iii: What did you do at your internship?

During my summer internship at SAP, I worked as a Software Engineering Intern on the Business Artificial Intelligence team. My role involved both backend development and product management tasks, where I focused on enhancing the Joule AI Consulting Co-Pilot, an AI-powered tool designed to assist SAP consultants in delivering accurate and timely solutions to clients.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

The Integrated Innovation Institute (iii) prepared me extensively by equipping me with a blend of technical and strategic skills. The interdisciplinary approach, combining engineering, design, and business, allowed me to effectively tackle both the technical challenges of software development and the strategic aspects of product management. Courses on AI, data management, and product strategy were particularly valuable in preparing me for the complex tasks I faced at SAP.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

One of the key projects I worked on was the development of a Golden Dataset for SAP’s Joule AI Consulting Co-Pilot. This project involved creating a sophisticated set of labelled question-answer pairs to improve the model's accuracy and generalization. 

Additionally, I led the Proof of Concept (POC) for integrating a Neo4j-based Knowledge Graph, which significantly enhanced the AI's response accuracy by employing hybrid retrieval techniques, reducing query retrieval time, and supporting millions of additional queries monthly.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

Yes, one of the biggest challenges was navigating the complexity of SAP's diverse systems and deploying applications within their ecosystem. The scale of the company and the technical intricacies of their environment were initially overwhelming. However, through proactive learning, collaboration with my team, and seeking mentorship, I was able to overcome these challenges and successfully deliver on my projects.

iii: What did you do at your internship?

I was an ML Engineering intern at a stealth-mode health-tech startup in San Francisco, streamlining insurance coverage verification for treatments using patient health records, reducing the process to under a minute.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

I actually got my internship through a CMU alumni network, so CMU iii helped me find it. Another way the iii prepared me is through my peer group. My CMU peer group is great, and I learned a lot from each of the students I interacted with in CMU. 

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

I worked on a project involving Utilization Management, creating synthetic health record data for machine learning, matching it with insurance criteria for treatment coverage.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they?

One of the problems that we faced was getting more deterministic output from LLMs. Another problem that I faced was doing outreach to nurses and booking them for user discovery calls.

iii: What did you do at your internship?

During my internship at NewsBreak, I worked with the monetization team to develop a test ad platform to enhance the reliability and predictability of digital ads. My primary focus was creating end-to-end solutions that spanned Android and iOS platforms and a Golang backend. 

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

The Integrated Innovation Institute (iii) at Carnegie Mellon University provided me with a well-rounded preparation for my internship. The Architecture & Programming Principles course taught me to consider the non-functional aspects of a solution, ensuring that my designs were effective, scalable, and maintainable. Courses such as Product Management, Problem Discovery & Definition, and Integrated Thinking for Innovation pushed me to dive deeper into understanding the underlying problems before jumping to solutions.

This approach was crucial during my internship, where I had to navigate a complex domain with limited documentation. I made it a point to engage with a wide range of people—developers, product managers, and account managers—to fully grasp the domain and understand the impact of my changes. This holistic approach, grounded in the principles I learned at iii, enabled me to contribute effectively to my projects at NewsBreak.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

During my internship, I worked on multiple projects, the primary one being developing a test ad platform. This platform was designed to solve issues related to the unpredictability and inefficiency of ad testing, which had previously led to significant revenue losses. The platform allowed developers and testers to select specific ad networks and ensure a 100% fill rate for all ad slots. In addition, I worked on a project involving Kotlin Multiplatform, where I helped identify and resolve issues related to a Kotlin Garbage Collection crash on iOS.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

As someone new to the digital advertising domain, I had to quickly get up to speed with concepts like header bidding, ad network integration, and the nuances of ad testing. Additionally, I was working with new technologies, such as Golang for backend development, Kotlin for Android, and Swift and Objective-C for iOS. This could have been daunting, but my courses at Carnegie Mellon University equipped me with a growth mindset. With courses like Software Engineering Management, Fundamentals of Software Management, and Product Business Model, where I had to absorb significant new knowledge, cultivating a growth mindset proved invaluable. 

This mindset encouraged me to view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Instead of being overwhelmed, I embraced the learning process, independently diving into the source code and contacting colleagues for insights. This proactive approach allowed me to overcome the initial learning curve and deliver meaningful contributions to the projects I was working on.

iii: What did you do at your internship?

