There comes in a time the life of many startups when it starts to become clear that everything is not going according to plan. But how do entrepreneurs tell if they need to keep going all in on the original plan, or pivot to something new?
How do you know when to make a change in direction? Many today are questioning "direction". There are some excellent tips in this article from start-up entrepenuers.
1. As Soon As You Can - Yes, Yes. And first move quickly to see your company from the view of your customers - What does that tell you?
2. Find Goals You're Aligned With. "Its quite the blow to the ego when you wake up one day and realize, 'Wow, this isn't working..."
Yes, it is. Tenacity is a great asset - until it isn't. The art of leadership is knowing when to let go of the things that just are not working and are not likely to work. The process is constantly pulling yourself up out of the micro to see the bigger picture...FROM THE OUTSIDE... especially from the customer.
3. The Feedback-Induced Pivot. "When your customers are consistenly giving you the same feedback..." Right... Just make sure you are not waiting on them to come tell you... GO TO THEM.
4. Don't throw out your code. If you do not know "your code" then you are in trouble. We regularly ask our customers for detailed feedback on our work AND what they value about our work and how we work. If often makes us aware of things we take for granted or are unaware of how important they are to making us special. That's our code... or organization DNA.
5. Your customers tell you what they want.
Yes. So go out and ask them.