International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) – eISSN: 1865-7923 – Vol. 15, No. 07, 2021 Short Paper—Projects Management in Technology Start-ups for Mobile Software Development Projects Management in Technology Start-ups for Mobile Software Development https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v15i07.19291 Pavel Petrov (), Svetoslav Ivanov, Petar Dimitrov University of Economics - Varna, Varna, Bulgaria petrov@ue-varna.bg Georgi Dimitrov University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, Sofia, Bulgaria Oleksii Bychkov Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine Abstract—The management of the technology start-up company for devel- opment of software for mobile devices includes various activities such as crea- tion of specification, development, implementation, sale, and maintenance of software for mobile devices, as well as services for it. Usually the main activity is the production and maintenance of software for mobile devices, but there may be different options and sub-options in the business model of the technolo- gy start-up, which are divided into two main categories - products and services. In recent years, there has been a trend to move into a business with service pro- viders. The objective of our study is to outline some specifics about the opera- tion of technology start-up companies for mobile software development in areas such as the management of human and financial resources, choosing the suita- ble methodology for software development and business model to follow. Keywords—start-ups, software methodologies, business models, mobile software development. 1 Introduction Some of the activities of the technology start-up company for development of software for mobile devices include creation of specification, development, imple- mentation, sale, and maintenance of software for mobile devices, as well as services for it. Usually, the main activity is the production and maintenance of software for mobile devices, but there may be different options and sub-options in the business model of the technology start-up, which are divided into two main categories - prod- ucts and services. In recent years, there has been a trend to move into a business with service providers. In its most general form, the activity can be classified as: 194 http://www.i-jim.org https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v15i07.19291 Short Paper—Projects Management in Technology Start-ups for Mobile Software Development • Assignment proceedings by clients (external contracting authorities); • Production and sale of own trade products • Own components for use in products of other developers • Individual services for adjustment, adaptation and implementation of a product • Maintenance of existing and implemented products of the above categories Each option has its specifics in terms of contracting authority, assignment, financ- ing, result, life cycle, repeatability, etc., while the activity of the technology start-up company can be a mixture of different options with different products. Each of them can be implemented in one or a series of projects. The projects, as it is known, have basic parameters such as: scope, quality, price, and time, which are determined in a development contract with an external client or an assignment for development of own product. Start-ups in the software mobile development face some specific chal- lenges compared to other software development [6,13,27]. For example: a large num- ber of competitors create pressure for the product to be launched as early as possible; the requirements are changed constantly in accordance with emerging trends in tech- nology [14,17,30,31]; some devices have limited capabilities such as storage, connec- tivity or battery capacity, etc. 2 Projects Types and their Specific Parameters A product for an external client is in accordance with an assigned project (from di- rect contact, tender, upgrade of another developed product, others). The parameters are defined in a contract before actual work on the project begins. Sometimes the time available for this can be short. The scope and specification are set by the client or prepared by an analyst in the technology start-up. It is common practice for the scope not to be fully defined in the contract, or even parts of it not to be fully defined or to be described without details. The customer often wants to change or add requirements when they see how the software for mobile devices works, or the given requirements are not adequate. The quality level is set individually for every project [2,3,8,16]. It can be part of national or international standard. The time for project implementation may be different, but according to our observations it usually lasts from one week to one year. In terms of scope, cost and time constraints, projects can be divided into [5,7,20,24]: • Fixed in terms of scope, price and time that the contractor must comply with • Fixed with the option changes in the requirements to change time and price • With variable scope, time and price based on time and resources spent Regardless of the type, company obligation is to complete the project within the agreed scope, quality, time, and budget. Although there are types with variable pa- rameters, depending on both the client and the case, each type has a final (unknown at the beginning) financial, time and psychological limit (relative to the contract). An additional advantage of the company can be if it works not only towards the success- ful completion of a project, but also for providing additional features that