Internapalooza 2025 offered a fresh take on the annual event designed for summer interns in the tech industry, showcasing the shift in Silicon Valley culture from the earlier, more carefree ethos to a focus on grit and hard work in the AI boom.
Held at Broadway Studio, a historic venue in Jackson Square, the event welcomed a select group of a few hundred Gen Z interns hand-picked from top engineering schools, contrasting sharply with the 3,000 attendees of past years.
Adam Guild, the CEO of the restaurant software startup Owner, kicked off the event with a bold statement: “Burnout is a myth and a self-fulfilling prophecy.” Guild, an icon of determination, shared his journey of relentless effort over seven years to develop his company, dropping out of high school to pursue his passions.
This year marked a significant transformation from the past, as companies across Silicon Valley are tightening their budgets while throwing substantial compensation packages at exceptional talent. The atmosphere inside the event reflected these changing dynamics, with a focus on authenticity and commitment over frivolity.
Cory Levy, founder of Z Fellows—the organization responsible for curating the intern selection—explained the shift: “This year we were very selective and accepted engineers from top engineering schools who intern at the top tech companies in the Valley.” A sampling of the applications revealed both impressive technical skills and humor, like a student who submitted an AI Chrome extension designed to prevent emails from being sent to Marc Andreessen.
The venue style was markedly different from its previous, more extravagant iterations. Corporate booths showcased minimal swag, and the typical free food offerings were cut down to just bottomless plastic water bottles, while attendees had to settle for Papa John’s pizza that wafted enticingly through the event space, much to the interns’ dismay during talks.
Naval Ravikant, the keynote speaker and founder of AngelList, shared valuable insights about finding success in the tech industry and living in the Bay Area, which he touted as two significant advantages for the audience. However, as the event progressed, attendees grew restless, eagerly anticipating food.
In the backroom filled with a psychedelic light installation, interns discussed various aspects of their summer experiences, including their unique living arrangements in hacker houses and a lackluster corporate culture at firms like Amazon. Aayan Agarwal, a Meta intern, reflected on his experience, stating, “People in this room will probably decide the future of Silicon Valley.” Agarwal, attending Purdue University, elaborated on the perks of his internship, which pays him over $8,500 a month while he lives in corporate housing in Sunnyvale, close to influential figures like Mark Zuckerberg.
Aine Keenan, a software engineering intern at Google, shared her frustrations about the male-dominated environment at many tech events while quoting her mother’s wisdom: “As my mom always says, ‘You come into the world alone, and you’re going to leave alone.’ So Imma be me and go to all the tech events.” This sentiment resonated with many as they grappled with the challenges of navigating the tech landscape.
As the clock approached closing time, the venue buzzed with conversations, particularly around a station where Final Round AI allowed attendees to engage with AI versions of notable industry figures, including Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Satya Nadella, and Chamath Palihapitiya. This interactive feature created a lively buzz, with one intern humorously querying the AI-generated Musk about his personal relationships.
The response from the AI was equally lighthearted, adding to the playful atmosphere of the event.
As Internapalooza came to an end, an employee at the Owner corporate booth collected names and emails, her impression of the interns was overwhelmingly positive: “These interns are so sweet and so innocent. They’re so untouched by the ills of the world.”
With a fresh perspective on the essence of internships in today’s fast-paced tech environment, this year’s Internapalooza encapsulated the drive, ambition, and aspirations that define the next generation of innovators, leaving a promising impression of what lies ahead for Silicon Valley.
image source from：sfstandard
