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How Failing Companies Now Run the World

Writer's picture: klub zeroklub zero
Image of man looking at bulbs showcasing hustle

I’m so glad you’re here, reading this right now. It means you’re someone with an idea, maybe even on the verge of starting a business. But let’s be honest—there’s probably that nagging voice in your head asking, "Is my idea truly a breakthrough? Is it good enough?" Trust me, you’re not alone. Every entrepreneur, at some point, wrestles with these exact thoughts.


But here’s the real kicker: your idea doesn’t need to be perfect from day one. In fact, many of the biggest success stories out there didn’t get it right the first time. What makes the difference isn’t always the idea itself—it’s the founder’s ability to pivot, adapt, and improve.

So, let’s take a deep breath together and look at some stories that show how powerful this mindset can be. Sometimes, the best breakthroughs come after the pivot.


 

Slack – From Gaming to Business Communication


Slack started as a gaming company called Tiny Speck in 2009. They were working on a game called Glitch, a multiplayer online game, for over four years.

Glitch game image

The Pivot: After four years of working on the game, they realized it wasn’t gaining traction and wasn’t sustainable. However, the internal communication tool they developed to keep their team connected during the game’s development turned out to be more valuable. In 2013, the team pivoted to focus entirely on that communication tool, and that’s how Slack was born.


The Breakthrough: By 2014, Slack had 1.1 million daily active users and became one of the fastest-growing business applications. Today, it's valued at over $27 billion and is a staple for workplace communication globally.


 

Instagram – From Check-Ins to Photos


Instagram was first launched in 2010 as a check-in app called Burbn, inspired by Foursquare. The app allowed users to check in at different locations, share plans, and earn points. But it wasn’t gaining much traction in an already crowded market.


The Pivot: After about a year, the founders noticed users were mainly interested in the photo-sharing feature of the app. They stripped down Burbn’s functionality to focus solely on photos. In October 2010, they relaunched the app as Instagram.

old image of instagram gui

The Breakthrough: Instagram grew quickly, amassing 1 million users within two months of its launch, and was later acquired by Facebook for $1 billion in 2012. Today, it’s one of the most influential platforms for social media, with over 1 billion monthly active users.


 

YouTube – From a Dating Site to Video Sharing


Believe it or not, YouTube was originally conceived as a video-dating platform in 2005, where users could upload videos of themselves introducing who they are and what they’re looking for in a partner. It was called “Tune In Hook Up.”

old youtube company

The Pivot: After several months of struggling to get users to upload videos, the founders noticed that people wanted to share videos of all types, not just dating profiles. They pivoted and opened up the platform to allow people to upload any kind of video.


The Breakthrough: YouTube quickly became the go-to platform for user-generated videos. By the end of 2006—just over a year after its launch—Google acquired YouTube for $1.65 billion, and today it’s the largest video platform in the world.


 

Twitter – From Podcasting to Microblogging

Twitter was born out of a podcasting platform called Odeo. Founded in 2005, Odeo was aimed at helping users find and subscribe to podcasts. However, when Apple launched iTunes with built-in podcast support in 2005, Odeo’s business model became obsolete.

ODEO, old name of twitter

The Pivot: The team realized they needed to pivot, and one of the co-founders, Jack Dorsey, came up with the idea of a microblogging platform where users could post short status updates. They began developing the platform, and in 2006, they launched Twitter.

The Breakthrough: By 2007, Twitter had gained momentum after being a hit at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference. Today, Twitter has over 300 million active users and has become a significant player in news, social movements, and global communication.


 

PayPal – From Cryptography to Online Payments


PayPal didn’t start out as a digital payment platform. In fact, it began as a cryptography company called Confinity, founded in 1998. Their initial idea was to provide secure software for handheld devices.

paypal old image

The Pivot: After realizing there wasn’t a strong market for their cryptography software, the company pivoted in 1999 to focus on digital payments. This pivot was driven by the growing need for a simple, secure method to pay online.


The Breakthrough: By the early 2000s, PayPal had become the leading payment solution for eBay transactions. In 2002, PayPal went public and was later acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion. Today, PayPal is one of the largest online payment companies in the world, with over 360 million users.


 

Klubzero’s POV.


What’s the common thread among all these stories? It’s that the first idea isn’t always the best idea, and that’s okay. In fact, the journey of building a business is often about finding the right market fit, even if that means evolving the original vision. These companies weren’t stubbornly attached to their first idea; they were flexible enough to recognize when something wasn’t working and brave enough to shift gears.


Some of these companies took years to find that breakthrough moment, while others pivoted relatively quickly. But they all shared one key trait: they were willing to let go of what wasn’t working and move toward something better.


 

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