How early LinkedIn employee turned entrepreneur overcame setbacks

You take a risk by giving up the security of a high paying job to get your M.B.A. and then try your hand at information-technology product innovation. That's pretty gutsy, but the go-getter in you says to sacrifice for a short period of time for the tremendous upside later on.

Unfortunately, that plan led to years of unemployment for Mrinal Desai, according to an article by Alexandra Levit of The Wall Street Journal from June 2009.

But Desai didn't stop there. He said the setback was the best thing that ever happened to him. "Without being pushed against the wall, I would not have stretched myself and seen what I was really capable of."

What are some of the accomplishment that Desai eventually achieved?

• He persuaded LinkedIn to hire him as an early employee and grow their user base from 1.5 million to 6.5 million.
• He founded and now advises CrossLoop
• He co-founded addappt, inc.
• He's recognized as an influential expert by Advertising Age, TechRepublic and Forbes.

Desai's story shows how one person with absolute determination and guts made his dream a reality. Take a look at the rest of the story here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124493611089912831.html

Desai coincidentally wrote a blog posting about 10 Ways of Overcoming No this week. I'm not sure if YC Reject played a role in him writing it at the same time. It gives you more insight about how he was ignored, heard "no" and was rejected, but overcame it. Take a look at it here:
http://mrinal.posterous.com/10-ways-of-overcoming-no

Happy Friday,

Allan