Pivot or Persevere? Knowing When to Change Your Business Strategy

15 September 2025

Running a business is a lot like sailing a boat. Sometimes, the wind is in your favor, pushing you effortlessly toward success. Other times, you're fighting against the tides, unsure whether to adjust your sails or stay the course. This is the dilemma every entrepreneur faces—should you pivot or persevere?

If you've ever found yourself questioning your business strategy, you're not alone. Knowing when to pivot or when to persevere can be the defining factor between success and failure. Let’s dive into the signs, strategies, and considerations for making the right decision.

Understanding Pivot vs. Persevere

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s define what we mean by pivoting and persevering:

- Pivoting means making a fundamental change to your business strategy, product, or target audience. It’s not just a minor tweak—it’s a shift in direction based on new insights.
- Persevering means staying committed to your current strategy, pushing through challenges, and refining your execution without changing your core vision.

Both options are valid, but choosing the wrong one can cost you time, money, and opportunities. So, how do you know which path to take?

Signs It’s Time to Pivot

1. Market Demand Has Shifted

Markets are like moving targets—what worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. If you notice a decline in customer interest or a shift in demand, it might be time to pivot.

Take BlackBerry, for example. Once a leader in mobile phones, they failed to pivot when smartphones with touchscreens became popular. Companies like Apple and Samsung adapted, while BlackBerry stuck to its original strategy—and lost relevance.

2. Your Product Isn’t Solving the Right Problem

You may have a great product, but if it’s not addressing a significant pain point, customers won’t bite. Successful businesses often pivot to align with a greater need.

Take Instagram—it started as Burbn, a check-in app with photo-sharing features. When founders realized people loved the photo-sharing aspect more, they pivoted their entire business to focus on photos. The rest is history.

3. Stagnant or Declining Growth

If your business isn’t growing despite your best efforts, it could be a sign that something needs to change. Are customers churning faster than you can acquire new ones? Are your sales plateauing? If so, a pivot could breathe new life into your business.

4. Intense Competition That You Can’t Beat

If larger or more innovative competitors are outpacing you, it may be time to rethink your approach. Sometimes, businesses pivot to a niche where they can dominate rather than compete head-on with industry giants.

5. Customer Feedback Suggests a Different Direction

Your customers are your best advisors. If they consistently suggest improvements or use your product in unexpected ways, it might be a clue that your business needs to pivot.

Signs You Should Persevere

1. You Haven’t Given It Enough Time

Patience is key in business. Many entrepreneurs panic at the first sign of struggle and pivot too soon. Every strategy needs time to unfold—Apple took years to gain mainstream success. If you believe in your vision and have data to back it up, perseverance may be the best option.

2. You’re Making Incremental Progress

Even slow growth is still growth. If you’re seeing positive momentum, even if it’s small, you might just need to refine your current strategy rather than overhaul it.

3. The Core Concept Is Solid

If people get excited about your product but you're just facing execution challenges—like marketing, customer acquisition, or pricing—then perseverance is the better choice. These problems are fixable without pivoting the entire business.

4. Passion and Commitment Are Still Strong

If you and your team are still passionate about the vision and genuinely believe it’s worth pursuing, don’t give up too soon. Many entrepreneurs who stuck it out despite early struggles eventually found success.

How to Decide: Pivot or Persevere?

If you're on the fence, here are some ways to make an informed decision:

1. Analyze the Data

Numbers don’t lie. Look at customer engagement metrics, sales trends, and retention rates. If the data shows long-term decline with no sign of improvement, a pivot might be necessary.

2. Talk to Your Customers

What do they love? What do they struggle with? What would they change? Their insights can guide your next move better than any boardroom discussion.

3. Assess Your Passion and Resources

Would you still be excited about this business a year from now? Do you have the financial and emotional resources to keep pushing forward? If not, pivoting may be the best option.

4. Study Success Stories

Read about companies that have faced the same crossroads. Whether they pivoted or persevered, their insights can provide valuable lessons for your own journey.

Real-World Examples of Pivots That Paid Off

Sometimes, a pivot is the best thing that can happen to a business. Here are a few famous examples:

- Netflix – Started as a DVD rental service before pivoting to streaming. Today, it’s a global entertainment powerhouse.
- Slack – Originally built as a gaming company! When the game failed, they pivoted to focus on their internal communication tool, which became their core product.
- Twitter – Began as Odeo, a podcasting platform. When they realized podcasts wouldn’t be profitable, they pivoted to microblogging—and Twitter was born.

When to Stick to Your Guns

While pivots can lead to success, sometimes perseverance is the best path. Companies like Amazon and Tesla faced numerous challenges in their early days but pushed through without drastic pivots. Their perseverance ultimately led to massive success.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, the decision to pivot or persevere isn’t black and white. It’s about staying adaptive and recognizing when a change is necessary. If the data and market signals suggest a pivot, don’t be afraid to shift gears. But if you believe in your idea and just need to refine your execution, perseverance might be the key.

Either way, success doesn’t come from choosing the "safe" route—it comes from making smart, informed decisions. So, what does your gut (and data) tell you?