Software Architecture Decision-Making Under Constraints in Nigerian Early-Stage Tech Startups

Architectural decisions made in the early stages of a technology startup often determine the technical trajectory and scalability ceiling of the resulting system, yet early-stage startups operate under resource constraints that make rigorous architectural decision processes difficult to sustain. This study investigates software architecture decision-making under constraints in Nigerian early-stage tech startups, with empirical data drawn from 14 startups in Lagos, Abuja, and Enugu at seed or pre-seed funding stages. A qualitative grounded theory approach is used, with data collected through 28 in-depth interviews with founders, lead engineers, and CTOs. Theoretical coding reveals four primary constraint categories influencing architectural decisions: financial, temporal, talent, and market constraints arising from Nigerian infrastructure realities. A grounded theory of constraint-anchored architectural pragmatism is developed, characterising how Nigerian startup engineers adopt minimum viable architectures that prioritise short-term operability over long-term maintainability. The study identifies technical debt accumulation as the primary long-term consequence of this pattern, observed across all 14 studied startups. Actionable recommendations include architecture review checkpoints at funding stage transitions and lightweight Architecture Decision Record documentation practices adapted for lean startup environments. Keywords: software architecture, early-stage startups, Nigeria, grounded theory, technical debt