What it is
A pivot is a structured course change: you keep the validated learning from your current attempt but change a core element, the product, customer, or business model, to pursue a more promising direction.
Facts
- The concept comes from Eric Ries's Lean Startup.
- Common types: customer segment, problem, platform, business-model, and zoom-in (one feature becomes the whole product).
- Famous examples: Slack (from a game), Instagram (from a check-in app), YouTube (from dating).
- A pivot keeps one foot planted, it builds on learning rather than starting over.
Who it's for
Early-stage founders whose current approach isn't reaching product-market fit.
How it helps you
Pivoting lets you redirect toward what's working, evidence of a promising feature or segment, without discarding everything you've built and learned.
Caveats
Pivoting too early (before real learning) is thrashing; pivoting too late wastes runway. Distinguish a true pivot from simply giving up or from random churn.
Conclusion
A pivot is a disciplined redirect based on evidence, not a panic move, use it when the data says your current path won't reach fit but something adjacent might.