Andela's Pivot: When Your Original Model Isn't Working

The Courage to Change

Andela started with a bold vision: train African developers and place them with global companies. For years, the model worked—sort of. They raised hundreds of millions from top VCs and scaled to thousands of developers. But the unit economics never quite worked, and in 2023, they made a dramatic pivot.

The new Andela is a talent marketplace connecting companies directly with vetted engineers across emerging markets. It's a fundamentally different business, and it took courage to make the change.

Why Pivots Are So Hard

Andela's original model was beloved. They'd built a brand around training African talent and changing narratives about African developers. The pivot meant letting go of training programs and the community that came with them.

But co-founder Jeremy Johnson and team recognized that sentiment couldn't sustain a business. The training model was expensive to scale, and the world was changing. Remote work had exploded, making global talent more accessible. Andela needed to evolve.

Lessons on Knowing When to Pivot

Andela's pivot offers crucial lessons: Be honest about unit economics, even when the mission is compelling. Watch for market shifts that change the game. And remember that pivoting isn't failure—it's adaptation. The founders who succeed are often those willing to change course when the evidence demands it.