Just before my time at Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, I advised a small startup that had developed something genuinely novel: a device that used controlled temperature sensations to make the wearer feel cooler or warmer on demand. The technology was elegant and the science was real. But the team was focused on relatively modest consumer applications—beach days, outdoor comfort—and I saw something they hadn’t yet recognized in their own product.

The same mechanism that could cool someone on a hot afternoon could provide meaningful relief from hot flashes, night sweats, stress, and disrupted sleep. This was more than a lifestyle accessory. It was a serious wellness device for an audience—women navigating menopause—that had been chronically underserved by the medical establishment and largely ignored by consumer technology. That reframing changed everything: the positioning, the audience, the communications strategy, and ultimately the commercial trajectory of the company.

The ability to help a founding team see past their original assumptions and commit to a more powerful version of their own idea is one of the most delicate things a strategic advisor can do. It requires real understanding of the scientific intentions, genuine respect for what the founders have built, and the ability to illuminate a new direction as an evolution rather than a correction.

The pivot held. The product went on to reach more than 200,000 customers, earn coverage in major national media, and win many prominent competitions. Most importantly, it found the audience it was always meant to serve.