Requirements for Platform-based Startup Survival : A Qualitative Exploratory Study

Startups with a platform-based business model generates self-employed people despite its possibility to cause a disruption. The technical workers who work independently in a ”gig economy” create new jobs that are expected to reduce the unemployment rate. Several startups are failed and must be closed although they have received some funding from investors. In 2015, there were 20 startups in Asia that failed and had to be closed, which seven of them were from Indonesia. In 2017, there were six startups that had to be closed. The purpose of this research is to analyze startup sustainability with the platform based business model in Indonesia. This research is conducted using qualitative method with semi structured interview model to the founders or C-level of startup with platform based business model in Indonesia. The result shows there are six main themes that affect the platform based startup sustainability: startup ecosystem, human resources, investors, finance, products, and competitors.