Pivot to a better idea

- The road from idea to success is rarely a straight one. The best entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs know when to pivot and when to push forward. The key? Staying adaptable, while keeping your end goal in mind. Take 3M Scientist, Dr. Spencer Silver. He set out to create a super strong adhesive, but accidentally developed a low-tack reusable one. Instead of discarding his failure, he recognized its potential. The result, Post-it notes, now a billion dollar product. Similarly, Botox was originally developed as a migraine treatment, until researchers noticed its side effect, smoothing wrinkles. They pivoted, and today Botox is a multi-billion dollar cosmetic industry leader. These examples highlight a critical lesson. Pay attention to what's working, even if it's not what you originally intended. If your hypotheses aren't playing out, your customers aren't responding, or the market isn't ready, it may be time to adjust. Ask yourself questions like these. Is the core idea viable or is it fundamentally flawed? Are unexpected results pointing to a new opportunity? Is your organization in a position to support this right now? If your idea requires resources your company won't have for years, such as launching first in a market that isn't a priority for the rest of the organization, it might be better to redirect your efforts. Great innovators don't just force their ideas to work, they adapt. A useful approach comes from improvisational theater, the yes and rule. Instead of rejecting an unexpected turn, you accept it and build on it. For example, if you propose a new fast food concept, but leadership is focused on virtual reality, they might try to push VR into your idea, even if there's no clear fit. That's a bad pivot. Forced and unlikely to succeed. But, if through customer feedback, you learn there's an untapped demand for healthier fast food, adjusting your concept to align with that insight could be a smart pivot. On the flip side, persistence matters. Many great ideas don't get immediate traction, but do prove successful over time. If you are seeing signs of product market fit, consistent demand, repeat customers, and strong engagement, it may be worth staying the course and refining your approach rather than abandoning it. Seasoned entrepreneurs understand that investors often bet on the person, not just the idea. They trust that experienced founders have a process for identifying and iterating on ideas that will resonate with the market. The best way to avoid being overly attached to one idea is to cultivate a mindset of continuous learning. Have multiple small ideas running in parallel. Gather real feedback and adjust as needed. That way, your hit rate stays high, and you remain nimble in an ever-changing landscape. The most successful entrepreneurs aren't those who never fail. They're the ones who recognize failure early, learn from it, and pivot quickly towards something better. And if you can anticipate some of those roadblocks and challenges before they happen, you'll be in an even better position for success. I'll show you how in our next lesson.