Most people won't buy

Jason Cohen hit a nerve on X when he said: “Most of running a company is rejection.” That line sums up marketing perfectly. Most people won’t click, buy, sign up, or stick around. But that’s not failure. That’s normal.

The math of rejection

Marketing is a numbers game. You don’t need everyone—just enough of the right ones. Each “no” gets you closer to a “yes.”

Why it works

• Normalizes rejection so teams keep momentum
• Shifts focus from perfection to iteration
• Encourages tracking conversion rates, not emotions
• Builds resilience and predictability

Examples

• Email open rates average 20%. Top marketers celebrate that.
• Landing pages convert at 2-5%, yet entire businesses thrive.
• A/B tests fail 80% of the time—but the 20% wins drive growth.
• Venture capitalists reject 99% of pitches and still find unicorns.