Harvard grad and former Mckinsey consultant Imran Amed became one of the fashion industry’s most knowledgeable experts with a fashion blog he started in 2007. As reported in the WSJ:
In February of [2013], Amed’s site—which, as he describes it, is “kind of a blog, kind of a B2B trade journal and kind of a magazine” that he launched in January 2007 “from his couch”—received $2.1 million from a group of investors that includes LVMH and venture capital firm Index Ventures, which takes early-stage positions in web-savvy fashion companies like Nasty Gal and Asos. He used the cash infusion to hire a staff of 10 and move into a light-filled open-plan office in London’s Soho neighborhood.
That’s a six year gap from founding to funding, but remains an impressive feat considering he maintained multiple roles while building the website.