Persist or Pivot? A 4-Step Test When Your Business Hits a Wall

Last winter, Denver Roast had three weeks of cash left and shrinking foot traffic. Co-founder Brenda Chen reread “Is It Time to Pivot Your Strategy?” by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic in Harvard Business Review and spotted a line that saved her: “Change the route, not the destination.” She paused new ads, surveyed 40 customers, and shifted from in-shop lattes to office coffee subscriptions. Sales are now 26 % above pre-crisis levels.