Sociotechnical Change: Tracing Flows, Languages, and Stakes Across Diverse Cases| Structures of Capital and Sociotechnical Change: The Case of Tech Startups and Venture Capital

Authors

  • Benjamin Shestakofsky University of Pennsylvania
  • Caitlin Petre Rutgers University

Keywords:

startups, sociotechnical change, venture capital, digital technology, finance

Abstract

This article argues that financing shapes processes of sociotechnical change in profound yet underexamined ways. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork at two digital technology startups, we show how their dependence on venture capital (VC) influenced how they developed, marketed, and deployed products. Through this examination of VC-funded startups, we aim to make a broader point: Structures of capital should be central to studies of sociotechnical change.

Author Biographies

Benjamin Shestakofsky, University of Pennsylvania

Benjamin Shestakofsky’s research centers on how digital technologies are affecting work and employment, organizations, and economic exchange.

Caitlin Petre, Rutgers University

Assistant Professor

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Published

2023-12-26

Issue

Vol. 18 (2024)

Section

Forum

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