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Training Aspiring Entrepreneurs to Pitch Experienced Investors: Evidence from a Field Experiment in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Clingingsmith, David

    (Case Western Reserve University)

  • Shane, Scott

Abstract

Accredited investors finance more than 75,000 U.S. start-ups annually. We explain how training aspiring entrepreneurs to pitch their new business ideas to these investors affects their odds of continued funding discussions. We model accredited investors’ decision to continue investigation as a real option whose value is a function of their experience and the information contained in the entrepreneurs’ pitches. We derive four hypotheses from the model, which we test through a field experiment that randomly assigns pitch training at four elevator pitch competitions. The data support all four hypotheses, and are inconsistent with alternative explanations.

Suggested Citation

  • Clingingsmith, David & Shane, Scott, 2017. "Training Aspiring Entrepreneurs to Pitch Experienced Investors: Evidence from a Field Experiment in the United States," SocArXiv yzpvf, Center for Open Science.
    • Handle: RePEc:osf:socarx:yzpvf
    DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/yzpvf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Satterstrom, Patricia & Polzer, Jeffrey T. & Kwan, Lisa B. & Hauser, Oliver P. & Wiruchnipawan, Wannawiruch & Burke, Marina, 2019. "Thin slices of workgroups," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 104-117.
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