Credibility-driven entrepreneurship

摘要

This article investigates how external stakeholders influence the first sale of technology-based business-to-business start-up companies. The authors combine entrepreneurship theory with marketing theory to describe the marketing and selling activities of start-ups and how new ventures reach key milestones. The study shows how two start-ups, an e-business firm and a new product development firm, acquired their first customers. The analysis provides a picture of how a network of the firms' founders, board members and owners contributed to their first sales. It also highlights the importance of sales activities, relationships and industrial knowledge. The paper examines the importance of external stakeholders' relative positions in the web of relationships and assesses how relevant these are in affecting outcomes and speed to market. The authors conclude that the first sale follows a time line with three important phases of activities involving credibility, closing and operations. They find that credibility is best obtained through establishing relationships.