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DC

Dalton Caldwell

08/30/19

@ Y Combinator

Pivoting too frequently can lead to whiplash, which demotivates founders and can ultimately harm the company more than working on a less-than-ideal idea.

Video

YC

Dalton Caldwell - All About Pivoting

@ Y Combinator

08/30/19

Related Takeaways

YC

Y Combinator Cast

03/01/24

@ Y Combinator

Founders often suffer from 'pivotitis,' where they change direction too frequently without learning from their initial experiences, leading to a lack of progress.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/22/23

@ Y Combinator

It's possible for a company to pivot too much, which can lead to getting lost in pivot hell, where every week feels like a completely new startup.

GT

Garry Tan

05/21/25

@ Vanta

Recent pivots in startups often involve founders shifting from ideas they think they should pursue to those they know intimately, leading to more successful outcomes.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/22/23

@ Y Combinator

Pivot hell occurs when a startup continuously changes its idea without making progress, leading to confusion and lack of direction.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/22/23

@ Y Combinator

Successful pivots often occur when founders are ahead of consensus and willing to explore new ideas despite initial doubts.

RH

Reid Hoffman

07/08/22

@ Greylock

Pivots are essential for startups, whether it's to find product-market fit early on or to reinvent the company later for sustained success.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

07/22/23

@ Y Combinator

Pivoting means changing your startup idea; if you're not making something people want, you need to change your idea or your startup will fail.

DC

Dalton Caldwell

08/30/19

@ Y Combinator

Having a little bit of traction can be a trap; it can lead talented founders to stick with a failing idea for too long instead of pivoting to something more promising.

YC

Y Combinator Cast

03/01/24

@ Y Combinator

Fear can lead founders to make irrational decisions, such as pivoting too quickly without proper validation of their ideas.