnus and Moogsoft CEO Phil Tee (MOLS 1985) started the company in 2012 and has recently been able to integrate third year Sussex students into their intern program. Kea enjoyed the chance to develop bleeding-edge technology in San Francisco so much that she has since accepted the offer of a full time job with the company after she graduates next year …

Phil Tee was introduced to Sussex as a 17-year-old choosing a place to study for his first degree in the early eighties: “I fell in love with the environment, the attitude, the campus and its setting.”

After completing his Physical Sciences undergraduate degree he decided to stay on for another year to complete a postgraduate course in Theoretical Physics. Phil reconnected with the University about ten years ago when the Development and Alumni Relations Office got in touch:

“I spent a very interesting day talking to people in the departments of Informatics and Mathematical and Physical Sciences. What I encountered was an institution that was doing lots of very exciting and interesting research.

“There was definitely a connection with what I wanted to do in the next phase of my career.”

After setting up an incubator called Promethyan Labs and building a relationship with Sussex to direct and fund research, Phil started Moogsoft in 2012. By that time, as well as being an external business investor in academic research at Sussex, the company collaborated on research into network management and service assurance with academics.

Through this relationship, Moogsoft began nurturing third year students into their intern program funding postgraduate studentships. As well as directly sponsoring a PhD candidate in informatics, Moogsoft recently recruited Kea Tossavainen as their first intern.

Here, she explains how the opportunity came about and what she gained from spending the summer working at a Silicon Valley startup.

Where are you originally from?

Jyvaskyla, Finland.

What are you studying and why did you choose this subject matter?

I’m pursuing an undergraduate degree in Computer Science.I was originally studying Games and Multimedia Environments because I’ve always loved playing digital games and previously worked for a gaming company. During my studies, however, I started finding Computer Science modules more interesting and I switched courses halfway through my second year.

You worked at Moogsoft in the summer. How did that opportunity come about?

Moogsoft sent an email to the top students about a unique internship opportunity at a hot silicon valley startup developing bleeding-edge technology. I applied for it at the first chance I had.

How was the interview process?

It was honestly a very pleasant experience. I got my past jobs through connections and maybe a single interview, so going through this interview process was intimidating at first. The first step was a phone call with the Head of Talent, Joe, and I was actually shaking the whole phone call. Apparently it went well because I made it to the next round!

The next step was a meeting Phil when he came to campus. I was really nervous about meeting Phil, but he was really nice and straightforward about what Moogsoft was seeking in an intern. After that conversation, I was certain that I wanted this internship. The following week, I had one more phone call with Phil. This conversation got more technical and at the end of the call I was offered the internship! I was ecstatic.

Why did you decide to accept?

I found Moogsoft’s technology fascinating. Additionally, everyone I had contact with was absolutely lovely. Phil is brilliant and after meeting him I was sure I’d learn a lot from working with him (and I did).

Working in San Francisco was a huge plus too. I had never been to the United States before and I was excited to explore a new city.

What was it like coming all the way to San Francisco for a summer?

It was really exciting and a bit scary at the same time. Luckily I had a friend who had been there several times and happened to be there on my first weekend to show me around. Additionally, the people at Moogsoft were really welcoming and showed me around.

What were some of your favorite activities that you did in San Francisco?

I really enjoyed spending time with my workmates. They took me out to see San Francisco and attend social events. My favorite event was seeing the Little Mermaid Sing Along in Castro Theatre. Additionally, I enjoyed trying out new types of food.

What was the nature of your work at Moogsoft?

Moogsoft sells IT Service Assurance software to very large enterprises. Many of their customers have very sensitive data that is sent to Moogsoft. My project was to build a program that could anonymize sensitive customer data. It was an exciting programming project. It was quite challenging but I had brilliant people around me to answer my questions.

What were the biggest challenges that you faced?

My own stubbornness when it comes to asking questions. I was trying to figure out everything on my own even though I had so many brilliant people around who were really willing to help me. My project was also the biggest programming project I’ve done alone and it was a bit overwhelming at first, but I eventually became really immersed in my work. 

What were the most valuable skills that you learned?

This internship was one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. I was able to improve my overall programming skillset. I learned so many new concepts and techniques, making me much more confident in my skills now. I learned how to use virtual machines, vi, MySQL and other cool tricks on command line.

So what’s next?

I’m back at Sussex now, starting my third and final year. I feel like I learned so much during my internship that I am really ready for my last year. After graduation I am moving to Kingston upon Thames, because I was offered a full-time job at Moogsoft!

What advice do you have for other students in your field?

Work hard and get real exposure. The difference between the people who do well and who don’t do so well as a programmer is not their IQ or cleverness, it’s the amount of work they put into it and the exposure they get with innovative technologies.