Pivot

Applicability: Pivoting is applicable for innovative environments where the right product choices need to be established quickly.

Consequences: Pivoting allows improved products to be brought to market rapidly while leveraging value already earned. Risk is constrained to the construction of a revised MVP that allows a new market hypothesis to be validated. Customers may benefit from disruptive innovation in the marketplace.

Structure: A team delivers a product increment at the end of each iteration. The increment can test a new hypothesis by revising the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and subjecting the results to inspection. The Product can then be adapted (pivoted) to this new MVP if the hypothesis is shown to be valid.

Intent: Realign a project to fit a better goal

Proverbs:

  • When one door shuts another one opens

  • Strike while the iron is hot

Also Known As:

  • Strategic agility

  • Structured course correction

Motivation: The choices made for a project are subject to the information that is available at the time. A structured course correction may be needed that allows a new hypothesis involving different choices to be tested. These choices can involve customer requirements, the delivery strategy including technology and architecture decisions, and the model for growth.

Implementation: Pivoting is a key feature of the Lean Startup movement. It has not yet become an established feature in other agile methods.

See Also: