The science behind startup pivots: Uncovering the scientific approach and its antecedents
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2025-08-29
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en
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Startups operate in uncertain and dynamic environments, where pivoting can be crucial for success. This research looks at how startups apply the scientific approach to pivots and which antecedents influence the level of scientific intensity. Through qualitative, semi-structured interviews with 28 key decision-makers in startups, the research analyzes how they engage in the different steps of the scientific approach during a pivot. The results show that the scientific approach is rarely used as an end-to-end framework, many entrepreneurs rely on a mix of intuition and structure. The degree of scientific intensity varies widely and is shaped by antecedents such as need for cognition, resource availability, prior scientific experience and stakeholder pressure. This research thereby bridges the gap between theory and real-world scenarios by providing insights into what a scientific approach looks like in practice and presenting a framework of antecedents that influence the degree of scientific intensity within startup pivots.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen