The Startup Self : Identity and the Politics of Everyday Work

This thesis explores how employees in a fintech startup construct their identities and make sense of their everyday work lives in a fast-paced and performance-oriented environment. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s political philosophy, particularly the concepts of appearance, plurality, and meaningful action, the study examines how workers navigate the tensions between personal and collective identity, autonomy and pressure, and the humanizing and dehumanizing aspects of startup culture. The study is grounded in a qualitative, interpretive approach inspired by social constructivism and hermeneutics. Six loosely structured interviews were conducted with employees at a Swedish fintech startup. Rather than focusing on leadership or innovation, the analysis centers on everyday storytelling as a means through which individuals make sense of their roles and experiences of organizational life. Concepts such as sensemaking, the entrepreneurial self, and identity work are used to interpret how participants position themselves in relation to dominant norms and expectations. The findings suggest that startup work is experienced as both meaningful and demanding. While some participants found energy in autonomy and influence, others struggled with blurred boundaries and the pressure to perform. Identity was often narrated in line with the startup ideal - adaptable and self-directed - but these narratives also revealed moments of doubt and discomfort. Storytelling emerged as a key practice not only for making sense of chaos, but for creating spaces of recognition and shared meaning. The thesis contributes to the literature on identity, work, and organizational life by offering an Arendtian lens of everyday sensemaking. It suggests that protecting opportunities for reflection, dialogue, and recognition is vital in maintaining the political and human dimensions of work, even in environments shaped by acceleration and growth.