Re-Building a Business: Pivoting iLaw

Christina GrzaskoFounder and Product Development Director

Anya Designs Ltd

Who Am I?

• I am the founder and product development director for Anya Designs Ltd, a software company I founded in 1996

• I am also a scouser, a musician and I have defended 5 alleged murderers, 3 of whom were convicted

Do you remember the first time…?

First Product to Market 1997

First Pivot

Fourth Pivot

The obstacle is the path

You always have a choice

• To walk away• To sulk• To find a plan B, C, D through to Z

This is true

You aren’t your business idea

The ability to pivot is an essential tool in your kitbag. Without it you are on the fast track to a mac job. Fearing it is pointless so it's a good idea to get there as fast as possible so you can start learning.

Be clear about this

• What does this group of potential customers want?

• What pain would they pay us money to get rid of?

And ignore this

• How cool do you think my current idea is?• Do you like the extra bits we chucked in as a

truly excellent idea after a night down the pub?

Practical Steps

• current customers• internal ip• internal skills and experience• willingness to learn and change• how much money do we have ?• how far can we spin it out ?

Our checklist

• customers – we still have some• staff – we still have some• reusable code – we have loads of it• desire within the business to change direction

– people are variously scared to death and excited, often at the same time.

What has to give in order for the whole to survive?

• Our current business model and• Our current assumptions about what we do• But never our freedom in how we do it

How we interpret the events in our lives, our perspective, is the framework for our forthcoming response—whether there will even be one or whether we’ll just lie there and take it.

Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the

darkness.Terry Pratchett

pivot improve it

fight

Learn and enjoy the ride