Are user entrepreneurship and design thinking the same?

Abstract

This paper expands our understanding of how user entrepreneurship is analogous to design thinking and how many activities the processes of user entrepreneurship and design thinking share. Using qualitative data from a sample of six user entrepreneurs, we find that the entrepreneurial process of user entrepreneurs and the design thinking process are the same in many ways. They both involve observing users, clarifying problems users face, developing a set of principles for innovation, and creating solutions that satisfy users' unmet needs. Data analysis also suggests that the entrepreneurial process of user entrepreneurs includes three distinct activities that are not part of the design thinking process: formation of entrepreneurial teams, foundation of business, and acquisition of information for foundation. Based on the findings, we develop a conceptual framework that integrates the entrepreneurial process of user entrepreneurs and the design thinking process. The paper also discusses the implications of the findings for future research, practice, and entrepreneurship education and development.