Lean Startup Supporting Sustainability-as-Flourishing during the Early Stages of Enterprise Development

Purpose: Many startups face the complex anticipation of offering value sustainably over the long term yet must test market engagement to evaluate an economically viable business model in the near term. This study aims to capture the usefulness of a business model innovation method (Flourishing Startup Method) aligned with sustainability-as-flourishing thinking as perceived by entrepreneurs during the early stages of enterprise development. Design/Methodology/Approach: Through action research, the utility of the approach was evaluated through multiple applications across two events with a total of 64 entrepreneurs taking place 2017-2018. Findings: The research revealed insights related to the reaction to the Flourishing Startup Method and its facilitation including the intention to use beyond the events, their perceived learning utility, as well as the overall perceived utility in terms of usefulness and ease of use. The study also showed that to fully leverage the Flourishing Startup Method, entrepreneurs must have time and facilitated opportunities to develop a minimum level of proficiency in a set of entrepreneurial competencies that support business model for sustainability-as-flourishing. Originality/Value: This research contributes to understanding the process of business model innovation towards novel and impactful business models aligned with sustainability-as-flourishing and offers one of few empirical investigations on a business model innovation method aligned with sustainability-as-flourishing to identify its utility and fit with the needs and expectations during the early stages of startup development.