<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><italic>Context:</italic> Software measurement is crucial to stay competitive and deliver quality software products.<italic>Problem:</italic> While much research has been done on measurement in large companies in developed countries, there is limited research on measurement in start-ups. So far there are no studies on whether these results apply to nascent ecosystems, such as those in East Africa.<italic>Goal:</italic> The aim of this study is to understand the use and perceived benefits of measurement in software start-ups in East Africa.<italic>Method:</italic> We performed a multi-case study on 19 software start-ups in hubs in Uganda and Kenya, through conducting semi-structured interviews. We transcribed and analyzed them using the content analysis technique.<italic>Results:</italic> We identified that start-ups are using a number of business and product-oriented metrics. Furthermore, we found no evidence on the use of design-oriented metrics. Nonetheless, start-ups have considerable expectations on the benefits of measuring. Finally, metrics found in this study partially differ from metrics used in start-ups in developed countries.<italic>Conclusion:</italic> There is a need to create a more inclusive characterization for measurement as early start-ups in East Africa cannot yet be represented with known models.</abstract>

Context: Software measurement is crucial to stay competitive and deliver quality software products.Problem: While much research has been done on measurement in large companies in developed countries, there is limited research on measurement in start-ups. So far there are no studies on whether these results apply to nascent ecosystems, such as those in East Africa.Goal: The aim of this study is to understand the use and perceived benefits of measurement in software start-ups in East Africa.Method: We performed a multi-case study on 19 software start-ups in hubs in Uganda and Kenya, through conducting semi-structured interviews. We transcribed and analyzed them using the content analysis technique.Results: We identified that start-ups are using a number of business and product-oriented metrics. Furthermore, we found no evidence on the use of design-oriented metrics. Nonetheless, start-ups have considerable expectations on the benefits of measuring. Finally, metrics found in this study partially differ from metrics used in start-ups in developed countries.Conclusion: There is a need to create a more inclusive characterization for measurement as early start-ups in East Africa cannot yet be represented with known models.

Measurements in the Early Stage Software Start-ups: A Multiple Case Study in a Nascent Ecosystem

Foundations of Computing and Decision Sciences

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Context: Software measurement is crucial to stay competitive and deliver quality software products.Problem: While much research has been done on measurement in...

Measurements in the Early Stage Software Start-ups: A Multiple Case Study in a Nascent Ecosystem

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 251 - 280

Received: Jul 10, 2018

Accepted: Oct 19, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/fcds-2018-0014

Keywords
Software start-up, measurement, nascent ecosystem, lean start-up

© 2018 Grace Kamulegeya et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Measurements in the Early Stage Software Start-ups: A Multiple Case Study in a Nascent Ecosystem

Published Online: Dec 31, 2018

Page range: 251 - 280

Received: Jul 10, 2018

Accepted: Oct 19, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/fcds-2018-0014

KeywordsSoftware start-up, measurement, nascent ecosystem, lean start-up

© 2018 Grace Kamulegeya et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Software start-up, measurement, nascent ecosystem, lean start-up