Founder Influence on Marketing Strategy in B2B Startups : A Qualitative Study of How Founder Characteristics and Resource Constraints Shape Marketing Decisions

Sammanfattning

Startups operate in environments characterized by uncertainty, limited resources, and informal organizational structures, where founders often play a central role in shaping strategic and marketing-related decisions. While marketing is widely recognized as important for startup growth and legitimacy, many startups approach marketing informally and under resource constraints. Despite the growing interest in founder influence and entrepreneurial decision-making, limited research has explored how founders shape marketing strategy formation in early-stage startups. Existing research provides an incomplete understanding of how marketing strategies are formed in founder-led startups under conditions of uncertainty and limited resources. This study aims to explore how founders’ characteristics and resource constraints shape the selection and prioritization of marketing activities in B2B startups, and how these factors influence marketing strategy formation across different startup contexts. A qualitative, interpretivist approach was adopted using a comparative multiple-case study design. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with founders of B2B startups across different industries in Sweden. The empirical material was analyzed thematically to identify recurring patterns, similarities, and deviations related to founder influence, resource constraints, and marketing strategy formation. The study found that marketing strategy in startups is highly founder-driven and shaped by both individual founder characteristics and contextual resource constraints. Founders’ prior experiences, values, networks, and strategic preferences strongly influenced how marketing activities were selected, prioritized, and adapted over time. At the same time, limited financial and human resources pushed startups toward informal, experimental, and network-based marketing approaches rather than formalized marketing strategies. The findings further show that marketing strategy evolves alongside startup development, where founders gradually shift from reactive and founder-dependent activities toward more structured and scalable marketing practices as the firm matures.