  Previous research has demonstrated that preparing students for life in
software engineering is not a trivial task. Authentic learning experiences are
challenging to provide, and there are gaps between what students have done at
the university and what they are expected to master when getting into the
industry after graduation. To address this challenge, we present a novel way of
teaching industry-relevant skills in a university-led internal software startup
called Software Development Academy (SDA). In addition to describing the SDA
concept in detail, we have investigated what educational aspects characterise
SDA and how it compares to capstone projects. The questions are answered based
on 15 semi-structured interviews with alumni of SDA. Working with
production-quality software and having a wide range of responsibilities were
perceived as the most integral aspects of SDA and provided students with a
comprehensive skill set for the future.
