Interpreting Rejection: Realizing “No” is not Scalable

I get politely told “no,” either directly through words or indirectly through actions, numerous times per week as a result of my curious, but well-intended, entrepreneurial endeavors.  I understand it’s not because I’m rude, nosy or offensively inquisitive; I’m aware enough to avoid things like this.  But, it’s really because I ask a lot from people, especially when I see opportunity for joint success as I continue to move along my emerging venture.

An important, but simple, lesson I’ve learned in opportunistic entrepreneurship is that as negative, disheartening and even depressing as a stone-cold “no” can feel, especially when you’re spitting out an idea that’s become ingrained in your personality, is that the response is not scalable.  Basically, because one person tells you to “no,”, “fuck off,” “not for me,” or “I’ll pass,” doesn’t mean the next will.

Do you know how many times Bob Dylan was told he couldn’t sing?

It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many people fail after getting gently shot down just one time.  If you want to be successful, it’s something to get used to.  “No” doesn’t mean stop.  If anything, it means keep moving.

During my countless conversations with accomplished entrepreneurs and artists, surprise and serendipity have remained as the only consistent personal and professional ingredients of success time and time again.  In fact, besides the simplified properties that most people already understand like hustle and perseverance, relying on serendipity is sometimes as simple as having interesting friends and an open ear, which are both easy to ignore when we focus too much on business.  Taking any serendipitous path requires getting told “no” often, while understanding it’s not a permanent function.

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