--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you look at successful pivots, they…" description: "\"If you look at successful pivots, they almost always are a pivot into something that the founder wanted. Not a random made up idea.\" — Sam Altman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/sam-altman-1494_customer_if-you-look-at-successful-pivots-they-al_2820669.png" --- # If you look at successful pivots, they almost always are a… ![“If you look at successful pivots, they almost always are a pivot into something that the founder wanted. Not a random made up idea.” quote by Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/sam-altman-1494_customer_if-you-look-at-successful-pivots-they-al_2820669.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/sam-altman-1494_customer_if-you-look-at-successful-pivots-they-al_2820669.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/sam-altman-1494_customer_if-you-look-at-successful-pivots-they-al_2820669.png) > “If you look at successful pivots, they almost always are a pivot into something that the founder wanted. Not a random made up idea.” [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Successful pivots align with the founder’s true passion, not random ideas. **In simple terms:** Passion drives effective pivots. Key Takeaway Pivot toward what you truly desire. Themes entrepreneurship pivot passion Mood pragmatic inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - startups - career changes - product development Key Concepts strategy innovation motivation Questions to Reflect On - How to test passion against market needs? - When is a pivot too risky? A Different Perspective It may ignore market demand constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Entrepreneurship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/entrepreneurship/) [Founders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founders/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Looks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/looks/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Pivot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pivot/) [Pivot Founder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pivot-founder-3587949/) [Pivots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pivots-3206429/) [Pivots Pivot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pivots-pivot-3587950/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful Pivots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-pivots-3587948/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) ## Related quotes > [In general though, if you look at the track record of pivots, they don't become big companies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/in-general-though-if-you-look-at-the-track-record-of-pivots-they-don/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [If you pivot, do it fully and with conviction. The worst thing is to try to do a bit of the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-pivot-do-it-fully-and-with-conviction-the-worst-thing-is-to/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [“Rule No. 4: Make Continuous Iterations and Pivots”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gary-blank/rule-no-4-make-continuous-iterations-and-pivots/) [Steven Gary Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gary-blank/) > [Everybody uses pivots when asked about things they can't directly address, or for which there is no good answer. In politics, we call it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-allred/everybody-uses-pivots-when-asked-about-things-they-can-t-directly/) [Colin Allred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-allred/) > [“If your plan is not working, pivot. If it is working, do more of it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-hurdle/if-your-plan-is-not-working-pivot-if-it-is-working-do-more-of-it/) [Amber Hurdle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-hurdle/) > [“A “pivot” is supposed to recall a ballerina’s demi détourné, a delicate change of course as graceful as it (hopefully) seems intentional. In reality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-garcia-martinez/a-pivot-is-supposed-to-recall-a-ballerina-s-demi-d-tourn-a-delicate/) [Antonio Garcia Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-garcia-martinez/) > [“It can be dangerous to be right at the outset. Managers in some LCD-first companies interpreted the pivot point as an unconditional endorsement of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-p-eggers/it-can-be-dangerous-to-be-right-at-the-outset-managers-in-some-lcd/) [J. P. Eggers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-p-eggers/) > [The secret of living is to find a pivot, the pivot of a concept on which you can make your stand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luigi-pirandello/the-secret-of-living-is-to-find-a-pivot-the-pivot-of-a-concept-on/) [Luigi Pirandello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luigi-pirandello/) > [In the restaurant business, there's the concept of pivot. Pivot to the stove, pivot to the refrigerator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-douglas/in-the-restaurant-business-there-s-the-concept-of-pivot-pivot-to-the/) [Tom Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-douglas/) > [I love to pivot completely. I love to change it up where I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-barbaro/i-love-to-pivot-completely-i-love-to-change-it-up-where-i-can/) [Monica Barbaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-barbaro/) > [My pivot was after football, to becoming a human being again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamarcus-russell/my-pivot-was-after-football-to-becoming-a-human-being-again/) [JaMarcus Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamarcus-russell/) > [“Before a dream can mature and manifest itself as real, a lot of loaded efforts come into play! You are the pivot on which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/before-a-dream-can-mature-and-manifest-itself-as-real-a-lot-of-loaded/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Accept the fact that