Um método baseado em gestão de projetos para ajudar as startups a crescerem sustentáveis

Abstract

Startups are recognized as drivers of socioeconomic innovation. However, they have a high record of early mortality, often associated with management failures, which requires managerial solutions that are responsive to the uncertainty conditions of their initial stages. This thesis aimed to propose a method based on the project management approach to support startups in achieving sustainable growth. The research was conducted under the Design Science paradigm, through the Design Science Research (DSR) method, with a methodology structured into six phases and organized into three multiple studies. Study 1 addressed phase 1 of DSR, which concerns problem identification and study motivation, based on the objective of analyzing the concept of startup from a project perspective. Methodologically, it consisted of exploratory qualitative research that combined a literature review and interviews with 28 specialists. The result represents the ontological foundation for the evolutionary studies by delimiting the phenomenon through the definition of a startup as a “temporary organization treated as an innovation project”, which was validated through a survey with 72 Startup Weekend participants. Study 2 is related to phases 1 and 2 of DSR and deepens the characterization of the problem, objectives, and criteria for the development of an artifact. Based on the objective of listing a set of knowledge areas and their respective failure factors in startups, Study 2 was conducted as exploratory qualitative research, combining a Systematic Literature Review of 30 documents from scientific databases and interviews with 28 specialists. The identified failure factors were grouped into knowledge areas grounded in project management. The findings revealed failures related to 19 knowledge areas considered essential for startups treated as projects throughout their maturity stages. Study 3 addressed phases 2, 3, 4, and 5 of DSR, as it consolidated the solution objectives, defined the development criteria, designed the artifact, and demonstrated and evaluated it. The research design of Study 3 was organized into three stages. In stage 1, interviews were conducted with 28 specialists, together with a Systematic Literature Review of 34 documents from scientific databases, which enabled the identification of project management-based managerial solutions. In stage 2, the criteria for developing an artifact characterized as a method were defined, based on DSR recommendations and the specialists’ suggestions, thus addressing phase 2 of DSR. In stage 3, an exploratory demonstration was carried out at prototyping levels, contributing to the development of the artifact and addressing phase 3 of DSR. The prototyping evolved through three levels: initially in Excel and Miro, subsequently in a digital platform, and finally in an artificial intelligence conversational agent. Exploratory demonstrations were conducted with specialists, who contributed to visual, functional, and operational improvements at each stage. Still within stage 3 of Study 3, the artifact was demonstrated, evaluated, and validated in four focus groups with 13 specialists, addressing phases 4 and 5 of DSR. As its main contribution, this thesis delivers a Technical-Technological Product materialized through a validated artifact, namely the method entitled Project Management Guide for Startups, instantiated in a digital platform and operationalized through an artificial intelligence conversational agent. This thesis is aligned with the research line Innovation in Project Management of the Graduate Program in Administration, Project Management (PPGP) at Uninove, as it develops and validates an innovative project management method for startups, integrating Design Science Research, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence approaches applied to the solution of organizational problems in innovation environments.