Rocket Internet: organizing a startup factory

Oliver Baumann (), Carsten Bergenholtz (), Lars Frederiksen (), Robert M. Grant (), Rebecca Köhler (), David L. Preston () and Scott Shane ()
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Oliver Baumann: University of Southern Denmark
Carsten Bergenholtz: Aarhus University
Lars Frederiksen: Aarhus University
Robert M. Grant: Bocconi University
Rebecca Köhler: Telefónica Germany Next GmbH
David L. Preston: University of Oregon
Scott Shane: Case Western Reserve University

Journal of Organization Design, 2018, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract While some firms build cars or smartphones, Rocket Internet builds companies. The incubator and investment firm has pioneered an extreme approach to new venture creation that is often referred to as a “startup factory:” it rapidly assembles and scales new companies, replicating business models that have been developed elsewhere. Separating the ideation of business models from their execution allows Rocket Internet to specialize on the latter, because it eliminates the need to create an environment that is conducive to both processes. Yet specialization may also be Rocket Internet’s largest liability, because it makes the firm dependent on the availability of appropriate (co-specialized) business models. In this edition of the Organization Zoo series, we asked several organizational scientists and scholars of entrepreneurship to share their thoughts on what we can learn from the case of Rocket Internet.

Keywords: Organization design; Incubator; Company builder; Business model replication; Imitation; New venture creation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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DOI: 10.1186/s41469-018-0037-2

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