The digital entrepreneur: Toward a definition

At the intersection of technology-enabled entrepreneurship and the changing world of work, a new breed of entrepreneur is emerging with varying degrees of flexibility over how, when and where they work. Despite many researchers believing that consensus is required to advance the field’s contribution to economic development, there is no widely accepted definition of the term Digital Entrepreneur (DE). This paper explores the emerging findings that form part of a qualitative doctoral research project on the motivations of DEs. Drawing on both research participants’ perspectives and nascent literature on the subject, the paper establishes a working definition of the term ‘digital entrepreneur’, taking into consideration aspects of innovation, the digital nature of the business, degree of mobility, and business creation.