Difference between revisions of "IU:TestPage"

From IU
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 1: Line 1:
   
−
= IT Product Development =
 +
= Business Development, Sales and Marketing in IT Industry =
−
* '''Course name''': IT Product Development
 +
* '''Course name''': Business Development, Sales and Marketing in IT Industry
−
* '''Code discipline''': CSE807
 +
* '''Code discipline''': S22
−
* '''Subject area''': Software Engineering
 +
* '''Subject area''': all around marketing and sales in IT industry.
   
 
== Short Description ==
  
== Short Description ==
  +
and prerequisites
−
This course has two parts: 1) building and launching a user-facing software product with the special emphasis on understanding user needs and 2) the application of data-driven product development techniques to iteratively improve the product. Students will learn how to transform an idea into software requirements through user research, prototyping and usability tests, then they will proceed to launch the MVP version of the product. In the second part of the course, the students will apply an iterative data-driven approach to developing a product, integrate event analytics, and run controlled experiments.
  
  +
This course contains two important for successful company parts: marketing and sales.
  +
These are the parts that are linked with each other - it is very difficult to sell without marketing support and it is very difficult to achieve results with marketing efforts only.
  +
Marketing part, starting from defining things like developing marketing strategy for the companies, finally offers practical tools of digital marketing. We will explore new digital reality and its impact on IT business. We will learn success stories of real businesses and how companies are adapting to the new changing landscape.
  +
The second part of the course covers important things for every company's success – the sales process. Understand how to attract customers in negotiations, how to “get to yes” getting great deals, how to control the sales funnel – you will get the understanding how it works and try it in practice.
   
 
== Prerequisites ==
  
== Prerequisites ==
   
 
=== Prerequisite subjects ===
  
=== Prerequisite subjects ===
−
* CSE101
 +
* HSS310
−
* CSE112
  
−
* CSE122 or CSE804 or CSE809 or CSE812
  
   
 
=== Prerequisite topics ===
  
=== Prerequisite topics ===
−
* Basic programming skills.
 +
* Basic IT industry knowledge
  +
* Basic marketing knowledge
−
* OOP, and software design.
  
−
* Familiarity with some development framework or technology (web or mobile)
  
   
 
== Course Topics ==
  
== Course Topics ==
Line 26: Line 27:
 
! Section !! Topics within the section
  
! Section !! Topics within the section
 
|-
  
|-
−
| From idea to MVP ||
+
| Marketing Strategy ||
  +
# Types of markets
−
# Introduction to Product Development
  
  +
# Product-centric marketing
−
# Exploring the domain: User Research and Customer Conversations
  
  +
# Customer-centric marketing
−
# Documenting Requirements: MVP and App Features
  
  +
# Developing Marketing Strategy
−
# Prototyping and usability testing
  
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Development and Launch ||
+
| Marketing tools ||
  +
# Brand&Presentation
−
# Product backlog and iterative development
  
  +
# Analytics
−
# Estimation Techniques, Acceptance Criteria, and Definition of Done
  
  +
# Content
−
# UX/UI Design
  
  +
# SMM
−
# Software Engineering vs Product Management
  
  +
# Context advertising
  +
# E-mail marketing
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| Sales ||
−
| Hypothesis-driven development ||
 
  +
# CRM systems
−
# Hypothesis-driven product development
  
  +
# B2B
−
# Measuring a product
  
  +
# B2C
−
# Controlled Experiments and A/B testing
  
  +
# Negotiations
  +
|-
  +
| Final Project Presentation ||
  +
# Presentation of marketing&sales strategy and tactics for startup
 
|}
 
|}
 
== Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) ==
  
== Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) ==
   
 
=== What is the main purpose of this course? ===
  
=== What is the main purpose of this course? ===
  +
This course aims to give students the skills of developing a winning marketing strategy for a startup, as well as the skills to implement marketing strategy using real digital-marketing tools and sales tactics for a startup product.
−
What is the main goal of this course formulated in one sentence?
  
