Many successful companies had to pivot from their original business models or products to become what they are today.
Here’s a list of famous companies that underwent major pivots:
1. YouTube
- Original Model: A dating website where people could upload videos of themselves.
- Pivot: Became a video-sharing platform for all types of content, not just dating.
- Outcome: Acquired by Google in 2006 and became the world's largest video platform.
2. Instagram
- Original Model: A check-in app called Burbn, similar to Foursquare, with additional photo-sharing features.
- Pivot: Simplified its features to focus solely on photo-sharing.
- Outcome: Acquired by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012 and became one of the most popular social media platforms.
3. Slack
- Original Model: A gaming company called Tiny Speck, which created the online game Glitch.
- Pivot: After the game failed, the company refocused on internal communication tools they had built for themselves.
- Outcome: Became one of the leading workplace communication platforms.
4. Twitter
- Original Model: Originally called Odeo, it was a podcasting platform.
- Pivot: After realizing that Apple’s iTunes would dominate the podcast market, they shifted focus to a micro-blogging platform.
- Outcome: Became a major social media company, known for short updates and real-time communication.
5. Netflix
- Original Model: A DVD rental-by-mail service.
- Pivot: Shifted to online video streaming and later into content creation (original programming).
- Outcome: Became one of the largest streaming services globally, disrupting traditional television and cinema industries.
6. Shopify
- Original Model: An online snowboard equipment store called Snowdevil.
- Pivot: The founders built an e-commerce platform to run their store, then shifted focus to selling that platform to other businesses.
- Outcome: Became one of the most widely used e-commerce platforms in the world.
7. Nintendo
- Original Model: Started as a playing card company in the late 19th century.
- Pivot: Expanded into video games and electronics in the 1970s.
- Outcome: Became one of the most iconic video game companies, known for franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon.
8. PayPal
- Original Model: Initially a cryptography company called Confinity, later pivoted to digital wallets for Palm Pilots.
- Pivot: Shifted focus to online payments, especially for e-commerce sites like eBay.
- Outcome: Became one of the most widely used online payment systems in the world.
9. Flickr
- Original Model: An online multiplayer game called Game Neverending.
- Pivot: Repurposed part of the game’s photo-sharing feature into a standalone photo storage and sharing platform.
- Outcome: Became one of the most popular photo-sharing websites of its time and was later acquired by Yahoo.
10. Pinterest
- Original Model: A shopping app called Tote, which allowed users to browse their favorite stores and get notified when items went on sale.
- Pivot: Transitioned to a platform for discovering, collecting, and sharing visual ideas through pins.
- Outcome: Became one of the leading visual discovery platforms, particularly popular for lifestyle content.
11. Nokia
- Original Model: Started as a paper mill company in Finland.
- Pivot: Moved into rubber products, telecommunications, and eventually mobile phones.
- Outcome: Became one of the largest mobile phone manufacturers in the world during the 1990s and early 2000s, before pivoting again to network infrastructure.
12. Wrigley
- Original Model: Sold soap and baking powder with free chewing gum as a giveaway.
- Pivot: The chewing gum became more popular than the soap, so the company switched to making gum.
- Outcome: Became one of the most successful chewing gum companies globally.
13. Airbnb
- Original Model: A platform for renting air mattresses in people's apartments during conventions and other events.
- Pivot: Expanded to offer a broader range of temporary accommodation, including full apartments and homes.
- Outcome: Became a global leader in the vacation rental industry.
14. Groupon
- Original Model: A platform for raising money for social causes called The Point.
- Pivot: Shifted to a group discount model where users could get deals if enough people participated.
- Outcome: Became a well-known deal and discount platform, although its popularity has waned in recent years.
These examples show how adapting to new circumstances and listening to market demands can lead to immense success.