exceed the iJIM ‒ Vol. 15, No. 07, 2021 195 Short Paper—Projects Management in Technology Start-ups for Mobile Software Development expected results. This is important if the developed product is of paramount im- portance to the customer or if there is potential for both a good recommendation and a product that will result in a potential upgrade and maintenance orders and a starting point for a new niche market. At this point, the management and the entrepreneur need a shrewd assessment of the associated real opportunities and risks. Own products are an initiative of the company, which has the responsibility for planning, specification, implementation, and financing. The requirements are from an internal client (product manager, marketing specialists), but are supplemented in a different form with feedback from users. Quality and price (budget) are also deter- mined by the company in accordance with the chosen market positioning and oppor- tunities. The development of own product offers better opportunities for profit with sales multiplication, but more dynamics in requirements, development process and parame- ters, and in general - more challenges should be expected. The latter includes the choice of the exact market niche and time of launch, adequacy of future consumer needs, technologies and coverage standards, higher quality standards, a wide range of users, compatibility with different environments, dynamics in technology develop- ment, competition with competitors for product launch, technological obsolescence, a strong manufacturer to occupy the niche with its package, a short period for market sales, etc. Unlike an individual product, owning a product requires better documenta- tion, more end-user support, and internal support documentation. Implementation in projects is usually done in an initial larger project for the first version for 6-12 months and shorter for subsequent versions (up to 3-6 months). The own component is an analogue of the own product. The component is an in- termediate product, a finished "part" included in software products. Usually its users are professionals in the industry (developers, programmers, designers, designers). It makes sure that the documentation and maintenance are oriented towards profession- als. The benefit for the technology start-up is the ability to sell on a specialized market and the use of market niches of other "producers" of the final product. Details of the components are given below. Individual services are one-time actions and services for specific clients (usually external). In some cases, when a service is more complex, the activities could be in- terpreted as working on an external client's project. The difference is that these are services for setting up, implementing, or integrating an existing product - own, from an external project or from a third party. Product maintenance [10,26,35] is common for contractual terms and obligations. It can be constant with monitoring or support in case of a problem requested by the client. The specific about those activities is that they are focused on monitoring or on dealing with complaints about defects. Those maintenance activities may also include minimal product improvement and refinement. The maintenance of software for mobile devices, also known as support, is related to ensuring the normal operation of a built and implemented product. It involves mak- ing changes to correct detected errors, adapt to a new environment, OS, hardware, to improve existing and add new functionalities. Regular monitoring and documentation, which aim to monitor the functioning of the product, serves to identify irregularities 196 http://www.i-jim.org Short Paper—Projects Management in Technology Start-ups for Mobile Software Development and document. Naturally, these activities are subject to policy or contract. The main tasks are: • Product research, preparation of documentation for maintenance, training • Regular monitoring of the supported software • Accepting complaints from customers and communicating with them • Problem analysis, change design, programming and testing • Integration and systematic testing of the product • Description of the changes in operational and accompanying documentation Maintenance is a labor-intensive activity, which is why many automation tools have been created, such as modular and integration testing, configuration manage- ment, documentation, integrated and easily adaptable development environments, and others. 3 Management of Human and Financial Resources in the Development of Software for Mobile Devices Mobile software development is a highly intellectual job of creating a new product. Some authors [11,12,25] even describe it as inventing a new product with a learning process. Unlike standard production, where the product is of the same type, here a completely new product is formed. The dynamics of requirements and technologies bring additional complexity. Complexity management and product innovation can be obtained with the right team of specialists, process, environment, and management. In this sense, the importance of human resource management as an essential factor for success stands out. Some specific features regarding human resource management in a technology start-up are the following [4,15,22,29]: • A team of professionals who effectively create an innovative and quality product • Need for new knowledge, skills and qualities of specialists • High share of human resources expenditures and trend of wage growth and mobili- ty Specific requirements for management regarding the motivation of human re- sources and the