Exploring the role of business relationships in start-ups’ life cycles. Evidences from the Italian context

The entrepreneur’s perspective has been for long time considered as the critical success factor for the start-up’s genesis and growth. Differently from previous works that focused on the entrepreneur and on his ability to manage social relationships, this research investigates the role of business relationships in the different stages of the life cycle of a start-up. The paper presents an in depth qualitative analysis of two innovative Italian start-ups. The findings show how interconnected business relationships can allow a start-up to access different kinds of resources in order to grow. This process of evolution requires a network embedded approach that suggests start-ups to consider the relevant role of different business partners and the analysis of users’ needs and preferences.