How My Internship Gave Me An Answer To Why MBA

Bullsmart is a fintech startup focused on helping the youth launch their investment careers through technology. Founded by Ankita Das, the startup offers financial services, cutting-edge financial tools, investment ideas, and wealth-increasing opportunities to investors. For my internship, I worked with the company’s marketing team, and here's what I learned.

Traffic & Cherry Blossoms: An Internship in Bengaluru

The sun was mast-high in the sky when my flight landed at the Kempegowda Bengaluru Airport on April 2, 2023. All set to start my MBA summer internship with Bullsmart, a fintech startup, I reached Bengaluru with great expectations and excitement — only to be welcomed by the scorching summer heat. Nonetheless, I took the bus to my hotel and experienced the most talked about part of Bengaluru- its traffic. The only good thing about the day was the AC on the bus and the pink cherry blossoms that bloomed throughout Bengaluru.

After a 2-hour-long bus ride (longer than the flight from Varanasi to Bengaluru), I finally reached my hotel. After crashing for an hour, I ate the lunch my mother packed and stepped out to hunt for a PG near the Bullsmart office. Surprisingly, I found affordable accommodation within walking distance of my office.

The seemingly difficult parts of my Bengaluru expedition were over. Now began the main part, the internship. The internship began with the induction of all XIMB Interns on April 3, 2023.

The Struggles & Surprises Of A Startup Internship

An internship in Bengaluru came with its own set of struggles - like the struggle to find good food, unpredictable weather, language barrier, long hours spent waiting for cabs, and even longer halts at traffic signals. The only good part was the project which I worked on and thoroughly enjoyed during my internship with Bullsmart.

The startup is on a journey to become the country’s best “finvest” platform. In this journey, my project involved everything from branding to marketing, corporate strategy, and partnership management. There is a saying that big companies throw money at a problem, but startups throw themselves at the problem. I had the same experience while working with Bullsmart.

The best part about working with a startup? The innumerable events, team building activities, team lunches, and developing a deep sense of ownership. We are our own managers and everyone works towards one goal: the quantum growth of the organization. All individuals contribute in their own little ways to complete, market, and improve the product.

I made friends with a young, energetic bunch of filmmakers, content writers, marketers, strategists, and social media experts. Before I could even realize it, one month had already passed, and it was the beginning of the end of my internship.

Internship Gave Me The Answer To Why MBA

The marketing and strategy opportunity at Bullsmart came as a completely fresh opportunity from my previous work experience. My internship under the guidance of Bullsmart marketing head, Karthik Ganapathi, team-mates Chirag Poonja, Subham Swabhman, and others, was a great success.

I had been a software developer for over 3 years before joining an MBA to develop a career in the domain of branding and marketing. I knew that completing an internship in my interested domain will definitely help further my career. And what better place to learn than a startup?

However, Bengaluru is known to be a hub of software developers. Hence, the most common question that I was asked was why did I leave software development and joined an MBA program, especially when software development is a financially lucrative field. But after my internship, I have just one answer - I want to explore my capabilities in different domains.

When I started my internship, I was anxious about being far from home and away from my friends. It turns out I have taken a part of Bengaluru back with me to XIMB.

Bengaluru: From The Eyes Of A Tourist

Bengaluru also has many good tourist spots to offer, other than its long traffic halts. Here’s a brief guide to Bengaluru, through the eyes of a tourist.

Bengaluru has a rich cultural heritage. Since the pre-British era of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan’s Mysore, Bengaluru has enjoyed its share of royal developments like the Bengaluru Palace, the Bengaluru Fort, Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace, numerous lakes, the Cubbon Park and the 100+ years old trees ornamenting it as the Garden City of India. During the summers, the South Indian thalis, thick Mysore dosas, and the “Jigar Thanda” are nothing less than a royal feast.

Vidhi Srivastava - Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar

2022-24

A software developer-turned-marketing enthusiast, she is currently pursuing her MBA from XIMB.

Updated On: 18 Jul'23, 10:58 AM IST