Pivot Decision

A pivot decision document captures the analysis and rationale behind a strategic direction change.or the decision to stay the course. Based on the Lean Startup concept of "pivot or persevere," this artifact ensures major strategic decisions are made with evidence, communicated clearly, and preserved for organizational learning.

When to Use

• After significant validated learning suggests the current direction may not work
• At planned pivot-or-persevere checkpoints (e.g., after MVP launch)
• When key hypotheses have been invalidated by market feedback
• During strategy reviews when considering major direction changes
• When stakeholders are debating whether to change course

When NOT to Use

• You are reporting experiment results without a direction decision attached -> use measure-experiment-results
• The decision is technical or architectural rather than directional -> use develop-adr
• You want to explore candidate directions before deciding anything -> use define-opportunity-tree
• The team needs the period-end reflection ceremony -> use iterate-retrospective; a pivot call is a decision document, not a retro
• The product is not built yet, and the question is whether to build a new idea, feature, or scope change at all (a build / validate / cut verdict) -> use foundation-build-risk-review; a pivot call weighs market feedback on something already shipped