( CNN ) What would you do if a complete stranger asked you for $ 100 , or offered you an apple in a parking lot without explanation ? These are only two of the 100 challenges Chinese-born , American-based Jia Jiang put himself up to when he decided to blog about `` 100 Days of Rejection '' , a project he launched after he quit his comfortable six-figure job to follow his dreams of being an entrepreneur at the age of 30 , just weeks before his first child was born . After his tech start-up was declined investment , Jiang decided to confront his fear of rejection head-on . This led to his writing his book called Rejection Proof , part self-help and part motivational/autobiography , which is being released this week . Famously , in 2012 on his third day of the project , Jiang asked Austin , Texas , Krispy Kreme manager ( Jackie Braun ) to make him five interlinked donuts to mimic the Olympic symbol . To his surprise , she rose to the challenge and his rejection request faltered . He shared his video and it went viral on Reddit . Before long , Jiang ( and Braun ) were invited on talk shows and Jiang was being asked to speak at events across the US . Jiang was even offered jobs as his project continued and his fame grew . That was n't the goal of the project though . `` I 'm really just a person trying to overcome my own fears , '' explained Jiang . The project started out to help `` fix my own problems , and now I 'm helping others fix theirs , '' he said . `` The fear of rejection really holds people back . I 'm trying to demystify the idea of rejection . '' Jiang , who as a child dreamed of being Bill Gates and has been viewed 7 million times on YouTube , has found his entrepreneurial dream in a different role for the moment . `` My goal is to turn rejection into opportunity . I always thought it was something to run away from , but if we can embrace it , we can turn it into a lot more than an obstacle . '' 8 top tips in making rejection work for you : . 1 - The fear of rejection holds us back a lot more than actual rejection . By putting ourselves out there , the world will usually open itself up to you . Though the world can seem cruel and cold , actually humans have a hard time saying no . So open yourself up , do n't be afraid to ask for something . If you fail , remember it 's not about you . 2 - Rejection is more or less a numbers game . Sometimes the most far-fetched idea gets a yes . If you talk to enough people , somebody will say yes to you . J.K. Rowling went through 12 rejections to get her yes for Harry Potter and the Philosopher 's Stone . 3 - You can not use rejection to measure the merit of an idea . Sometimes if you really want to change the world , getting rejection is a must . Rejection is a human interaction with two sides . It often says more about the rejector than the rejectee , and should never be used as the universal truth and sole judgment of merit . 4 - Do n't run away after a no . The most common thing we do when we 're rejected is we want to run because rejection is painful - you 're hurt , angry and you lose confidence . But actually if we know how to handle it , we can often minimize the chance of rejection . Be confident , engaging , collaborate . I used all of these traits to maximise getting a yes . 5 - Ask why ? When you get rejected you have to find out why . Then spend time to find solutions to solve that why . Sometimes through this process you learn there is something else you can ask for . Ask for an intermediate position rather than the top position . 6 - Set a number of how many no 's you can take . In his book , Jiang helps his wife set out to get her dream job at Google . He tells her that instead of thinking about getting a job , she needs to prepare herself for how many no 's she can take . In the end , she was offered a job at Google . 7 - Be invincible . By the end of his project , Jiang said he felt he could ask anything from anyone and not have the pain of rejection . It was a gradual process - gradually my comfort zone expanded . It 's like a muscle , I could become stronger and stronger . 8 - Stand tall and remember rejection is an opinion . People are who they are . A lot of people will reject you because of their mood , their education , their upbringing , and you ca n't change who they are . But you can stand confidently . Innate confidence comes across . How missing sleep can damage your IQ . The surprising benefits of doing nothing . 7 habits of highly ineffective people .
One man 's entrepreneurial quest turned into unexpected success . `` 100 Days of Rejection '' took Jiang out of his comfort zone . It 's the fear of rejection , more than rejection itself , which holds us back .