The Rejection Challenge

Name: The Rejection Challenge
Start: 2025-11-14T13:00:00.000-08:00
End: 2025-11-14T18:00:00.000-08:00
Location: San Francisco, California

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San Francisco, California

Past Event

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About Event

Join virtually: https://meet.google.com/med-yxyr-ooy. We will begin live-streaming at 1:30 pm PT.

The Rejection Challenge is a mini-hackathon for founders who want to build the muscle of bold action. The theme is “Failing is Passing.” You’ll go head to head with other founders in a live cold-email competition, reaching out to people you once assumed were out of reach. The goal is not to be perfect. The goal is to take high-leverage shots, learn fast, and prove to yourself that access is a skill you can train.

You will leave with:
• A repeatable cold outreach playbook
• A stronger narrative and pitch instinct
• Proof that you can get into rooms you didn’t think you could

This is for founders, operators, and builders who value initiative, creativity, and momentum.

Come ready to try things that might not work. That’s the point.

[winners]

Marching Rectangles (Christopher McKenzie): I'm writing a book and I've been very nervous about sharing it with people because I am very sensitive of people's time. I've been asking people to read the premise.
Guest Lecture (Pia Z.): Being a Professor is hard! Technology is rapidly changing and I'm constantly on the search for guest lecturers working on the latest and greatest around emerging technologies. Next semester, I'm teaching Systems Design and Design Research. One of the projects in my Systems Design class is related to finding ways to innovate around cancer inspired by my nephew's cancer battle.
Aanjanaye (Aanjanaye Kajaria): I am building a fintech startup. Reached out to potential cofounders, advisors, infrastructure partners that are critical for the project, and customers for my business.

See all submissions here: https://cerebralvalley.ai/e/the-rejection-challenge/hackathon/gallery.

[schedule]

1:00 Doors open
1:30 Kickoff + group photo
2:00 The Rejection Challenge begins
4:30 Submit projects for first-round judging
5:00 Top 6 present (2-minute pitches)
5:30 Second-round judging
6:00 Doors close

[judging criteria]

Guts (25%): How big are the emotional or economic stakes?
Reps (25%): How much cold outreach did you send out?
Wins (25%): How many people said yes?
Creativity (25%): How bold or original or fun were you with your approach?

[rules]

No spamming. Automation is banned. No tools that send messages for you. You have to hit “send” yourself each time.
Using AI to draft your messages is allowed.
No teams allowed.
You do not have to use email. You can use LinkedIn, iMessage, Instagram, WhatsApp, X, whatever your heart desires. Heck, you can even FaceTime someone or show up at their doorstep. Whatever you need to get the job done.
You must be in person or on Zoom throughout the entire event to win.
We require proof of all cold outreach.
Outreach must be cold. You must not have known them prior to this event.

[prizes]

1st place: AirPods Pro 3 + interview with Antler + Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang
2nd place: $100 cash + Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang
3rd place: Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang

[project submission]

Submit here: https://cerebralvalley.ai/e/the-rejection-challenge/hackathon.

[judges]