Hidden Talents: Entrepreneurship and Pareto-Improving Private Information

Two entrepreneurs, each privately informed about her own talent, simultaneously and noncooperatively choose their efforts in producing a new product. Product quality depends on both entrepreneurs' talents and efforts, but is unobservable by potential buyers prior to purchase; however, buyers can observe the entrepreneurs' individual efforts. Because the entrepreneurs share the payoff, each is tempted to shirk. However, the need to signal quality to potential buyers serves as a credible commitment to provide greater effort. Thus, the "problem" of adverse selection mitigates the problem of moral hazard, so that a new venture can perform better than the corresponding mature market.