Overcoming stressful life events at do-it-yourself (DIY) laboratories. A new trailblazing career for disadvantaged entrepreneurs

Do it yourself (DIY) laboratories are the new experimental open source spaces where nascent entrepreneurs (or DIYers) get together to develop entrepreneurial ideas. Although these labs were originally established by scientists and biologists, they now include civil society, creating a mix and match between experts and non-experts. This group also includes another category of nascent entrepreneurs known as disadvantaged DIYers (DDIYers) who are making the most of these spaces. DDIYers encompass a different range of people such as immigrants, women, and the disabled. The latter calls for a new wave of research focused on DDIYers who are affected by chronic disease; these people motivated the present study that examined a sample of 27 DDIYers who created their own business after being diagnosed with cancer. The following will investigate their motivations. It will be seen that DDIYers are driven by external motivations oriented towards the desire to fulfill unmet needs; existential motivations oriented towards finding meaning in and control over one's life; as well as the aim of having an ideal profession and sharing a common project. With this in mind, policymakers and research institutions are encouraged to facilitate the establishment of DIY labs and the sharing of resources and knowledge.