This research note aims to develop the emotional underpinning of early-stage entrepreneurship by examining the influence of anticipated regret, a negative emotion, on the transformation of latent entrepreneurs into nascent entrepreneurs. Drawing on regret regulation theory and two waves of survey data, the analysis demonstrates that anticipated regret manifests as a, feeling for doing, by pushing latent entrepreneurs towards engaging in business start-up behaviour. We conclude that negative emotions exert an important influence on behavioural regulation in early-stage entrepreneurship, fostering the transition from latent to nascent entrepreneurship.