Startups cannot predict the future as they have no data to work with or are still establishing themselves. They for example cannot be sure what their customers want or which one of the three growth engines to use and invest more in.
As startups cant predict the future it’s crucial that these new business stay flexible and be ready to pivot when the business model proves to not work out.
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Reference
Ries, Eric. The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. 1st ed, Crown Business, 2011.
Highlights or timestamps
Start-ups are different, though: they can’t predict their own future because they have no past, don’t know what their customers want, and don’t know which approaches are best for finding customers or creating a sustainable business. To find out what could work, they must stay flexible.
— ^6cb77e from The Lean Startup