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Did Nikhil Kamath just apply for a 3-month internship? Indian-origin CEO reacts to his unexpected request
Nikhil Kamath jokingly asked to intern at Perplexity AI for three months, to which Aravind Srinivas responded that they would be honoured to have him.
Perplexity AI co-founder Aravind Srinivas recently joined Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on his WTF Online podcast, where a lighthearted conversation led to Kamath expressing interest in interning at Perplexity for three months.
(Also read: ‘We passed by IIT Madras on a bus, my mom would…’: Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas on growing up as a Chennai boy)
During the discussion, Kamath asked, "Okay, last question, Arvind. Because I'm feeling so left out in all of this, do you think it might be possible for me to come be an intern, work for maybe three months at Perplexity, free of charge?"
Srinivas responded with amusement, stating, "Well, you're way more accomplished for doing that, but—" before Kamath interrupted to clarify that his interest was genuine. "No, but I'd love to. Like, this is genuine. Like, I feel like I'd love to come live there for a couple of months, learn some stuff, and come back. Because I do feel like I'm not learning enough right now."
Srinivas welcomed the idea, saying, "I mean, we'd be very honoured to have you." Kamath, however, seemed serious about following through, jokingly adding, "I'm not joking, I'm just gonna be there in the next 30 days maybe and pester you every day."
Aravind Srinivas recalls Bengaluru internship
During the conversation, Srinivas also reminisced about his brief stint in Bengaluru, revealing that he interned in the city for three weeks but barely explored it. He admitted that he spent most of his time in his flat or at work, avoiding the city's infamous traffic.
"I think I was in this place called Koramangala. I didn't actually explore. I just worked all the time. Now that I look back, I probably think I should have explored," Srinivas admitted.
Despite missing out on the city's attractions, the IIT Madras graduate had no regrets, citing Bengaluru’s traffic as the primary reason. "I remember the traffic being bad back then, and I hear it's even worse now. So, staying in and working was probably a smart move," he remarked.
(Also read: ‘I feel like an idiot’: Nikhil Kamath’s Valentine’s Day post after meeting under-25 entrepreneurs)
Bengaluru’s weather stood out
While Srinivas may not have explored much of the city, one thing that stood out for him was Bengaluru’s pleasant climate. Compared to Chennai, he found the weather much more bearable. "I do remember the weather was awesome compared to Chennai. I think the weather was much better," he said.
Watch the entire podcast here:
