But just four months after joining the investment bank, the 23-year-old decided to walk away and pursue a very different path. Sofia Jiang had landed the kind of job many graduates dream about. She had a six-figure salary, a role at Morgan Stanley and a strong start to her career.
Jiang’s interest in starting a business began during her internship. She struggled to find work clothes that were stylish, affordable and did not need to be dry-cleaned. That frustration led her to develop the idea for her clothing brand, SofSet. (Also Read: Raipur woman who lost eyesight to brain tumour shares journey of studying fashion in London: ‘Given 15 days to live’ )
She earns less but believes the risk will pay off
The move has come with a significant pay cut. (Also Read: Woman spends ₹ 29,000 each month on hair blow-dries after two promotions: ‘I’m buying my time back’ ) Her next move came through persistent outreach. Jiang began cold emailing people across the fashion tech industry, including employees, recruiters, CEOs and investors. That conversation connected her with the CEO of her current company, and she eventually received an offer. Jiang now works full-time in fashion tech while developing SofSet on the side.
One of those emails eventually led to an introduction to the HR team at a venture capital fund that invests in fashion tech startups, Jiang told Business Insider .
