Problem-oriented research is increasingly gaining currency in entrepreneurship research. In this article, we respond to the need for more action-based perspectives in entrepreneurship. By employing an inductive research design based on qualitative interviews and participant observations, we discuss empirical evidence about two alternative problem formulation processes in the context of start-up competitions. We find that entrepreneurs may perceive start-up competitions as ‘beauty contests’, with the consequence of overpromised expectations, misaligned goals, and underutilized use of resources. The beauty contest represents a traditional interpretation of start-up competitions because it concentrates mainly on impressions and misses addressing real problems that entrepreneurs face. An alternative model for a new breed of start-up competitions is represented by co-created problematization, which challenges conventional thinking with a joint role for entrepreneurs and academics. We reflect on the mediating role of co-creation in a problem formulation process from joint problem definition toward joint problem solution, describe possible frictions, and highlight the need to re-design start-up competitions and shift towards a co-created setting where a confrontation between practitioners and academics is stimulated.

以问题为导向的研究在创业研究中越来越流行。在这篇文章中，我们回应了创业中对更多基于行动的观点的需求。通过采用基于定性访谈和参与者观察的归纳研究设计，我们讨论了关于初创企业竞赛背景下两个替代问题制定过程的经验证据。我们发现，企业家可能将创业竞赛视为“选美比赛”，其结果是期望过高、目标未对准以及资源利用不足。选美比赛代表了对创业比赛的传统解读，因为它主要集中在印象中，而没有解决企业家面临的实际问题。新型创业竞赛的另一种模式以共同创造的问题化为代表，它通过企业家和学者的共同作用挑战传统思维。我们反思了共同创造在从联合问题定义到联合问题解决的问题制定过程中的中介作用，描述了可能的摩擦，并强调了重新设计创业竞赛和转向共同创造环境的必要性，其中激发了从业者和学者之间的对抗。