The Pivot: Knowing When to Change Course

Every startup founder has that gut-check moment: do we keep pushing, or do we pivot? Pivoting isn’t failure—it’s strategy. Many of today’s biggest companies (Twitter, YouTube, Slack) started as something entirely different.

The key is recognizing signals. If customers love your vision but not your product, listen. If your product is solid but the market is tiny, adjust. If your growth stalls despite best efforts, it’s time to re-evaluate.

A pivot doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul. It might mean focusing on a narrower audience, changing pricing, or re-packaging features. What matters is that you’re responsive, not rigid.

The danger isn’t pivoting—it’s sticking to a dead model out of pride. Successful founders stay humble, curious, and willing to re-align with reality.