Current discussions on business incubation tend to ignore the role of participant behavior. From a theoretical perspective we focus on how docility, a fundamental social asset in decision deliberation as applied in Herbert Simon’s theory of social learning, holds the key in terms of understanding the incubation of new ventures. We explore the manifestation of docility in the behavior of incubatees and business coaches, and consider how its presence promotes progress in incubation and value-creation activities. The findings enhance understanding of collaborative new-venture creation in the context of business incubation from a behavioral perspective.