Episode 328. Pivoting isn't failure, it's iteration w/ Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle
This episode of The Art of Entrepreneurship is for founders who are trying to evolve the business without losing the reason they started it.
My guest is Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, a company built around one core mission: eliminating the idea of waste.
Tom and I talk about how TerraCycle has evolved over 25 years while keeping that mission at the center. He shares how the company started by selling worm compost fertilizer in used soda bottles, why that model eventually had to change and how the team realized the bigger opportunity was solving the problem itself, not just the product they were selling.
We also get into why pivoting has such a negative reputation, and how founders can think about it differently. Tom explains how treating failure as “tuition” helps his team turn ideas that don’t work into learning instead of wasted effort.
One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation: the only thing that should be sacred is the mission. Products, systems and models have to stay open to change, because the thing that got you here may not be the thing that gets you to the next stage.
Tune in if you’re building through change and want to get better at knowing what to hold onto and what to let evolve.
About Tom Szaky
Tom Szaky is the Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, an international leader in innovative sustainability solutions that creates and operates first-of-their-kind platforms in recycling, recycled materials and reuse. Across 18 countries, TerraCycle is on a mission to rethink waste and develop practical solutions for today’s complex waste challenges. The company engages an expansive multi-stakeholder community through a wide range of accessible programs, from Fortune 500 companies to schools and individuals.
Connect with Tom: LinkedIn | Company LinkedIn | TerraCycle | Instagram | Facebook
If you like this episode, here are some others you'll enjoy.
Episode 200. Learning what’s on the other side of failure w/ serial entrepreneur Chris Harder —Turning failure into learning
Episode 171. Evaluating new business ideas, making the leap & handling change w/ Marcus Murphy, co-founder and CEO of The Five Percent — Knowing when to make the next move
Episode 57. The importance of process—Building processes that evolve with the business — Simpler growth, smarter execution
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