Lecture 1
What is entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship = finding and using opportunities to create value. An opportunity exists
when a product, service or process can be sold for more value than it costs to make.
• Opportunities are objective (they exist), but people see them differently.
• Not everyone can use the same opportunity, this depends on skills, knowledge, and
resources.
• The person who finds an opportunity is not always the one who uses it.
• Entrepreneurship does not always require starting a new company.
Traditional vs. digital entrepreneurship
Traditional view
• Opportunities are clear and fixed
• Entrepreneurs follow a business plan
• The process is more predictable
Local bakery, Starbucks, Burger Company, Tony’s Chocolonely
Digital view
• Opportunities are uncertain and flexible
• Ideas can change over time
• Many people can be involved, not just one founder
• Digital technology plays a central role
Keep in mind: just using digital tools does not automatically mean digital
entrepreneurship.
Impact of digital technology
Digital entrepreneurship is driven by three key elements.
1) Digital artifacts
Digital artifacts = digital parts of a product or service (apps, software). Characteristics:
• Reprogrammability = can be easily changed or updated
• Recombinability = can be combinated with other technologies
This leads to generativity = technology can create new ideas and uses without central
control. This means that individual components are not product-specific and each platform
layer may be associated with a different functional design hierarchy (GoogleMaps).
2) Digital platforms
Digital platforms = systems where others can build products (Apples iOS, Google’s Android).
,Benefits:
• Entrepreneurs can focus on one part (specialization)
• Platforms help with distribution, marketing, and production
3) Digital infrastructure
Digital infrastructure = tools and systems that offer communication, collaboration, or
capabilities to support innovation and entrepreneurship (cloud computing, social media, data
analytics, online communities).
Benefits:
• Lower costs
• Faster testing of ideas
• Easier access to funding (crowdfunding)
How digital technology changes entrepreneurship
1) Less bounded outcomes
Products/services are never fully finished; they keep changing after launch (software
updates, smart devices).
Focus shifts from executing a fixed idea to continuous improvement and change.
2) Less bounded processes
• The way businesses are built is more flexible.
• Faster development due to digital tools.
• Easy to scale (grow quickly at low cost).
Platforms like Airbnb or Amazon expanding overt time.
3) Less predefined entrepreneurial agency
No longer just one entrepreneur or founder. Many actors can contribute: users, developers,
communities.
Entrepreneurship becomes more collaborative and dynamic.
Is this really new?
Digital technology is not completely new; it has existed since around 1970. Earlier
technologies, like electricity, also changed entrepreneurship.
However, digital technology is faster, more scalable, and more connected.
It also destroys old industries (video stores, print media) and creates opportunities.
Takeaway
• Digital technology makes entrepreneurship more flexible, more uncertain, and more
collaborative.
• Outcomes and processes are not fixed anymore; they are continuously evolving.
• Entrepreneurs must adapt quickly, work with others, and handle uncertainty.
, Paper
Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship
(Nambisan, 2017)
The paper explains how digital technologies change entrepreneurship. It shows that
traditional theories are no longer enough, because the digital world is different.
Two big changes
• Less bounded processes and outcomes
In the past, products and business processes were fixed and clear.
Now (with digital technology):
o Products are never finished → they keep changing.
o Processes are flexible and non-linear (not step-by-step).
Entrepreneurs must adapt continuously, not just follow a plan.
• Less predefined entrepreneurial agency
In the past, one entrepreneur or a small team was in control.
Now, many different people can be involved: users, developers, communities,
investors (e.g., crowdfunding) .
Entrepreneurship becomes more collective and dynamic.
Role of digital technologies
The paper highlights 3 key elements:
• Digital artifacts = software or digital components (e.g., apps). Can be reprogrammed
or combined with other technologies.
This creates many new opportunities.
• Digital platforms = systems like app stores where others can build products. They
allow easy innovation and new business ideas.
• Digital infrastructure = tools like cloud computing, social media, or crowdfunding.
They make entrepreneurship cheaper, faster, and more accessible.
Key concept: generativity
Digital technologies can create unexpected new ideas and uses. Innovation is no longer
controlled by one company.
Success is not about executing a fixed plan. It is about experimenting, adapting, and
working with others.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurship in the digital age is more uncertain, more flexible, more collaborative.
Therefore, we need new theories that include digital technology.
