Entrepreneurs dream of success. They dream of building something from nothing, of taking a spark of an idea and turning it into a thriving venture. But what happens when the future is uncertain, when every day feels like a step back instead of a step forward? Today, we explore the fascinating, heart-wrenching reality of entrepreneurs who wake up each morning preparing for a day that may never come. Their journeys aren’t linear. They don’t follow a tidy path of growth, nor do they reach predictable milestones. Instead, they exist in a state of limbo—trapped between hope and despair, persistence and defeat.

In this episode, we’ll be diving deep into a paper authored by Ramzi Fathallah, Trenton Alma Williams, and Jeffery S. McMullen, published in the prestigious Journal of Management Studies. Through the lens of Syrian refugee entrepreneurs in Lebanon, this study uncovers a world of dynamic, non-linear processes, revealing how these brave individuals persist despite being constantly thrust back to square one. Their ventures are not built on certainty, but on adaptive resilience—a readiness that empowers them to face erratic shifts and chronic precarity.

So, what drives someone to continue building when the foundation beneath them keeps crumbling? How do you prepare for a future you can’t see? And could these lessons in persistence apply to more than just entrepreneurship? Let’s find out.

Reference
Fathallah, R., Williams, T. A., & McMullen, J. S. (2024). Preparing for a Day that May Never Come: Venturing in Limbo. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13131

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