Legitimacy Building in Entrepreneurial Ecosystems—A Process Perspective for Sustainable Entrepreneurs

The integration of legitimacy in entrepreneurial ecosystem theory is under-researched, resulting in scholarly vagueness about how entrepreneurs acquire resources. Our qualitative study with 31 (co-)founders of startups following the triple bottom line investigates entrepreneurs' daily practices for building legitimacy in entrepreneurial ecosystems. We identify that entrepreneurs follow a sequential process to build legitimacy: 1) engaging and assimilating with culture, 2) establishing and utilizing networks, 3) enhancing visibility, and 4) leveraging the sustainable mission. Following this sequential process builds different levels of legitimacy. Each level grants access to resources from the entrepreneurial ecosystem. We contribute to the scholarly conversation on legitimacy in entrepreneurial ecosystems and provide practical implications for entrepreneurs.