During my time at Boston Consulting Group as a summer consultant, I engaged in three pivotal projects that spanned the insurance, technology, and financial sectors. My tasks involved strategic planning for integrating new technologies within the most significant U.S. insurance provider, enhancing agile processes at an AI-based SaaS platform, and developing a product-centric strategy for a global financial institution. Each project required a blend of innovation, strategic foresight, and robust stakeholder engagement, enabling me to apply diverse skills to solving complex business challenges.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

The Integrated Innovation Institute (iii)  at Carnegie Mellon equipped me with critical skills such as hypothesis-driven problem-solving and compelling storytelling, which were essential during my internship.

The program’s emphasis on using technology to drive business solutions and its focus on rapid adaptability and proactive communication prepared me to effectively address the dynamic and complex challenges I faced at BCG. This educational foundation was crucial for my successful navigation through projects that required both technical understanding and strategic acumen.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

During my internship, I tackled distinct challenges across three major clients:

1. I strategized on integrating advanced digital tools to revamp their existing systems, utilizing storytelling to present a compelling narrative that mapped out the benefits and the roadmap for technology integration.
   
2. I improved the efficiency of the software development lifecycle by implementing streamlined, agile processes. My approach was rooted in hypothesis-driven problem solving, where I tackled ambiguities in software release cycles with minimal initial data, refining processes as more information became available.
   
3. I developed a product-centric strategy and a detailed six-month roadmap for CRM transformation. My role involved clear and proactive communication to ensure all stakeholders were aligned with the new strategic direction, facilitating a seamless collaboration across teams.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

The internship was filled with learning curves and challenges. One significant challenge was adapting quickly to each client's diverse industries and business models, which required a deep dive into specific market research and fast assimilation of new information. Managing time effectively across three high-stakes projects also tested my organizational skills. I addressed these challenges by leveraging agile methodologies learned at CMU, which helped me manage tasks efficiently and adapt quickly to new information and project demands.

Each project presented unique challenges that tested my adaptability and learning agility. In the insurance project, integrating new tech into complex legacy systems required not only technical solutions but also ensuring stakeholder buy-in through effective storytelling. At the SaaS platform, the ambiguous nature of the software development challenges demanded a hypothesis-driven approach to define and solve problems effectively. Meanwhile, at the financial institution, shifting the organizational mindset towards a product-centric approach necessitated clear, proactive communication and quick strategic pivots based on stakeholder feedback.

 iii: What did you do at your internship?

This summer, I interned with the Volvo Group in Greensboro, North Carolina, as a Strategic Product Planning Intern. My role involved various projects focused on market research and customer analysis. I conducted research on the hydrogen industry, identifying potential business opportunities for further exploration. I also contributed to defining the scope and prerequisites for the upcoming Mack and Volvo highway product lines. 

Additionally, I developed a comprehensive "day in the life" profile for medium-duty trucks, analyzing their daily operations across different applications to understand and document their typical demands and challenges.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

While my automotive background provided a solid foundation, the iii taught me the critical importance of a customer-centric approach. I learned to prioritize understanding the root cause of customer issues before diving into problem-solving. This perspective is vital in product planning, ensuring that we create solutions that not only meet regulatory standards but also enhance customer efficiency. Given the long development cycles in the industry, this approach helps in anticipating and addressing customer needs over time, which is crucial for long-term success.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

A key project involved analyzing the drive cycles of medium-duty trucks to create detailed customer profiles. I investigated how customers use these trucks, including their typical driving durations and distances across various applications. This analysis was based on truck telematics data and was further enhanced by insights from domain experts and customer visits. Understanding these drive cycles was critical for defining the capabilities and requirements of new truck models, ensuring they align with the real-world needs of our customers.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

Yes, researching the hydrogen industry presented several challenges due to its rapid fluctuations and developmental stage. Key decisions are still needed to scale the sector commercially. This experience taught me the importance of perseverance when facing obstacles. I learned to retrace my steps, evaluate alternative solutions, and sometimes shift my focus to related areas for new insights. This adaptable problem-solving approach was crucial for overcoming challenges and maintaining progress.

 iii: What did you do at your internship?

