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Do we really judge the book by its cover? Idea selection during start-up week-ends

Author

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  • Guy Parmentier

    (UGA INP IAE - Grenoble Institut d'Administration des Entreprises - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes, CERAG - Centre d'études et de recherches appliquées à la gestion - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes)

  • S. Le Loarne-Lemaire

    (GEM Recherche - EESC-GEM - Grenoble Ecole de Management)

  • M. Maxime Mellard

    (CERAG - Centre d'études et de recherches appliquées à la gestion - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes)

Abstract

This article aims to identify the factors that influence the evaluation of an idea beyond its intrinsic values, especially those that relate to the presentation of the idea. With reference to a review of research conducted in the fields of psycho-sociology and psychology and using a qualitative comparative approach, the analysis of 57 pitches of entrepreneurial ideas during two start-up weekends shows that ideas receive the highest evaluation when they are judged to be the best in terms of novelty, feasibility, and relevance. However, our results also show that mastery by ideators of the basics of pitch presentation—especially clear enunciation—is also a necessary condition for acceptance of the idea by the audience. The paper seeks to contribute to the literature by identifying the most favorable configurations for a positive evaluation of an entrepreneurial idea in this type of innovation contest.

Suggested Citation

  • Guy Parmentier & S. Le Loarne-Lemaire & M. Maxime Mellard, 2021. "Do we really judge the book by its cover? Idea selection during start-up week-ends," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-04816812, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:gemptp:hal-04816812
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-04816812v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Lakshmi Balachandra & Tony Briggs & Kim Eddleston & Candida Brush, 2019. "Don’t Pitch Like a Girl!: How Gender Stereotypes Influence Investor Decisions," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(1), pages 116-137, January.
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