Madison Pauly ’27 and Nick Gulson ’27 spent the summer interning at two of the world’s most influential technology companies.
Two-Year MBA students Nick Gulson ’27 and Madison Pauly ’27 are spending the summer interning at two of the world’s most influential technology companies, gaining firsthand experience in product management. Gulson is interning in New York City with Google’s product management team focused on Google Sheets while Pauly is working in Apple’s Payments & Commerce department in Cupertino, Calif.
Their internships are giving them insights beyond product strategy and execution and into cross-functional collaboration and developing business acumen. Drawing from their Kellogg curriculum, both Gulson and Pauly are discovering how classroom frameworks translate into real-world product decisions at scale. Hear more from them on how they’re gaining valuable leadership lessons in navigating ambiguity, building relationships and adapting to new environments.
Before starting your MBA at Kellogg, what was your understanding about product management and how has your internship, thus far, shifted that?
Pauly: Prior to starting my MBA at Kellogg, I saw the role of the product manager as being the primary advocate for the customer. After my summer experience, I see it not only as a customer advocate but also researcher, domain expert and connector. Starting a product management role in a new industry, I’ve learned that falling in love with the problem is the first step to developing a greater empathy for the customer. I’m also better at understanding how important it is to connect the dots across diverse teams to bring an idea to life.
Two-Year MBA student Nick Gulson ’27 is interning with Google’s product management team focused on Google Sheets.
Gulson: I was expecting my time at Google to be largely spent collaborating with engineering teams on road mapping and interfaces. I’ve been surprised at how much of it has been spent on the research and marketing side of business. Members of my team have been doing competitive research, working on our products positioning, and even recording product demos to be distributed on social platforms.
In thinking back to your first year at Kellogg, can you pinpoint an aspect of it that you’ve applied during your internship?
Pauly: Research, Design, Build — a core class of the school’s MMM curriculum — pairs student teams with a company sponsor to solve a design challenge over 10 weeks. During this course, I learned a series of design frameworks that have helped me better map out customer journeys, identify pain-points and solution ideas that felt contextually relevant in the lives of customers. Apple is also a company that does everything with intention, and being able to draw from a series of frameworks (over an equally condensed amount of time) has been hugely helpful.
Gulson: I’m using competitive landscape and product positioning frameworks from my Business Strategy and Marketing courses that are helping with a competitive research project I'm currently working on. These have been helpful as I analyze what other companies are doing and potential best practices to adopt. Cases from Marketing Management were especially helpful in giving real-world examples of customer segmentation and positioning and the impact they can have on a product’s success.
Tell us about a moment during your internship that has challenged you, and what this taught you about yourself as a leader.
Pauly: Navigating so much new information including company culture, the nuances of a new industry and the technicalities of a new product, I quickly realized that an internship is not an independent study. The early Management of Organizations curriculum at Kellogg emphasizes the importance of a diverse network founded on trust. Kellogg creates an abundance of opportunities to grow and maintain your network through group projects, experiential learning and student clubs. I was able to see a clear parallel applying this frame of reference when building cross-functional relationships at Apple. Demonstrating initiative and seeking advice goes a long way in establishing credibility early on.
Gulson: I quickly learned that the work culture in tech is very different than consulting — Gulson previously worked at Deloitte specializing in digital transformation across commerce and marketing technology systems. In tech, people often operate on their own timelines, enjoy greater flexibility and are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits available to them. Early on it felt like the paradox of choice where I had so much flexibility that I wasn’t sure how to organize my day efficiently. I eventually found a routine that works for me, and it has taught me how to prioritize my needs and find balance.
Two-Year MBA student Madison Pauly ’27 is interning in Apple’s Payments & Commerce department in Cupertino, Calif.
Madison, Apple is known for its user-centric design. Has there been a moment where you’ve witnessed Apple’s design philosophy change the direction of a product decision?
The Apple ecosystem is vast. I quickly have seen how a seemingly small design choice can have threads across many parts of the company and customer experience. Designing with the end user in mind is everyone’s job here, and it’s just one of the things that make Apple’s experiences so magical. Working on a product that touches the lives of millions of people every day has been an incredible privilege.
Nick, Google products operate on a massive scale — what is one thing that has surprised about how product decisions are made?
My team is working on AI features within Google Sheets. Early on I asked how users of our product were interacting with the AI. I was surprised to learn that, due to the strict data privacy policies — particularly for enterprise clients — we cannot see every prompt that’s submitted. This makes the work of understanding user behavior much more challenging, but it also reflects a strong commitment to customer privacy; a difficult but important balance to strike.
If you could tell your pre-Kellogg self a piece of advice before starting this journey, what would you say?
Pauly: If you can dream it, you can do it. Be kind, be curious and be yourself.
Gulson: Go follow whatever sparks your interest and make your mark. And avoid the terrain park during the ski trip.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Kellogg School of Management or Northwestern University.
