The knowledge management of micro-firms in the crowd: key challenges for successful operations*

Crowdfunding platforms are increasingly being used by small and micro-firms to fund the development and initial promotion of their new products. The transition from a crowdfunding campaign to the subsequent operational phase is critical to successfully fulfil the expectations of the backers who supported the micro-firm and expect to receive the new product. This paper analyzes the main challenges that must be faced by micro-firms during this transition, adopting the perspective of knowledge management theory. Based on an exploratory case study analysis, the paper highlights the particularities of these knowledge management challenges in terms of knowledge diversity, dependence and novelty. Asymmetry, dispersion, synchronization, a lack of a common understanding and backer lock-in are the main knowledge-based challenges for the operations of micro-firms that use crowdfunding. Various theoretical and practical implications of the findings are offered.