Software-Intensive Product Engineering in Start-Ups: A Taxonomy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a taxonomy of software engineering practices, environment factors, and goals specific to start-ups to better understand their unique challenges and support improved engineering decisions.

Contribution

It defines a Start-Up Context Map, a taxonomy that characterizes engineering practices and factors in start-ups, aiding research and decision-making.

Findings

Developed a taxonomy of start-up engineering practices

Identified key environment factors influencing start-up engineering

Provided a decision support tool for start-up engineering challenges

Abstract

Software start-ups are new companies aiming to launch an innovative product to mass markets fast with minimal resources. However, most start-ups fail before realizing their potential. Poor software engineering, among other factors, could be a significant contributor to the challenges that start-ups experience. Little is known about the engineering context in start-up companies. On the surface, start-ups are characterized by uncertainty, high risk, and minimal resources. However, such a characterization isn't granular enough to support identification of specific engineering challenges and to devise start-up-specific engineering practices. The first step toward an understanding of software engineering in start-ups is the definition of a Start-Up Context Map - a taxonomy of engineering practices, environment factors, and goals influencing the engineering process. This map aims to support further research on the field and serve as an engineering decision support tool for start-ups. This article is part of a theme issue on Process Improvement.