At my startup, @usefyi we have pivoted from a document search tool for everyone to a security product used by IT people. We've also changed our name to Nira (@niradotcom).
The pivot got kick-started when someone used our product in an unexpected way. Here's the story…
The pivot got kick-started when someone used our product in an unexpected way. Here's the story…
My co-founder (@marieprokopets) and I were at the office of a 50-person startup in SF to meet with the CEO, who was using our document search product.
We were prepared for a typical user research session where we’d watch him use our product.
That’s not quite what happened.
We were prepared for a typical user research session where we’d watch him use our product.
That’s not quite what happened.
As soon as the CEO opened the laptop and pulled up FYI, he looked nervous.
“Did you do this? These people don’t work here anymore. Why do they still have access to my docs? Did you share them?!”
We quickly explained that he was just seeing the current state of his documents.
“Did you do this? These people don’t work here anymore. Why do they still have access to my docs? Did you share them?!”
We quickly explained that he was just seeing the current state of his documents.
The CEO was puzzled and quickly clicked on a person who was no longer at his company but was showing up in the FYI interface.
“Hold on, they still have access to all these documents?”
He feverishly clicked through the app, finding more people with access who shouldn't have it.
“Hold on, they still have access to all these documents?”
He feverishly clicked through the app, finding more people with access who shouldn't have it.
The next day, the CEO told us he’d been up all night using our tool to find people with access to his documents, then going into G Suite to remove them. It took him hours of work, but he eventually finished.
This one conversation changed the course of our business.
This one conversation changed the course of our business.
It’s incredible how insightful watching someone use your product can be.
That was the first time we had heard about the problem that eventually became the key to our pivot. There were other signs that we had been heading in the wrong direction with document search.
That was the first time we had heard about the problem that eventually became the key to our pivot. There were other signs that we had been heading in the wrong direction with document search.
We talked to companies about deploying FYI organization-wide. There was a pattern. Started bullish, and within a few weeks, every single one would go cold.
So, @marieprokopets and I started to seriously reconsider our product direction in order to find product/market fit.
So, @marieprokopets and I started to seriously reconsider our product direction in order to find product/market fit.
After months of work, we’ve officially pivoted from a document search business to a cybersecurity business.
Follow us at @niradotcom, we’re going to start tweeting soon. If you think your company needs our product, please share the website with IT. nira.com
Follow us at @niradotcom, we’re going to start tweeting soon. If you think your company needs our product, please share the website with IT. nira.com
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