Context Software start-ups have shown their ability to develop and launch innovative software products and services. Small, motivated teams and uncertain project scope makes start-ups good candidates for adopting Agile practices. Objective We explore how start-ups use Agile practices and what effects can be associated with the use of those practices. Method We use a case survey to analyze 84 start-up cases and 56 Agile practices. We apply statistical methods to test for statistically significant associations between the use of Agile practices, team, and product factors. Results Our results suggest that development of the backlog, use of version control, code refactoring, and development of user stories are the most frequently reported practices. We identify 22 associations between the use of Agile practices, team, and product factors. The use of Agile practices is associated with effects on source code and overall product quality. A team's positive or negative attitude towards best engineering practices is a significant indicator for either adoption or rejection of certain Agile practices. To explore the relationships in our findings, we set forth a number of propositions that can be investigated in future research. Conclusions We conclude that start-ups use Agile practices, however without following any specific methodology. We identify the opportunity for more fine-grained studies into the adoption and effects of individual Agile practices. Start-up practitioners could benefit from Agile practices in terms of better overall quality, tighter control over team performance, and resource utilization.

翻译：背景：软件初创企业展现出开发和推出创新软件产品与服务的能力。小型且充满激情的团队以及不确定的项目范围，使初创企业成为采用敏捷实践的理想候选者。目标：我们探索初创企业如何使用敏捷实践，以及这些实践可能带来的效果。方法：我们采用案例调查法分析84个初创企业案例和56种敏捷实践，并运用统计方法检验敏捷实践使用、团队与产品因素之间具有统计显著性的关联。结果：结果表明，产品待办列表开发、版本控制使用、代码重构以及用户故事开发是报告频率最高的实践。我们识别出敏捷实践使用、团队与产品因素之间的22项关联。敏捷实践的使用与源代码及整体产品质量的效果相关联。团队对最佳工程实践的积极或消极态度是采用或拒绝特定敏捷实践的重要指标。为探究研究发现的关联性，我们提出若干可供未来研究验证的命题。结论：我们得出结论，初创企业使用敏捷实践但未遵循特定方法论。我们识别出对单个敏捷实践采用及效果开展更细粒度研究的机会。初创企业实践者可通过敏捷实践获得更优整体质量、更紧密的团队绩效控制及资源利用效率提升。