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pivot

PIV-ut /ˈpɪvət/

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BusinessGeneral

To fundamentally change the direction of a business when the current products or services are not meeting the needs of the market.

A pivot is not a total failure; it's a strategic shift that uses existing knowledge to find a better path.

The story behind the word. The word comes from the French 'pivot,' referring to a pin or shaft on which something turns. In the startup world, it was popularized by Eric Ries in 'The Lean Startup' to describe a 'structured course correction.'

Word relationships

shift: Shift is a general change; pivot implies keeping one foot on the ground (the core idea) while turning the rest of the body.
reorient: Reorient means to find a new direction, but lacks the specific 'turning point' imagery of pivot.

persevere: To persevere is to stay the course and keep doing exactly what you are doing.

Commonly confused with

pirouette: A pirouette is a full spin in dance; a pivot is a turn on a fixed point.

Word family

pivotal (adjective): Of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something else.

Collocations

strategic pivot
major pivot
pivot to mobile
successful pivot

Example sentences

"Instagram began as a check-in app called Burbn before making a famous pivot to focus entirely on photo sharing." Describing a famous company's history.
"Knowing when to pivot is just as important as knowing when to persevere." Advice for entrepreneurs.

Memory hook

Imagine a basketball player keeping one foot planted while turning their body to find a new teammate to pass to. Pivot = Turn on a dime.

When not to use

Don't use 'pivot' for a minor change in a marketing slogan. A pivot is a major change in the business model or product.

Fun facts

Slack was originally a pivot from a failing video game called 'Glitch'; the team realized the internal chat tool they built for the game was better than the game itself.