Founder identities can explain various entrepreneurial processes and outcomes, yet surprisingly little is known about how they are formed and what factors drive significant variations in these identities, particularly in terms of founders’ focus on profit versus social goals. Building on the founder social identity framework, we distinguish between profit-driven (Darwinians), socially driven (idealists), and hybrid founders. We examine how prior occupational and personal identities shape these variations. Drawing on a sample of 120 founders of early-stage ventures launched in Switzerland between 2017 and 2021, we find that both personal and prior occupational identities infuse founder identity, but they do so in distinct ways. Our study advances current knowledge by providing novel insights into the founder identity formation.
