Issue No.56: The Power of Micro-Pivots
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In the fast-moving world of business, and especially startups, you generally hear about pivots that are relatively significant - where a company completely shifts its product, market, or business model. But what if the secret to long-term success isn’t in sweeping changes, but in micro-pivots?
What are Micro-Pivots?
Micro-pivots can be considered as small shifts in your strategy, product, messaging, or target audience that is driven by real-world feedback.
They allow startups to stay agile, test new ideas quickly, and avoid investing too heavily in the wrong direction.
Successful startups make constant, hopefully data-driven tweaks, to optimise strategy. Why are micro-pivots useful as part of your startup strategy?
They keep you customer focused – By making small adjustments based on real feedback, you ensure your product and service evolves with customer needs rather than against them.
They minimise risk – A full pivot can feel like starting over, while micro-pivots allow for controlled experimentation without burning resources.
They speed up growth – Adapting in small increments helps you fine-tune your business model and find market fit faster.
Business examples
Slack started as an internal communication tool for a gaming company before realising its broader potential.
Shopify began as an online snowboard shop but gradually shifted focus to e-commerce infrastructure.
Peloton originally targeted elite cyclists but refined its positioning toward busy professionals looking for a premium fitness experience.
What does this look like in practice?
It means listening to the right data, including user feedback, engagement metrics, and retention rates, to tell you where small improvements are needed.
It also means you can test and run small experiments before making larger strategic changes.
Successful startups aren’t afraid to pivot, but the smartest ones do it in micro-steps. The ability to course-correct quickly and take decisive action, can mean the difference between struggling to find traction and market fit and scaling efficiently.
**NEW** Podcast show
Following the previous podcast shows I hosted in 2024, I am planning to dust off the mic and host a show again in 2025 🎙️
The details are being finalised but it will focus on innovation and entrepreneurship.
I want the show to elevate the stories of CEOs and founders of health, sports and human performance technology. The conversations will discuss entrepreneurial journeys, with a particular focus on strategy, investment and scaling.
The episodes should appeal to practitioners looking to understand entrepreneurship, wider stakeholder management and how to navigate possible career transitions from rehab to board rooms.
Would this be a show you would subscribe to? 🤔
I partner with ambitious leaders and entrepreneurs scaling companies in Sports & Human Performance to provide Strategic consultancy.
Ready to uncover your path to purposeful sustainable growth? Let’s talk.
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Nic x
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