Entrepreneurial Career Stage Models: Case Studies of Successful Role Model Entrepreneurs

Potential entrepreneurs study the journey of successful entrepreneurs those are highly respected. This paper provides entrepreneurial career stage model with 16 profile types. This research was conducted with in-depth case studies and content analysis of 30 successful entrepreneurs based on secondary data to derive distinctive types of entrepreneurial career role models, and the characteristics of each role model type are presented. An entrepreneur’s career process follows four stages of i) study, ii) start–up, iii) success, and iv) significance. The entrepreneurial career stage model is based on traditional career stage and venture growth stage. Role model entrepreneurs are categorized into 16 types by identifying 2 representative characteristics for each stage. The characteristics of each entrepreneurial career profile are also presented. This scheme can be helpful for potential and nascent entrepreneurs in finding their appropriate role model types and in focusing their efforts to maximize strengths and overcome weaknesses of each type. The 16 profile types of entrepreneurial career may provide a categorization of distinctive, successful entrepreneur’s career so that the policy maker and implementer design and execute more sophisticated support and infrastructure for future entrepreneurs. An entrepreneurial career stage is newly introduced in both career theory and entrepreneurship research. Career theory doesn’t have specialized career model other than traditional career. Entrepreneurship research lacks perspective of career stage. This model may shed light on different career type of careers that will emerge in the next generations.