Increasing the entrepreneurial success of Design school spin-outs

Spin-offs are in a unique position at the beginning of the development phase where the attitude towards risk is likely to be seen as a business challenge leading to opportunities. Mind-sets of spin-off leaders are also likely to be predisposed towards new ideas coming from the environment of university optimism where business, time or budget dictates are new. Assuming risk at the beginning of a spin-off development cycle can be easier than for an established company where employee’s jobs are at risk if the venture fails. Culturally, spin-offs recognise risk and embrace it as a factor to enrich the challenge where success can be in proportion to the size of the risk encountered. This research attempts to study spin-offs from design schools to determine the philosophies, methodologies and strategies employed in the pursuit of business success.