%0 Journal Article %J Technology Innovation Management Review %D 2019 %T Is Joining a Business Incubator or Accelerator Always a Good Thing? %A Kristina Lukosiute %A Søren Jensen %A Stoyan Tanev %K accelerator %K Canada %K Denmark %K disadvantages %K incubator %K Lithuania %K new venture %K start-up %X Business incubators and accelerators are often hailed as essential tools for fostering growth in startups. However, not only do entrepreneurs often face the question of which incubator or accelerator to join, we suggest that they should also question whether or not to join one at all. Is joining a business incubator or accelerator always a good thing? In this article, we investigate some of the negative outcomes entrepreneurs can experience when engaging with an incubator or accelerator. We apply a cross-case analysis of empirical observations from qualitative interviews with Danish and Canadian entrepreneurs to arrive at a set of recommendations that entrepreneurs should keep in mind when considering such an engagement. These points are further qualified based on informal interviews with four serial entrepreneurs. %B Technology Innovation Management Review %I Talent First Network %C Ottawa %V 9 %P 5-15 %8 07/2019 %G eng %U https://timreview.ca/article/1251 %N 7 %1 University of Southern Denmark Kristina Lukosiute is a business and innovation practitioner helping new companies articulate viable business models and competitive marketing strategies. She holds an MSc in Engineering Product Development and Innovation from the University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark, and the present article is based on her thesis work. %2 University of Southern Denmark Søren Jensen is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Southern Denmark. Previously, he worked in a seed-financing company analyzing technology business ideas. As an investment analyst, his special interests lay within intellectual property and technology assessment. He now teaches intellectual property and entrepreneurial business understanding. %3 Carleton University Stoyan Tanev, PhD, MSc, MEng, MA, is Associate Professor of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management associated with the Technology Innovation Management (TIM) Program and Sprott School of Business at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Before re-joining Carleton University, Dr. Tanev was part of the Innovation and Design Engineering Section in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Odense, Denmark. Dr. Tanev has a multidisciplinary background including an MSc in Physics (Sofia University, Bulgaria), a PhD in Physics (1995, University Pierre and Marie Curie, Paris, France, co-awarded by Sofia University, Bulgaria), an MEng in Technology Management (2005, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada), an MA in Orthodox Theology (2009, University of Sherbrooke, Montreal Campus, QC, Canada), and a PhD in Theology (2012, Sofia University, Bulgaria). Dr. Tanev’s current research interests are in the fields of technology entrepreneurship and innovation management, design principles and growth modes of global technology startups, business analytics, and data/text mining. He also has an interest in interdisciplinary epistemological issues on the interface of philosophy of religion, Orthodox theology, and the natural and social sciences. %R http://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1251