Pivoting the Business Model
After receiving feedback or market insights, the team analyzes data and decides to significantly change core aspects of their business, such as target audience, product features, or revenue streams.
Dialogue
Listen and follow along with the conversation
Vocabulary
Essential words and phrases from the dialogue
roadblocks
Obstacles or problems that stop progress, like challenges in a business plan.
engagement
The level of interest or interaction users have with a product or service.
barking up the wrong tree
An idiom meaning pursuing the wrong approach or target, like making a mistake in direction.
pivot
In business, a major change in strategy or direction to adapt to new information.
runway
The amount of time a startup has before running out of money, like how long they can operate.
B2B
Business-to-Business, meaning selling products or services to other companies, not individual consumers.
revenue model
The way a business plans to make money, such as through sales or subscriptions.
ROI
Return on Investment, a measure of profit or benefit gained from an investment.
overhaul
A complete change or reorganization of something, like updating a strategy from top to bottom.
hitting a wall
An idiom for reaching a point where progress stops suddenly, like facing an insurmountable barrier.
Key Sentences
Important phrases to remember and practice
It's clear we're hitting some roadblocks with our initial target audience.
This sentence uses 'hitting roadblocks' to describe problems. It's useful in business meetings to point out challenges. The structure is simple: subject + be + adjective + verb-ing + object, helping learners express issues clearly.
Our current marketing spend isn't translating into the user acquisition numbers we forecasted.
Here, 'translating into' means converting or resulting in. Useful for discussing results of efforts. It shows negative results with 'isn't' contraction, common in professional talks about expectations vs. reality.
It seems like the messaging isn't resonating, or perhaps we're barking up the wrong tree entirely.
This uses 'it seems like' for speculation and an idiom 'barking up the wrong tree.' Great for suggesting possible reasons politely. The 'or perhaps' adds alternatives, useful in discussions.
Are we talking about a tweak, or a full-blown pivot here?
A question contrasting small change ('tweak') with big one ('full-blown pivot'). Useful for clarifying decisions in meetings. The 'or' structure helps compare options.
The runway isn't infinite.
Short and direct, using 'isn't' for negation. 'Runway' is business jargon for limited time/money. Ideal for emphasizing urgency in startup contexts.
Shifting to B2B would mean a complete overhaul of our go-to-market strategy.
Conditional with 'would mean' for hypothetical changes. Useful for explaining consequences of decisions. 'Overhaul' adds emphasis on total change, common in strategy talks.
Pivoting gracefully now is better than burning through resources on a losing battle.
Compares options with 'better than' structure. Idioms like 'burning through resources' and 'losing battle' make it vivid for business advice. Teaches comparative phrases.
Let's put together a detailed plan for this B2B pivot.
Imperative 'Let's + verb' for suggesting team action. Useful for leading discussions and assigning tasks. Simple structure encourages collaboration.