Pivoting as a Way of Life: A New Startup and Product Operating Model

5 Star Review

Click HERE to Purchase Your Copy Today!

Editorial Book Review:

By SM Harrison

Joseph Hanna's Pivoting as a Way of Life: A New Startup and Product Operating Model is a timely and bold redefinition of the process by which innovation-driven teams and startups navigate constant change. Hanna introduces a comprehensive operating model that not only challenges long-standing assumptions but also provides a practical, metrics-driven approach to thriving in unpredictability, all presented with intellectual rigor and clarity. This work is of profound relevance to leaders who are striving to achieve meaningful agility in a landscape that no longer rewards rigidity, in addition to survival.

The writing of Joseph is both accessible and layered, incorporating strategic frameworks, compelling pop-culture analogies, and sharp commentary that are easily comprehensible to technology professionals, entrepreneurs, and product leaders. He ensures that each concept is rooted in practical application by combining narrative with utility. The pacing is deliberate and organized around actionable tools and frameworks, such as the Pivoting Life Operating Model (PLOM), ten innovation frameworks, and fifty-plus metrics. This structural clarity is responsible for the book's enduring appeal and strength.

At the heart of Pivoting as a Way of Life is a compelling thesis: companies must adopt a mindset and infrastructure of continuous reinvention, rather than pursuing the elusive product–market fit.. Hanna redefines pivoting as a prerequisite discipline, driven by self-awareness, curiosity, and data, rather than as a form of failure. He invites readers to view change not as something to fear, but as the very currency of growth and relevance, by redefining the pivot as an ongoing operating model.

The book also extensively explores the dynamic relationship between human creativity, leadership, and technology. Hanna persuasively contends that AI is not a threat to product teams, but rather a catalytic force that can manage repetitive tasks while enabling humans to address more complex strategic issues. This vision of the coexistence of entrepreneurial instinct and machine intelligence is not only thought-provoking, but also indispensable.

The book broadens the reader's operational imagination and strategic vocabulary from an intellectual standpoint. It affirms the right to progress, to revise, and to evolve emotionally, even when the path is uncertain. Hanna's message is one of courage through structure: that uncertainty can be leveraged for growth with the appropriate mental models and tools.

About the Author

Joseph Hanna

Joe is a distinguished executive, innovator, and product leader in SaaS, data, and AI/ML. He is the creator of the Pivoting Life Operating Model (PLOM®) and has a strong track record in growing PE/VC-backed companies. Joe was an early pioneer in applying AI/ML in multiple industries, including credit, sales, HR, supply chain, and procurement. He holds several patents in various applications of AI technologies.

Over his 30+ years in the technology field, Joe held executive positions with companies ranging from large enterprises to startups. He has been known to parachute to help teams of all sizes solve product and strategy challenges. Joe was the founder and CEO of ENGAGE, the award-winning AI talent intelligence platform that was acquired by Carlyle/Workforce Logiq.

Joe is enthusiastic about taking on tough challenges—whether that’s connecting the dots between millions of data feeds, planning complex teams and product journeys, developing aggressive growth strategies, or navigating grueling offshore sailing races.

Joe holds a BSc in Software Engineering and Robotics (Automatic Control) from Alexandria University, Egypt, and an MBA from Duke University, where he was honored as a Fuqua Scholar.