Crossing the Entrepreneurial Rubicon: A Longitudinal Investigation

The dynamics leading from intention to start-up remain poorly understood. Drawing on the mindset theory of action phases, our empirical study identifies a motivational and a volitional phase in the pre-start-up stage. Only during the motivational phase does entrepreneurial intention help identify future starters. Once individuals have crossed the so-called entrepreneurial Rubicon, it no longer matters. We also show that, through this process, the support needs expressed by individuals evolve to become implementation-driven. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply the mindset theory of action phases to nascent entrepreneurship. We discuss key implications for researchers and practitioners.