Communication Tools in New Product Development: Startup Companies’ Preferences Over Time

Abstract

Purpose Communication is essential for successful new product development. Startup companies, in particular, need to meet market expectations to gain ground and become economically viable, and heavily rely on integrated platforms for communication and collaboration. Approach Two studies cover both the ideation and development phases of a three-step Stage-Gate process. Single-product choice-based conjoint analysis is used to investigate preferences for a communication software application on the feature level over startups’ life cycle to shed light on the adaptation of application use. Study 1 draws on a sample of 102, study 2 on a sample of 103 startup employees. Findings Collaboration application requirements widely differ across new product development stages, although text channel is the most important attribute for both, contrasting traditional media richness theory. Users favor automation that increases their control over communication mode choice, and prefer auto-transcription and speech-to-text. A simulation based on the results further reveals functionality gaps between user demands and market supply. Originality The study at hand provides initial empirical insights into adaptive system use of collaboration platforms using a conjoint approach. The feasibility of single-product choice-based conjoint analysis is established, providing a pathway for future research in a monadic context.