you are the pivot along which the loads of your efforts will turn. Acknowledge yourself as the chairperson at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/accept-the-fact-that-you-are-the-pivot-along-which-the-loads-of-your/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [... women are the pivot round which the world turns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/women-are-the-pivot-round-which-the-world-turns/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“There's a fine line between heroic persistence and foolish stubbornness. Sometimes the best kind of grit is gritting our teeth and turning around”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-grant/there-s-a-fine-line-between-heroic-persistence-and-foolish/) [Adam Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-grant/) ## More by Sam Altman > [The best people know that they should join a rocketship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-best-people-know-that-they-should-join-a-rocketship/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You really want to know your cofounders for a while, ideally years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-really-want-to-know-your-cofounders-for-a-while-ideally-years/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Employees will only add more value over time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/employees-will-only-add-more-value-over-time/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One thing I tell startups all the time is that the best way to grow is to make their product better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-thing-i-tell-startups-all-the-time-is-that-the-best-way-to-grow/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [A winning team feels good and keeps winning. A team that hasn't won in a while gets demotivated and keeps losing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/a-winning-team-feels-good-and-keeps-winning-a-team-that-hasn-t-won-in/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [You're either not hiring at all or it's probably your single biggest block of time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/you-re-either-not-hiring-at-all-or-it-s-probably-your-single-biggest/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [The thing that kills startups at some level, is the founders giving up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/the-thing-that-kills-startups-at-some-level-is-the-founders-giving-up/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Execution gets divided into two key questions: 1) can you figure out what to do and 2) can you get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/execution-gets-divided-into-two-key-questions-1-can-you-figure-out/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [If you want something in a deal, just ask for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/if-you-want-something-in-a-deal-just-ask-for-it/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Most things are not as risky as they seem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/most-things-are-not-as-risky-as-they-seem/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [I prefer to invest in a company that's going after a small but rapidly growing market than a big but slow growing one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/i-prefer-to-invest-in-a-company-that-s-going-after-a-small-but/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are not the best choice for work-life balance, and that's sort of just the sad reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-not-the-best-choice-for-work-life-balance-and-that-s/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One of the biggest advantages that start ups have is execution speed and you have to have this relentless operating rhythm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-of-the-biggest-advantages-that-start-ups-have-is-execution-speed/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [One of the keys to focus, and why I said cofounders that aren't friends really struggle, is that you can't be focused without good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/one-of-the-keys-to-focus-and-why-i-said-cofounders-that-aren-t/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) > [Startups are very hard no matter what you do; you may as well go after a big opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-altman/startups-are-very-hard-no-matter-what-you-do-you-may-as-well-go-after/) [Sam Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) [Explore all 235 Sam Altman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-altman/) ## More Customer quotes > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Many early-stage entrepreneurs make one simple mistake: Describing this 'big picture' in vague concepts and words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunil-nagaraj/many-early-stage-entrepreneurs-make-one-simple-mistake-describing/) [Sunil Nagaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunil-nagaraj/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [Don't think OF the market. Think AS the market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-fishman/don-t-think-of-the-market-think-as-the-market/) [Michael Fishman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-fishman/) > [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/) [Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/) > [The exact details of how you practice value investing will vary investor to investor, but the fundamental principle of scouring the world, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-tilson/the-exact-details-of-how-you-practice-value-investing-will-vary/) [Whitney Tilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/whitney-tilson/) > [The best way to hold customers is to constantly figure out how to give them more for less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-best-way-to-hold-customers-is-to-constantly-figure-out-how-to/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [When the dollar collapses, it's not doing it in a vacuum. 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