Is it the right moment to reinvent your startup?

When One Founding Isn’t Enough

Launching a startup once may not always satisfy ambitious founders.

This trend is evident in companies such as Airtable, Handshake, and Opendoor, all of which have recently declared they are undergoing a process they call “refounding.” According to The New York Times, these announcements often coincide with shifts in business strategy or the introduction of innovative AI-driven products.

Airtable’s Approach to Refounding

In June, Airtable revealed that rather than simply integrating additional AI features into their current platform, they viewed this as an opportunity to fundamentally reinvent the company.

Howie Liu, Airtable’s co-founder and CEO, explained to the NYT that this move isn’t a traditional pivot, since it doesn’t stem from correcting past mistakes. While they considered terms like “relaunch” or “transformation,” they ultimately settled on “founding” language because the stakes felt just as high as when the company first began.

Reviving Startup Spirit at Handshake

Katherine Kelly, Handshake’s chief marketing officer, shared that their goal is to reintroduce the energy and mindset of a startup into their established organization. This renewed focus also brings increased expectations—Handshake has asked employees to return to the office full-time, emphasizing a work pace and commitment level necessary to achieve ambitious targets.