What do we know about software development in startups?

TL;DR

This paper explores the unique challenges and practices of software development in startups, highlighting the chaotic environment and common strategies used by startup teams to navigate early-stage development.

Contribution

It provides an empirical characterization of startup software development practices and the context in which they operate, filling a gap in understanding this rapidly evolving domain.

Findings

Identifies common practices in startup software development

Characterizes the chaotic environment of startups

Highlights challenges faced by startup developers

Abstract

An impressive number of new startups are launched every day as a result of growing new markets, accessible technologies, and venture capital. New ventures such as Facebook, Supercell, Linkedin, Spotify, {WhatsApp}, and Dropbox, to name a few, are good examples of startups that evolved into successful businesses. However, despite many successful stories, the great majority of them fail prematurely. Operating in a chaotic and rapidly evolving domain conveys new uncharted challenges for startuppers. In this study, the authors characterize their context and identify common software development startup practices.