‘Start with a bold statement’ – gendered displays of confidence in entrepreneurial pitching

Existing research highlights the confident, heroic founder figure as a gendered norm in entrepreneurship. Moreover, confident behaviours and powerful speeches have been presented as key factors in delivering successful pitches. This study applies a dramaturgical approach to explore how pitch-training sessions as a backstage context reinforce the gendered ways of displaying confidence and how different entrepreneurial actors engage with gendered norms concerning displaying confidence. Empirical data were drawn from 18 interviews with nascent entrepreneurs, pitching coaches, and accelerator organizers and underpinned by 132 pages of observation notes. A constructivist grounded theory analysis approach produced results revealing that: 1) confidence is strongly aligned with gendered norms of being bold and assertive; 2) gender shapes perceptions of confidence, pressuring women to conform to gendered norms; and 3) although confidence is important, experienced entrepreneurs perceive overconfidence negatively. Furthermore, gendered display of confidence manifests in routinized practices and interactions among actors. This study contributes to entrepreneurship research on the use of a dramaturgical approach, particularly from a gender perspective. Moreover, the study offers practical insights for entrepreneurial actors, encouraging greater awareness of how entrepreneurial activities might reinforce gendered perceptions of pitching performances.