"Scrappy start" means a beginning that is not well organized or smooth, but instead involves a lot of effort and determination to overcome obstacles and make progress. Full definition
The likes of Apple and Facebook were once scrappy start - ups battling to transform how we communicate and handle information. (inc.com)
Big corporations — Monsanto, Dow, Merck, Pfizer, DuPont — along with scrappy start - ups are already applying green chemistry techniques. (scientificamerican.com)
While Beast runs these best buddies through the obvious scrappy start - up hurdles, it never tries to pretend that not opening the restaurant is a potential outcome. (metacritic.com)