The email landed in my inbox like a grenade. It was from a business partner—and a friend I’d launched a small publishing venture with.
His words were sharp: “You’re changing everything we agreed on. This isn’t the company I signed up for.”
He was right. I was changing things. Our initial plan—to publish a wide range of books, from fiction to cookbooks—was failing miserably. Our resources were stretched thin, our brand was confusing, and we were bleeding money. The data made it clear: we needed to pivot and focus on just one niche—classics and educational books.
In his eyes, I was being deceptive. I was breaking my promise. In my eyes, I was adapting to survive.
That painful conflict taught me one of the hardest lessons in entrepreneurship: there’s a fine but crucial line between being deceptive and being adaptable.
A Liar or a Leader?
That night, his accusation echoed in my head. Was he right? Was I just another founder who says one thing and does another?
I thought about well-known cases of entrepreneurs who crossed the line between vision and dishonesty—a reminder that intent matters. Deception is built on selfish intent. Adaptability is a strategic response to reality.
My goal wasn’t to hide failure or mislead anyone. My goal was to keep the business alive. The original plan was a sinking ship; I was trying to find a lifeboat.
The Power of Evolving, Not Lying
I started thinking about businesses I admired.
Coca-Cola tailors its cans for local festivals in Singapore—they’re not lying about their product; they’re evolving to connect with people.
Netflix began as a DVD rental service and became a streaming platform—they didn’t deceive their customers; they adapted to a massive technological shift.
That’s what I needed to do: be a resourceful entrepreneur, not a rigid one.
The business landscape isn’t a fixed map—it’s a constantly changing battlefield. Sticking to a failing plan out of fear of “breaking a promise” isn’t honorable; it’s a form of business suicide.
Adaptability isn’t betrayal. It’s evolution.
The Painful Cost of Adaptation
I tried to explain this to my partner. I showed him the numbers, the market research, the red ink in our bank account.
But the trust was broken. He saw my pivot as a betrayal of our shared dream, and he walked away.
Losing a friend and a partner was one of the hardest moments of my career. It taught me that even good intentions can come with painful consequences. But it also taught me that the alternative—stubbornly holding on to a dying plan—would have been worse.
After he left, my efforts were not enough to save that first business, and it failed completely a few months later. The pivot was the right idea, but it was too late.
However, when I rebuilt my company from scratch, I used that exact pivot to ‘classics and educational books’—the one that had cost me my friend. And this time, built on the lessons of that failure, it worked.
How to Adapt with Integrity
So how do you stay on the right side of the line?
How do you make sure your flexibility is seen as leadership, not betrayal?
Here are the lessons that helped me:
1. Lead with Brutal Honesty.
When you need to pivot, don’t hide the reasons. Share the bad news, the ugly numbers, the real challenges. Deception thrives in darkness; adaptability needs transparency.
2. Anchor Changes to Your Core Mission.
Methods can change, but your “why” shouldn’t. Our mission—to help people grow—remained the same. I just changed how we achieved it.
3. Accept That Not Everyone Will Come with You.
Some people sign up for a specific plan and won’t want to adapt when things change. That’s okay. Move forward respectfully, but move forward.
In the end, anyone can stick to a plan.
It takes real courage to admit when that plan is broken—and find a better one.
Don’t let the fear of being called a “flip-flopper” stop you from making the smart, strategic moves that will ensure your survival.
What about you?
Have you ever had to make a tough pivot in your own life or career?
Share your story in the comments—I’d genuinely love to hear it.
