Understanding Sustainable Business Model Barriers: The Interplay of Sustainable Value Dynamics and Organizational Tensions

Sustainability‐oriented startups face challenges in implementing sustainable business models due to resource constraints, technological uncertainty and competing economic, social and environmental objectives. Although prior studies have identified numerous sustainable business model barriers, limited attention has been given to the organizational dynamics underlying their emergence. Drawing on paradox theory, this study explores the relationship between sustainable value dynamics, organizational tensions and the perception of sustainable business model barriers. A structured brainstorming tool, the Mix‐Tool, was developed and applied in five sustainability‐oriented startups, and the resulting qualitative data were analysed through coding techniques. The findings suggest that sustainable value misalignment dynamics, together with organizational tensions, support a deeper understanding of perceived barriers. These misalignments arise from discrepancies between proposed, created, expected, perceived, measured, captured, uncaptured and potential value across business‐, work‐, offering‐ and cascaded system–related dimensions. The study discusses implications for coping strategies, including acceptance, separation and synthesis.