🔀 The Pivot

Naming the feature, not the job: 'sounds useful' isn't a buying signal

This week in The Pivot: pitching what your product does while your best prospects nod politely and never buy. The fix is a three-question chain that…

Apr 27 • JDM

The awareness trap: don't advertise to the 84% who won't buy

This week in The Pivot: pouring money into Meta ads and brand content before you've found a single customer who'd actually pay — and calling it…

Apr 20 • JDM

🔀 pivoting based on one investor's feedback

This week in The Pivot: treating a single investor's polite "show us better retention" as a product directive — and spending two months building the…

Apr 13 • JDM

🔀 answering the moat question with vibes

This week in The Pivot: investors ask what stops the big incumbent from building this — and founders answer with domain expertise and relationships…

Apr 6 • JDM

🔀 confusing a great meeting for a check

This week in The Pivot: walking out of a pitch buzzing — sharp questions, warm energy, "we're so excited" — then getting a pass three days later…

Mar 30 • JDM

🔀 mistaking early revenue for a sales motion

Seven paying customers. Strong retention. The numbers look real - except all seven came from your personal network. That's not a sales motion. That's a…

Mar 16 • JDM

🔀 raising big to avoid raising again

This week in The Pivot: over-raising to dodge your next round — giving away more equity, taking on a milestone you can't hit, and winding up back at the…

Mar 8 • JDM

🔀 pitching to the wrong investors

This week in The Pivot: pitching your friends and family startup to seed-stage VCs and expecting a check.

Feb 23 • JDM

🔀 Delegating your fear

This week in The Pivot: founders using delegation to avoid the things they fear, like hiring a sales rep before you know what sells.

Feb 16 • JDM

🔀 What'll it take to put you in this new car today?

This week in The Pivot: trying to win the hearts and minds of prospects to try to convince them they really need you—when they've already told you they…

Feb 9 • JDM

🔀 Users ≠ customers

This week in The Pivot: sucking down effusive praise like french fries from users who have no ability to buy.

Feb 2 • JDM

🔀 Customers want things you shouldn't build

This week in The Pivot: just because our best customer wants a new feature doesn't mean we should build it.

Jan 26 • JDM

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