EMERGING METHODOLOGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES IN CREATIVE STARTUPS A CONFIGURATIONAL REVIEW

The rapid acceleration of digitalization and the growth of creative-technology ventures are transforming both entrepreneurial methodologies and the use of technological tools. This article aims to conduct a thematic and configurational review of studies published between 2020 and 2025 to examine how entrepreneurial methodologies (Lean Startup, Design Thinking, Effectuation, iterative and adaptive approaches), technological innovations (digital transformation, artificial intelligence, neural networks, user-generated content analytics), and the specific characteristics of creative and IT-driven contexts interact in shaping startup development. The study employs a qualitative selection of 15 peer-reviewed articles, thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke, and configurational reasoning based on QCA logic, which together reveal five dominant M–T–C configurations. The findings demonstrate that innovation in creative and IT startups emerges not from isolated factors but from combinatorial interactions between methodological and technological components. The key contribution of this review is the CISMI-2025 conceptual model, which identifies equifinal pathways through which creative-technology startups achieve opportunity creation, business model innovation, and resilience. The model highlights the role of technology as a methodological accelerator and the moderating effect of creative-IT contextual conditions characterized by uncertainty, hybridity, and ecosystem dependency. These results expand theoretical understanding of technology-augmented entrepreneurial cognition and provide practical insights for researchers, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and innovation support institutions seeking to enhance creative-tech entrepreneurial ecosystems.