{"id":4926,"date":"2026-04-13T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/?p=4926"},"modified":"2026-04-14T16:07:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T15:07:51","slug":"startup-internships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/2026\/04\/13\/startup-internships\/","title":{"rendered":"Startup internships: pros, challenges and opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is it really like to intern in a startup? For ESCP Business School<\/a> student Eric Rossi Patriarca<\/a><\/strong>, the answer started with a conversation at the 2025 Startup Career Night in Turin<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 and turned into a summer internship<\/strong> at Navisio AI<\/a><\/strong>, a startup that uses AI to help insurance brokers work more efficiently, protect their revenue, and manage complex information. His experience offers a clear, honest perspective on what startups really offer<\/strong>: fast learning, real responsibility, and a level of intensity that is not for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Startup Career Night to real impact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Eric Rossi Patriarca<\/strong><\/a>, student\u00a0<\/strong>of the\u00a0<\/strong>Master in Management<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(MiM)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eric first encountered Navisio AI during the Startup Career Night<\/strong>, when he was a student in the Pre-Master Year<\/strong><\/a> of the <\/strong>Master in Management<\/strong><\/a> (MiM)<\/strong>. What drew him in was not just the opportunity itself, but the nature of the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u201cWhat immediately struck me about the startup environment was the possibility of having a tangible impact on the business from day one<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Equally important was the team dynamic.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was young, dynamic, and genuinely driven by a shared vision. Decisions were made quickly, ideas were welcomed regardless of hierarchy, and there was a strong culture of experimentation<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Eric, this made the startup path \u201cmore challenging but also more meaningful<\/em>\u201d than a corporate alternative.<\/p>\n

Getting hands-on from day one<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Navisio AI, there was no gradual onboarding phase. Eric was immersed directly into the commercial side of the business.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy role was highly vertical in sales, which gave me exposure to the entire commercial process<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rather than observing from the sidelines, he was involved in real business interactions<\/strong> from the start.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the opportunity to see and actively participate in client outreach, negotiations, and strategic conversations<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

This level of exposure accelerated his learning significantly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis hands-on experience allowed me to understand the psychology of sales, the importance of listening, and how to adapt communication depending on the client<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

High pressure, steep learning curve<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the experience also came with clear challenges<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking in a startup is definitely intense and demanding. <\/em>You are expected to be proactive, to take initiative, and to think beyond your job description<\/em><\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is little room for passive learning.<\/p>\n

\u201cPassive work simply does not exist. If you see a problem, you are expected to help solve it<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the most difficult aspects was managing priorities<\/strong> in a constantly shifting environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a fast-moving environment, there are always multiple urgent tasks competing for attention. Learning how to focus on what truly drives impact is essential<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uncertainty<\/strong> is another defining feature.<\/p>\n

\u201cProcesses are still evolving, strategies can change quickly, and you need to be comfortable operating without perfectly defined structures<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

For this reason, Eric is clear: this path is not suited to everyone.<\/p>\n

It is ideal for students who are ambitious<\/strong>, adaptable<\/strong>, and comfortable with responsibility<\/strong> \u2014 particularly those interested in entrepreneurship<\/strong> or leadership roles<\/strong>. Those who prefer structure and clearly defined tasks may find it more challenging.<\/p>\n

What startups expect from ESCP students<\/strong><\/p>\n

From the company perspective, adaptability and speed are critical.<\/p>\n\n\n

Sebastiano Andreis<\/strong><\/a>, CEO of Navisio AI, highlights how ESCP students stand out in this environment.<\/p>\n\n\n

\u201cESCP students adapt much more quickly to the environment and can reach a high level of performance within just a couple of weeks<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fast-evolving markets, the ability to move quickly from learning to execution is essential.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat matters today is being ready to navigate rapidly changing contexts with a flexible mindset,<\/em> focused on testing and validating in fast-paced and fragile markets and ecosystems, while maintaining a strong capacity for concrete, results-oriented execution<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

A turning point for career direction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond the skills developed, the experience had a strong impact on Eric\u2019s career ambitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis experience has left a lasting mark on me. It made me realise that I have a genuine passion for sales.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

More specifically, he discovered an interest in the strategic dimension of business development.<\/p>\n

\u201cI enjoy building relationships, understanding client needs, and turning conversations into concrete opportunities.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Why Startup Career Night matters<\/strong><\/p>\n

The annual Startup Career Night, organised by ESCP Careers Centre and Blue Factory in Turin, <\/strong>plays a key role in enabling these kinds of opportunities.<\/p>\n

By bringing together startups operating across AI, digital innovation, sustainability, venture capital, and creative industries<\/strong>, the event reflects the diversity of career paths available within the startup ecosystem.<\/p>\n

More importantly, it creates direct access, something rare in traditional recruitment.<\/p>\n

For students, it is a chance to engage with founders<\/strong>, explore real projects, and position themselves for internships in dynamic environments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As Eric\u2019s experience shows, one conversation can be enough to move from curiosity to concrete opportunity.<\/p>\n

Startup internships offer more than just experience \u2014 they offer exposure, responsibility, and rapid growth. They are demanding and sometimes uncertain, but for students ready to take initiative, they can be a defining step in shaping both skills and career direction.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is it really like to intern in a startup? For ESCP Business School student Eric Rossi Patriarca, the answer started with a conversation at the 2025 Startup Career Night in Turin \u2014 and turned into a summer internship at Navisio AI, a startup that uses AI to help insurance brokers work more efficiently, protect their revenue, and manage complex information. His experience […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151943372,"featured_media":4948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6325,6683,6329],"tags":[6450,6346,6376,6337,6465],"class_list":["post-4926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-classe","category-career-development","category-student-life","tag-career","tag-escp","tag-internship","tag-master-in-management","tag-professional-network"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1",1366,768,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?fit=768%2C432&ssl=1",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1",1024,576,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1",1366,768,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Progetto-senza-titolo-6.png?fit=1366%2C768&ssl=1",1366,768,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"cgoig","author_link":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/author\/cgoig\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What is it really like to intern in a startup? For ESCP Business School student Eric Rossi Patriarca, the answer started with a conversation at the 2025 Startup Career Night in Turin \u2014 and turned into a summer internship at Navisio AI, a startup that uses AI to help insurance brokers work more efficiently, protect their revenue, and manage complex information. His experience…","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paFRf4-1hs","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151943372"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4926"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4950,"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926\/revisions\/4950"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4948"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/escp.eu\/blog-masters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}