−
The main purpose of this course is to enable a student to go from an idea to an MVP with the focus on delivering value to the customer and building the product in a data-driven evidence-based manner.
  
   
 
=== ILOs defined at three levels ===
  
=== ILOs defined at three levels ===
Line 53: Line 59:
 
==== Level 1: What concepts should a student know/remember/explain? ====
  
==== Level 1: What concepts should a student know/remember/explain? ====
 
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
  
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
  +
* Develop right marketing strategy for its type of market
−
* Describe the formula for stating a product idea and the importance of delivering value
  
  +
* Develop naming, presentation, and product offer
−
* Remember the definition and main attributes of MVP
  
  +
* Use digital marketing tools
−
* Explain what are the main principles for building an effective customer conversation
  
  +
* Use CRM
−
* Describe various classification of prototypes and where each one is applied
  
−
* State the characteristics of a DEEP product backlog
 +
* Sell its product
−
* Elaborate on the main principles of an effective UI/UX product design (hierarchy, navigation, color, discoverability, understandability)
  
−
* List the key commonalities and differences between the mentality of a software engineer and a product manager
  
−
* Explain what is hypothesis-driven development
  
−
* Describe the important aspects and elements of a controlled experiment
  
   
 
==== Level 2: What basic practical skills should a student be able to perform? ====
  
==== Level 2: What basic practical skills should a student be able to perform? ====
 
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
  
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
  +
* Skills of market type identification
−
* Formulate and assess the product ideas
  
  +
* Skills in developing naming, presentations, product offerings
−
* Perform market research for existing products
  
  +
* Skills of context advertising
−
* Design effective customer conversations
  
  +
* Skills of SMM doing
−
* Prototype UI, design and conduct usability tests
  
  +
* Skills of content marketing
−
* Prototype user interface
  
  +
* Skills of e-mail marketing
−
* Design and conduct usability testing
  
−
* Populate and groom a product backlog
  
−
* Conduct Sprint Planning and Review
  
−
* Choose product metrics and apply GQM
  
−
* Integrate a third-party Analytics tools
  
−
* Design, run and conclude Controlled experiments
  
   
 
==== Level 3: What complex comprehensive skills should a student be able to apply in real-life scenarios? ====
  
==== Level 3: What complex comprehensive skills should a student be able to apply in real-life scenarios? ====
 
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
  
By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...
  +
* Skills for valuation the market environment
−
* Conduct user and domain research to identify user needs and possible solutions
  
  +
* Skills how to find the right addressable market for its product
−
* Elicit and document software requirements
  
  +
* Skills of web analytics
−
* Organize a software process to swiftly launch an MVP and keep improving it in an iterative manner.
  
  +
* Skills of CRM using
−
* Build a data pipeline to monitor metrics based on business goals and assess product progress in regards to design changes.
  
  +
* Sales skills to various types of clients
−
* Evolve and improve a product in a data-driven evidence-based iterative manner
 
 
== Grading ==
  
== Grading ==
   
Line 92: Line 89:
 
! Grade !! Range !! Description of performance
  
! Grade !! Range !! Description of performance
 
|-
  
|-
−
| A. Excellent || 90-100 || -
 +
| A. Excellent || 90-100 || Pass
 
|-
  
|-
−
| B. Good || 75-89 || -
 +
| B. Good || 75-89 || Pass
 
|-
  
|-
−
| C. Satisfactory || 60-74 || -
 +
| C. Satisfactory || 60-74 || Pass
 
|-
  
|-
−
| D. Fail || 0-59 || -
 +
| D. Fail || 0-59 || Fail
 
|}
  
|}
   
Line 107: Line 104:
 
! Activity Type !! Percentage of the overall course grade
  
! Activity Type !! Percentage of the overall course grade
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Assignment || 50
 +
| Seminar classes || 40
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| Interim performance assessment on the results of lecture assignments and its presentations || 30
−
| Quizzes || 15
  
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Peer review || 15
 +
| Final presentation || 30
−
|-
  
