24655: The Art of Lean Startup: A Conversation About Experimental Strategy and Cultural Entrepreneurship

Sunday, July 27, 2025

10:15 - 11:45 CEST (GMT+2)

Location: Bella Center: Hall D- D3-m12

Session Type: Symposium (panel)
Orientation: Research
Highlight: Showcase Symposium
Shareable link: https://cdmcd.co/gandMk

Organizer(s)

DB

Devin Burnell

Texas Christian University, United States
JP

Jonathan Charles Preedom

Not Associated, United States

Discussant(s)

GF

Greg Fisher

Indiana U., United States

Panelist(s)

MG

Matthew Grimes

University of Cambridge
CH

Christian E. Hampel

Imperial College Business School, United Kingdom

Slides
YS

Yuliya Snihur

IESE Business School, Spain
JS

Jean-François Soublière

HEC Montreal, Canada

Organizer(s)

JW

Jim Whitbeck

Oregon State University, United States

Two literatures point to strategies entrepreneurs can use to manage the uncertainty inherent in starting and scaling a new venture. The first literature falls under the umbrella of cultural entrepreneurship (Lounsbury & Glynn, 2001, 2019) and suggests that entrepreneurs tell stories and make coherent identity claims in attempt to reduce uncertainty from the perspective of potential resource providers. The second literature explores how entrepreneurs use lean startup practices and iterative experimentation to pivot in response to stakeholder feedback until product-market fit is achieved (Blank & Eckhardt, 2024; Shepherd & Gruber, 2021). However, considering these literatures together highlights an important and persistent theoretical puzzle: How do entrepreneurs craft coherent narratives of who they are and what they do when their initial efforts are often characterized by experimentation, change, and even failure? In this symposium, we assemble a panel of leading scholars to discuss their perspectives on this puzzle and highlight ongoing research that explores the intersection of entrepreneurial experimentation and cultural entrepreneurship.