Software start-ups are new companies aiming to launch an innovative product to mass markets fast with minimal resources. However, most start-ups fail before realizing their potential. Poor software engineering, among other factors, could be a significant contributor to the challenges that start-ups experience. Little is known about the engineering context in start-up companies. On the surface, start-ups are characterized by uncertainty, high risk, and minimal resources. However, such a characterization isn't granular enough to support identification of specific engineering challenges and to devise start-up-specific engineering practices. The first step toward an understanding of software engineering in start-ups is the definition of a Start-Up Context Map - a taxonomy of engineering practices, environment factors, and goals influencing the engineering process. This map aims to support further research on the field and serve as an engineering decision support tool for start-ups. This article is part of a theme issue on Process Improvement.

翻译：软件初创企业是指致力于以最少资源快速将创新产品推向大众市场的新公司。然而，大多数初创企业在实现潜力之前便以失败告终。在诸多因素中，薄弱的软件工程可能是初创企业面临挑战的重要原因之一。目前，人们对初创企业的工程环境知之甚少。表面上，初创企业的特征是不确定性、高风险以及资源匮乏。然而，这种描述粒度不足以支撑识别具体的工程挑战，也无法设计针对初创企业的工程实践。理解初创企业中软件工程的第一步是定义"初创企业上下文地图"——一个涵盖工程实践、环境因素及影响工程过程的目标的分类法。该地图旨在支持该领域的进一步研究，并为初创企业提供工程决策支持工具。本文属于过程改进专题系列。