If I were an intern, I would want to know, up front, what I was getting out of the deal. I suspect your interns know they're not going to get paid, but they sho

If I were an intern, I would want to know, up front, what I was getting out of the deal. I suspect your interns know they're not going to get paid, but they should get something out of the deal. Are you giving them individual attention and making an effort to build relationships with these kids? That's a common benefit of an internship - connections. Are you giving them active technical guidance, helping them develop as engineers? That's another common benefit. Is GoRankem something I should have heard of that I haven't? Yet another benefit could be brand recognition on a resume. Tales of one former intern who got an equity stake of dubious value aren't going to set people on fire if you aren't able to scratch their immediate itch. If I were you, I'd figure out what your interns want and make damn sure I was able to give it to them. Otherwise, you're going to get this tailing off scenario where the interns realize they're getting a raw deal and just make time until they get out.