Time to Value (TtV) as a Missing Requirements Prioritization Criterion for Startup Survival: Insights from Founders vs. Systematic Literature Review

Software startups operate under extreme uncertainty and financial pressure, making Requirements Prioritization (RP) a critical activity for improving survival prospects. This study investigates which prioritization criteria are most relevant to early-stage ventures by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) of 40 studies and analyzing 358 RP references encompassing 82 distinct criteria across 10 categories. Additionally, we conducted 34 semi-structured interviews with founders from 19 software startups to compare academic insights with real-world practices. The analysis reveals a substantial gap between scholarly emphasis and practitioner needs: while "expected cost" is the most frequently cited criterion in the literature, criteria related to financial impact—such as return on investment, cash flow, and time to value—are underrepresented despite being consistently cited by the most successful startups in our sample. Notably, the criterion "Time to Value," absent from all reviewed literature, emerged as a key factor among practitioners. These findings highlight the need for a more financially grounded and context-sensitive approach to RP in startup environments. The study concludes with a call for greater alignment between academic frameworks and the realities faced by early-stage software ventures, especially in economically challenging conditions.