How to jump start PhD thesis in entrepreneurship research: a practical heuristic for phd instructors and students

In this paper we define a “Ten Step Heuristic” that can help to systematically define research projects in Entrepreneurship. We particularly address PhD students and their instructors, but our road map might also be found useful by other scholars in the distinct field of entrepreneurship research. The paper is a “good practice report” based on our personal experience from ten years in PhD programs. Many partners have found the approach—especially the order of the various steps—contra intuitive at first sight, but our heuristic proofed to be advantageous whenever it was implemented. PhD students who follow our approach will not only create competitive research designs, but will also gain a deeper understanding of Entrepreneurship as a scholarly field of research.