A Room with a Crew (continued)
Results
Phases and Themes of Early Stage Entrepreneurship Experienced by Study Participants
| Phase | Description |
|---|---|
| Baseline | Prior professional outsider experiences; recognition of dissatisfaction with professional status quo; positive reassessment of certain differentiating traits and behaviors previously seen in unfavorable light; desire for career aligned with personal values and / or passions |
| Tunneling forward | Substantial degree of day-to-day improvisation; learning through trial and error; identity in flux; sensed inadequacy of existing resources |
| The In Good Company experience | Connecting with and being inspired by like-minded others; face value acceptance of new identity; egalitarian learning opportunities; network expansion |
| Outcomes | Strengthening and affirmation of entrepreneurial identity; feeling of inevitability – “this is what I was meant to do”; sustained sense of personal empowerment and control; feeling of belonging |
In addition to providing support to the theory that entrepreneurs are made, rather than born, the research findings support the well-documented reliance of early-stage entrepreneurs on improvisation and trial-and-error learning strategies as well as intangible resources from friends and family.
Three new and noteworthy findings also emerged from this study:
- The normalization of negative feelings related to agency, including isolation and inadequacy, is one of the most important takeaways that participants gained from their association with In Good Company peers.
- The ability to see one’s struggles in the context of a universal reality (i.e., these are obstacles that most entrepreneurs routinely encounter in the early stages of building their businesses) rather than as failures due to individual shortcomings, is extremely difficult to do in isolation.
- Without access to peers, mentors or coaches who have first-hand experience with the situation and / or emotional state an entrepreneur is facing, or at least an awareness of typical elements of the entrepreneurial experience, a core ingredient in the “normalization” process is missing.
- Both formal and informal peer-to-peer coaching interactions have the potential to foster significant – possibly transformational – learning, which is often a powerful catalyst for professional development.
- In Good Company initially appealed to all six study participants as a solution to largely practical problems (e.g., the need for affordable office space and network expansion opportunities), but became something much more vital and affirming, largely on the strength of their affinity for and relationships with other women in the community. Participants’ interactions with other members, both casual and structured, helped them to acquire tangible knowledge, skills, behaviors and new contacts that they considered valuable from a bottom-line perspective.
- The ability to simultaneously engage in provisional role playing while observing others inhabiting their roles – all within a safe space – functions as a kind of protective scaffolding for individuals whose identities are in flux or evolving.
- Work occupies a central place in adult life and in shaping individuals’ identities. Supportive, information-rich professional environments, where individuals can safely experiment with new behaviors while observing and selectively emulating their peers, help to strengthen and reinforce professional identities that are newly emergent or still in flux.
