Critical success factors for startups in Malaysia

Critical Success Factors (CSFs) have always been a subject matter of interest in startup-related researches globally. This study takes an approach to understand the CSFs for startups in the Malaysian context, using existing literatures as the backbone to establish a framework of factors. While there are many CSFs proposed by authors across the globe, this study focuses on examining and identifying only those which are most relevant and applicable to startup success in Malaysia. The study adapts and combines Caralli’s (2004) five step method together with a questionnaire approach to identify the CSFs for startups in Malaysia. The findings reveal that while not all factors suggested in existing literatures constitute to CSFs for startups in Malaysia, there are four prominent CSFs observed, namely Innovations, Entrepreneurial Traits, Team Dynamics and Experience, Strategic Business Planning, and Local Regulations, Strategic Location and Network