importance of the first group comes from the desired result - a quality new marketable product. Here we must consider the role of training, which we will define in three groups: • For professional skills, technologies and innovations for a specific environment • In adequate approaches, methods, techniques for improving the development pro- cess • Improving work through self-learning (feedback and gaining experience) The technological development of the developer tools, automation in programming and testing shift the focus of activities and skills. Therefore, we need not just pro- grammers, but creative individuals, ready for autonomy, responsibility, and continu- iJIM ‒ Vol. 15, No. 07, 2021 197 Short Paper—Projects Management in Technology Start-ups for Mobile Software Development ous training. In order to work successfully in business, you need a certain value sys- tem and culture, which must also be taken into account when selecting a team. The main challenge for technology start-ups is to avoid and overcome some negative pro- cesses. For example, in the traditional motivational structure, after achieving safety in the workplace, there is a process of establishing good connections and contacts with colleagues and managers and maintaining the status quo for a long period of time. This creates serious obstacles to initiative, risk-taking and innovation. The importance of the human resources factor is also determined for financial rea- sons. It has a predominant share in the cost of the final product and a tendency to- wards increasing cost and mobility of professionals. According to one study, the ratio of labor productivity between "best" and "weakest" is 10:1, and the most significant factor is who you work with as a team [4,32]. The research is from competitions; shows that the best are 2-2.5 times better than the average level, and factors such as programming language (of the same level), experience (over 6 months) and salary are of minimal importance (in percentages). Admitted defects and better working envi- ronment led to better time and result. Greater emphasis is needed on effective management, without which any organiza- tional and methodological change cannot succeed. In the first place is the selection and organizational culture. This is followed by a sense of personal security so that communication in the team and the process can proceed normally with a focus on work [1,21]. What matters is the place of team motivation, which is a broad-spectrum process with many factors (not just monetary incentives). There are many theories and models for motivation, and their proper application increases productivity and organizational performance [18,19,33,34]. Effective leadership is also important for the company's success. It is about guiding the team and making decisions. The team leader must integrate knowledge and understanding of business needs, technologies, and their use. It is wrong for him to be busy with administrative task management and separated from the team [9,23,28]. Human resources are the factor with the greatest complexity of management, but the only one that can contribute to the significant success of the technology start-up. The issue of effective management of financial resources is before every company. The technology start-up has a special weight, as it usually has less capital and cannot rely on it as a significant competitive advantage. Moreover, when developing and promoting new products, the company can rarely rely on long-term solid financing. Therefore, good financial and development management is imperative, and it is inex- tricably linked to good human resource management. 4 Conclusion In our study we outlined some specifics about the management of start-ups devel- oping mobile software. The findings are fully applicable to technological software innovations in mobile technologies. 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His research interests include distributed web systems, cloud computing and programmable matter. E-mail: petrov@ue-varna.bg Svetoslav Ivanov is PhD candidate in the field of application of computer technology in economics at the University of Economics – Varna, Varna, Bulgaria. He is currently working as a Senior Software Engineer in a private company. E-mail: svetoslav_ivanov@ue-varna.bg Petar Dimitrov is PhD candidate in the field of Computer Science at the University of Economics – Varna, Varna, Bulgaria. He is currently working as a Head of Software Department in the Research and Application of New Information and Communication Technologies Center (RANICTC) at UE-Varna. E-mail: p.d.dimitrov@ue-varna.bg Dr. Georgi Dimitrov is working as Professor in the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies, Sofia, Bulgaria. He is Vice Dean of Department of Information Technology. E-mail: g.dimitrov@unibit.bg Dr. Oleksii Bychkov is working as Associate Professor in the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine. He is Head of the Department of Program Systems and Technology. E-mail: bos.knu@gmail.com Article submitted 2020-10-18. Resubmitted 2020-11-09. Final acceptance 2020-11-09. Final version published as submitted by the authors. iJIM ‒ Vol. 15, No. 07, 2021 201 https://doi.org/10.1142/S021819402050014X https://doi.org/10.1142/S021819402050014X https://doi.org/10.36997/IJUSV-ESS/2019.8.2.171 https://doi.org/10.24846/v26i4y201707 https://doi.org/10.12753/2066-026X-19-170 https://doi.org/10.5593/sgem2019/2.1/S07.043 mailto:petrov@ue-varna.bg mailto:svetoslav_ivanov@ue-varna.bg mailto:p.d.dimitrov@ue-varna.bg mailto:g.dimitrov@unibit.bg mailto:bos.knu@gmail.com