Pivoting at the right time has been a defining factor in the success of some of the startup ecosystem's best-known companies.
Glovo was originally launched under the slogan "the 2.0 couriers," but it never managed to build a profitable business around logistics intermediation. The real opportunity emerged when the company evolved into a marketplace, where it was able to generate sustainable margins.
Deporvillage followed a similar path. It started as an e-commerce business, evolved into a marketplace, and eventually launched its own private-label brands—a move that proved crucial in increasing the company's average margins.
Carlos Blanco's favorite example, however, is one he never invested in: eDreams. The company originally launched as a travel guide focused on eight unconventional destinations. At the bottom of each guide was a small box that simply read, "Buy a ticket to wherever you want."
Over time, the travel guides disappeared, and that small booking box became the centerpiece of the website, eventually evolving into what would become the Spanish version of Expedia—twenty-five years ago. Behind that pivot was Javier Pérez-Tenessa and a team that recognized exactly when it was time to change the business model.
You can watch the episode, "The Art of Knowing When to Pivot: Glovo, Deporvillage and eDreams," on Encomenda's YouTube channel .
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Glovo was originally launched under the slogan "the 2.0 couriers," but...
