Talking about a Better Place: How Shai Agassi is Creating a Mass Market for Electric Vehicles

Abstract

According to creation theory, opportunities do not exist independently of entrepreneurs; instead they are created by the actions of entrepreneurs. However, little is known about the process of how opportunities are actually acted upon. We explore the role of communication in opportunity enactment by analysing an extreme case: Shai Agassi and the frequently cited business model innovation of his company Better Place, with which he wants to eliminate the car industry’s dependence on oil. For the first time, we take a look at the practice of communication of the case and find patterns that play a vital role in creating a market. The findings of our case study research can help entrepreneurs to understand communication practices for changing an established industry. The findings also further advance our understanding of entrepreneurial practices within creation theory.