All-or-nothing necessary conditions are critical for the unfolding of subsequent entrepreneurial outcomes. A condition is necessary when an entrepreneurial outcome emerges only in the presence or absence of that condition. While a necessary condition does not guarantee the outcome, it makes the outcome possible by virtue of its theoretical necessity. We discuss the philosophical roots and importance of necessary conditions in entrepreneurship. We offer an empirical illustration of necessary condition analysis using founder’s experience, a critical concept in entrepreneurship. We argue that theory-method compatibility in entrepreneurship research can be enhanced by explicitly accounting for necessary conditions.

全有或全无的必要条件对于后续创业成果的展开至关重要。当创业成果仅在存在或不存在该条件的情况下出现时，该条件是必要的。虽然必要条件不能保证结果，但由于其理论上的必然性，它使结果成为可能。我们讨论了创业中必要条件的哲学根源和重要性。我们使用创始人的经验（创业中的一个关键概念）提供必要条件分析的实证说明。我们认为，通过明确考虑必要条件，可以增强创业研究中的理论-方法兼容性。