Crossing the Entrepreneurial Rubicon: A Longitudinal Investigation

The dynamics leading from intention to start‐up remain poorly understood. Drawing on the mindset theory of action phases, our empirical study identifies a motivational and a volitional phase in the pre‐start‐up stage. Only during the motivational phase does entrepreneurial intention help identify future starters. Once individuals have crossed the so‐called entrepreneurial Rubicon, it no longer matters. We also show that, through this process, the support needs expressed by individuals evolve to become implementation‐driven. To our knowledge, this is the first study to apply the mindset theory of action phases to nascent entrepreneurship. We discuss key implications for researchers and practitioners.