It’s a big week for pivots. But what does that evenmean? Let’s unpack the ‘pivot’ Earlier this week,TechCrunchreportedthat Maslo, a startup that started out as a personal mindfulness app, would be pivoting to become an executive coaching app –– and, separately, SocialRank’s teampivotedfrom audience analytics to a mobile-first professional networking app. News of startups pivoting from one business niche to another –– and often remarkably different –– business niche is common. It’s easy to poke fun:What do you mean you pivoted your gay social network to a flash sales site, and after raising $336m now you’re pivoting to e-commerce? (Yes, thatactually happened.) But pivots are more complicated –– and more common –– than they may initially appear. So, why are pivots so common? Are startup founders just serial opportunists hell-bent on making a buck? In some cases, maybe. But more often than not, pivots don’t come about merely due to internal opportunism, but also due to external pressure from investors –– many of whomencouragepivots to facilitate growth. Pivots are possible only when entrepreneurs behind a slumping businesshave enough moneyto pivot –– and that moneyoftencomes from someone else. Sometimes, pivots end in complete failure. But other times companies pivot past their original ideas –– and consumers often don’t even realize it. A surprising number of well-known businesses resulted from pivots Here are some other noteworthy companies that pivoted their way to productivity: Wrigleystarted out as a soap company that gave away freebaking powderand then pivoted to a baking powder company that gave away free gum and then pivotedagainto focus on the sweet stuff. Avon’sfounder started out as abooksellerwho attracted buyers with perfume samples before pivoting to launch a cosmetics company (and, arguably, amulti-level marketingoperation). Suzukibegan as company thatbuilt looms for silk weavingbefore pivoting to motorcycles and other machines. YouTubestarted out asa dating appbefore its founders realized they’d find more success as a general video platform. Twitterbegan as apodcasting platformbefore it pivoted to its current, status-posting form. Shopifystarted out asa snowboard storecalled Snowdevil before shifting its focus to e-commerce.