A Requirements Engineering Framework for Software Startup Companies

Abstract
Requirements engineering (RE) for startups has only recently become an area of intense exploration. This paper provides results of a qualitative study with 45 practitioners from four startup companies in four countries. This research was planned and executed using the design science research (DSR) methodology and yielded a descriptive framework that was subjected to a first evaluation in empirical settings. The authors found that practitioners in startups deploy rapid prototyping practices and user feedback but in a different way than the agile methods assume. This research concludes with discussion on validity threats and some implications for practice and research. Request access from your librarian to read this article's full text.