Pivoting with Purpose: Lessons from Gautam Suri, Founder of GRITLY

If you’ve ever heard an entrepreneur pitch, you’ve probably heard them speak about the time they had to pivot. But what does pivoting truly signify? A founder’s ability to pivot—swiftly and effectively—in the face of roadblocks that have the potential to invalidate their ideas can be the difference between success and failure. One of the most striking lessons I learned from my conversation with  Gautam Suri, the founder of GRITLY, was about this very ability. His journey is a testament to the power of adaptability and the willingness to rethink and reshape a business model in response to real customer needs. Curious about how he did it? Let's dive in.

The Birth of GRITLY

GRITLY, a platform designed to help veterans navigate the complex process of applying for disability benefits, started from a very different idea. Initially inspired by the way of living mindfully, Gautam envisioned a journaling platform that would act as a therapist.

“I did a lot of yoga before Kellogg and got really into meditation and journaling. I thought it’d be cool to make a journaling platform that acted as a therapist,” Gautam explained.

As a techie with a few patented applications under his belt, Gautam built a platform that had a chatbot trained in cognitive behavioural therapy to interact with users. This platform was intended for those individuals who were less inclined to seek traditional therapy, such as veterans. While the idea garnered interest, it faced a significant challenge: monetization.

“We built it, put it up for free, lots of interest, lots of use, and then as soon as there was a paywall, the usage dropped,” Gautam said.

The Pivot to Serving Veterans

The sudden drop in usage prompted Gautam to reinterview his users. During these interviews, Gautam discovered that veterans primarily used the journaling platform when compiling evidence for disability claims. After further research on the process of disability claims, Gautam understood that it is a tedious process. So, this insight became the foundation for GRITLY’s current focus.

The idea for GRITLY is to become an easy-to-use software that helps veterans navigate bureaucratic forms filled with medical and legal jargon.

“We’re helping veterans that are applying for disability. We really just want to simplify that and present it in a clear way so that they have access to their disability income,” Gautam explained.

Realizing the potential impact of this pivot, Gautam knew he needed a partner who shared his vision and could help bring it to life. And as is the case with any entrepreneur, finding someone who could complement his skills and bring valuable insights to the table was challenging. During his summer quarter at Kellogg, Gautam got to interact with James Fleck, a fellow student at Kellogg with experience working as a consultant for federal projects and a deep understanding of veterans’ needs.

“Ideally, I was looking for somebody that was an expert on the sales side. Jimmy really was that person. He had the family background in the military as well, so he understood the end user,” Gautam shared. Identifying their shared passion to solve this problem, Gautam and Jimmy decided to partner up.

Customers Are Your Best Advisors

Throughout our conversation, the one thing that stood out was Gautam's emphasis on the importance of customer interviews. When Gautam started on his journey with the wellness app, he interviewed hundreds of people. When he hit a roadblock, he interviewed his users. Now, as he develops this new version of GRITLY, he continues to interview people. Interacting with customers to understand their needs is always instrumental in refining and validating the business idea.

“Interview people! Lots of them! It’s fun to talk to people about an idea that you’re excited about. You will be surprised how interested people are in talking about something if you’re asking for advice,” he said.

These interviews were crucial in helping him pivot from a journaling platform to a disability application tool. They provided insights into the veterans' needs and helped shape the product to better serve its target audience.

Currently, GRITLY, still in its early stages with a rough MVP, already caters to veterans by advising them on how to file their claims properly. This proactive approach by Gautam and James has helped them gather valuable insights, ensuring that their product will truly meet user requirements.

Gautam’s journey with GRITLY highlights the importance of pivoting with purpose. By staying attuned to customer needs and being willing to adapt, Gautam and his co-founder have been able to steer the mission of GRITLY towards addressing a significant and pressing issue for veterans. I wish Gautam, Jimmy, and Team GRITLY the very best as they continue to innovate and make a difference.

My conversation with Gautam was very enriching and some of the lessons and key takeaways for me would be:

1. Stay Open to Feedback: Customer interviews and feedback are essential in identifying areas that need change.

2. Be Ready to Adapt: Pivoting is about recognizing when something isn’t working and having the courage to change direction.

3. Find Complementary Skills: A co-founder with complementary skills can provide the necessary balance and insight to navigate changes.

What do you think about Gautam’s journey? Share your thoughts and support for Gautam and Team GRITLY in the comments below!