Entrepreneurship as Design Seminar for early stage researchers

Entrepreneurship as Design is an emerging research stream in Entrepreneurship research. Entrepreneurship as Design views Entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial process as an artifact-driven process in which entrepreneurs continuously create artifacts (e.g. Pitch decks, MVPs, or Business Models). The research stream is inspired by Herbert Simon’s work who defined Design as the science of the Artificial, meaning not to study natural phenomena but the creation of human-made systems (e.g. technologies, products, society and laws). The new research stream aims not only to apply the Design perspective on Entrepreneurship (“How things are”), but also to create useful knowledge for practitioners (e.g. entrepreneurs, teachers, policy makers) in the sense of “How things ought to be”.

In preparation of the seminar the students had to prepare six readings and write a short reflection paper in groups of three.

The seminar itself discussed the papers in audience discussions and a workshop format. Aside from that the group also had lunch and dinner together. Given the wide variety of backgrounds of the people involved many interesting discussions and topics emerged.