Initial minimum viable product development in software startups. A startup ecosystem perspective.
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
L6, Linnanmaa
Topic of the dissertation
Initial minimum viable product development in software startups. A startup ecosystem perspective.
Doctoral candidate
Master of Science Nirnaya Tripathi
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Empirical Software Engineering in Software, Systems and Services
Subject of study
Information Processing Science
Opponent
Professor Tuure Tuunanen, University of Jyväskylä
Custos
Professor Markku Oivo, University of Oulu
Initial minimum viable product development in software startups. A startup ecosystem perspective.
The objective of this doctoral research is to understand the effect of the startup ecosystem elements on an initial MVP development in software startups and thereby assist startup companies in developing successful products. To achieve the objective, literature reviews and empirical studies were conducted to examine: a) the elements in a startup ecosystem, b) initial MVP development in software startups, and c) the effects of startup ecosystem elements on the initial MVP development phase. This doctoral research identified eight main elements in the startup ecosystem that affect the startup and its product development. Additionally, it was found that a product idea is based on a problem experienced by customers or on an unserved customer need.
The requirements for developing an initial MVP from the product idea usually come from internal sources, and the elicited requirements are stored in text documents and prioritized based on their value to customers and stakeholders. These requirements are converted into product features, of which some can be used to develop a prototype that can act as an initial MVP. Furthermore, it was observed that the startup ecosystem elements can influence the initial MVP development phase. For instance, supporting organizations such as incubators and accelerators affect initial MVPs by assisting inexperienced founders with training and mentoring during MVP development. A prototype can be used as an initial MVP. Also, experienced founders prefer to develop an initial MVP by themselves, while, inexperienced founders need support from supporting organizations in a startup ecosystem during initial MVP development.
The requirements for developing an initial MVP from the product idea usually come from internal sources, and the elicited requirements are stored in text documents and prioritized based on their value to customers and stakeholders. These requirements are converted into product features, of which some can be used to develop a prototype that can act as an initial MVP. Furthermore, it was observed that the startup ecosystem elements can influence the initial MVP development phase. For instance, supporting organizations such as incubators and accelerators affect initial MVPs by assisting inexperienced founders with training and mentoring during MVP development. A prototype can be used as an initial MVP. Also, experienced founders prefer to develop an initial MVP by themselves, while, inexperienced founders need support from supporting organizations in a startup ecosystem during initial MVP development.
Last updated: 1.3.2023