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New venture creation: innovativeness, speed-to-breakeven, and revenue tradeoffs

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  • Estrin, Saul
  • Herrmann, Andrea
  • Levesque, Moren
  • Mickiewicz, Tomasz
  • Sanders, Mark

Abstract

We present a Schumpeterian model of new venture creation, under uncertainty, which explains the tradeoff between speed-to-breakeven and revenue-at-breakeven and relates this to the level of innovation. We then explore the tradeoffs between these outcomes empirically in a sample of 331 information and communication technology (ICT) ventures using a multi-input, multi-output stochastic frontier model. We estimate the contribution of financial capital and labor to the outcomes and the tradeoffs between them, as well as address heterogeneity across ventures. We find that more innovative (and therefore more uncertain) ventures have lower speed-to-breakeven and/or lower revenue-at-breakeven. Moreover, for all innovativeness levels, new ventures face a tradeoff between speed-to-breakeven and revenue-at-breakeven. Our results suggest that it is the availability of proprietary resources (founder equity and founder labor) that helps ventures overcome bottlenecks in the venture creation process, and we propose a line of research to explain the variation in venture creation efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Estrin, Saul & Herrmann, Andrea & Levesque, Moren & Mickiewicz, Tomasz & Sanders, Mark, 2025. "New venture creation: innovativeness, speed-to-breakeven, and revenue tradeoffs," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 128098, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:128098
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Crepon, B. & Duguet, E. & Mairesse, J., 1998. "Research Investment, Innovation and Productivity: An Econometric Analysis at the Firm Level," Papiers d'Economie Mathématique et Applications 98.15, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
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    3. Matthews, Russell S. & Chalmers, Dominic M. & Fraser, Simon S., 2018. "The intersection of entrepreneurship and selling: An interdisciplinary review, framework, and future research agenda," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 691-719.
    4. Mikael Samuelsson & Per Davidsson, 2009. "Does venture opportunity variation matter? Investigating systematic process differences between innovative and imitative new ventures," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 33(2), pages 229-255, August.
    5. Bruno Crepon & Emmanuel Duguet & Jacques Mairesse, 1998. "Research, Innovation And Productivity: An Econometric Analysis At The Firm Level," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 115-158.
    6. Chih-Hai Yang & Ku-Hsieh Chen, 2009. "Are small firms less efficient?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 375-395, April.
    7. Haschka, Rouven E. & Herwartz, Helmut, 2020. "Innovation efficiency in European high-tech industries: Evidence from a Bayesian stochastic frontier approach," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(8).
    8. Segerstrom, Paul S & Anant, T C A & Dinopoulos, Elias, 1990. "A Schumpeterian Model of the Product Life Cycle," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1077-1091, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Magnus Henrekson & Dan Johansson, 2025. "Neo-Schumpeterian growth theory: missing entrepreneurs results in incomplete policy advice," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 407-425, June.

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    JEL classification:

    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • L29 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Other

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