The research
Built on academic research,
not opinion
Founder Discipline grew out of the PhD research of Dr. Frédéric Pattyn and a body of academic literature on entrepreneurship, investor decision-making and technology economics, developed with researchers across four European universities.
Universities
Where the work comes from
Vlerick Business School
Entrepreneurship and scale-up research
Ghent University
Doctoral research host
UNIBZ — Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Innovation and technology management
Tampere University
Software business and AI economics
Special thanks
Advisors & examination board
Doctoral advisory committee
Prof. Dr. Frederik Gailly
Supervisor, Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Geert Poels
Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Yannick Dillen
Supervisor, Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Petra Andries
Ghent University, Belgium
Examination board
Prof. dr. Broos Maenhout
Chair of the Doctoral Examination Committee, Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Frederik Gailly
Supervisor, Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Geert Poels
Secretary of the Doctoral Examination Committee, Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Yannick Dillen
Supervisor, Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Petra Andries
Ghent University, Belgium
Prof. Dr. Pekka Abrahamsson
Tampere University, Finland
Prof. Dr. Xiaofeng Wang
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy
Papers
Relevant publications
Peer-reviewed articles and conference papers behind the Founder Discipline framework. The full list is maintained in the Ghent University Academic Bibliography.
Validate Before You Build: Exploring Pre-MVP Evidence Levels—Not Quantity—And Startup Performance in Early-Stage Software Ventures
Pattyn, F., Dillen, Y. & Goetz, P.
Computers, 2026
VECTR: A Lightweight Requirements Prioritization Method for Software Startups Grounded in ROI, Time-to-Value, and Confidence
Pattyn, F., Wang, X., Poels, G., Dillen, Y. & Goetz, P.
Computers, 15(2), 2026
Perceived Product Management Priorities in Software Startups: A Data-Driven Reduction of the Pragmatic Framework for Product Managers from 171 Practitioners
Pattyn, F. & Goetz, P.
9th International Workshop on Software-intensive Business (IWSiB), 2026
An AI-Driven Decision Support System for Product Feature Prioritization in Software Startups
Rafiq, U., Amundsen, T., Pattyn, F., Wang, X. & Stöckmann, C.
ICSOB 2025, Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, 2026
RECTV: Enhancing Agile Decision-Making in Startups Through Value-Driven Requirements Prioritization
Pattyn, F., Kazmi, R., Goetz, P., Aldhahri, A. & Aqsa
IEEE Access, 13, pp. 142546–142560, 2025
Time to Value (TtV) as a Missing Requirements Prioritization Criterion for Startup Survival: Insights from Founders vs. Systematic Literature Review
Pattyn, F. & Goetz, P.
International Journal of Sustainability Management and Information Technologies, 11(1), pp. 45–66, 2025
The Value of Generative AI for Qualitative Research: A Pilot Study
Pattyn, F.
Journal of Data Science and Intelligent Systems, 3(3), pp. 184–191, 2025
Identifying Key Requirements Prioritization Criteria for Software Startup Survival: From Literature Review to Prioritization Method
Pattyn, F.
IEEE/ACM International Workshop on Software-Intensive Business (IWSiB), pp. 1–7, 2025
Smart Scaling for Software Startups Through Financial Requirements Prioritization Criteria
Pattyn, F. & Rafiq, U.
ICSOB 2024, Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, 539, pp. 454–460, 2025
Innovating the Future: Unveiling the Initial Iteration of the Pragmatic Framework for Product Managers
Pattyn, F.
American Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 9(2), pp. 32–50, 2024
The ecosystem
New Data Research Institute and Dr.h.c. Peter Goetz
Founder Discipline was developed with the extensive support, insights, vision and strategic guidance of Dr.h.c. Peter Goetz, together with New Capital Generation Ltd, New Data Generation Ltd and the New Data Research Institute Foundation. They are also the cofounders of Silicon Core Global and AI University. Through this international ecosystem, they provide validation, incubation and strategic support to software and AI startups worldwide, while helping investors rigorously validate technologies, business models, teams and commercial potential before committing capital, significantly reducing uncertainty and strengthening investor protection in this new era of technology.
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