You might love hearing “no” after this post.

After learned how to ensure your idea can reach a million dollars and before we dive into how to know if people are willing to pay for your product and get your first few customers, we need to talk about something really important: rejection. Fear of rejection is what stops many people from even starting. Instead of testing their ideas, they hesitate because they don’t want to hear the word "no."

But there’s a treasure hidden in rejection that most people overlook. Let’s learn how to uncover the real value behind rejection.

First, instead of focusing on getting your first few approvals, change your mindset and aim for 100 rejections. By doing this, you’ll learn a lot more from each "no" rather than waiting around for a few "yes" responses. Rejection isn’t the end – it’s an opportunity to learn. Every "no" is a chance to understand your customers’ needs more deeply. Your first 100 "no's," your first 100 YouTube videos with no engagement (if you do get some, don’t count it), or your first 100 posts with no reactions – all of this will help you build patience and endurance. This allows you to stick around long enough to learn from the experience. (Most people quit even before reaching the point where they start learning, so they end up repeating the same mistakes.)

Second, let’s turn rejection into opportunities. When you face rejection, use these four questions to turn a "no" into useful information, potential customers, and innovative ideas:

1. Why not? – This question helps you uncover the real reasons behind the rejection and reveals any barriers or concerns they have.
2. Who do you know that might like this? – Always ask for a referral. Be clear about what you're looking for, as this increases your chances of getting a valuable recommendation.
3. What would make this offer a no-brainer for you? – They might not be interested in your product right now, but they might be excited about something related. This could open new doors.
4. How much would you pay for this? – Pricing is one of the toughest challenges for any startup. If you can get potential customers to tell you how much they’d be willing to pay, you’ve struck gold.

Every rejection gives you new ideas, insights, and even potential customers. Instead of running from "no," embrace it and use it as a stepping stone. Every rejection brings you one step closer to success.

You might be just 11 "no's" away from success, but if you give up after the tenth rejection, you’ll miss out on the opportunity.

Here’s a challenge for you: Go to any store, buy something, and ask for a 10% discount without saying anything afterward.

Let me share my personal experience with this challenge. To make it harder on myself, I asked for discounts on really small purchases. The most expensive thing I bought was 55 EGP (~$1) 😅.

The first attempt was the hardest, especially because the store was crowded. I was afraid my request would annoy people or make them laugh at me – my biggest fear. But the opposite happened! People responded to my request very casually, and I was the one more surprised than them. Some politely refused with a smile.

The downside? None. The upside? I might have gotten the discount! Even if it was a small discount, overcoming small fears prepares us for bigger challenges in life.

If you found this helpful, let me know in the comments, and help it reach others. I’d also love to hear what topics you’d like us to discuss next!