As an Innovations Ventures Intern at Magna International, I worked with the Magna Technology Investments team, which is the Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arm of the company. My primary role was to identify startups of strategic importance to Magna, in areas including but not limited to mobility. I was responsible for carrying out their due diligence and evaluating how the startups would fit within Magna's value chain to see if an investment can be made.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

In a lot of cases, the product development cycles are governed by legal regulations and set criteria. However, when we focus on horizon 3 technology that does not have current implementation cases in the direct future, it is difficult to identify what technologies/features would actually be a success in the future. That is where the learnings and tools from the MIIPS program definitely helped out greatly in scoping out specific trends, understanding user needs and identifying opportunity gaps that needed to be focused on. 

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

The main project I worked on was an entire market study on the field of In-Vehicle Experience. This encompassed features such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS), Heads Up Displays (HUDs), Infotainment Systems, etc. I carried out market research in these fields. I identified trends and user needs. I created market maps to understand the current state of these technologies and to gauge what the future state could be.

In addition, I shortlisted startups in these areas and spoke to them to understand how they were changing the in vehicle experience. In the end I had to provide a recommendation to the team if investing in them would allow Magna to create disruptions in the current market or venture into a new market altogether.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

I most definitely did. This role involved me looking at various areas of technology that were far different from each other. Effectively carrying out research, identifying sources that provided authentic information in the end, synthesizing all of that information to form my conviction and recommendation on the investment possibility for a market or specific startup was definitely a challenge. However, this challenge added to my learnings as well since it allowed me to look at things from a wider lens, map patterns and filter out crucial information.

iii: What did you do at your internship?

I was fully integrated into the team at General Motors, where my daily tasks included stakeholder meetings, brainstorming, and executing projects with a diverse team of engineers, designers, and PMs. I also conducted deep market and user research, crafted roadmaps, and collaborated with incredibly motivated and sharp colleagues who inspired me to push my limits. My manager was an incredible leader who offered exceptional mentorship. I was also fortunate to have another experienced leader as an additional mentor, both were instrumental in my learning and development during the internship.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

The MIIPS program deepened my understanding of the entire product development cycle, from user research and ideation to planning, go-to-market strategies, and delivery. These skills perfectly complemented my hands-on execution experience from the startup world. 

The program enhanced my confidence in crafting executive presentations, managing stakeholders, and mastering data visualization. Additionally, the AI and data science courses I took kept me ahead of the curve and ready to tackle technically complex projects confidently.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

I kicked off my internship with a deep dive into market and user research to quickly assimilate as much industry knowledge as I could. Collaborating closely with leadership, I actively contributed to the product roadmap for the upcoming years. I proposed new features and was fully involved in the entire product development cycle, from discovery to delivery, even seeing some of these features go live.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

Transitioning from startups to a corporate culture was a significant learning curve. Immersing myself in one of the most iconic organizations in the U.S. and understanding their complex decision-making processes and cultural dynamics was invaluable. I believe this experience was pivotal in my career, as it broadened my professional perspective and prepared me for future challenges.

iii: What did you do at your internship?

I was a Product Manager Intern for ServiceNow, a platform focused on workflow automation in Santa Clara, California. 

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

My internship required a lot of growth for me, but I found the transition to be smooth because of the foundation and confidence I built in the iii classroom.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

I was tasked with the design and implementation of a certification process for our production automations. The project aimed to address a critical issue: ServiceNow's Datacenter hosted a lot of automations, scripts and applications, many of which were outdated or unused. This clutter not only posed operational inefficiencies but also represented a significant risk to infrastructure stability. The goal was twofold: to streamline operations by eliminating unused workflows and establish a process to maintain updated ownership information for active ones.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

My top challenges:

1. Learning to navigate a large organization. Finding the right person to talk to about a specific issue was often like solving a complex puzzle. But with each interaction, I got better at networking and building relationships across teams.
2. Another challenge was the sheer scale of data I had to work with. When I first heard about analyzing workflows, I imagined a few hundred, maybe a thousand at most. The reality? Over 2,200 workflows and 700 scripts. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. But this challenge taught me one of my most valuable lessons: the importance of prioritization and data organization

 iii: What did you do at your internship?

During my internship at Ivanti, I worked as a Product Management intern focusing on improving our IT Asset Management (ITAM) solutions. My main projects revolved around 2 key areas:

Firstly, I helped launch new ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) content for our ITAM solution. This involved creating a carbon footprint tracking tool and dashboard for Ivanti's IT service management and IT asset management clients to help them track and manage their IT asset carbon footprint. It also involved developing marketing materials, customer presentations, and preparing the add-on package for release on Ivanti's marketplace.