What is entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship = finding and using opportunities to create value. An opportunity exists
when a product, service or process can be sold for more value than it costs to make.
• Opportunities are objective (they exist), but people see them differently.
• Not everyone can use the same opportunity, this depends on skills, knowledge, and
resources.
• The person who finds an opportunity is not always the one who uses it.
• Entrepreneurship does not always require starting a new company.
Traditional vs. digital entrepreneurship
Traditional view
• Opportunities are clear and fixed
• Entrepreneurs follow a business plan
• The process is more predictable
Local bakery, Starbucks, Burger Company, Tony’s Chocolonely
Digital view
• Opportunities are uncertain and flexible
• Ideas can change over time
• Many people can be involved, not just one founder
• Digital technology plays a central role
Keep in mind: just using digital tools does not automatically mean digital
entrepreneurship.
Impact of digital technology
Digital entrepreneurship is driven by three key elements.
1) Digital artifacts
Digital artifacts = digital parts of a product or service (apps, software). Characteristics:
• Reprogrammability = can be easily changed or updated
• Recombinability = can be combinated with other technologies
This leads to generativity = technology can create new ideas and uses without central
control. This means that individual components are not product-specific and each platform
layer may be associated with a different functional design hierarchy (GoogleMaps).
2) Digital platforms
Digital platforms = systems where others can build products (Apples iOS, Google’s Android).
,Benefits:
• Entrepreneurs can focus on one part (specialization)
• Platforms help with distribution, marketing, and production
3) Digital infrastructure
Digital infrastructure = tools and systems that offer communication, collaboration, or
capabilities to support innovation and entrepreneurship (cloud computing, social media, data
analytics, online communities).
Benefits:
• Lower costs
• Faster testing of ideas
• Easier access to funding (crowdfunding)
How digital technology changes entrepreneurship
1) Less bounded outcomes
Products/services are never fully finished; they keep changing after launch (software
updates, smart devices).
Focus shifts from executing a fixed idea to continuous improvement and change.
2) Less bounded processes
• The way businesses are built is more flexible.
• Faster development due to digital tools.
• Easy to scale (grow quickly at low cost).
Platforms like Airbnb or Amazon expanding overt time.
3) Less predefined entrepreneurial agency
No longer just one entrepreneur or founder. Many actors can contribute: users, developers,
communities.
Entrepreneurship becomes more collaborative and dynamic.
Is this really new?
Digital technology is not completely new; it has existed since around 1970. Earlier
technologies, like electricity, also changed entrepreneurship.
However, digital technology is faster, more scalable, and more connected.
It also destroys old industries (video stores, print media) and creates opportunities.
Takeaway
• Digital technology makes entrepreneurship more flexible, more uncertain, and more
collaborative.
• Outcomes and processes are not fixed anymore; they are continuously evolving.
• Entrepreneurs must adapt quickly, work with others, and handle uncertainty.
, Paper
Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship
(Nambisan, 2017)
The paper explains how digital technologies change entrepreneurship. It shows that
traditional theories are no longer enough, because the digital world is different.
Two big changes
• Less bounded processes and outcomes
In the past, products and business processes were fixed and clear.
Now (with digital technology):
o Products are never finished → they keep changing.
o Processes are flexible and non-linear (not step-by-step).
Entrepreneurs must adapt continuously, not just follow a plan.
• Less predefined entrepreneurial agency
In the past, one entrepreneur or a small team was in control.
Now, many different people can be involved: users, developers, communities,
investors (e.g., crowdfunding) .
Entrepreneurship becomes more collective and dynamic.
Role of digital technologies
The paper highlights 3 key elements:
• Digital artifacts = software or digital components (e.g., apps). Can be reprogrammed
or combined with other technologies.
This creates many new opportunities.
• Digital platforms = systems like app stores where others can build products. They
allow easy innovation and new business ideas.
• Digital infrastructure = tools like cloud computing, social media, or crowdfunding.
They make entrepreneurship cheaper, faster, and more accessible.
Key concept: generativity
Digital technologies can create unexpected new ideas and uses. Innovation is no longer
controlled by one company.
Success is not about executing a fixed plan. It is about experimenting, adapting, and
working with others.
Conclusion
Entrepreneurship in the digital age is more uncertain, more flexible, more collaborative.
Therefore, we need new theories that include digital technology.