−
| Demo day || 20
  
 
|}
  
|}
   
 
=== Recommendations for students on how to succeed in the course ===
  
=== Recommendations for students on how to succeed in the course ===
−
Participation is important. Showing up is the key to success in this course.<br>You will work in teams, so coordinating teamwork will be an important factor for success. This is also reflected in the peer review being a graded item.<br>Review lecture materials before classes to do well in quizzes.<br>Reading the recommended literature is optional, and will give you a deeper understanding of the material.
 +
The student is recommended the following scheme of preparation for classes:<br>Marketing and sales are much more about hypothesis testing and math, than creativity. Therefore, it is so important for students to try the acquired knowledge in real practice, doing small tasks after each lecture.<br>Finally, we will try to assemble a working strategy for a startup from these tasks.<br>Moreover:<br>Participation is important. Showing up is the key to success in this course.<br>Reading the recommended literature is optional, and will give you a deeper understanding of the material.
   
 
== Resources, literature and reference materials ==
  
== Resources, literature and reference materials ==
   
 
=== Open access resources ===
  
=== Open access resources ===
  +
* Андрей Кравченко. Неидеальная стратегия для идеальной компании.
−
* Jackson, Michael. "The world and the machine." ICSE '95: Proceedings of the 17th international conference on Software engineeringApril 1995 Pages 283–292,
  
  +
* Peter Fader. Customer Centricity.
−
* The Guide to Product Metrics:
  
   
 
=== Closed access resources ===
  
=== Closed access resources ===
  +
* Viktor Pelevin. Empire V.
−
* Fitzpatrick, R. (2013). The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you. Robfitz Ltd.
  
  +
* W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne. Blue Ocean Strategy.
−
* Reis, E. (2011). The lean startup. New York: Crown Business, 27.
  
  +
* Eric ries. Lean startup.
−
* Rubin, K. S. (2012). Essential Scrum: A practical guide to the most popular Agile process. Addison-Wesley.
  
  +
* Simon Kingsnorth. Digital Marketing Strategy.
  +
* Chet Holmes. The Ultimate Sales Machine.
   
 
=== Software and tools used within the course ===
  
=== Software and tools used within the course ===
  +
* Standard office tools for Tables, Text and Presentation
−
* Firebase Analytics and A/B Testing, https://firebase.google.com/
  
−
* Amplitude Product Analytics, https://www.amplitude.com/
  
−
* MixPanel Product Analytics, https://mixpanel.com/
 
 
= Teaching Methodology: Methods, techniques, & activities =
  
= Teaching Methodology: Methods, techniques, & activities =
   
Line 140: Line 135:
 
|+ Teaching and Learning Methods within each section
  
|+ Teaching and Learning Methods within each section
 
|-
  
|-
−
! Teaching Techniques !! Section 1 !! Section 2 !! Section 3
 +
! Teaching Techniques !! Section 1 !! Section 2 !! Section 3 !! Section 4
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Problem-based learning (students learn by solving open-ended problems without a strictly-defined solution) || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Problem-based learning (students learn by solving open-ended problems without a strictly-defined solution) || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Project-based learning (students work on a project) || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Project-based learning (students work on a project) || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Differentiated learning (provide tasks and activities at several levels of difficulty to fit students needs and level) || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Business game (learn by playing a game that incorporates the principles of the material covered within the course). || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| Task-based learning || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
−
| развивающего обучения (задания и материал "прокачивают" ещё нераскрытые возможности студентов); || 1 || 1 || 1
  
−
|-
  
−
| концентрированного обучения (занятия по одной большой теме логически объединяются); || 1 || 1 || 1
  
−
|-
  
−
| inquiry-based learning || 1 || 1 || 1
  
 
|}
  
|}
 
{| class="wikitable"
  
