“I never needed eyes to see”: Leveraging extreme challenges for successful venture creation

Abstract

There has been a paucity of work on negative traits that may distinguish entrepreneurial success from failure. Disability is an example of a little-researched, negative trait, and blindness is often viewed as an extreme form of disability. Yet there have been blind entrepreneurs through history. How does sight loss relate with entrepreneurial activity? How do blind entrepreneurs create ventures? By observing and conversing with two blind entrepreneurs over six months, we offer preliminary answers to these questions by generating insights on processes of opportunity formation based on the entrepreneurs' adaptive skills. These insights, located in the following five areas of entrepreneurial activity, may illuminate processes of opportunity formation based on: a) Skills development, b) Origins and sources of entrepreneurial motivation, c) Empowerment of disabled people, d) Creation of unique strategies, and e) Entrepreneurial education.

Disability entrepreneurship research: Critical reflection through the lens of individual‐opportunity nexus

“…As De Clercq and Honig (2011) argue, the understanding of entrepreneurship by disadvantaged persons is not possible without considering the power‐laden mechanisms present when individuals interact with various institutions such as banks, government agencies, buyers and suppliers, and media, other entrepreneurs as well as among themselves. The challenge unique to these entrepreneurs is the balancing act—they are expected to comply with conventions but because they are different, they are expected to be not exactly like other entrepreneurs—as addressed by Ng and Arndt (2019) in this review. The game, therefore, is possible to challenge the existing arrangements in the field to their advantage without upsetting key conventions.…”

“…Most studies mention the type(s) of disability covered. A few only deal with one type of disability such as hearing impairment (Jasniak et al, 2018), visual impairment (Ng & Arndt, 2019), and intellectual disabilities (Caldwell et al, 2019). Most studies feature more than one type (Parker Harris, Renko, & Caldwell, 2014; Saxena & Pandya, 2018; Sefotho, 2015) but some forego specifying altogether (Mohammed & Jamil, 2015).…”

“…Some studies in the entrepreneurship area link directly to the notion of challenge‐based entrepreneurship by “underdog” entrepreneurs (Miller & Le Breton‐Miller, 2017), which include Hsieh et al (2019), Ng and Arndt (2019), and Saxena and Pandya (2018). The challenge‐based model focuses on four different stages: type of challenges, condition and experience, adaptive requirement, and outcomes.…”

“…Saxena and Pandya (2018) found no difference in the traits between EWDs and non‐disabled entrepreneurs, only that EWDs are more resilient, persistent and less hesitant to ask for help. Ng and Arndt (2019) however discuss a unique adaptive mechanism more specific to EWDs. They find that visually impaired entrepreneurs can capitalize on narrow public perceptions of blindness (and disability in general).…”

“…, which includeHsieh et al (2019),Ng and Arndt (2019), andSaxena and Pandya (2018).The challenge-based model focuses on four different stages: type of challenges, condition and experience, adaptive requirement, and outcomes. It explores the role of adverse personal circumstances in getting people to become effective entrepreneurs.To overcome the challenges,Hsieh et al (2019) propose a challenges-adaptive mechanisms-results (CARE) model for EWDs, such as supportive networks, access to resources, positive individual motivation and personal qualities.…”