Secondly, I implemented Pendo guides for our ITSM platform to drive feature adoption and track overall product analytics. This required learning about Pendo integration with Ivanti's legacy systems and creating guides that would help users navigate our products more effectively.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

The iii program really set me up for success in my internship. The coursework gave me a solid foundation in product management principles, which I applied daily at Ivanti. For instance, the emphasis on user-centric design in our classes helped me approach the carbon footprint tool project with a customer-first mindset.

The program's focus on data analysis and decision-making was invaluable when I was working on the pricing entitlements documentation. It helped me sift through complex information and present it clearly. Additionally, the collaborative nature of our projects at iii prepared me for the cross-functional teamwork that was crucial in my internship, especially when coordinating with engineering, marketing, and sales teams.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

One of the main projects I worked on was developing a carbon footprint tracking tool for Ivanti's ITAM solution. This was exciting because it was a new vertical for the company, tapping into the growing demand for ESG capabilities in IT management.

The process involved everything from initial research and development to creating marketing materials and preparing for launch. I had to understand the needs of our customers, work with engineering to build the tool, and then collaborate with marketing to create compelling presentations and even a short demo video.

One of the challenges was ensuring the tool would integrate seamlessly with our existing ITAM platform. We had to refresh a new tenant to build the dashboard, which was a great learning experience in understanding the technical aspects of our product. Eventually the carbon footprint extension went live for Ivanti's customers on the Ivanti's marketplace.

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

Absolutely! One of the main challenges was the sheer complexity of Ivanti's product ecosystem. As a large enterprise software company, there were numerous stakeholders involved in every project. Coordinating with multiple teams and aligning everyone's expectations was often tricky, especially when working on the pricing entitlements documentation.

Another challenge was the technical learning curve. For instance, I had to quickly get up to speed with Pendo for implementing walkthroughs. This required not just understanding the tool itself, but also figuring out how to integrate it effectively with our ITSM platform.

Lastly, time management was a constant challenge. With three significant projects running concurrently, I had to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines. It was a great lesson in prioritization and efficient work practices.

Despite these challenges, the support from my team and the skills I gained from the iii program helped me navigate these obstacles successfully. It was a rewarding experience that significantly contributed to my growth as a product manager. 

iii: What did you do at your internship?

I played AI whisperer at ServiceNow. By day, I tamed a polyglot Responsible AI Bot that speaks 50+ languages. By night, I wrestled a five-headed data model hydra for AI Governance. Sleep was optional, caffeine was not.

iii:  How did the iii prepare you for your internship?

The iii taught me to slice through complexity like a hot knife through butter. At ServiceNow, that knife came in handy dissecting AI governance puzzles and translating tech-tongue into business.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

I birthed an AI Bot that went from crawling to sprinting in record time. It slashed answer retrieval from a coffee-break-length 40 minutes to a blink-and-you'll-miss-it 4 seconds. Beta testers didn't just approve; they threw a parade (seriously).

Then came the AI Governance behemoth. Imagine herding cats while juggling flaming torches. Now make those cats five different teams, each speaking their own dialect of tech. That was my daily rodeo.

iii:  Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

I collected challenges like Pokémon. Let me talk about the top 3:

1.The Data Model Saga: Five teams, one vision, and a deadline that seemed to approach at warp speed.

2. The Goldilocks Conundrum: Explaining AI without putting experts to sleep or making newcomers run for the hills.
3. The Ambiguities: Making decisions with the clarity of pea soup. But turns out, that's where the real magic happens.

iii: What did you do at your internship? 

This summer I worked on the Device (Players and Remotes) team for Roku. Roku is a technology company that focuses on television streaming. For them I was a UX and Product Industrial Design Intern.

iii: How did the iii prepare you for your internship? 

The iii had a career oriented class which encouraged us to make new connections and explore career fairs. In addition to that, I think it best prepared us in making and doing presentations during our capstone project as I mentioned in the interview.

iii: Can you share details about any projects you worked on or problems you solved during your internship?

A specific project that I worked on involved working within my team to eliminate errors in product processes and create seamless experiences for customers. 

iii: Did you encounter any challenges during your internship? If so, what were they? 

Most challenges I encountered during my internship are complex problems that are associated with hardware and software collaboration. Taking insights from both side's engineers and redesigning the user flow that best optimizes the user experience is a work that requires constant communication and visualization skills.