The 100-Day Rejection Experiment That Changed How We Think About Failure

In partnership with

Good morning Grinder,

Have you ever wanted to ask for something but stopped yourself because you were already imagining the answer? Maybe there was a business owner you wanted to approach, a customer you wanted to call, a job you wanted to pursue, or someone you wanted to connect with. You knew what you wanted to say, but before you ever opened your mouth, your mind had already written the ending: They're going to say no.

So you didn't ask.

Instead, you waited for a better time. You told yourself you needed more experience, more preparation, or a better opportunity. Sometimes we even convince ourselves we're being strategic when we're really just avoiding the uncomfortable possibility of rejection.

That is what makes Jia Jiang's story so fascinating.

After experiencing rejection at an important point in his career, Jiang became interested in something most of us spend our lives trying to avoid. Rather than running away from rejection, he decided to deliberately pursue it. For 100 days, he made requests that he expected people to reject. Some were unusual and uncomfortable, but that was the point. He wanted to discover whether rejection was really as painful and frightening as he had always believed.

What he discovered was surprisingly simple: rejection wasn't nearly as devastating as the anticipation of rejection. More importantly, he realized that a "no" wasn't necessarily a judgment of him as a person. It was simply an answer to a particular question at a particular moment.

That distinction can completely change the way we approach business and life.

We Often Reject Ourselves First

Think about how often you've talked yourself out of an opportunity before anyone else even had a chance to say no.

Maybe you want to call the owner of a large hotel, but you assume they're too busy. You want to approach a company, but you figure they already have a vendor. You want to ask for a meeting, but you convince yourself they won't take you seriously.

Before you even make the call, you've already decided the conversation won't work.

The problem is that none of those assumptions are facts. They're guesses.

Jiang's experiment showed the value of challenging those guesses. Once he began intentionally putting himself into uncomfortable situations, he discovered that the experience was far less frightening than the story he had created in his mind.

Sometimes, the answer really was no. But sometimes people asked questions, showed interest, or even said yes.

The lesson is important: don't make decisions based on a rejection that hasn't happened yet.

A "No" Doesn't Always Mean "Never"

One of the biggest mistakes we make when someone rejects an offer is assuming their answer is permanent.

A hotel manager says they're not interested, and you assume you'll never work with that hotel. A customer says your price is too high, and you decide they don't value your service. A contractor says they're already working with someone else, and you remove them from your list forever.

But business rarely works that simply.

A "no" might mean "not right now." It might mean they don't have the budget, just completed a similar project, don't know you well enough yet, or simply don't understand the value of what you're offering.

That's why great salespeople don't take rejection personally. They listen to it. They learn from it. They ask questions and determine whether the problem is timing, price, trust, need, or something else.

Sometimes the best response to a no isn't another sales pitch. It might simply be, "I completely understand. Would it be okay if I stayed in touch and reached out when the timing is better?"

That one sentence can turn today's rejection into tomorrow's opportunity.

The Math of Rejection

There is another powerful lesson here, especially for entrepreneurs: success often comes down to how many opportunities you create.

Imagine two salespeople. One contacts ten prospects, receives several rejections, becomes frustrated, and stops. Another contacts 100 prospects and hears far more no's-but also creates more conversations, appointments, follow-ups, and opportunities.

The second salesperson didn't necessarily have a better product or personality. They simply created more chances for something positive to happen.

You can't control whether someone buys from you. You can't force a hotel owner to take your meeting or make a property manager return your call.

But you can control how many people you approach.

Instead of thinking, "I need this person to say yes," start thinking, "I need to create enough opportunities for yes to happen."

That mindset makes rejection much easier to handle.

What If You Started Counting Your No's?

Here's an experiment worth trying.

For the next 30 or 100 days, don't make your only goal closing deals. Track the uncomfortable requests you make.

Ask the business owner you've been putting off contacting. Ask a hotel manager if you can bid their next project. Ask a property manager how you can become an approved vendor. Ask a past customer for a referral. Ask someone you admire for an introduction.

Then record the responses.

If someone says no, don't hide it. Count it.

You may discover that the more rejection you experience, the less power it has over you. Eventually, hearing no becomes part of the process rather than something you fear.

And something else happens: you get better.

Rejection provides information. If prospects repeatedly say they don't understand the value, improve your presentation. If they say the price is too high, learn how to communicate the return on investment. If they keep asking the same question, make that answer part of your pitch.

A rejection can teach you where the gap is between what you're offering and what your customer actually needs.

The Opportunity You Never Ask For Doesn't Exist

Think about how many opportunities you've lost without ever being rejected.

Maybe you wanted to approach a major company but decided they were too big. Maybe you wanted to ask for a referral but worried about being annoying. Maybe you wanted to contact a hotel owner but assumed they already had a preferred vendor.

Nobody told you no.

You told yourself no.

That's a far more dangerous kind of rejection because there is no chance for the answer to surprise you.

Jia Jiang's story isn't really about eliminating rejection. It's about refusing to let rejection determine what you're willing to attempt.

You can be nervous and still make the call. You can feel inexperienced and still introduce yourself. You can hear no and still move forward.

The next time you're afraid to ask for an opportunity, don't ask yourself, "What if they say no?"

Ask yourself:

"What could happen if I simply asked?"

A no may disappoint you for a moment.

But the opportunity you never pursued because you were afraid to ask could stay with you for years.

Sometimes, the only thing standing between where you are today and where you want to be is the willingness to hear "no" enough times to eventually reach your "yes."

Sometimes success isn't about finding a way to avoid rejection. It's about becoming brave enough to keep knocking until someone finally opens the door.

Keep grinding,

N. Amadeus

The 10 Best AI Stocks to Own in 2026

AI is moving from experiment… to essential.

Every major industry is integrating it.
Every major company is investing in it.

By late 2025, AI was already an $800B market — growing at a pace that could push it well beyond $1 trillion in the years ahead.

Cloud infrastructure is scaling fast.
AI-enabled devices are multiplying.
Automation is becoming standard.

But here’s the real question…

When trillions flow into this transformation — which stocks stand to benefit most?

Our new report reveals 10 AI stocks positioned across the backbone of this shift — from the companies powering the infrastructure… to those embedding intelligence into everyday systems.

If you want exposure to one of the defining growth trends of this decade, start here.

Download the Report Now