To Start or Not to Start?

Overview

This paper examines the cognitive foundations of the venture creation decision — the fundamental question of whether to start or not. It distinguishes between ability expectations (can I do this?) and outcome expectations (will it work?) and shows that these operate through distinct mechanisms in the startup decision.

Contribution to the Research Program

An early contribution to the Knowledge Problems stream, this paper established the lab's interest in how cognitive processes shape entrepreneurial decision-making under uncertainty.