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Many business leaders still see an axis of a sign of failure. That mentality is not only outdated, it is dangerous. In rapid movement markets driven by rapid technological change, maintaining the course may be more risky than changing direction. Persistence is admirable, but inflexibility is expensive.
Think of the industry giants who lost their time to adapt: Kodak, Blockbuster, Xerox, Tower Records. They were all dominant in their time. All changes ignored in consumer behavior and emerging competition. The result? Obsolescence.
Compare that with companies like Toyota, which is like loom manufacturer before becoming a global car brand. Or Nokia, which began as a paper factory. Some of today’s most emblematic brands not only survive the change, but were born from him.
Related: Navigate Crucial Commercial Decisions: How to know when to pivot and when to persevere
A pivot is not a setback: it is a strategic movement
A well intermittent pivot can mean the difference between stagnation and long -term success. It may involve changing your product approach, redefining your mission or reviewing your operations to face a new opportunity.
Amazon is a textbook case. It was launched as an online bookstore. Today, a significant part of your profits does not come from retail trade, but from Amazon Web Services, your cloud computing business. Similarly, Facebook saw writing on the wall and acquired Instagram, capturing a new generation of users and extending their domain.
The pivots can be uncomfortable, even terrifying. But they are necessary for survival. The key is to know when and how to do it well.
Step 1: Let customers tell you what they really need
The clearest signal that is time to pivot? Customers because something that is not offering.
My company, Fore Enterprise, began helping companies predict employee billing. But we quickly realized that our clients lacked infrastructure to implement our ideas. About 90% requested help to build the data pipes required for AI analysis. Therefore, we expand our mission and equipment to offer full -service AI solutions, from information infrastructure. That change opened new sources of income and made our product significantly more valuable.
Listen to the market. Often, the client asks for the pivot before he realizes that he needs one.
Step 2: Define the market, or will define you
Large companies can have the weight to shape the market. Apple did this masterfully, evolving from the iPod to the iPhone and fundamentally changing the way we interact with technology.
Startups don’t have that luxury. They need to discover their product market adjustment through the rapid iteration and customer comments. Market research can point it out in the right direction, but only real use will reveal if it is really solving a problem that is worth paying.
Case in question: I launched as a Vella as an appointment application based on personality coincidence. But we quickly saw that the market was Saturday. What stood out was our profile technology. Then, we pivot to focus on welfare and personal development, where technology had more traction and a less crowded playing field.
The lesson? Pay attention to how your product is really being used, not just how you imagine it.
Related: knowing when, and how, Pivotar is key to the survival of your business. This is what you should do.
Step 3: Adapt or die
Entrepreneurship rewards speed, decision and flexibility. The best founders move as sharks, always forward, always adjusting. They do not fall in love with their first idea. They fall in love with solving real problems.
That does not mean abandoning its central competence. The smartest pivots are evolutionary, not revolutionary. They take what you are already good and apply it in a more valuable, scalable or sustainable direction.
So ask yourself:
- Are we still solving the right problem?
- Are our technology being used in the most valuable way?
- Is the market changing faster than us?
If the answer to any of those raises a red flag, it could be the time to pivot, before its competition forces you to do so.
Do not be afraid of the pivot – Dominal
A pivot is not an admission of failure. It is a strategic brand or maturity. The best companies are not the ones that do well from day one. They are the ones who learn, adapt and evolve before the curve.
Do not wait for the decrease in sales or market irrelevance to force your hand. Listen to your client. Look at the trends. Build where the market is going, not where the leg is.
The pivot is not a detour. It is the way to the next stage of growth of your company.
Many business leaders still see an axis of a sign of failure. That mentality is not only outdated, it is dangerous. In rapid movement markets driven by rapid technological change, maintaining the course may be more risky than changing direction. Persistence is admirable, but inflexibility is expensive.
Think of the industry giants who lost their time to adapt: Kodak, Blockbuster, Xerox, Tower Records. They were all dominant in their time. All changes ignored in consumer behavior and emerging competition. The result? Obsolescence.
Compare that with companies like Toyota, which is like loom manufacturer before becoming a global car brand. Or Nokia, which began as a paper factory. Some of today’s most emblematic brands not only survive the change, but were born from him.
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