Purpose - Identifying how different modes of resource configuration, entry strategy and product/market characteristics affect new ventures' start-up processes as well as outcomes in terms of firm growth and revenues. Design/methodology/approach - Case studies of three academic spin-offs and three non-academic new ventures is employed as a base for analytical generalisation. Findings - Non-academic ventures and academic spin-offs have different bases for their venture creation and follow different strategies to enter their specific markets. Academic spin-offs are to a larger extent innovative, product-oriented and enter their target markets employing a technology/science-push strategy which requires considerable resources and partner cooperation to manage. The non-academic ventures, on the contrary, exploit emerging opportunities on the market through a market-pull strategy relying mainly on offerings already known to the market and building on their own, in-house resources.Research limitations - Future research should benefit from investigating factors and conditions affecting different ventures' start-up process by utilizing qualitative, in-depth approaches as well as quantitative approaches and a more robust database. Practical implications - Venture creation processes are not uniform but dependent on situational and contextual factors. Overall, academic spin-offs come forward as examples of Schumpeterian entrepreneurship characterised by exploration and innovation, while the more ‘Kirznerian' and non-academic start-ups primarily recognise and exploit upcoming market opportunities based on resources they control. The results highlight challenges for nascent entrepreneurs as well as for policy makers supporting new venture creation.Originality/value - A comparison highlighting critical events, resource configurations and environmental conditions of different start-up processes depending on the new ventures' origin.