Undergrad Startup Founder, French & Statistics, How To Cold Email
I graduated UVA three days ago, so now that I’m officially an alumni, I thought I’d interview myself.
So, this week I spoke with Ryan Levy, 2026 UVA grad who’s now the Founder of Hoo You Know.
The Rundown:
COLD OPEN: McIntire reject → undergrad startup founder
TURNING POINT: Employers are way more interested in my French major than my Statistics one
STEAL THIS: Got any books?
INDUSTRY INSIDER: There’s alot of power in being just a newsletter
IF I WERE YOU: Reach out to someone now
COLD OPEN
How Did You Get Your Start?
I came into UVA with plans to study computer science, yet after taking Data Structures and Algorithms 1, that plan quickly changed. My friends were applying to the Comm school (I had no idea what that was). It seemed like all the hype, so I applied.
In preparation, I joined the Sales and Trading club, Virginia Undergraduate Real Estate Club, TAMID, and DSP Business Fraternity. The people I met in those clubs became life long friends, but if you’re wondering how I fared in the McIntire application, not so well.
I landed on a Statistics major because it was a nice balance of coding, business, and math — all things I was interested in. I also pursued a double major in French — that’s a story for another time.
I learned all about the mystical world of investment banking, consulting, and networking through those clubs, and began thinking about how stressful the whole process is. It felt like something was broken.
I thought I could fix it with software. I built a networking tracker for UVA students over the next few months. My grandpa suggested I call it “Hoo You Know”.
The Foundry at UVA really helped me get it off the ground and ideate the concept. After some meetings with them, I pivoted to a newsletter, interviewing alumni on their careers and what networking meant to them.
A year later, the newsletters has 1,400+ weekly readers, and I’ve interviewed alumni from the CFO of CNN to the President of the USTA. I graduated from UVA three days ago, and now I’m back in NY counting down the days till YAR.
I have an interview today at a startup in NYC for a full time role, so wish me luck!
Regardless of what I’ll be doing now that I’m an alumni, I’ll be continuing to run and grow Hoo You Know!
TURNING POINT
What’s A Challenge You Faced Early On?
I had a lot of trouble landing a major at UVA. It felt like so much pressure to choose an area of study that would presumably chart the course of my entire career.
I’d been taking French since 5th grade and always liked it. My advisor said if I took one class a semester, I’d end up with a major. I was planning on that anyway, so that major was a done deal.
I thought I needed another major to qualify myself for jobs. I chose Statistics and loved it, but what’s funny is that in every interview I’ve had, employers are way more interested in my French major than my Statistics one.
I’ve found that the things I do unrelated to a desired outcome often become more important in actually getting that thing.
STEAL THIS
What’s A Question You Love To Be Asked (Or Asking)?
I love asking people “Do you have any book recommendations?”
I joke with my friends that when I’m older, I’m going to have the largest collection of books I’ve never read. I have a bad habit of buying books that I plan on reading and never get around to.
Most recently, a buddy of mine recommended The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. I also have The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson and The Wisdom of Insecurity by Alan Watts on my night stand. I highly recommend all of them.
INDUSTRY INSIDER
What Do People Misunderstand About Hoo You Know?
Hoo You Know is not a tool, it's not LinkedIn, or a podcast. It’s just a newsletter. I think there's a lot of power in just a newsletter, though.
Careers are peppered with “this person changed my life”, often through conversations and stories. A format allowing brief delivery of those stories, I think, is a simple solution to a complex problem.
By opening an email each week, not only do you have a higher chance of finding that life-changing perspective, but you also build a broader understanding of what a successful life and career can actually look like.
Most students stress wanting to live up to the titles, internships, and promotions, yet completely miss the pivots, uncertainty, lucky breaks, and relationships underneath them. With Hoo You Know, you get both.
IF I WERE YOU
Do You Have Any Advice For Students?
Not to beat a dead horse, but reach out to someone. Do the following:
Pick a goal
Find a UVA alumni whose advice can get you closer to that goal
Email them a SHORT message on your goal, why you want to achieve it, and if they have any advice for you. Add in that you’d love to chat on the phone if they have any time.
They probably won't respond. Follow up. My rule of thumb is that with professional emails, they either are going to respond or get a restraining order against me – that's how often you should follow up.
A good story about that can be found here: How I Landed An Interview With UVA Men’s Basketball Head Coach
