4 ms·

Why You Must Embrace Rejection to Succeed

30 points by naish 19y ago

asillyusername 19y ago
you gotta learn how to die-ie-ie / if you ever want to be alive.
freax 19y ago
Don't count yourself out. It sounds so trite, but do you realize how often you already do it? Not just in start-ups, but everything: Do you not talk to that girl/boy because you don't want to bother them, or think they'll say no? If you're not convinced you're worthwhile, how will you convince anyone else? Are you so concerned with being right that you won't let yourself become absolutely certain of your own success because "there are no absolutes"? Are you worried that if someone takes a chance on you, you'll let them down? Does that worry stop you? Most people stop even trying and take themselves out of contention! Rejections are like points. There's a secret magic number you need to collect, and then you succeed.
freax 19y ago
As a side note, this article made me check out the resume of the author of that essay it references. Started college at 12? Graduated at 17 with a double BS in CoSci and Physics? University Medal in CoSci? All sorts of scholarships and awards. And yet rejected by YC. That's a pretty glaring big data point that says YC's claim about choosing people, not ideas is junk. They probably didn't even read her resume because they don't spend enough time on the applications, which is still an indictment of their selection process. If you habitually make decisions in the absence of vital information you end up screwing the pooch. If I were an investor I'd bet on that one for sure. Not even an interview?!?
- donw 19y ago
  Being a child prodigy, and excelling in school, doesn't necessarily make her a good bet as an entrepreneur, however amazingly talented she might be. Or, YC might have missed the boat big-time on this one, and she's going to go off and found the next Google. No selection process is perfect, people make mistakes, and one data point does not a trend make.
  - freax 19y ago
    > doesn't necessarily make her a good bet as an entrepreneur, however amazingly talented she might be. Yes, yes it does make her a good bet. If you are betting, bet on people with immense talent and drive. Who else are you going to bet on, people with far less talent and drive? I think you're confusing "good bet" with "guaranteed to be more successful". > No selection process is perfect Yes, but there's a huge gulf between "almost perfect" and "woefully inadequate" when it comes to not being perfect. YC is closer to the latter just due to the lack of time they spend on the process. > and one data point does not a trend make. Correct -- but it's one more data point. There are multiple others from reports here. For example, YC not looking at demos; or asking questions that indicate they didn't bother to read or understand the application. Plus when you see some of the schlock they've funded it's clear something's broken.
    - donw 19y ago
      shrug So, YC didn't pick her. It's their loss, because if she's going to succeed, she'll do it even without YC's help. If you have the means, which I certainly don't at present, contact her and offer her funding.
      - freax 19y ago
        I'm in the same boat! If I were an investor I certainly would invest in people of that caliber.
    - run4yourlives 19y ago
      No it doesn't. It makes her a good bet to go get another masters or PHD, but being an entrepreneur is a completely different skill set. While her accomplishments are grand in their own right, they're also rather focused. There's nothing in and of itself on the resume that shows that she's had to work to overcome a default, or has experience building a company, or that she can think on her feet, for example. Although she may in fact possess these skills, I wouldn't take them as a given simply because she has a lot of book smarts.
- deleted 19y ago
  [deleted]
donw 19y ago
Not just rejection, but failure. It's not how we succeed that defines us, but how we crash and burn. Those that get up, no matter how many times they are beaten down, are the ones that eventually succeed. Those who give up are the true failures.
- dennykmiu 19y ago
  donw - I absolutely agree. It is all about getting up and ride again. I dedicate an entire chapter to my dad "who taught me how to ride a bicycle". http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html
  - donw 19y ago
    I am loathe to click on a link to a site titled 'Love My Tool'... :)
    - dennykmiu 19y ago
      I know, I get that a lot. I live in San Francisco so if the site doesn't work for an "online community for network monitoring TOOLS", I have other plans.
okeumeni 19y ago
Loved this article!

30 points by naish 19y ago

you gotta learn how to die-ie-ie / if you ever want to be alive.

freax 19y ago

Don't count yourself out. It sounds so trite, but do you realize how often you already do it? Not just in start-ups, but everything: Do you not talk to that girl/boy because you don't want to bother them, or think they'll say no? If you're not convinced you're worthwhile, how will you convince anyone else? Are you so concerned with being right that you won't let yourself become absolutely certain of your own success because "there are no absolutes"? Are you worried that if someone takes a chance on you, you'll let them down? Does that worry stop you? Most people stop even trying and take themselves out of contention! Rejections are like points. There's a secret magic number you need to collect, and then you succeed.

freax 19y ago

As a side note, this article made me check out the resume of the author of that essay it references. Started college at 12? Graduated at 17 with a double BS in CoSci and Physics? University Medal in CoSci? All sorts of scholarships and awards. And yet rejected by YC. That's a pretty glaring big data point that says YC's claim about choosing people, not ideas is junk. They probably didn't even read her resume because they don't spend enough time on the applications, which is still an indictment of their selection process. If you habitually make decisions in the absence of vital information you end up screwing the pooch. If I were an investor I'd bet on that one for sure. Not even an interview?!?

donw 19y ago
Being a child prodigy, and excelling in school, doesn't necessarily make her a good bet as an entrepreneur, however amazingly talented she might be. Or, YC might have missed the boat big-time on this one, and she's going to go off and found the next Google. No selection process is perfect, people make mistakes, and one data point does not a trend make.
- freax 19y ago
  > doesn't necessarily make her a good bet as an entrepreneur, however amazingly talented she might be. Yes, yes it does make her a good bet. If you are betting, bet on people with immense talent and drive. Who else are you going to bet on, people with far less talent and drive? I think you're confusing "good bet" with "guaranteed to be more successful". > No selection process is perfect Yes, but there's a huge gulf between "almost perfect" and "woefully inadequate" when it comes to not being perfect. YC is closer to the latter just due to the lack of time they spend on the process. > and one data point does not a trend make. Correct -- but it's one more data point. There are multiple others from reports here. For example, YC not looking at demos; or asking questions that indicate they didn't bother to read or understand the application. Plus when you see some of the schlock they've funded it's clear something's broken.
  - donw 19y ago
    shrug So, YC didn't pick her. It's their loss, because if she's going to succeed, she'll do it even without YC's help. If you have the means, which I certainly don't at present, contact her and offer her funding.
    - freax 19y ago
      I'm in the same boat! If I were an investor I certainly would invest in people of that caliber.
  - run4yourlives 19y ago
    No it doesn't. It makes her a good bet to go get another masters or PHD, but being an entrepreneur is a completely different skill set. While her accomplishments are grand in their own right, they're also rather focused. There's nothing in and of itself on the resume that shows that she's had to work to overcome a default, or has experience building a company, or that she can think on her feet, for example. Although she may in fact possess these skills, I wouldn't take them as a given simply because she has a lot of book smarts.
deleted 19y ago
[deleted]

donw 19y ago

Not just rejection, but failure. It's not how we succeed that defines us, but how we crash and burn. Those that get up, no matter how many times they are beaten down, are the ones that eventually succeed. Those who give up are the true failures.

dennykmiu 19y ago
donw - I absolutely agree. It is all about getting up and ride again. I dedicate an entire chapter to my dad "who taught me how to ride a bicycle". http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html http://www.lovemytool.com/blog/2007/10/riding-a-bike.html
- donw 19y ago
  I am loathe to click on a link to a site titled 'Love My Tool'... :)
  - dennykmiu 19y ago
    I know, I get that a lot. I live in San Francisco so if the site doesn't work for an "online community for network monitoring TOOLS", I have other plans.

okeumeni 19y ago

Loved this article!