Paper info

A NEW RELATIONAL BUSINESS MODEL FOR START-UPS. EVIDENCES FROM ITALIAN CONTEXT

Chiara Cantù, Giorgia Sepe and Alessandra Tzannis

The paper was published at the 32nd IMP-conference in Poznan, Poland in 2016.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the main drivers of a start-up evolution in its development stages. In particular, our attention is focused on the role of relationships in the different evolutionary phases of a start-up and the impact of relationships on the business model. The entrepreneur’s perspective has been for long considered the critical success factor for the startup genesis and business models. Differently from previous works focused on entrepreneur and entrepreneurial ability to manage social relationships, this paper investigates the perspective of business relationships in different stages of start-up life cycle. The paper presents an in depth qualitative analysis based on two innovative Italian start-ups. The findings show the emergence of interconnected relationships that allow a start up to access to different kind of resources in order to develop its business. This process of evolution requires a network embedded business model that suggests start-ups to consider users’ needs and preferences, as well as the relevant role of different business partners.