Substitutes for Silicon Valley: The case of the Round House Startup Factory

Taking a startup from creation to success is notoriously difficult. Many entrepreneurs gravitate to hotbeds such as Silicon Valley in order to enjoy high levels of intellectual and financial support that in turn make success more likely. This case examines an attempt to launch startups in the absence of ‘big city’ resources: the Round House Startup Factory. Founded in the small town of Opelika, Alabama by a former Google employee, the Round House contains three types of startups: co-working firms, incubator firms, and accelerator firms. With more than thirty companies under its roof, the Round House is trying to realize big entrepreneurial dreams by leveraging strategic and non-strategic resources, developing an innovative business model, and making astute choices about governance, culture, and structure.

Read the full article "Substitutes for Silicon Valley: The case of the Round House Startup Factory" by David J. Ketchen and Kyle Sandler.