I think the dilemma you face when your startup doesn't get anough traction or money is: do I spend more time with my current idea or pivot? You can feel that pivoting is not fighting enough so you try harder and harder with a startup that doesn't work.

At the end you are dealing with uncertainties, and trial and error is your basic tool.

A complementary action that I use in my company is having enough cash to play with new ideas until we found the right one. Probably a straigthforward cash cow is not a product but a consulting or development service.