An Inside Look through the Eyes of Our Summer Interns
This Summer, IDEA Fund Partners hosted our largest ever class of Summer Interns. These students from around the country were not merely observers on the sidelines -they played an integral part in the team by being fully immersed in the deal review, due diligence, and broader strategy of the firm. Their contributions and insights will last much longer than the ten weeks they spent with us. They have shared some of their biggest takeaways from the summer:
“From day one, IDEA Fund Partners gave us interns access to the deals in their pipeline and trusted us to make informed decisions about their investment viability. The experience was not only educational from its hands-on nature, but the entire IFP team also offered us valuable feedback and insight into the venture capital industry. By the end of the summer, I felt that I had gained a working knowledge of VC and left my handprint in the firm.”
“During my time at IDEA Fund Partners, I was able to gain a strong foundation into conceptssuch as venture finance and term-sheets which are crucial in the venture capital industry. In addition, I gained a deeper understanding of the investment criteria IDEA Fund Partners use to screen companies for the firm, facilitating the analysis and sourcing of 100+ startups. One thing I enjoyed most about this internship was presenting an industry report on Edge Computing to the partners of the firm.”
“More than anything, the greatest insight that I gained while working with IFP was the importance of team chemistry in the professional environment. The financial services industry has a reputation for encouraging unhealthy competition and perpetuating somewhat of a ‘dog-eat-dog’ mentality. The team at IFP certainly does not compromise on these industry-wide performance standards — and I have developed a strong understanding for the underlying technical operations in Venture Capital because of this. However, the team upholds these performance standards through having developed a culture of ingenuity and personal expression; not only did I want to impress the leadership of the group with my expected contributions, but I felt (and still feel) inclined to find alternative ways to progress the mission of the company.”
“During my time with IDEA Fund Partners, I learned about what Venture Capital firms value when looking at startups. It was fascinating seeing the nuances and day-to-day of a VC firm. I most enjoyed the feelings of intimacy and familiarity that come from being with a small firm.”
“At IFP, we learned a lot about how to examine a company and an industry through the lens of venture capital. What I enjoyed most about my time at IFP was the ability to sit in on live deals, give my input, and be a part of the evaluation process from initial introduction to creating a term sheet. Our impactful work here has taught me a lot of lessons which I’ll keep in the back of my mind in my future career in venture capital and entrepreneurship.”
“My internship experience allowed me to play an integral role in the deal evaluation process on a day to day basis. While being part of a venture capital team, I came to understand not only the importance of a company’s balance sheet, but also the necessity of an excellent team behind an excellent company.”
As a firm, we want to say thank you to Eileen, Jalen, Sophie, Andrew, Louis, and Will for their indelible contributions to the IFP family! There is no doubt that the future is bright for both these amazing students and the venture industry as a whole.
For more information on future internship opportunities, please email interns@ideafundpartners.com.
