Stranger Things rejected 20 times before Netflix

Hey there,

Welcome to the Income Ivy Newsletter.

Think getting rejected means your idea is bad?

Hollywood and publishing executives certainly thought so. But here's something that might change your perspective: The Duffer Brothers pitched Stranger Things to 15-20 different networks before Netflix finally said yes. Every single one passed.

Too weird. Too nostalgic. Too expensive. Wrong demographic. The reasons piled up.

The Duffer Brothers refused to compromise. They wouldn't change the kids to teens. They wouldn't modernize the 1980s setting. They wouldn't make it less strange. Netflix took a chance on the original vision.

Stranger Things became a global phenomenon generating billions in value. The show everyone rejected became one of the most-watched series in streaming history.

The wildest part? The most successful creative works are often the ones that get rejected most frequently. Because what makes them special is exactly what makes gatekeepers uncomfortable.

The Duffer Brothers' 20 rejections

Matt and Ross Duffer spent years developing Stranger Things (originally called Montauk). They had a specific vision: kids as protagonists, 1980s setting, horror and sci-fi blended, Spielberg-style storytelling.

Every network they pitched said no. CBS, NBC, Fox, HBO. All passed. The feedback was consistent: Change everything that makes it unique.

Make the kids teenagers so you can have romance drama. Set it in modern day so it's relatable. Pick a genre and stick to it. Add more adult characters.

The Duffer Brothers refused every suggestion. They believed their vision worked precisely because of what executives wanted to cut.

After 15-20 rejections, Netflix agreed to make it exactly as written. No compromises. Original vision intact.

Stranger Things premiered in 2016 to massive critical and commercial success. It launched careers, revived 1980s nostalgia culture, and became Netflix's most valuable franchise. The show has been watched by over 140 million households globally.

Every executive who passed on it was wrong. The "problems" they identified were actually the show's greatest strengths.

J.K. Rowling's twelve publisher rejections

Here's one that's even more famous: J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter manuscript got rejected by twelve major publishers before Bloomsbury took a chance.

Rowling was a single mother on welfare, writing in cafes because she couldn't afford heating at home. She finished Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and sent it to agents and publishers.

The rejections came fast. Too long for children's books. Kids don't want to read about boarding schools. Fantasy doesn't sell. The protagonist is too ordinary.

Twelve publishers said no.

Christopher Little, a literary agent, finally agreed to represent her. He sent the manuscript to Bloomsbury, where an eight-year-old girl read the first chapter and demanded to read more. That child's opinion convinced Bloomsbury to take a chance.

They printed just 1,000 copies initially. Small advance. Low expectations.

Harry Potter became the best-selling book series in history with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. The franchise is worth an estimated $25 billion including films, merchandise, and theme parks.

Every publisher who rejected it missed the biggest literary phenomenon of the generation.

Dr. Seuss's 27 publisher rejections

Theodor Geisel, who wrote as Dr. Seuss, faced even more rejection. His first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected by 27 publishers.

Too different. Too silly. The rhyme scheme was wrong. The illustrations were too weird. Kids wouldn't understand it.

After the 27th rejection, Geisel was walking home contemplating giving up. He randomly ran into an old college friend who had just become a children's book editor at Vanguard Press.

That chance encounter led to publication. The book became a success. Dr. Seuss went on to write over 60 books selling more than 600 million copies worldwide.

27 publishers couldn't recognize genius because it looked too different from existing children's books.

The rejection success pattern

Here's what these three understood: Rejection from gatekeepers often means you're creating something genuinely original.

The Duffer Brothers got rejected because Stranger Things didn't fit existing formulas. Rowling got rejected because Harry Potter broke children's book conventions. Dr. Seuss got rejected because his style was unprecedented.

If gatekeepers immediately understand and accept your work, it probably resembles what already exists. Original work feels uncomfortable precisely because it's new.

Why gatekeepers reject the best work

Risk aversion favors the familiar

Executives and publishers build careers by making safe bets. Approving something that resembles past successes feels safer than championing something unprecedented. Original work represents career risk.

Pattern matching fails on innovation

Gatekeepers use past success to predict future success. When your work doesn't match existing patterns, their evaluation framework fails. They can't see potential because they're looking for familiar signals.

Compromise destroys what makes work special

Every network wanted the Duffer Brothers to change what made Stranger Things unique. Those "problems" were actually the innovations that made it successful. Gatekeepers often ask you to remove your competitive advantage.

The creator's survival guide

Count rejections as validation

If everyone immediately loves your work, it might be too safe. Rejection often signals you're pushing boundaries. The Duffer Brothers' 20 rejections proved they had something different.

Refuse to compromise your vision

Every suggestion to make Stranger Things "marketable" would have made it generic. The Duffer Brothers succeeded because they said no to smart people giving bad advice. Protect what makes your work unique.

One yes matters more than twenty nos

Rowling needed only one publisher to believe. Dr. Seuss needed only one yes. The Duffer Brothers needed only Netflix. Keep going until you find the gatekeeper who sees what you see.

Create until chance encounters happen

Dr. Seuss meeting his college friend wasn't random luck. It happened because he was still trying after 27 rejections. Persistence creates opportunities for luck to strike.

The conventional wisdom says rejection means your work isn't good enough. These three proved the opposite.

Sometimes rejection means you're ahead of the curve. Sometimes it means gatekeepers are trapped in old patterns. Sometimes it means you're creating something genuinely new that doesn't fit existing categories.

Stranger Things didn't need to be less strange. Harry Potter didn't need to be shorter. Dr. Seuss didn't need to be more conventional.

They needed to exist exactly as their creators envisioned them. The rejections were wrong. The visions were right.

What are you refusing to compromise?

Emil | Founder of Income Ivy