Startup required handwritten letters from 900 internship applicants

Dumb.co, a startup selling $20 flip phones, required nearly 900 internship applicants to submit handwritten cover letters, aiming to differentiate them from generic, AI-generated applications.

The company sought interns who shared their "unplugged" ethos but observed that many applications were written using artificial intelligence, resulting in overly polished and impersonal letters.

To identify genuine interest and personality, Dumb.co asked applicants to submit a handwritten cover letter. This led to nearly 900 applications for four different internship roles. Approximately 70% of these applications included a handwritten letter, and about 200 to 300 applicants also mailed in physical applications.

This "old-school" requirement helped the startup identify candidates willing to make an extra effort and demonstrate authentic interest in the company's unique approach.