Success and failure factors of information technology startups: a qualitative research trivo milicevic

The aim of the research was to identify the success and failure factors of information technology startups in Serbia and possibly give recommendations to management on how to run their businesses. This thesis is based on a qualitative research on information technology startup companies in a specific market. The research focuses on four elements in the Gartner's framework of new venture creation: individual, organization, process and environment related factors. The idea is to recognize specific factors that affect success within the given framework. The research was based on a qualitative phenomenological study where in the center of the research were interviews made with the founders, CEO's or top managers of IT startups in Serbia. Development of research questions used in the interview was based on Gartner's framework. Besides the qualitative interview analysis, a comparative analysis of previous similar researches accros the world was set up in order to increase the quality of the research. Because there is a limited number of past researches with this topic made in Serbia, this research is unique in many of its aspects and as such it should bring some new findings in terms of defining the success and failure factors for IT startups of Serbia. Several findings were discovered. With the findings being split per a theme. Theme one findings concerned the following factors: Funding, Market and Government and Regulations. Theme two findings concerned the following factors: Knowledge, Experience and Education. Theme three findings concerned the following factors: Strategy, Goals and Planning and Organizational Structure. Theme four findings concerned the following factors: Venture Creation, Marketing and R&D. Theme five findings concerned the following factors: People, Ideas and Teamwork.