Startups often have to pivot to find success. A pivot is a change in strategy or direction to better fit the needs of the market. Some of the most famous companies today started with very different ideas and products before pivoting into what they’re known for now. Here are 13 famous startups that successfully changed direction.
PayPal originally started as a palm pilot payment system, but they pivoted to help people send money via the internet. They built a product that allowed people to beam encrypted payments from one palm pilot to another. However, they soon realized that the future was in online payments, not palm pilots. So they adapted their technology to allow people to send money via the internet. This pivot laid the foundation for their success.
Twitter was originally a podcasting platform called Odeo. The founders wanted to build a network that made it easy for people to discover and subscribe to podcasts. However, Apple launched iTunes, which made Odeo’s platform irrelevant. The team decided to pivot and brainstormed new product ideas. One was a microblogging service that allowed people to share short posts or tweets. They ran with it and Twitter was born.
Slack started as an online game called Glitch. The founders wanted to build a fun, collaborative multiplayer game. However, they struggled to gain traction and the game wasn’t taking off. So they decided to pivot and focus on the internal messaging system they built to help their team collaborate. They launched Slack, a communication platform for work teams and the rest is history.
YouTube began as a video dating site. The founders wanted to create a platform where people could upload videos of themselves talking about what they’re looking for in a partner. However, they soon realized that users were uploading all kinds of videos, not just dating profiles. So they pivoted to create an open video sharing platform, which became the YouTube we know today.
Instagram originally launched as a check-in app called Burbn. The app allowed people to check-in at locations, make plans, earn points for hanging out with friends, and post pictures. However, the founders noticed that the photo sharing features were the most popular parts of the app. They decided to pivot and focus solely on photo sharing. The result was Instagram, a fast-growing social network built around photos.