Growth Engine
Growth Engine: Run Growth Experiments for a Y Combinator Startup. A 4–8 weeks Intravarsity career experience (30–50 hours) for school and undergraduate studen
You'll be matched with a YC-backed startup and work as their virtual growth team member. This isn't theory — you'll run real A/B tests, analyze real user data, and implement growth experiments that directly impact the startup's metrics. The best growth hackers in Silicon Valley learned by doing, and so will you.
Work as a growth analyst for a real YC-backed startup. Run A/B tests, analyze conversion funnels, design viral loops, and implement growth experiments — with real users and real data.
Who it is for
High school, secondary school students & undergraduates. Curiosity about how products grow. No marketing experience required.
Weekly plan
Week 1: Growth Audit & Funnel Analysis
- Meet the startup team and get access to their analytics stack
- Map the complete user acquisition funnel — awareness to activation
- Identify the biggest drop-off points using data
- Propose 10 growth experiment hypotheses ranked by impact
Week 2: Experiment Design & Execution
- Design 3 A/B tests with proper statistical methodology
- Set up experiments using the startup's analytics tools
- Write copy variations, design landing page changes
- Launch experiments and begin data collection
Week 3: Viral Loops & Referral Systems
- Study viral mechanics — K-factor, loop time, invite optimization
- Design a referral program for the startup's product
- Analyze competitor growth strategies and adapt tactics
- Review experiment results and calculate statistical significance
Week 4: Growth Report & Recommendations
- Compile all experiment results into a growth playbook
- Calculate ROI and projected impact of winning experiments
- Present your growth strategy to the startup's founders
- Receive Proof-of-Work credential and startup recommendation
What you produce
- Growth experiment playbook
- A/B test results with statistical analysis
- Referral program design
- Startup recommendation letter
- Intravarsity Proof-of-Work credential
Skills
Growth Marketing, A/B Testing, Data Analytics, Funnel Optimization, Copywriting, Viral Mechanics, Statistical Analysis, Product Analytics
Commitment
~5–8 hours/week for 4–8 weeks (30–50 hours total). 100% Virtual — work remotely with a YC-backed startup.