Facebook Turned Me Down

‘Facebook turned me down’ â€" the job rejection became a $four billion cheque We’ve all been there â€" the job rejection that actually stung, as with this tweet from Brian Acton in August of 2009… Brian was feeling a bit washed up. His eleven years as an early worker at Yahoo! was now two years in the past. He’d bounced from job to job in Silicon Valley’s startup land, and now he’d been turned down by both Facebook and, as he tweeted a couple of months prior, Twitter. It’s kind of scary to be pushing 40 and feel like you’re being pushed out the door. But probably the most beautiful factor about Brian is the great grace and optimism with which he dealt with his rejection â€" “It was a great alternative to connect with some incredible people. Looking ahead to life’s next journey.” The damage radiates from these 140 characters. And also a power of character. So Brian caught with it. And ended up touchdown a job with an old colleague from Yahoo! â€" anyone he’d hired, actually. It wasn’t a lot, and he received the grand title of ‘Co-Found er’ and no wage for his efforts. Which paid off. Because, you see, a couple of years later, Brian and his co-founder at WhatsApp bought their company to Facebook for $19 billion, with a ‘b’, making Brian’s stake value some $4 billion. Again… with a ‘b’. Which speaks to the importance of never giving up. Even should you’re “too old” or “past your prime” or “washed up.” And the point of this story just isn't that you, too, can go start an organization and sell it to Facebook for billions. (Although you simply might.) The level of the story is that you just simply by no means know what’s going to happen to you… except you stop trying. If you stop attempting, you'll be able to guarantee that all your fears will come true â€" you’ll be forgotten, you’ll be handed by, and also you received’t get the next nice alternative. But should you maintain trying, good things can happen. If you retain attempting, something will come your way. If you keep attempt ing, ultimately, the percentages pile up in your favor, and also you willearn that fortunate break. And whereas it could not have the delicious poetic justice of being turned down for a 6-figure job only to get a ten-figure payout four years later, sticking with it will give you the satisfaction of giving yourself the respect, and the chance, that you deserve. (Article originally appeared on Medium) Enter your e-mail tackle: