Second Wave E-Ventures: Entrepreneurship in a New Context

The second wave of e-ventures, i.e., newly founded companies offering communitydriven services via the Internet, is characterized by user content contribution, network effects, and altering business models due to the dynamic environment. This paper investigates issues relevant in the early stages of second wave of e-ventures. The paper describes two case studies, one the video sharing community Clipfish, and one featuring the online student community Studylounge. It discusses the cases along several issues related to the second wave e-venture specific characteristics showing specific occurrences in the cases. The paper finds that for e-ventures - as for classic ventures - top management involvement, a solid business case, and the illustration of the business opportunity foster access to resources. It further discovers that a combination of viral, guerilla, and classical marketing instruments fits the context of e-ventures and accomplishes community growth.

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