{| class="wikitable"
 
|+ Activities within each section
  
|+ Activities within each section
 
|-
  
|-
−
! Learning Activities !! Section 1 !! Section 2 !! Section 3
 +
! Learning Activities !! Section 1 !! Section 2 !! Section 3 !! Section 4
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Lectures || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Lectures || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Interactive Lectures || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Interactive Lectures || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Lab exercises || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Lab exercises || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Development of individual parts of software product code || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Cases studies || 1 || 1 || 1 || 0
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Group projects || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Individual Projects || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Quizzes (written or computer based) || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Peer Review || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Peer Review || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Discussions || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Discussions || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Presentations by students || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Presentations by students || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Written reports || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Written reports || 1 || 1 || 1
 +
| Simulations and role-plays || 1 || 1 || 1 || 1
 
|-
  
|-
−
| Experiments || 0 || 0 || 1
 +
| Experiments || 0 || 1 || 1 || 0
  +
|-
  +
| Group projects || 0 || 0 || 0 || 1
 
|}
 
|}
 
== Formative Assessment and Course Activities ==
  
== Formative Assessment and Course Activities ==
Line 191: Line 184:
 
! Activity Type !! Content !! Is Graded?
  
! Activity Type !! Content !! Is Graded?
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Define target audience and describe type of market for your product. || 1
−
| Quiz || 1. What is a product? What are the techniques for describing a product idea in a clear concise manner?<br>2. What user research techniques do you know? In what situations are they applied?<br>3. What are the key customer conversation principles according to the Mom Test technique? Bring an example of bad and good questions to ask.<br>4. What are the 4 phases of the requirements engineering process? <br>5. How do we document requirements? What techniques do you know? || 1
  
−
|-
  
−
| Presentation || Prepare a short 2-minutes pitch for your project idea (2-5 slides). <br><br>Suggested structure:<br>What problem you are solving:<br>- State the problem clearly in 2-3 short sentences.<br><br>Who are you solving it for:<br>- Who is your user/customer?<br>- Why will they be attracted to it?<br><br>What is your proposed solution to solve that problem:<br>- One sentence description<br>- What main feature(s) will it have? || 0
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Make 3 cusdev with potential/existing customers of your product. || 1
−
| Individual Assignments || A1: Product Ideation and Market Research<br>Formulate 3 project ideas in the following format:<br>X helps Y to do Z – where X is your product’s name, Y is the target user, and Z is what user activity product help with.<br><br>Submit Link to Screenshot board and Feature Analysis Table:<br>- Pick and explore 5 apps similar to your idea<br>- Take screenshots along the way and collect them on a board.<br>- Make a qualitative analysis table for app features.<br><br>Prepare a short 2-minutes pitch for your project idea (2-5 slides). <br><br>Suggested structure:<br>What problem you are solving:<br>- State the problem clearly in 2-3 short sentences.<br><br>Who are you solving it for:<br>- Who is your user/customer?<br>- Why will they be attracted to it?<br><br>What is your proposed solution to solve that problem:<br>- One sentence description<br>- What main feature(s) will it have? || 1
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Develop your marketing strategy and present it in-class. || 1
−
| Group Project Work || A2: Forming Teams and Identifying Stakeholders<br>Students are distributed into teams. <br>Meet your team <br>Discuss the idea<br>Agree on the roles<br>Setup task tracker (Trello or similar)<br>Identify 3-5 stakeholders and how to approach them<br>Compose a set of 5 most important questions you would ask from each stakeholder when interviewing them<br><br>Submit<br>A pdf with the idea description, roles distribution among the team, identified stakeholders, ways to approach them, a set of questions for each stakeholder.<br>An invite link to join your task tracker<br><br>A3: Domain Exploration and Requirements<br>User Research Process:<br>Compose the questionnaire for each stakeholder type. <br>Talk to 5-7 stakeholders.<br>Keep updating the questionnaire throughout the process<br>Compose an interview results table<br>Produce personas<br>Summarize most important learning points<br>Describe features your MVP will have (use case diagram + user story mapping)<br><br>Submit a pdf report with:<br>Personas + corresponding questionnaires<br>Interview results table (can provide a link to spreadsheet, make sure to open access)<br>Learning points summary<br>MVP features.<br><br>Optional: <br>Start implementation of the functionality you are certain about.<br><br>Assignment 4. UI design, Prototyping, MVP, and Usability Testing<br>Break down MVP features into phases and cut down the specification to implement MVP V1<br>Produce low and high fidelity designs for your product.<br>Review the phases breakdown.<br>Follow either the Prototyping or MVP path to complete the assignment.<br><br>Prototyping path:<br>Make a clickable prototype with Figma or a similar tool<br>Make 5-10 offline stakeholders use your prototype, observe them and gather feedback<br>Embed your prototype into an online usability testing tool (e.g. Maze).<br>Run an online usability test with 5-10 online stakeholders.<br>Summarize key learning points<br><br>MVP path:<br>Review your MVP phases.<br>Build MVP V1 <br>Make 5-10 offline stakeholders use your MVP, observe them and gather feedback<br>Integrate an online usability testing tool to observe user sessions (e.g. Smartlook).<br>Distribute the MVP to 5-10 online stakeholders and run an online usability test.<br>Summarize key learning points<br><br><br>Submit all of the below in one PDF:<br>Link to sketches and designs.<br>Link to your MVP/Clickable prototype.<br>Link to online usability test.<br>Names of people you conducted the tests with and which stakeholder type are they.<br>Key learning points summary.<br><br>Make sure all links are accessible/viewable. || 1
  
