Pivoting a B2B Startup: A UX-Led Strategy to Find Product-Market Fit
- Manuel Ortiz
- Aug 1, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
2021
A research-backed reimagining of a complex construction material marketplace in Colombia.
User Research - Systemic Design - Strategic Design - UX Design - Business Strategy
Summary
My Role:
Lead UX Strategist & Researcher, brought in to diagnose a failing, live product and define a new, viable product strategy.
The Challenge:
WIDOOC, an e-commerce platform for construction materials, had been live for two months but "failed to garner a solid user base" because it fundamentally misunderstood its target market in Colombia.
The Outcome:
Successfully pivoted the entire business model by conducting deep market and user research to identify the core misalignment.
Delivered a new, validated Business Model Canvas and a comprehensive one-year product roadmap that aligned all stakeholders around the new vision.
My Role and Strategic Contributions
My role was to act as a strategic "first responder," using UX to diagnose the failure and chart a new course. My contributions included:
Leading all user interviews and market analysis to build the evidence case for why the product was failing.
Creating all key strategic artifacts—including systemic maps, journey maps, and a service blueprint—to make the problem visible to stakeholders.
Facilitating the strategic pivot by leading a co-creation workshop with stakeholders to build a new, evidence-based Business Model Canvas.
Defining the new, prioritized MVP and product roadmap to execute the new vision.
Collaborators
This project was a deeply cross-functional effort that combined design, engineering, and business strategy.
Product Manager: Defined key success metrics and ensured alignment with executive stakeholders throughout the project.
Business Analyst: Facilitated information gathering and maintained business alignment and clarity at every stage.
Visual Designer: Translated complex AI workflows into intuitive, human-centered interface patterns derived from wireframes and user flows.
Each collaborator brought unique expertise that enabled us to move quickly from concept to validated MVP while maintaining a strong user focus throughout.
Context
The Business Problem:
The platform was in a "critical state". It had launched with a high-cost build but had virtually no users or transactions, failing to find product-market fit.
The User Problem:
The platform's first version "failed to understand the particularity of the construction supply market in Colombia". It was built on incorrect assumptions about how architectural firms, suppliers, and building companies actually conduct business.
The Scale:
I was not starting from a blank slate; I was brought in to fix a live, failing product. The challenge was not just design, but change management, and we had to move quickly to stop burning cash.
The Design Journey
Chapter 1 — Finding Clarity
The Challenge
The product was live but failing. My first task was to move past "it's not working" and define the specific reasons.
The Action
I conducted deep qualitative research with users from all sides of the marketplace (suppliers, firms, builders) and performed a market analysis of competitors.
The Key Insight
The research was conclusive: the product was failing because its value proposition was wrong. It was trying to be a simple e-commerce site for an industry built on complex relationships, bulk pricing, and trust.
Chapter 2 — The Messy Middle
The Challenge
I had data that proved our current business model was wrong. I needed to bring stakeholders on this journey and build consensus on a new direction, rather than just presenting a negative report.
The Action
I synthesized all the research into clear artifacts (journey maps, systemic maps) that showed the real user needs. I then facilitated a stakeholder-wide, co-creation workshop.
The Key Insight / Pivot
The turning point was co-creating a new Business Model Canvas. By having stakeholders participate in building the new model based on the new user insights, we collectively created the new strategy, achieving 100% buy-in.
Chapter 3 — Getting to the Solution
The Challenge
We had a new, validated business model. Now we had to translate that model into an actionable development plan.
The Action
I worked with the product owner and development team to define the new MVP. I created simplified user flows and a prioritized, one-year Product Roadmap.
The Key Insight / Validation
The new user flows, which were based on our research, were simpler, more logical, and directly addressed the pain points our new Business Model Canvas was built to solve.
The Solution and Design Rationale
The New, Validated Business Model
The old model was failing. This new, co-created business model was the real solution. It realigned the company's value proposition with the actual, researched needs of the Colombian construction market.
The Prioritized MVP & User Flows
The new business model required a "revamped design". I created new, simplified user flows that directly supported the new strategy and made up the tactical, prioritized product roadmap for the next year.
Impact and Reflections
The Impact
Successfully pivoted a failing, live B2B platform by grounding its new strategy in user research.
Gained 100% Stakeholder Alignment by facilitating a co-creative process, moving the team from a place of failure to a unified, new direction.
Delivered a new, actionable product roadmap that defined the MVP and development plan for the next year, giving the company a new lease on life.
Personal Reflection
This project taught me that sometimes a designer's most valuable skill is facilitation. My role wasn't just to design a better UI, but to use research as a tool to lead the entire team in a new, evidence-based strategic direction.
Credits
Product Manager: Juan Esteban Chaparro
Business Analyst: Manuela Uribe
Design Tech Director: Alejandro Córdoba
Visual Designer: Daniela Santa Cruz
