Top 10 Worst Business Pivots

Kodak actually invented the digital camera in 1975 but buried it to protect film revenue, then pivoted too late into printers and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Yahoo declined to acquire Google for $1 million in 1998 and Facebook for $1 billion in 2006, then pivoted aimlessly through media, search, and social until Verizon bought the remnants.

RIM dismissed the iPhone as an email-less toy and doubled down on physical keyboards, then pivoted to touchscreens years too late and watched its 50% smartphone market share evaporate.

Coca-Cola replaced its 99-year-old formula in 1985 based on taste tests, igniting consumer outrage so fierce the company reversed course within 79 days in one of marketing's greatest blunders.

Google tried to pivot into social media by tying Google+ to every product, alienating users with forced integration and real-name policies before quietly shutting it down.

Pivoted to an unsustainable $9.95 all-you-can-watch model that burned through $40 million per month, running out of cash so fast the app would crash during peak hours.

CEO Ron Johnson eliminated coupons and sales events in favor of everyday low pricing, alienating the core coupon-loving customer base and cratering revenue by 25% in a single year.

IBM sold its entire PC business to Lenovo for $1.75 billion to pivot to services, then watched the personal computing market explode while struggling to define its identity.

Yahoo paid $1.1 billion for Tumblr in 2013, then banned its most active content category in 2018, cratering traffic by 30% before Automattic acquired it for just $3 million.

Kodak actually invented the digital camera in 1975 but buried it to protect film revenue, then pivoted too late into printers and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

Yahoo declined to acquire Google for $1 million in 1998 and Facebook for $1 billion in 2006, then pivoted aimlessly through media, search, and social until Verizon bought the remnants.

RIM dismissed the iPhone as an email-less toy and doubled down on physical keyboards, then pivoted to touchscreens years too late and watched its 50% smartphone market share evaporate.

Coca-Cola replaced its 99-year-old formula in 1985 based on taste tests, igniting consumer outrage so fierce the company reversed course within 79 days in one of marketing's greatest blunders.

Google tried to pivot into social media by tying Google+ to every product, alienating users with forced integration and real-name policies before quietly shutting it down.

Pivoted to an unsustainable $9.95 all-you-can-watch model that burned through $40 million per month, running out of cash so fast the app would crash during peak hours.

CEO Ron Johnson eliminated coupons and sales events in favor of everyday low pricing, alienating the core coupon-loving customer base and cratering revenue by 25% in a single year.

IBM sold its entire PC business to Lenovo for $1.75 billion to pivot to services, then watched the personal computing market explode while struggling to define its identity.

Yahoo paid $1.1 billion for Tumblr in 2013, then banned its most active content category in 2018, cratering traffic by 30% before Automattic acquired it for just $3 million.