 
|}
 
|}
 
==== Section 2 ====
  
==== Section 2 ====
Line 205: Line 196:
 
! Activity Type !! Content !! Is Graded?
  
! Activity Type !! Content !! Is Graded?
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Write a marketing article about your product or technology in the informational style manner. || 1
−
| Quiz || 1. What does the acronym MVP stand for? What types of MVP do you know of?<br>2. Define roles, activities, and artefacts of Scrum. What differentiates Scrum from other Agile frameworks, e.g. Kanban?<br>3. What does DEEP criteria stand for when discussing Product Backlog? Explain each of the aspects with examples.<br>4. Describe how Scrum activities are performed. Which of them are essential and which of them can vary depending on the product. || 1
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Create a landing page for your product and connect it to Yandex Metrica or Google Analytics. || 1
−
| Presentation || Prepare a 5-mins presentation describing your: <br>product backlog<br>sprint results<br>MVP-launch plan<br>Each team will present at the class. The assessment will be based on the presentation delivery, reasoning for decision making and asking questions and providing suggestions for other teams. || 0
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Create a semantic core for your product and determine the current positions on your landing page. Determine key marketing metrics, including conversion rate, on your landing page. || 1
−
| Group Project Work || Assignment 5. Launching an MVP<br>1. Populate and groom product backlog: <br>Comply with the DEEP criteria. <br>2. Run two one-week sprints:<br>Conduct two Sprint plannings, i.e. pick the tasks for Sprint Backlog.<br>Conduct two Sprint reviews<br>Run one Sprint Retrospective<br>3. Make a launch plan and release:<br>You need to launch in the following two weeks.<br>Decide what functionality will go into the release.<br>Release your first version in Google Play.<br>Hint: Focus on a small set of features solving a specific problem for a specific user, i.e. MVP.<br>4. Prepare a 5-mins presentation describing your: <br>product backlog<br>sprint results<br>MVP-launch plan.<br>Demo for your launched MVP.<br>Each team will present at the class. The assessment will be based on the presentation delivery, reasoning for decision making and asking questions and providing suggestions for other teams.<br>5. Submit a PDF with:<br>Backlogs and Launch plan<br>Link to the launched product<br>Assignment 6. AC, DoD and Midterm Presentation<br>1. Produce acceptance criteria for 3-5 most important user stories in your product.<br>2. Produce definition of done checklist<br>3. Estimate the items in your product backlog<br>4. Prepare a midterm presentation for 10-mins in which you cover:<br>The problem you are trying to solve<br>Your users and customers (personas)<br>Your solution and it's core value proposition<br>Current state of your product<br>Clear plan for the upcoming weeks<br>Your team and distribution of responsibilities<br>Demo<br>Retrospective and learning points<br>Link to your app<br><br>Submit a pdf with:<br>Items 1, 2, 3<br>link to the presentation<br> || 1
  
 
|}
 
|}
 
==== Section 3 ====
  
==== Section 3 ====
Line 217: Line 208:
 
