Abstract
Many academics agree with the opinion that small firms are more suitable than bigger ones to manage radical innovations. However, empirical observations show that about 60% of high-tech start-ups fail within six years, and this is found to be due to lack of learning. We analyse along which dimensions and how entrepreneurs learn in reaction to external stimuli triggered by the stakeholders, considering the effects of frame-oriented and experimental learning, contingent to external context. A multiple case study on five Italian high-tech start-ups has lastly been conducted, obtaining some useful results on the directions to pursue a successful learning. © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.