Learn a Big Lesson from Jack Ma: Failure Is Normal, Giving Up Is Not (7 Steps to Learn from Failure)
Rejected for about 30 jobs, by KFC, by the police and by Harvard ten times. The man behind Alibaba shows that a "no" is not the end of the road.
Most of us have been rejected: a job application that was never answered, a loan that was refused, a business that closed. It is easy to conclude that we are simply not meant to succeed. The story of Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, says otherwise. It is one of the best lessons in learning from failure that you will find anywhere, and it starts with a long list of the word "no".
In Jack Ma's Own Words: A Long List of Rejections
Jack Ma has told this story in many interviews and talks, including to students at the University of Nairobi in Kenya in 2017. In his own accounts:
"I sat the university entrance exam three times before I got in. I applied for about 30 jobs and was rejected every time. When KFC came to my city, 24 of us applied and 23 were hired. I was the only one rejected. Five of us applied to join the police; four were accepted, and again I was the only one turned down. I applied to Harvard ten times, and they rejected me every time."
That is the man who, in 1999, gathered 18 friends in his small apartment in Hangzhou and started Alibaba. Fifteen years later, in 2014, Alibaba's listing on the New York Stock Exchange raised about US$25 billion, at the time the largest share sale in history.
Where he stands today: Forbes estimated Jack Ma's net worth at about US$25.4 billion on 29 October 2026, around 95th in the world. Even at the top, setbacks did not stop: his fortune passed US$60 billion in 2020 and then fell sharply after regulators halted the stock market listing of his payments company, Ant Group.
What Do We Learn?
Never give up because you have failed once, twice or more. Sometimes failure is God's way of showing you that your success lies somewhere other than where you have been looking. Jack Ma was not meant to fry chicken at KFC (the company that Colonel Sanders, by the way, only started franchising in his sixties) or to wear a police uniform. He was meant to build something that did not yet exist.
Failure is normal. Failure is part of learning. The real problem is giving up, because giving up is the death notice of your progress. As Jack Ma told the students in Nairobi: "You have to get used to failure."
Why Failure Hurts So Much (and Why It Shouldn't Stop You)
Failure hurts because we take it personally. A rejected application feels like a verdict on who we are, when in fact it is only a result of one attempt, at one time, with one method. When you separate the event from your identity, failure becomes information rather than a sentence.
Business owners know this better than anyone. Many businesses close in their first years, and many successful owners closed one or two businesses before they found the one that worked. The difference between those who eventually succeed and those who do not is rarely talent. It is what they do after the failure.
7 Steps to Learn from Failure and Bounce Back
- Give yourself a short time to feel it, then stop. Disappointment is natural. Allow a day or two, then turn your attention to the lessons.
- Separate the event from yourself. Say "my shop failed", not "I am a failure". The first can be fixed; the second only drains your energy.
- Write an honest review. On one page, answer: what did I plan, what actually happened, why did it happen, and what will I do differently?
- Count your "no"s as data. If ten customers say your price is too high, that is market research you received for free. Look for patterns.
- Keep the goal, change the method. Jack Ma never stopped wanting to build something; he kept changing the route. Change your product, location, customers or approach, not your dream.
- Fail small and cheap next time. Test a new idea with a small amount of stock, a trial week or a few customers before you invest your savings.
- Set a date for your next attempt and tell someone. A deadline and a person who will ask you about it turn intentions into action.
A worked example: Asha's second juice stand
Asha opened a juice stand near a busy office block in Dar es Salaam and closed it after four months. Instead of saying "business is not for me", she wrote her review: her prices were fine, but she opened at 10 a.m. while most customers wanted breakfast at 7, and she had no way to take mobile money payments. She reopened on a smaller budget, at 6:30 a.m., with a mobile money number on the counter and a breakfast combo of juice and a snack. Within two months daily sales were well above her first attempt. Same person, same goal, different method. (An illustrative example.)
| Question | Asha's answer |
|---|---|
| What did I plan? | Sell 80 cups a day to office workers. |
| What happened? | About 30 cups a day; most customers came before 9 a.m. |
| Why? | Wrong opening hours; no mobile money payment. |
| What will I change? | Open at 6:30 a.m., add mobile money and a breakfast combo. |
⚠️ Persistence is not stubbornness. Not giving up on yourself does not mean pouring more savings into a business that keeps losing money. If the numbers stay red after you have fixed the obvious problems, change direction. Read our guide on why most businesses die before 5 years to spot the warning signs early.
📘 Starting Again? Never Too Late: Guide + 10 Tools
Whether you have a failed business behind you or think you are too old to try again, this practical kit helps you start (or restart) a business without risking your savings:
- A 30-page illustrated guide: 10 steps from mapping what you already have to a 90-day launch plan
- A 30-day "Test Before You Invest" plan, so your next attempt fails small if it fails at all
- A Protect-Your-Savings plan (the Three-Bucket Rule), a Business Idea Scorecard and a one-page business plan (Word)
- An Excel planner for start-up costs, prices and break-even
Kiswahili edition: Hujachelewa. Want help reviewing what went wrong and planning your next attempt? Call or WhatsApp +255 754 281 131 / +255 655 281 131
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it true that Jack Ma was rejected by KFC?
Yes, by his own account. Jack Ma has said many times, including in a 2017 talk at the University of Nairobi, that 24 people applied for jobs when KFC came to his city and 23 were hired. He was the only one turned down. He also says he applied for about 30 jobs, was rejected by the police, and was rejected by Harvard 10 times.
How do I learn from failure instead of being defeated by it?
Separate the event from your identity, write a short honest review of what happened and why, keep what worked, change one or two things, test the new approach cheaply, and set a date for your next attempt. Failure teaches only when you study it.
When should I stop trying and change direction?
Keep the goal but be ready to change the method. If the numbers show a business keeps losing money after you have fixed the obvious problems, stop pouring savings into it and redirect your effort. Persistence means not giving up on yourself, not refusing to adjust.
What is Jack Ma's net worth today?
Forbes estimated Jack Ma's real-time net worth at about US$25.4 billion on 29 October 2026, ranking him around 95th in the world. His wealth passed US$60 billion in 2020 and fell sharply after regulators halted Ant Group's planned stock market listing.
Final Word
Jack Ma heard "no" more times than most of us will ever hear it. Each rejection pushed him a little closer to the path that was really his. Failure is normal. Failure is part of learning. Giving up is the only thing that truly ends your progress. Study your setbacks, change your method, and take the next step up the mountain.
Need help? Wellbiz Solutions helps entrepreneurs review their businesses, write realistic business plans and register and restart with confidence. Call or WhatsApp: +255 754 281 131 / +255 655 281 131
Know someone who is ready to give up after a setback? Share this article with them.
Sources: Forbes, Jack Ma real-time profile (accessed 29 October 2026); CNBC, "The lesson Alibaba's Jack Ma learned after being rejected for a job at KFC" (9 August 2017, on his University of Nairobi talk); Jack Ma's own interviews and talks. Adapted from an original Kiswahili article by Juma Killaghai.
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