Need some comic relief after a brutal week of rejections. What's the funniest/most absurd rejection you've gotten from an investor, customer, or potential hire?
I'll start: Had a VC tell me my idea was "too niche" and then two months later invested in a startup that does the EXACT SAME THING.
Enterprise prospect: "This is exactly what we need. We're definitely buying this." Three months later: "We've decided to build it in-house." Six months after that: "Hey, are you still selling that tool?"
Had an angel tell me he loved the product but couldn't invest because "my wife also has a startup and she'd kill me." Weirdly one of the most honest rejections I've ever gotten.
Not a founder but I once got rejected by a client who said my hourly rate was too low and it made them question my expertise. Raised my rates 40%, same client hired me a month later. Psychology is wild.
these are incredible. I feel better already. might frame the "too niche" email as motivation
My favorite: "We're impressed by your traction but concerned about your ability to scale." We were literally doubling every month. What did they want, tripling?