If anything good can be said about this agonizingly slow economic recovery, it is that there is growing interest in helping startups launch and succeed, because we know that new firms create new jobs. There are an increasing number of initiatives seeking to support entrepreneurs as they launch their businesses. I am focusing in this post on the outcomes of so-called startup accelerator programs. Are they helping new firms succeed and, therefore, having a healthy impact on the economy?
First, let's define some terms. Many people conflate business incubators with accelerators. We need to make a distinction between the two. A business incubator in the purest sense refers to an office park or building complex that charges businesses, typically new businesses that cannot afford their own offices, some rent in exchange for space within the incubator and some administrative services and infrastructural support. Over time, the term business incubator has accrued some negative connotations for not actually helping to start businesses.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Jared Konczal: Evaluating the Effects of Accelerators? Not So Fast
