YouTube started as a dating site.
Instagram launched as a check-in app.
Netflix mailed DVDs.

And today?

They’ve become icons of innovation and shining examples of one of the most powerful tools in the startup world:
The Pivot.

What Is a Pivot… and What Is It Not?

 

A pivot isn’t a panic move.
It’s not “let’s scrap everything and try something random.”

A pivot is a deliberate course correction.
It’s a strategic response to real feedback, real data, and real signals from the market.

According to Eric Ries’ Lean Startup model, every business idea starts as a hypothesis.
And like any good hypothesis, it needs to be tested.

If it doesn’t work, you don’t throw out the vision. You adjust the route.
You change the path, not the destination.

 

How to Pivot the Right Way – 5 Key Steps

 

1. Don’t wait for impact before reading the signs.

If your users don’t come back, no one’s paying, or your product’s misunderstood, that’s not a speed bump. That’s the market flashing red lights and shouting: “Check your assumptions!”

2. Trade wishful thinking for validated learning.

Build an MVP. Collect real user feedback. Let the data speak.
No pivot without proof.

3. Pivot from insight, not from fear.

Ask yourself: What is working?
What are our users actually telling us?
What problem are we solving exceptionally well?

4. Let go of the wrong market, not the vision.

This was exactly what Jasmin Hadrany, co-founder of Boolee, experienced.
Her startup originally focused on the cultural sector: museums, galleries, institutions.

The pitch was strong. Interest was high.
But there was a catch:

„We were in dialogue with many museums and galleries. And we realised that the added value is there, but the financial power is not… that people are testing it, but the willingness to pay is not there. That’s why we thought that we’d create a solution that would be suitable and appealing for marketing agencies.”

So the team made a bold move:

Refocus on marketing and sales agencies — a space with strong need and strong budgets.

5. Use everything the first try taught you.

Trial and error is expensive at first.
But by round two, you know how to pitch. You know what sticks.
You’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from experience.

 

Boolee’s Pivot: From Culture to Commerce

 

Boolee was born to simplify data analysis for cultural institutions.
But the sector’s limited budgets and low willingness to pay made scaling impossible.

Today, Boolee empowers marketing and sales teams to make data-driven decisions in seconds.
No data team. No dashboard chaos.
Just real-time insights. And save up to 70% of time.

„The real gamechanger? When a major agency compared us to a leading US player — and said we were just as good.”

The Bottom Line: Pivoting Isn’t a Step Back. It’s a Smarter Leap Forward.

 

A pivot doesn’t mean you were wrong.
It means you’ve learned something.

There’s a moment between stimulus and response, and in that moment lies choice.
In startup life, that choice often comes down to this:

Do you quit or double down with new clarity?

 

🎙️ Want to Hear What Pivoting Actually Feels Like?

 

How do you know when it’s time to shift?
What does it feel like to let go of your original market – even if you love it?
And how do you know if the pivot is working?

 

Tune in to the latest episode of INiTS’ SCALEup Talk, where Boolee’s co-founder Jasmin Hadrany shares her honest take on navigating change, making tough calls, and pivoting with purpose.