Abstract
Research problem: Studies how one entrepreneur acquired, applied, and fit frames to her startup venture and stakeholders over one year. Research questions: How do pitchers acquire frames for pitches? How do pitchers apply frames to existing pitches? How do pitchers gauge the fit between the innovation, frames, and stakeholders? Literature review: The literature examined-framing professional communication, developing pitches, and framing pitches-stresses the relationship between framing, agency, and deliberation. However, few studies approach data from the perspective of the pitcher and few frames outside of the problem-solution frame are considered. Methodology: This autoethnography analyzes data from more than 500 pages of field notes, 60 minutes of video-recorded pitch sessions, 25 interviews with pitch stakeholders, and various textual artifacts that pertained to Author 1's nonprofit startup organization, Hacker Gals. Themes in the data were identified and analyzed through the composition of analytic memos. Frames were identified and analyzed through close reading and holistic interpretation. Results and conclusions: The entrepreneur acquired the most influential frames through stakeholder discussion, applied these frames in a way that stacked and made salient multiple frames beyond the problem-solution frame, and judged frame fit by considering the degree to which catchers took up the frames. The study's results suggest that the practice of frame stacking might increase pitch effectiveness by mitigating troubled identifications.