How Narrative Orchestration Helps Entrepreneurs Maintain Goals Despite Setbacks: The case of Star Citizen

Narrating a desirable and relatable future is often crucial for entrepreneurs to build legitimacy with stakeholders. However, when entrepreneurs struggle to actualize the goals they have narrated, for instance, when product development is delayed or derailed, stakeholders often withhold or withdraw resources, forcing pivots or business closure. How entrepreneurs can maintain their goals despite setbacks is therefore an important question. In this paper, we employ narrative theory to study how entrepreneurs can maintain the goals they narrate by adapting the orchestration of elements in their narratives. Drawing on an in-depth case study from the video game industry, we find that orchestrations of narrative elements that integrate the audience and shift attention away from obstacles toward progress might enable entrepreneurs to maintain legitimacy despite repeated setbacks. We further outline that such changes require a careful alignment of narrative elements. Our study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurial narratives and entrepreneurial future-making, providing a new perspective on how entrepreneurs can maintain their goals despite setbacks.