- Sundar Pichai: Did not secure his preferred IIT or branch in IIT-JEE but qualified with a good rank and studied metallurgical engineering at IIT Kharagpur. Despite not getting selected in IIT Madras or Computer Science, he rose to become CEO of Google and Alphabet. His journey shows that not topping the JEE or getting a preferred college/branch is not a barrier to success.
- Ritesh Agarwal: Dropped out of college and faced repeated failures with early startups like Oravel Stays, along with accelerator rejections. Through persistence, he built OYO into India’s largest hotel chain with a peak valuation exceeding $9 billion.
- K. Radhakrishnan: He faced technical and mission setbacks during his tenure at ISRO but ultimately led successful missions such as Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan, exemplifying resilience and leadership in science.
- MrBeast: Uploaded YouTube videos for several years, reaching 1,000 subscribers only after about two years with many early videos having very low views. Now, he is the largest YouTuber globally with over 400 million subscribers, illustrating how early slow growth is common even for top creators.
- Tanmay Bhat: Performed stand-up comedy for years before gaining widespread recognition. Before co-founding the AIB channel, which eventually grew to over 3 million subscribers, he had limited traction, highlighting the long journey many creators face.
- MKBHD (Marques Brownlee): Posted over 100 early videos, mostly with low views, and took about four years to reach 1,000 subscribers. Today, he boasts over 20 million subscribers and has interviewed top tech leaders, demonstrating perseverance through early slow growth.
- Jack Ma: Rejected from about 30 jobs, including all 24 KFC applications where others were hired. He also failed college entrance exams twice. Despite these setbacks, he founded Alibaba, which grew into one of the largest e-commerce companies globally.
- Brian Acton: Rejected by both Facebook and Twitter in 2009. He later co-founded WhatsApp, which was acquired by Facebook for $19 billion, proving initial job rejections do not preclude extraordinary entrepreneurial success.
- Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: His childhood dream was to become a fighter pilot, but he placed 9th in the selection qualifiers for the Indian Air Force when there were only 8 slots available. Heartbroken, he shifted his focus to science and engineering. He eventually became the “Missile Man of India,” led the country’s nuclear tests, and served as the 11th President of India.
- Jensen Huang (NVIDIA): In the mid-90s, NVIDIA was 30 days away from bankruptcy after its first chip (NV1) failed technically and commercially. He had to lay off half his staff and famously bet the company’s remaining funds on a new chip (RIVA 128). Today, NVIDIA is a multi-trillion dollar company powering the global AI revolution, and Huang is one of the world’s most influential CEOs.
- Amitabh Bachchan: Before becoming a star, he was rejected by All India Radio because his voice was considered “too heavy” and “unsuitable.” In Bollywood, he delivered 12 consecutive flops and was written off as a “failed newcomer” before Zanjeer (1973) established him as the “Angry Young Man.” He is now regarded as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema history.
- N.R. Narayana Murthy: His first entrepreneurial venture, a company called Softronics, failed after about a year and a half. He was also turned down for a job at Wipro (a decision Azim Premji later called one of his biggest mistakes). Undeterred, he started Infosys in 1981 with ₹10,000 borrowed from his wife, eventually building it into a global IT giant.
- J.K. Rowling: Before Harry Potter was published, she was a broke, unemployed single mother battling depression. The manuscript for the first book was rejected by 12 different publishers, with some advising her to “get a day job” because children’s books wouldn’t make money. She is now one of the best-selling authors in history.
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui: He struggled for over 12 years in Mumbai, working as a watchman and a chemist to survive while accepting tiny, blink-and-you-miss-it roles. He faced constant rejection due to his unconventional looks for a Bollywood “hero.” His persistence eventually paid off with breakthrough roles in Gangs of Wasseypur and Sacred Games, making him a celebrated international actor.
- Steve Jobs: At age 30, he was publicly fired from Apple, the company he co-founded. He later described it as the best thing that could have happened to him, as the “heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again.” During his time away, he founded NeXT and Pixar, before returning to Apple to lead it to becoming the most valuable company in the world.