User Research Intern (H1-2026)

Phygtl, a Silicon Valley-based AI startup, is building Vyry with the mission to cut student social isolation by up to 40% by replacing the awkward hello with shared, playful IRL quests and collaborative creation on campus, blending AI and AR into a new kind of consumer experience.

If you’re the type of person who’s genuinely curious about why people behave the way they do—and you’re excited about AI + AR + gaming/social mechanics in mobile apps—you’ll feel at home here.

The role

As a User Research Intern, you’ll coordinate, run, and support qualitative research that shapes product decisions. You’ll learn how to plan sessions, moderate high-signal conversations, and turn messy qualitative input into crisp, usable insights.

This role is hands-on, not watching from the sidelines.

What you’ll do

1) Coordinate and moderate user research sessions (core)

• Plan and facilitate focus groups and/or interviews using our guides and structure

• Ask strong follow-ups (“ask, don’t tell”), stay neutral, and manage group dynamics

• Keep sessions focused, respectful, and high-signal

2) Plan sessions with intention

• Translate research goals into a discussion guide and session flow (templates provided)

• Align questions to current product hypotheses and decisions

3) Deliver clean research outputs (required)

Leverage tech to transcript + structured summary (insights, quotes, implications, follow-ups)

4) Work like a remote-first teammate

• Track tasks and deadlines in Asana

• Share a short weekly update (what you ran, what you learned, what’s next, blockers)

What you get

Skills that actually compound

• Moderation reps + coaching (how to ask better questions, stay unbiased, and go deeper than surface opinions)

• Synthesis practice: turning transcripts into patterns, insights, and recommendations

• Stronger communication: writing and presenting findings clearly

• Work alongside engineers, designers, and PMs

• Unlock your entrepreneurial DNA by collaborating with the founders

Portfolio-ready proof

• You’ll produce real research artifacts (sanitized summaries/insight memos you can reference in a portfolio)

Career clarity

• You’ll learn what it’s like to work on a real consumer product where research directly changes decisions

• Learn first-hand how to use LLMs, LWMs, and agents, skills that catapult you into your professional career

Who qualifies

Required

• 3rd/4th year student (Junior/Senior), 2nd year outliers

• Fluent English; comfortable leading live conversations

• Reliable follow-through (you hit deadlines and communicate early if blocked)

• Curious by default: you naturally ask “why?” and you’re not afraid of silence

Strong preference: You’re genuinely excited about:

• AI and AR (and where consumer tech is heading)

• Gaming, social products, and mobile consumer apps

• Building a mission-driven product (not “another internship”)

• Remote-first execution: proactive communication, strong writing, self-management

Tools comfort (important)

• Comfortable learning and using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Asana, shared docs, and forms.

Nice to have

• Any facilitation background (clubs, tutoring/teaching, community leadership, RA/peer mentor, etc.)

• Any qualitative research exposure (class projects count)

Nice to have (GREAT+)

• OpenClaw agentic process setup (agentic workflows/automation that speeds up research operations)

Time expectations

• 10–15 hours/week on average (flexible around classes)

• You’ll ramp into a steady rhythm of ~1–2 sessions/week once trained and consistent

Are you ready to embark on a learning experience that will enrich your professional life forever? We are curious to get to know you! Apply now!

• Technology, Information and Internet

Internship