In a recent blog post business guru Steve Blank declared “rewriting the code” a form of startup suicide.

After seeing a complete code overhaul recommended by a friend’s CEO, he asked “Who Wants to Work on the Old Product? Perhaps the most dangerous side-effect of embarking on a code rewrite is that the decision condemns the old code before a viable alternative exists.” This stuck with me beyond the idea of new code.

Too often executives choose to pivot without keeping the infrastructure of their business in mind. Often, once a major initiative is vetted, it’s rare that maintenance on the existing core business is considered necessary (despite the fact that it is). In essence, leaders who place too much emphasis on rebuilding from the ground up give employees free reign to call a “time out” on the existing revenue generators. And what if the new product is six months off?

I guess the lesson from Blank is this: If you’re going to pivot, you need to keep one foot planted as a base.