High Finance! That was the first term I encountered when I joined NYU in 2024 as an Economics and Data Science major. Having no prior exposure to finance, I found confidence in one thing—my passion for startups. Soon enough, I realized my passion had another name: venture capital. Completely new to this concept of investing in startups, my curiosity peaked as I dove deep into researching venture capital and the tech market. But I often filled knowledge gaps with assumptions, which slowed my learning curve. What I truly wanted were real conversations with founders and investors.
While searching for ways to learn beyond the screen, my mentor Daniel Hiterer from Cornell Tech shared a post about Supermomos' Venture Capital Internship Program. It felt like the perfect chance to immerse myself in the world I was eager to understand. With nothing to lose, I applied—and after five interview rounds, I was thrilled to be matched with 25madison, a venture studio firm.
At 25madison, I joined the Evolve team, working on B2B SaaS ideations. The studio’s approach intrigued me: rigorous market research, identifying meaningful problems, and building innovative solutions with real venture potential. I was excited to contribute and learn from the inside out.
Our daily rhythm was structured yet dynamic, beginning with morning stand-up meetings. These sessions kept us aligned, encouraged collaboration, and helped refine our communication to stay pitch-ready. Tuesdays were for team ideation discussions, while "Workshop Wednesdays" allowed us to present tools and concepts useful across the firm.
My mornings involved deep-dive desktop research—scanning market trends, identifying industry challenges, and mapping out opportunity spaces. But research only told part of the story. To truly understand problems, we needed to speak with those living them. That’s why expert calls became the highlight of my day. We reached out through every avenue—cold messages, expert networks, and warm intros—to speak with industry professionals. These conversations were central to our ideation process, testing assumptions, refining focus, and surfacing the emotional urgency behind real pain points. They helped us define the workflows, target markets, and opportunities worth building around.
Building on these insights, our learning continued with 25madison’s weekly "Lunch and Learn" sessions. These gave interns a chance to connect with portfolio founders, senior leaders, and different teams across the firm. My favorite session included a sushi lunch paired with a panel of founders who shared their go-to-market strategies and the ups and downs of building a business—from failed sales cycles to moments of explosive growth. These stories brought our learnings to life and showed us the realities of entrepreneurship.
The afternoons were spent refining our project work—synthesizing research, expert feedback, and team insights into clear, structured presentations. These decks outlined the core problem, market opportunity, and validation we’d uncovered. The process challenged me to think critically and assess feasibility with clarity.
To close out each day, I’d reflect, organize notes, and update my manager. These check-ins ensured alignment and progress, while weekly feedback sessions offered mentorship that shaped how I communicated and pushed my work quality standards.
Outside of work, 25madison fostered a strong team culture with energizing activities—like our pickleball event, which began as friendly competition and quickly turned into a spirited match. These moments built bonds and made me feel truly part of the team.
My time at 25madison was nothing like I expected—and everything I didn’t know I needed. It gave me a front-row seat to venture-building and let me contribute meaningfully to real startup ideations. I wore different hats, explored unfamiliar industries, and learned to navigate complex problem spaces. Most importantly, I learned to approach every business challenge with curiosity, humility, and a mindset grounded in validation—not assumption. Whether in board meetings or casual coffee chats, every moment helped shape my understanding of what it takes to be a thoughtful venture builder. I leave 817 Broadway with clarity about my future – and a much stronger toolkit to help me get there.
Written by Dev Iyer
B.A. Candidate, Economics and Data Science, NYU, Class of 2028
Dev is an undergraduate student at NYU. He has explored entrepreneurship through a program at Columbia University and as the founder of Sign Spark, an online platform designed to improve accessibility for sign language users. Dev is deeply interested in emerging technologies, behavioral economics, and digital innovation.
