Triangulate: Stay, Pivot or Exit
Teaching Note for HBS No. 817-059.
Citation:
Ghosh, Shikhar, and Shweta Bagai. "Triangulate: Stay, Pivot or Exit." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 819-144, May 2019. View Details|
Case HBS Case Collection October 2016 Triangulate: Stay, Pivot or Exit? |
Abstract
Sunil Nagaraj, Triangulate's founder had spent a few years trying to launch a dating application that matched users based on their behavior on social media. Based on input from advisors, the company changed its focus from a B2B site to a B2C dating site with a unique value proposition – offering matches using recommendations of friends who knew the person. The product got some initial traction but still did not have the virality necessary to grow profitability. The company pivoted yet again to launch DateBuzz, a fresh approach to dating that asked users to vote on bite-sized elements of potential matches before revealing their full profiles. Initial data from this approach was promising but, by now, the team and investors were tired. The company had previously raised a $750,000 seed round and Nagaraj, encouraged by the early success of DateBuzz had offered jobs to two experienced business professionals. However, his investors did not share his enthusiasm for the business. Triangulate had less than $200,000 left in the bank and 3-4 months of runway. Should Nagaraj cut the burn rate further by rescinding the offers to the new employees? Should he raise another round from angels, friends and family? He was satisfied that he had built a strong relationship with the lead investors, and felt they would support his decision if he chose to shut down the company. But, had he tried enough to make Triangulate succeed?
Keywords: early stage; Pivot; two sided markets; Business Model; Business Exit or Shutdown; Product Launch; Venture Capital; Failure; Internet; Entrepreneurship; Technology; Social and Collaborative Networks; United States; North America;
Citation:
Eisenmann, Thomas, Shikhar Ghosh, and Christopher Payton. "Triangulate: Stay, Pivot or Exit?" Harvard Business School Case 817-059, October 2016.
