DotCom Magazine Remembers Five Famous DotCom Pivots

Snapdeal- The Skinny
Some of the most successful and best-known businesses began life as something entirely different than what they eventually evolved into.

One of the most important decisions any entrepreneur may be called upon to make is a pivot strategy. It’s one of the reasons that many businesses fail while others survive. Some of the most successful and best-known businesses began life as something entirely different than what they eventually evolved into. Entrepreneurs essentially need to know when to “fish or cut bait” – disengage entirely, stay the course, or pivot into something completely new, different and successful.

Pivot Strategy

Twitter is one of the most famous companies that employed a pivot strategy, followed by PayPal. Twitter began as a network for podcast subscriptions, before evolving into the micro-blogging platform it is today. PayPal has seen many incarnations, launching as a payment platform for Palm Pilots. It merged with a financial services company and became the preferred payment method for eBay and serves a spectrum of individuals worldwide.

Starbucks

European Coffeehouse Culture

There’s now a Starbucks on almost every corner, but the beverage company originally sold coffee beans and espresso makers. Howard Schultz, who was the director of retail operations at the time, visited Italy in 1983 and saw the European coffeehouse culture there. He convinced founders to offer that same tasty, luxury experience to those in the U.S. Schultz later acquired the company and Starbucks now operates in more than 28,000 locations around the world.

Flickr

Flickr originally launched as an interactive role-playing game known as Game Neverending. One of the features was a photo sharing option that was more popular than the game, inspiring the owners to leverage that ability. Purchased by Yahoo! in 2005, it remains a popular photo repository for artists, genealogists and art enthusiasts, with the type of usage defined largely by cultural differences.

Nintendo

Nintendo has instant name recognition, inspiring generations of new game players and game creators. The company launched in Japan in 1889 manufacturing a card game. Over the decades Nintendo became a manufacturer of products ranging from instant rice and toys to vacuum cleaners.

Inspiring Generations Games

Nintendo operated a taxi company and a short-stay hotel, before introducing the first home video game system, the Magnavox Odyssey in Japan. Nintendo launched in the U.S. in 1983, thereby earning the company a place in gaming history.

Instagram

Photo Sharing App

The popular photo sharing app began as the check-in app, Burbn. Concerned that the app was too cluttered, the founders eliminated all but the photo element, a decision that instantly became popular.

Avon

The founder of Avon, David H. McConnell, was a traveling book salesman. Women were far more interested in his samples of free perfume he gave as an enticement to make a purchase than the books. He recruited an army of women to sell the perfume, believing that woman-to-woman interaction would be more relatable.

Know When to Pivot

Knowledge is power and it gives entrepreneurs the ability to innovate, transform, reimagine and pivot their direction for greater success. Change is a fact, but many entrepreneurs become so enamored with their original creations that they simply refuse to change. Smart and successful business owners know when it’s time to pivot.

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Andy Jacob, Founder and CEO of The Jacob Group, brings over three decades of executive sales experience, having founded and led startups and high-growth companies. Recognized as an award-winning business innovator and sales visionary, Andy's distinctive business strategy approach has significantly influenced numerous enterprises. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in the creation of thousands of jobs, positively impacting countless lives, and generating hundreds of millions in revenue. What sets Jacob apart is his unwavering commitment to delivering tangible results. Distinguished as the only business strategist globally who guarantees outcomes, his straightforward, no-nonsense approach has earned accolades from esteemed CEOs and Founders across America. Andy's expertise in the customer business cycle has positioned him as one of the foremost authorities in the field. Devoted to aiding companies in achieving remarkable business success, he has been featured as a guest expert on reputable media platforms such as CBS, ABC, NBC, Time Warner, and Bloomberg. Additionally, his companies have garnered attention from The Wall Street Journal. An Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award Winner and Inc500 Award Winner, Andy's leadership in corporate strategy and transformative business practices has led to groundbreaking advancements in B2B and B2C sales, consumer finance, online customer acquisition, and consumer monetization. Demonstrating an astute ability to swiftly address complex business challenges, Andy Jacob is dedicated to providing business owners with prompt, effective solutions. He is the author of the online "Beautiful Start-Up Quiz" and actively engages as an investor, business owner, and entrepreneur. Beyond his business acumen, Andy's most cherished achievement lies in his role as a founding supporter and executive board member of The Friendship Circle-an organization dedicated to providing support, friendship, and inclusion for individuals with special needs. Alongside his wife, Kristin, Andy passionately supports various animal charities, underscoring his commitment to making a positive impact in both the business world and the community.