Interning at MVL: A summer of growth and innovation

Meet MVL's 2024 Summer Interns

(Pictured, left to right: Meera Patel (Undergraduate), Claire Li (Undergraduate), and Nina Prabhu (MBA))
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As a summer intern at Madrona Venture Labs, I had the privilege of working alongside incredibly talented individuals who share a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. Reflecting on my time here, I realized how much I and the rest of our interns gained from the experience. Here’s a look into our team of interns and the unique paths that brought us to MVL, along with the impact we made along the way.
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How we got here

Our intern group included Nina Prabhu, a business development intern from Harvard; Claire Li, a computer science intern from the University of Washington; and me, Meera Patel, a technical marketing intern also from UW. Our journeys to MVL were as diverse as our backgrounds. 

Nina was intensely curious about the startup ecosystem. Eager to learn more about entrepreneurship, she discovered MVL’s early-stage focus and knew it was the right fit. After speaking with past interns and hearing about their experiences, she joined with high expectations, eager to dive into the company creation process.

“MVL's culture stood out - they're genuinely founder-friendly and very curious,” Nina reflected. “Unlike other studios, they offer better terms for founders and act as true thought partners.”

Claire shared Nina’s passion for entrepreneurship, particularly its intersection with technology development. After discovering it online, she jumped at the chance to apply for the software development role. Through her interview, she impressed the team by taking ownership of her learning and submitting a demo project highlighting her problem-solving skills. MVL’s culture of intellectual curiosity stood out to her, especially the emphasis on a growth mindset rather than needing to know everything from day one.

I found MVL through UW events, where I kept hearing the company’s name pop up as a leader in the startup ecosystem. The turning point came when I took Building a Venture-Backed Startup, a course partly run by MVL. Every week, a Madrona team member spoke to our class about a topic related to startups and venture capital. Everyone I met was approachable, insightful, and authentic, encouraging dialogue and sharing candid stories. Operations Manager Jimmy Bales encouraged me to apply for the marketing role, and soon enough, I was part of the team!
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What we worked on

Our time at MVL was filled with diverse projects that challenged us to learn, adapt, and contribute meaningfully.

Nina focused on market validation for a potential new company. Working with MVL Product Lead Elizabeth Webber, she researched the SaaS procurement space, pinpointing common pain points in software acquisition. Through interviews with customers, investors, and industry experts, she and Elizabeth honed in on a solution: automated, real-time demos directly on customer websites. For Nina, seeing a product idea take shape from raw data was an invaluable lesson in the real-world impact of research and validation.

“The most challenging part of the summer was learning to embrace the inherent uncertainty of early-stage product development,” said Nina. “Every week at MVL looked different. We'd do customer interviews or dig into market research and often realized we needed to rethink our whole approach. I had to learn to be okay with diving deep into an idea and be ready to scrap it if we found something better.”

While Nina worked predominantly on customer research, Claire had the chance to develop technology for a project from the ground up. She embraced this opportunity to build foundational features and tackle diverse tasks, from prompt regression testing to web crawling. Each challenge pushed her technical limits. The freedom to explore new technologies and the support she received along the way boosted her confidence and capabilities. 

“MVL is a unique opportunity to explore things you're interested in,” observed Claire. “With multiple projects around the lab, there are opportunities to learn about things you hadn't even thought about before.”

My role centered on building MVL’s brand and enhancing our LinkedIn presence. With Jimmy’s guidance, I helped publish content on critical topics like technology moats, idea pivots, and market validation. I wrote articles that would contribute to MVL’s thought leadership amongst the broader startup community. I also joined in on early user testing and product improvement discussions, gaining hands-on experience with real startup challenges. Working on MVL’s marketing strategy strengthened my understanding of brand-building and allowed me to connect creatively with our audience.
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What we learned

The MVL culture gave us flexibility, independence, and support. Every Monday, we met as a whole team to review our projects, which drove alignment in a fast-paced environment that constantly required us to adapt to new priorities. We also received one-on-one mentorship from various MVL team members; their perspective and time were invaluable, providing personalized guidance that sharpened our skills.

While the structured team check-ins and personalized coaching gave us a strong foundation, our individual experiences allowed us to explore different facets of the startup world. For her part, Nina particularly valued learning the art of iteration and understanding the importance of feedback in market validation. Diving into Seattle’s startup ecosystem, with Madrona’s network as a launchpad, broadened her perspective on the investors’ role in the Pacific Northwest: “My favorite memory was the Pitch and Run competition during Seattle Tech Week. It was great to bring together two of my favorite things - running and tech - into a community event.”

On the other hand, Claire found inspiration in MVL Partner Keith Rosema’s leadership style. His “go figure it out” approach empowered her to solve problems independently and return with insights. He and the rest of the team fostered her self-confidence. They honed her ability to tackle complex issues with resilience.

My time at MVL revealed the power of LinkedIn as a networking tool and taught me the art of impactful communication. Learning to craft messages that resonate and build community changed how I approach marketing. I now see content as a strategic tool, each piece designed to captivate and engage. The experience sharpened my skills and my approach to business strategy, leaving me excited for what’s next.

Reflecting on our summer experiences at MVL, what truly stands out is the shared journey of growth, curiosity, and connection. Despite our varied roles, we all felt welcomed into a place that champions exploration and intellectual curiosity. MVL empowered us to think big, make mistakes, and learn through hands-on problem-solving, and the team challenged us to step beyond our comfort zones while offering the mentorship and support we needed to succeed. 

“I learned a lot about software engineering and product management by observing and asking questions inside and outside meetings,” stated Claire. “MVL emphasizes one-on-one mentorship, which I appreciated.”

We also saw firsthand how MVL’s commitment to openness and collaboration permeates everything the team does. “Everyone's always ready to support new ideas while asking the right questions to strengthen them,” remarked Nina. “The whole team was collaborative, smart, and always thinking big.” 

MVL encouraged us to voice ideas, ask tough questions, and refine our thinking. The team created a culture where our contributions mattered, and each of us felt like part of something bigger. This community values learning, innovation, and, most importantly, each other.

As we leave this summer behind, we carry forward the skills we’ve gained and the inspiration and excitement that MVL instilled in us. Our time here has shaped us as professionals, learners, and future innovators ready to make an impact.

Interested in interning with MVL during the Summer of 2025? Apply for our MBA and Undergraduate internships.