6 Founders on When to Accept 'No,' and When to Persevere "Never take no for an answer," people say. But is that really true? We asked six founders: How do you know when to keep pushing and when to move on?
By Entrepreneur Staff Edited by Frances Dodds
This story appears in the January 2022 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
1. When "no' is the status quo.
"In sex and relationships, no means no — always. But in business, when faced with a "no,' we apply our company value to the problem: "Challenge the status quo with love.' There is likely a logical reason for the rejection or refusal, so I open a dialogue. It's important to understand the barriers. With each situation, I gather as much information as I can, weigh the pros and cons, and decide whether to persist. Progress is about compassion and balance." — Soumyadip Rakshit, cofounder and CEO, MysteryVibe
2. When "no' is a gift.
"The first "no' is good enough for me! Persistence is a ridiculously overrated attribute in American culture — probably more harmful than virtuous overall. It's much more rewarding to spend my time getting someone from slightly excited to ridiculously excited than trying to reverse a rejection. Consider that first "no' a gift; you don't have to waste more time. No? Great, next!" — Phil Libin, cofounder and CEO, mmhmm
Related: The Insight That Changed How These Founders Think About Everything
3. When "no' isn't an option.
"Sometimes accepting "no' isn't an option. Early on, only one manufacturer could make our product. We called, and their VP told us we were wasting his time. He hung up before we could respond. So we scoured our network and found a Twitter friend who knew the daughter of the manufacturing facility's CEO. We poured our hearts out to her in a pitch meeting, and she accepted us as a client." — Kevin Lee, cofounder, immi
4. When "no' saves you time.
"In fundraising sometimes you have to accept "no.' Early on male investors were skeptical that women would use a fertility product like ours. My business coach gave me excellent advice: "Push people to clearly tell you "no." ' Ask directly: "Will you invest in this round at X valuation, yes or no?' Investors love to keep their options open, but it's often a waste of time for founders. This simple advice allowed me to raise cash faster and more efficiently." — Kristina Cahojova, founder and CEO, Kegg
Related: Here's Your Next Move When Your Customer Says 'No'
5. When "no' becomes FOMO.
"If I believe my product will truly help the customer, I will push. If I can see they aren't set up to value or process what we're selling, I'll back down and follow up later. But as a last attempt, I'll try "selling the future.' I learned this from Jenn Hyman in the early days at Rent the Runway. She was a master at convincing people that they might not care today, or tomorrow, but eventually they'd regret not taking a chance on Rent the Runway. It is essential to sell your vision of the future. FOMO is real." — Ashley Wayman, founder and CEO, Shimmy
6. When "no' means "huh?'
""Do you want to buy insoles?' Every time we asked our friends — 25- to 35-year-old New Yorkers — they said "no.' Insoles are associated with medical issues and old people. But when we asked, "Do you have foot or back pain?' 80% said yes. Our next question was: "Did you know proper arch support relieves pain across your whole body?' They were intrigued. More often than not, we've found that "noes' are another way of saying "I don't fully understand.'" — Libie Motchan and Daniel Nelson, cofounders, Fulton
