Just ask. I doubt he's never had a project go sour, so admitting an idea (or two) didn't work out doesn't hurt your credibility. Honestly, it might HELP your credibility.

One of my closest friends landed his first writing job at 19 by emailing the then-editor of his favorite magazine and asking, "How can I get your job?"

I thought he was nuts. No way he'd get a response. But he did. And then he got a job offer.

I also went to a friend of mine, the CEO of a large company — after turning down a job offer years ago — asked him if he'd still be interested in working with me. I had to swallow my pride to do it. But he was, and I got a long-term contract that's hugely improved my quality of life.

If you never ask, you may protect your pride, but you'll definitely never get the job. So you really have nothing to lose: if you ask, you might not get the job; if you don't ask, you'll definitely not get the job.

You're probably better off playing the odds, and I'd say your odds of getting a job are significantly higher if you take a chance, be honest about your situation, and ask. :)

Good luck!