Nascent entrepreneurs during start-up competitions: Between beauty contests and co-created problematization

Problem-oriented research is increasingly gaining currency in entrepreneurship research. In this article, we respond to the need for more action-based perspectives in entrepreneurship. By employing an inductive research design based on qualitative interviews and participant observations, we discuss empirical evidence about two alternative problem formulation processes in the context of start-up competitions. We find that entrepreneurs may perceive start-up competitions as ‘beauty contests’, with the consequence of overpromised expectations, misaligned goals, and underutilized use of resources. The beauty contest represents a traditional interpretation of start-up competitions because it concentrates mainly on impressions and misses addressing real problems that entrepreneurs face. An alternative model for a new breed of start-up competitions is represented by co-created problematization, which challenges conventional thinking with a joint role for entrepreneurs and academics. We reflect on the mediating role of co-creation in a problem formulation process from joint problem definition toward joint problem solution, describe possible frictions, and highlight the need to re-design start-up competitions and shift towards a co-created setting where a confrontation between practitioners and academics is stimulated.