Product Owner Intern (MBA) SaaS

At xPL Studio, we don't just invest in startups; we build them from scratch.

xPL Studio is the venture builder, operating as an institutional co-founder that transforms raw ideas into validated, market-ready companies. We combine the agility of a startup with the resources and discipline of an established organization, moving from zero to one faster, smarter, and with measurably lower risk than traditional startup paths.

Our "venture factory" model means we are always building: testing hypotheses, launching MVPs, recruiting founding teams, and scaling products across multiple verticals simultaneously. SaaS is at the heart of how we think about scalable, high-impact business models, and that's exactly where you come in.

If you are an MBA student who wants to do more than sit in meetings and build decks, this is your seat at the table.

As a Product Owner Intern at xPL Studio, you will be embedded directly into one of our active SaaS venture builds. This is not a shadowing role; you will own real product decisions, work within a live agile team, and contribute to a product that is actively being shaped for market launch or growth.

You will work alongside our Head of New Ventures, technical leads, and business architects to bridge the gap between strategy and execution. You will translate business needs into product requirements, manage a live backlog, and engage with real users and stakeholders, gaining the kind of hands-on product experience that most people spend years waiting for.

This internship is designed to challenge you, stretch your thinking, and leave you with a portfolio of work you can speak to with confidence.

Product Strategy & Discovery

• Participate in ideation and validation sprints to define product scope and user value propositions for early-stage SaaS ventures
• Conduct competitive analysis and market research to inform product positioning and feature prioritization
• Assist in defining and refining the product vision, goals, and success metrics (KPIs/OKRs)

Backlog & Roadmap Management

• Own and maintain the product backlog, writing, grooming, and prioritizing user stories and epics in alignment with business objectives
• Support sprint planning and retrospectives within an agile/scrum framework
• Translate strategic initiatives into actionable, well-scoped development tickets

User Story Mapping & Requirements

• Facilitate user story mapping sessions to align cross-functional teams on product flows and MVP scope
• Write clear, detailed acceptance criteria that enable engineering teams to build with precision
• Identify and close gaps between user needs and technical feasibility

Stakeholder Communication

• Act as the connective tissue between business stakeholders, designers, and developers
• Prepare and present product updates, sprint reviews, and roadmap snapshots to internal leadership
• Gather and synthesize feedback from user interviews, usability sessions, and analytics

SaaS Product Execution

• Support subscription model design, onboarding flow optimization, and feature rollout planning
• Contribute to go-to-market readiness by ensuring product documentation, release notes, and launch checklists are production-ready

You Are:

• Currently enrolled in or recently graduated from an MBA program, with a focus on strategy, entrepreneurship, technology management, or innovation
• Someone who is energized by ambiguity, not paralyzed by it
• A structured thinker who can zoom out to see the strategy and zoom in to write a user story

You Bring:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, you are comfortable working with data to inform decisions
• Solid business acumen with the ability to connect product features to commercial outcomes
• Technical curiosity, you don't need to code, but you are not afraid of APIs, SaaS architecture conversations, or sitting in a technical sprint
• Familiarity with agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and product tools such as Jira, Notion, Miro, or Productboard is a strong plus
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, you can simplify complexity without losing nuance
• Prior experience in consulting, product, tech, or startups is an advantage, not a requirement

Specifics

No compensation, no College credits, and no visa sponsorship are offered for this role.

Real-World Product Ownership
You will leave with a tangible portfolio, a live SaaS product you helped shape, a backlog you owned, and outcomes you can quantify and speak to in any interview room.

Executive Mentorship
You will work directly with senior leaders in venture building, product strategy, and investment, gaining visibility and mentorship that is rare at the internship level.

Studio Exposure
Get an inside view of how ventures are built from scratch, from ideation and validation to MVP launch and fundraising. This is a masterclass in applied entrepreneurship.

Network & Community
Join a growing ecosystem of founders, operators, investors, and innovators across the EPL Group network. The relationships you build here open doors that last well beyond the internship.

Potential for Full-Time Consideration
High-performing interns are considered for extended roles within xPL Studio's expanding portfolio of ventures.

Why This Role Is Different

Most internships ask you to support someone else's vision.

At xPL Studio, you will help build the vision, contributing to companies that didn't exist six months ago and may be category leaders six months from now. Our studio model gives you breadth (exposure to multiple business models and industries) and depth (real ownership within a focused product build).

If you are looking for a checkbox on your CV, this is not the right fit.
If you are looking for the most formative product experience of your MBA journey, we would love to meet you.