A B C D E F H I L M O P S T

Pivot

/ˈpɪv.ət/

The strategic course correction of a startup without a major change to the founders’ underlying vision. Often in the form of changes to one or more, but not all, elements of a new venture: product, team, business model or engine of growth.

In basketball, a pivot is performed if a player keeps one foot on the ground in a fixed position and then uses the other one to rotate his body to improve his position in the game while in possession of the ball. In a similar vein, a pivot in the startup world means a change in strategy, but without a change of vision .

Many different kinds of pivots exist . The most common are: Customer Pivot — finding a better customer (problem owner) worth serving; Problem Pivot — finding a better problem worth solving; Solution Pivot — changing the nature of the solution.

Famous pivot examples are YouTube, Slack, and Flickr to name but a few.

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