In 2016, I exited a 12-year stable business. In 2019, I realized my startup's model was broken. Here is how you know when to pivot.
Perseverance is a virtue. Stubbornness is a killer. The hardest part of being a founder is distinguishing between the two.
In 2016, Hazel Infotech was stable. But I saw the ceiling. The market had shifted. I could have stayed for the dividends, but I chose to exit for the growth.
Similarly, in 2019, admitting that the "Network Effect" model was failing due to counter-party risk was painful. But it was necessary to clear the decks for the next era of AI.
Strategy is as much about what you stop doing as what you start.
