Is It Too Late to Pivot?

By Charles Mathison

I’ve started several business projects in my life—and most of them made money. But making money isn’t the same as building something that lasts. Over time, I’ve come to realize that where I struggle most isn’t starting—it’s staying nimble. It’s transforming when the market shifts. It’s pivoting with purpose.

The world doesn’t just want products and services anymore. People want experiences that are fast, efficient, intuitive, and built for how they live. And that means constant reinvention—not just of what you sell, but how you deliver it.

I used to think pivoting was something you did after a crisis or a failure. Now I understand: pivoting is something you have to do while you’re still in the game. You can’t pivot from the sidelines. You have to keep showing up, trying new approaches, reading about emerging tools, experimenting with tech that can help your business, and, most importantly, talking to other builders.

That last part—being in conversation—is where I fell short for a long time. I wasn't regularly talking to others in my field. I wasn’t networking, sharing, or listening. I created in isolation. And in isolation, it’s easy to fall behind. It’s easy to waste time chasing trends without context. Easy to confuse quantity with quality.

Sometimes I’d rush to release a product or publish content without doing the research, without taking the time to truly understand what my customers needed. I wasn’t building with the people in mind. I was building out of fear—fear of missing out, fear of being left behind, fear of becoming irrelevant.

But fear doesn’t grow businesses. Community does.

That’s why The Founders Table has been transformative for me. When you’re surrounded by other entrepreneurs, creators, and builders, you start to realize that what feels obvious to someone else might be the missing piece for you—and vice versa. Ideas, tools, and strategies start to circulate. You start to feel less alone. You start to get sharper.

So no, it’s not too late to pivot. But you can’t do it in a vacuum.

If you're a builder, a dreamer, a trader, an entrepreneur—someone who’s out there trying to make something real—don’t try to figure it all out alone. Get in the conversation. The clarity you're looking for might already be on someone else's lips. Join today!