Chris Dixon

I started a startup meant to be a system backup in the event of complete economic collapse before the market crash of 08. I was wrong about the WAY the crash would go down, but was right about the crash… instead of our fractional reserve currency losing value since no gold or silver backs the paper anymore… it’s the JOBS that are the scarcity.

So, for the classes stuck below like the poor locked below on the titanic, unless you know an elitist with an extra life preserver (read: job), I had to position the system as a money saving and community building social network. (www.portland.brightneighbor.com).

We have had to morph several times, and I no longer view sustainability as learning how to grow food, ride share, etc., as much as I view it as knowing how to grow cash!

Money rules this planet… how silly to ever think differently.

So true; thanks for bringing this up. If everyone’s always agreeing with you, something is wrong. Either they’re sucking up, the bar isn’t set high enough, or you aren’t thinking outside the box!

distortion: If you aren’t getting injected on a daily basis, your botox aren’t obnoxious enough

I read a quote today on the lines of: Success, the place you get too after negotiating failure after failure. Very fitting to your post today.

Nice one.
PS: What do you mean here? When you say ‘it became depersonalized’… I get the word, but not sure what u mean by your resume getting depersonalized.

“I came to realize that employers weren’t really rejecting me as a person or on my potential – they were rejecting a resume. As it became depersonalized, I became bolder in my tactics. “

I found a great place on the first day of looking. I then spent the next two months trying to top it. I ended up in that first place anyway. So no, you aren’t the only one. But that Max() function made it worth it to keep looking to ensure it was the best.

As a guy with nearly 40 years in business and pushing 60, I find this post refreshing – not inasfar as the content, but the constant droning on of squashing gen-y’ers and millennials about their need for instant gratification and so on. With three kids in these groups, I hope I have taught them “real life,” meaning not everything will go your way, that you will face rejection, and that character is based in how you handle and approach adversity.

About 30 years ago, I went through a nasty divorce where I lost most everything I had. I went into sales with no experience in the field and, not knowing any better, went out and started selling! Along the way, I was surprised to see veteran salesmen talk about how many “idiots” and (fill in your durogatory adjective here) who turned them down and “denied” them their sale. It was funny and sad all at the same time in that they bought into their own bullshit and “taught” themselves how to be rejected with euphemistic fervor.

I found success in sales at that time for three reasons: I was so suddenly poor that I had to subvert my ego and know-it-all demeanor and learn humility and learn to listen. Secondly, I had to eat and had to pay back all the money my ex, ahem, took from all our accounts and creditors. Thirdly, I depersonalized the experience as much as I could because I realized that they were going to buy me as much as my product, so I couldn’t worry about the no’s and shouldn’t get excited by the yes’s.

Now I’m one of those guys who has found a measure of success in his life and really don’t care one way or another how people feel about me. I’m a successful consultant now, with my own proprietary product and service, know it works and, if someone doesn’t want it or like it, it’s his or her loss, not mine.

Well said Chris!

I also want to add “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Anyone knows where this comes from?

Keep at it!

This is SOOO true and lots of Self Help books don’t include this last point.

hehe my comment was rejected twice. I would be annoyed if it wasn’t for that delicious irony…

Rejections should not only help you become bolder in your tactics, but you should analyze each rejection to determine if something in your tactics needs to be changed – in other words, be personally agile.

Okay, some of you are getting rejected just because you suck. Don’t forget that’s sometimes the case, too.

The guys from 37 signals might disagree with this post, but I didn’t care for “Rework”, anyway.

Once again, inspiring and insightful post.

“As it became depersonalized, I became bolder in my tactics.”

Could you expand a bit on this?

Great post Chris!

Fact is, everyone is on their own path and with their own perspective – it’s only natural that the timing/circumstances/combined paths of two people will only rarely line up.

Even with the best business/idea/whatever in the world, expecting someone else to be on the exact same wavelength is a stretch.

Thanks for sharing your bit of rejection – definitely makes it easier for the rest of us to see that even a rockstar like you has to deal with it!

I just wish that people would be more blunt and to the point with rejection.

In my [limited] experience, it seems as though people just beat around the bush. I wish someone would just say to me X, Y, Z is what I don’t like, and even better if they can provide a “why”.

Rejection without criticism is frustrating, but with criticism you can learn and grow.

Chris, one of your best posts out of many excellent ones.

As someone once said, a salesperson’s job starts upon meeting rejection. And sales is part of everyone’s life.

Good quote. This is almost as good as the other quote that I use by you. We were in a meeting and you said that if you didn’t miss the occasional flight you were wasting too much time (or something to that effect). Still love quoting that one.

Excellent post. Tough to find those people who are willing to take a chance on you though.

“If you’re not getting rejected on a daily basis, your goals aren’t big enough.” I tweeted this 9 months ago and it was retweeted.