<p>Resilience is increasingly recognized as a key factor for startup growth and survival. However, the relevant literature remains scarce. This study explored how resilience is enacted in early-stage ventures by identifying its underlying mechanisms and dynamics. A qualitative multiple case study with seven startups operating across different sectors and contexts was conducted. We obtained data from 27 semi-structured interviews with founders and managers, supplemented with secondary data. The findings revealed that startup resilience is not a fixed capability but a recursive process shaped by the dynamic interaction of three key dimensions: psychological or individual, organizational or strategic, and financial. Novel underlying mechanisms for each domain were identified: cognitive grounding, affective anchoring, and emotional regulation at the psychological level; experimental responsiveness, modular recomposition, and sense-giving at the organizational level; and financial reflexivity, cash flow tactics, resource reconfiguration, and temporal elasticity at the financial level. These crucial dimensions reinforced each other in a looped architecture of resilience. This study contributes to the literature by conceptualizing resilience in startups as a process of recursive recomposition driven by psychological, organizational, and financial factors. It also provides guidance for startup founders and managers on how to cope with hardship through routines, tactics, and postures.</p>