Different strokes for different folks: a configurational analysis of entrepreneurial ecosystems

We adopt a pluralistic view of productive entrepreneurship to examine how various elements of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) affect both performance-based (high-growth entrepreneurship) and non-performance-based (proprietorship rate and new venture creation) outcomes. Our theoretical framework is guided by the recently developed three-step configurational approach, and our analysis employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) on a comprehensive sample of U.S. regional EEs. We identified five types of EEs—Bottom-Up Ecosystem, Top-Down Ecosystem, Free Enterprise Foundation, Collectivistic VC-backed Ecosystem, and Individualistic VC-backed Ecosystem—highlighting diverse ways in which local resource endowments (e.g., talent and finance) and institutional arrangements (e.g., formal institutions and culture) combine to foster different entrepreneurial outcomes. This study broadens the applicability of the EE configurational approach, moving beyond the “Silicon Valley” model to embrace a more inclusive “Main Street” perspective, addressing the call for a more nuanced understanding of entrepreneurship determinants and outcomes across different contexts.