How social start‐ups avoid being falling stars when developing social innovation

The aim of this study is to provide new insights into the social innovation (SI) development process in context start-ups. A multiple case identifies issues and mechanisms for start-ups develop a need potentially scalable validate scale it up, while avoiding possible failure. Results show that key challenges faced by can be characterized according stage SI path. Firstly, start-ups' failure caused lack expertise problems flexible processes ventures creation; secondly, awareness benefits proper resources allocation; and, finally, weak understanding impact intangible outcomes developed society, ensuring its economic sustainability. Successfully overcoming these requires put place following mechanisms: (1) leveraging vision motivations balance tensions terms radical, cultural aspects SI; (2) engaging stakeholders different (and sequential) phases process; (3) identifying adopting most suitable technological, financial communication tools an integrated way.