Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description
Fundamentals of Product Management
Course Code
SZF_178
Branch of Science
Economics and Business
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Biology; Business Management; Civil and Military Defense; Clinical Pharmacy; Communication Science; Dentistry; Health Management; Information and Communication Science; Juridical Science; Law; Life Science; Management Science; Marketing and Advertising; Medical Services; Medical Technologies; Medicine; Midwifery; Nursing Science; Pedagogy; Person and Property Defence; Pharmacy; Political Science; Psychology; Public Health; Rehabilitation; Social Anthropology; Social Welfare and Social Work; Sociology; Sports Trainer
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time
Study Course Implementer
Course Supervisor
Romāns Putāns
Structure Unit Manager
Ieva Puzo
Structural Unit
Faculty of Social Sciences
Contacts
Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szf@rsu.lv
About Study Course
Objective
The goal of this course is to introduce students to the foundational concepts of product management and development, with a focus on evidence-based decision-making. Students will learn to explore market needs, validate customer insights, prioritize features, and create prototypes to test and refine product ideas.
Preliminary Knowledge
Only students in their second year or higher are eligible to take this course.
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge
1.Upon completing the course, students will have knowledge to: • Describe business ideas and customer needs using foundational frameworks such as the Lean Canvas and Personas. • Explain how validated customer insights and emerging market needs inform product feature development. • Identify and understand the application of prioritization techniques, such as MoSCoW and ICE, in product decision-making. • Justify the role of prototyping and experimentation in refining product concepts and validating key assumptions.
Skills
1.Upon completing the course, students will have skills to: • Perform discovery activities, including conducting market research and customer interviews, to collect evidence and validate product ideas. • Apply frameworks like the Lean Canvas and Personas to structure, organize, and present product insights effectively. • Use prioritization techniques to make informed decisions about feature development and product planning. • Build simple prototypes and conduct usability tests to gather actionable feedback and iterate on product ideas.
Competences
1.Upon completing the course, students will be able (competencies) to: • Contribute to key stages of product development, including idea validation, feature prioritization, and basic planning. • Address basic product challenges using qualitative techniques, such as customer interviews and usability testing. • Collaborate in teams to create and present product concepts that are grounded in evidence and customer needs. • Demonstrate the ability to iteratively test and refine product ideas using prototypes and feedback loops.
Assessment
Individual work
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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|---|---|---|
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1.
Individual work |
-
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-
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Throughout the course, students will be required to complete the following key assignments:
• Group Work #1: Market Research and Customer Insights (to conduct a competitive audit, 2-3 user interviews, and create a Customer Journey Map, and Lean Canvas).
• Individual Work #1: Persona Development (to create primary and secondary personas justified using data from Group Work #1).
• Group Work #2: Prototyping and Validation (to design and test a low-fidelity prototype, create a validation plan, and analyze usability testing results).
• Group Work #3: Final pitch presentation (to synthesize all course elements into a Lean Canvas, product roadmap, and pitch supported by validated insights).
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Examination
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Title
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% from total grade
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Grade
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|---|---|---|
|
1.
Examination |
-
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-
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|
Course tasks and assessment of achievements:
• Attendance and participation in class exercises – 30% (The course is interactive and students will be evaluated by attendance and level of involvement in the class sessions.)
• Homework Assignments – 40% (There will be 2 group assignments, and 1 individual assignment based on covered material during in-class sessions.)
• Final Group Presentation – 30% (A collaborative effort recorded by team members in different locations, will incorporate previous homework and in-class exercises.)
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Study Course Theme Plan
FULL-TIME
Part 1
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Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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1
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Topics
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Product Roadmapping and Planning
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
|
Auditorium
|
1
|
Topics
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Prototyping and Experimentation
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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1
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Topics
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Understanding Customers
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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1
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Topics
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Introduction to Product Management and Market Research
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Other
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1
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Topics
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Final Presentation Peer Review
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
|
Auditorium
|
1
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Topics
|
Product Roadmapping and Planning
|
-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
1
|
Topics
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Prioritization Techniques
|
-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
|
Auditorium
|
1
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Topics
|
Understanding Customers
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-
Lecture
|
Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
|
On site
|
Auditorium
|
1
|
Topics
|
Introduction to Product Management and Market Research
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
|
1
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Topics
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Prototyping and Experimentation
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-
Unaided Work
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Other
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0
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Topics
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Group Work #1: Market Research and Customer Insights
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Other
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1
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Topics
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Consultations
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-
Unaided Work
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Other
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0
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Topics
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Group Work #3: Final pitch presentation
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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1
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Topics
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Translating Needs into Product Features
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-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Other
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1
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Topics
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Consultations
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
|
Auditorium
|
1
|
Topics
|
Prioritization Techniques
|
-
Class/Seminar
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
|
On site
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Other
|
1
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Topics
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Final Presentation Peer Review
|
-
Unaided Work
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
|
On site
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Other
|
0
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Topics
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Individual Work #1: Persona Development
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-
Unaided Work
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Other
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0
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Topics
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Group Work #2: Prototyping
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-
Lecture
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Modality
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Location
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Contact hours
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|---|---|---|
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On site
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Auditorium
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1
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Topics
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Translating Needs into Product Features
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Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
16 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam
Bibliography
Required Reading
1.
Osterwalder, Alexander, and Yves Pigneur (2015). Value Proposition Design. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.