  In the context of software startups, project failure is embraced actively and
considered crucial to obtain validated learning that can lead to pivots. A
pivot is the strategic change of a business concept, product or the different
elements of a business model. A better understanding is needed on different
types of pivots and different factors that lead to failures and trigger pivots,
for software entrepreneurial teams to make better decisions under chaotic and
unpredictable environment. Due to the nascent nature of the topic, the existing
research and knowledge on the pivots of software startups are very limited. In
this study, we aimed at identifying the major types of pivots that software
startups make during their startup processes, and highlighting the factors that
fail software projects and trigger pivots. To achieve this, we conducted a case
survey study based on the secondary data of the major pivots happened in 49
software startups. 10 pivot types and 14 triggering factors were identified.
The findings show that customer need pivot is the most common among all pivot
types. Together with customer segment pivot, they are common market related
pivots. The major product related pivots are zoom-in and technology pivots.
Several new pivot types were identified, including market zoom-in, complete and
side project pivots. Our study also demonstrates that negative customer
reaction and flawed business model are the most common factors that trigger
pivots in software startups. Our study extends the research knowledge on
software startup pivot types and pivot triggering factors. Meanwhile it
provides practical knowledge to software startups, which they can utilize to
guide their effective decisions on pivoting
