[chriscatoya]

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking a pivot is a failure and therefore bad. What’s important is that by killing an idea, you’re giving yourself a new opportunity rather than chasing after sunk costs.

Fear of failure is very common and it’s a huge inhibitor from ever starting- and this is much worse. You want to set the culture that embraces failure for what it is: a time to assess, take stock, and move forward with a better understanding and course of action. You want to encourage faster recognition of mistakes and removing any shame or stigma will make it easier. This pivot is actually a good time to treat the team to a nice meal and celebrate the progress. You’ve learned and grown together over the course of that journey and enough to know there’s something better. This also means that when you talk about this pivot in the future to potential customers and investors, you have nothing to apologize for if you all did your best. Focus on how these experiences make you an even better fit to solve the problems you’re focusing on now.