From “Opportunity” to Opportunity: The design space for entrepreneurial action

Abstract

This paper leverages the distinction between “opportunity” as the content of entrepreneurial intention and opportunity as external conditions for entrepreneurial success to focus on the action space of entrepreneurship. The “opportunity” triangle of person, venture concept, and theory of change provides a holistic, dynamic interface through which entrepreneurs act upon the world. It invites scholarly inquiry grounded in design science and its edges define three core activities of entrepreneurship as a design activity: framing, modeling, and performing. The dialog between scholar and entrepreneur makes the triangle visible, facilitating reflection and deliberation in entrepreneurial practice.