How Summer Interns Revitalized a Burned-Out Startup Founder’s Work Life

Bryan Reed, a 24-year-old entrepreneur in New York City, launched Freeport Markets, a 24/7 international stock-trading app, in July 2025. By the spring he was experiencing severe burnout, working long hours largely alone with his co-founder and occasional engineer. Bringing on three college-aged summer interns for marketing transformed his schedule; they shared an apartment, worked from the uptown office, and spent evenings together at the gym, movies, and group reading sessions.

This social dynamic lifted his spirits, encouraged open disagreement, and led to more innovative marketing ideas. Reed instituted phone-free meals and scheduled 90-minute reading periods to further improve focus. With the interns now gone, he intends to maintain a collaborative culture through regular meals, workouts, and weekend poker events, believing that social interaction fuels both happiness and productivity.