"Should I keep pushing? Should I change direction? Or is it time to let go?"

Every founder, at some point, will ask themselves this question. Building a startup is like trekking through a desert with no clear map—some days, you feel like you’re almost there, other days, you wonder if you should have stayed at home.

The truth is, not every business idea will work, and not every struggle means you should give up. But how do you know when to persist, when to pivot, and when to quit?

Let’s break it down with real-life lessons, Nigerian grit, and cold, hard facts.

1. When to Persist: The Signs You Should Keep Going

In 2014, Paystack’s founders, Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi, struggled to convince investors that Nigeria needed a local payment solution. They faced rejections but kept pushing because they had two crucial things:

✅ A real problem to solve – Businesses were struggling with online payments in Nigeria.
✅ Signs of demand – The few businesses that tried Paystack loved it and wanted more.

They persisted, raised funding, and in 2020, Stripe acquired Paystack for $200 million.

🔹 So, when should you persist?

• When customers love what you’re offering, even if you have few of them.

• When you have strong user retention (people who try your product keep using it).

• When the problem is real, and there’s no strong alternative solving it well.

• When you’ve gotten market feedback and it shows potential, even if it’s slow.

But persistence is not the same as stubbornness. If you’re forcing something that isn’t working, you might be missing the bigger picture.

2. When to Pivot: The Art of Changing Direction Without Losing Your Vision

Ever heard of Instagram’s origin story? It started as a location-based check-in app called Burbn. The founders noticed that users were ignoring the check-in feature but loved sharing photos. So, they pivoted—kept the photo-sharing feature, scrapped the rest, and rebranded as Instagram.

Two years later, Facebook bought them for $1 billion.

🔹 When should you pivot?

• When people use your product differently than you expected (look at what’s working).

• When your market is too small and you need a bigger opportunity.

• When you have repeated failures despite real effort.

• When competitors are winning because they offer something better.

A pivot doesn’t always mean changing everything. Sometimes, it’s just refocusing on what actually works.

3. When to Quit: Knowing When It’s Over

Now, let’s talk about the hardest part—quitting.

We love stories of persistence, but what about the thousands of founders who burned through their savings, their investors' money, and their sanity… for a business that was never going to work?

Quitting is not failure. It’s choosing to stop wasting time on the wrong thing so you can start something better.

🔹 When should you quit?

• When there is no real demand for your product, no matter how much you market.

• When you can’t find a profitable business model after trying different strategies.

• When you’re mentally, emotionally, and financially drained and it’s affecting your life.

• When you’ve lost belief in the vision but are just holding on out of fear or ego.

Even Elon Musk once admitted, “If something is important enough, even if the odds are against you, you should still do it.” But the key is knowing if it’s truly important or just an emotional attachment.

Making the Right Decision

Founders who succeed don’t just work hard; they also work smart. They know when to persist, when to pivot, and when to quit.

• If you see real customer interest, keep pushing.

• If the idea isn’t working but there’s something valuable, pivot.

• If there’s no market, no traction, and no hope, let it go and start something new.

At ProDevs, we help businesses navigate these tough decisions. Whether you need top tech talent to scale, guidance on product-market fit, or insights to refine your strategy, we’ve got you covered.