Traditionally, the success metric for entrepreneurs and their ventures has centred around sales growth, operating on the assumption that it directly correlates with value creation for stakeholders. This emphasis on growth has been hailed as the linchpin for economic expansion by policymakers, generating financial returns for investors, fostering sustainable employment opportunities, nurturing enduring business relations between providers and clients, and ultimately enhancing the livelihoods of founders. However, emerging insights suggest that a profit-centric strategy might be more adept at achieving these objectives despite the persistent advocacy for growth-centric approaches within entrepreneurial ecosystems. This burgeoning paradox between entrepreneurial theory and practice necessitates a shift in perspective among practitioners, who often lean towards growth-centric financial orientations, which may not always align with their overarching goals. This research endeavours to address this dissonance by exploring avenues for reforming entrepreneurial finance education to reshape entrepreneurs' perceptions of their strategic financial orientations.

Drawing upon the principles of Design Science, this study seeks to illuminate the hurdles encountered in entrepreneurial finance and delineate the foundational principles for crafting financial instruments that cater to the unique needs of entrepreneurs. This research initiative will delve into the alignment between entrepreneurs' financial orientations and their overarching objectives by elucidating the myriad factors that influence these strategies from both internal (entrepreneurial persona, startup characteristics) and external (regional context, investor dynamics, educational resources) perspectives. By offering a comprehensive examination of the compatibility between entrepreneurial finance training and entrepreneurs' aspirations, this project aims to generate actionable insights that bridge the gap between theoretical constructs and real-world applications while challenging the dominance of growth-centric paradigms in entrepreneurial education.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Education, Entrepreneurial Finance, Design Science.