Analysis of Innovation Ecosystem from Perspectives of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Concept and Lean Start-up: Brazilian Context

Startups are enterprises that generally operate under a risky, uncertain and volatile environment (TRIMI& BERBEGAL‐MIRABENT, 2012). Typically, the operating context for a startup is filled with variability and change, requiring high levels of adaptability and rapid response to market shifting demands ormovements. The role of a startup leader in enabling the business to innovate and succeed is largely discussed. This paper tries to assess how some Brazilian startup leaders comprehend innovation and how much they are confident in their personal ability to foster it. This was done by means of a structured survey in which their confidence in their own capacity to guide the company to success was assessed.The survey also evaluated how much of Lean Startup methods and concepts are being implemented inthe daily life of startups. All respondents of the survey are part of tech‐startups, connected to fast growing environments, such as incubators or accelerators. The main findings are related to the existence of gaps in the comprehension of Brazilian startup´s leaders regarding how innovation takes place, and acertain level of uncertainty on their own capacity to foster it, which might reveal a gap in the provision of training and developing practices in current ecosystems managed by incubators, accelerators and technology parks in Brazil.