Tracy Huang

Thank you guys for 2,000 followers ❤️ I still remember my first post 4 months ago. I was shaking in the library, covering my eyes, too scared to even hit post. I hadn’t posted anything in over 5 years, and now my entire network was going to see the passion project that I was working on. I never imagined that 2,000 people would choose to follow along with my journey and over 120k of you guys saw my content. The messages from people telling me I inspired them, or hearing from people I once looked up to, have been absolutely incredible. I’m so grateful for this community. Here’s to continuing to be cringe, posting anyway, and the rest of my journey 🤍

Today I turn 22! For the longest time, I couldn't really imagine anything beyond college. Adulthood felt like this distant concept that I kept pushing off. But somehow, I'm here. July 15th isn't just my birthday: it's also the halfway point of summer. Seven months have already flown by, and looking back, here are seven things I'm proud of: 𝟏. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩. I'd wanted to build one for years, and after pitching an idea in class, it somehow turned into Interlink IQ 𝟐. 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭. I learned to apologize, have hard conversations, and let people go. There were moments I thought everything was falling apart, but growth only happens when you're willing to be uncomfortable. 𝟑. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬. Somewhere along the way, I stopped chasing grades and started trying to understand. 𝟒. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝. Posting on LinkedIn was so scary, but it has been so fun being able to meet incredible people and learn from them. 𝟓. 𝐖𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬. Entrepreneurship events, startup competitions, coffee chats, random opportunities I almost said no to: some of my favorite memories came from simply saying yes. 𝟔. 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲. It's been a dream of mine for years. The transition is rough, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. 𝟕. 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞. I've realized that being around people who challenge you is one of the fastest ways to grow. Looking back, I'm not the most proud of the outcomes. I'm proud that I kept going. There were plenty of moments where things didn't work out, where it would've been easier to quit. But every setback taught me something, and every small step forward reminded me why I started. I don't have everything figured out yet. I probably won't for a long time. But I know one thing: if I keep showing up, keep learning, and keep betting on myself, I'll get where I'm meant to be. Here's to 22. 🎉, follow me as my bday present ( my friends got me flowers; I'm crying <3)

Finding a co-founder is harder than finding a boyfriend 😭 For the last few months, I’ve been building Interlink IQ mostly on my own. We’ve grown to: 🚀 1,000+ beta users 👥 8 people across the team 🌎 A growing community of students and early-career professionals looking for better ways to find opportunities But I’ve realized something: Just because I 𝒄𝒂𝒏 do everything alone doesn’t mean I 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅. To build Interlink into what I want it to be, I am looking for a CTO. 🤌The problem: The right opportunities often come from the right connections, but most people don’t know who to reach out to, how to find those people, or how to build those relationships. 👍The solution: Interlink IQ helps people discover the right connections, create personalized outreach, and unlock opportunities faster, making career growth more accessible. 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐢 𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫: 🧑‍💻 A technical co-founder who: ->Loves building from 0 → 1 ->Executes quickly and turns ideas into reality ->Takes action: someone who builds, tests, and iterates instead of just talking about ideas. Is excited about AI, technology, and networking ->Enjoys exploring new ideas, experimenting, and solving hard problems ->Preferably based in NY  -> Willing to explore new ideas( I have some more startup ideas I want to pursue as well) I’m not looking for someone who just wants to write code. I’m looking for a builder and partner who will be there thick and thin, challenge ideas, move fast, and build alongside me. This would be a true co-founder partnership with a 50% equity split. Please comment below if you’re interested or tag someone who might be a great fit. 📩 Get in Touch: [tracy22huang@gmail.com]

The first 5 minutes of a coffee chat can make or break the entire conversation. At least, that's what I realized after sitting on the other side. Throughout college, I did 200+ coffee chats with professionals. A few weeks ago, I opened my own calendar for students. I expected everyone to ask similar questions. Instead, I noticed a pattern. The students I genuinely wanted to help all did three things. 𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵. The best messages weren't, "Can I pick your brain?" They explained who they were, why they reached out to me, and what they hoped to learn from my background. Prachi M sent me a personalized message telling me about her story/background, what she wanted out of the conversation as well as what value she could provide for me. That 30-minute coffee chat turned into a 2-hour conversation where I genuinely knew I not only wanted to help her out, but also be friends who supported each other. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗱 Not, "how did I get into startups/consulting?" Instead, one student shared they were deciding between corporate finance, startups, and venture capital. Since I'd worked across all three, they wanted to hear the tradeoffs I'd experienced. I was extremely impressed and wanted to keep helping him because I knew before we even met that they had done their homework. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘁 This one surprised me. Out of everyone I spoke with, only one person sent a thank-you message afterward. It took less than five minutes, but they became the person I remembered most. I've learned that the people who leave the strongest impression usually aren't the ones with the best resumes. They're the ones who show they've done the work before the meeting even begins.

Being alone and being lonely aren't the same thing. For a long time, I confused the two. I always felt like I needed someone to do things with. I'd wait for friends to grab dinner, explore a new neighborhood, or try a restaurant I'd been dying to go to. Sometimes I'd even skip places I really wanted to visit just because I didn't want to go alone. Then I moved to New York. Over the past week, I've spent most of my time on my own. I thought I'd feel lonely. Instead, I've had one of the most fulfilling weeks I've had in a long time. There is something so magical about walking in a new city with a pair of AirPods and a tote bag. A few things I'm proud of doing on my own this week: • Moving to New York. I arrived with two suitcases and spent the next few days visiting more stores that I can count, turning an empty apartment into a home. It hit me that I'm building a life completely on my own. • Eating at a restaurant alone on a Friday night. I always thought people would judge me for being out by myself.  Instead, I had one of the best meals I've had in a long time and realized no one cared that I was there by myself. • Going to a Fourth of July block event by myself. I almost didn't go because I knew no one. A few conversations later, I had met neighbors, heard their stories, and made a few new friends. • Attending my first fashion networking event. I've always loved fashion but never really put myself out there. Walking in alone was intimidating, but I met some people I really clicked with and left me inspired. This week reminded me that some of the best experiences happen when you stop waiting for someone else. If there's something you've been putting off because you don't have someone to go with, go anyway. You might realize your own company was better all along.