Strategic Background of the Start-Up—Qualitative Analysis

A start-up is a relatively new and attractive entrepreneurial form that is being explored in a broader national economy and industry context. However, there is little knowledge about its strategy, which is mainly represented by the business development strategy. The main goal of the research is to deepen and expand knowledge about the strategic background of start-ups, which is preparation and condition for a development strategy and later a business strategy, too. The partial goals of the research are in-depth and detailed knowledge of the content and novelty of the business idea, the quality of the internal environment of the start-up, the nature of the external environment of the start-up, and the content of the goals. The research sample contains 147 start-ups operating in Slovakia. Each start-up was researched by a member of the research team, who personally recorded the statements of the founder. The research results are based on qualitative analysis and synthesis of statements of the founders of start-ups. The main result of the research is a summary view of the strategic background of the examined start-ups, which expresses the peculiarities of the start-up business making and documents the possibilities and motives of the start-up’s strategizing. The summary of knowledge about the strategic background of the start-up is synthesized into a strategic balance sheet, which expresses the strategic perspective of the start-up, the possibilities of survival, explains the potential failure, and provides a solution to the identified imbalance. The practical use of the results consists of providing a model of the strategic balance, which is the result of field research of real and functioning start-ups. The originality and value of the research lie in the direct collection of qualitative data, immediate knowledge of business reality, and the synthesis of results into a comprehensive and at the same time detailed picture of the strategic background of the start-up.