! Activity Type !! Content !! Is Graded?
  
! Activity Type !! Content !! Is Graded?
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Create the sales funnel of your product and present it in-class. || 1
−
| Quiz || 1. What are common product hypotheses present? How can we formulate them as questions about our UX?<br>2. Explain what is hypothesis-driven development<br>3. Describe the important aspects and elements of a controlled experiment || 1
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| after lecture assignments || Create the budget for your marketing and sales activities and approve it with management. || 1
−
| Presentation || Prepare a short 2-minutes pitch for your project idea (2-5 slides). <br><br>Suggested structure:<br>What problem you are solving:<br>- State the problem clearly in 2-3 short sentences.<br><br>Who are you solving it for:<br>- Who is your user/customer?<br>- Why will they be attracted to it?<br><br>What is your proposed solution to solve that problem:<br>- One sentence description<br>- What main feature(s) will it have? || 0
  
 
|-
  
|-
  +
| in-class exercise || “Sell me the pen” exercise. || 1
−
| Group project work || Assignment 7: Development, Observation, and Product Events.<br>1. Continue with your development process:<br>- Hold sprint planning and reviews.<br>- Revisit estimations and keep track for velocity calculation.<br>- Host demos and release new versions to your users<br><br>2. Observing users:<br>- Integrate a user sessions recording tool into your product<br>- As a team: watch 100 user sessions and outline common user behavior patterns.<br>- Each team member: give product to 3 new people and observe them use it.<br><br>3. Product events:<br>Create a product events table.<br>Integrate a free analytics tool that supports events reporting (e.g. Amplitude, MixPanel).<br><br>Write and submit a report:<br>- describe user behavior patterns (main ways how people use your product).<br>- learning points from the observations<br>- add the events table.<br>- describe which analytics tool you chose and why<br><br>Assignment 8: GQM, Metrics, and Hypothesis-testing.<br>1. GQM and Metrics Dashboard<br>- Compose a GQM for your product.<br>- Identify your focus and L1 metrics<br>- Setup an Analytics Dashboard with the metrics you chose.<br>- Add the instructors to your Analytics Dashboard.<br><br>Hypothesis-testing:<br>- answer clarity and hypotheses: do users understand your product, is it easy for them to get started, and do they return?<br>- suggest product improvements to increase clarity, ease of starting and retention.<br>- based on the suggestions formulate 3 falsifiable hypotheses<br>- design a simple test to check each of them<br>- pick one test that could be conducted by observing your users<br>- conduct the test<br><br>Submit:<br>- GQM, Focus and L1 Metrics breakdown.<br>- Report on the hypothesis-testing activities<br>- Access link to the dashboard.<br>Assignment 9: Running an A/B test<br>Compose an A/B test:<br>- Design a change in your product<br>- Hypothesis: Clearly state what you expect to improve as the result of the change.<br>- Parameter and Variants: Describe both A and B variants (and other if you have more).<br>- Intended sample size.<br>- OEC: Determine the target metric to run the experiment against.<br><br>Then do one of the two options:<br>Option 1: Conduct the A/B test using a remote control and A/B testing tool (Firebase, Optimizely or like)<br><br>Option 2: Do the statistical math yourself<br>Conduct an A/B test and collect data.<br>Do the math manually using the standard Student T-test.<br><br>Submit a PDF with:<br>- the A/B test description <br>- report on how the experiment went.<br>- either screenshots from the tool or math calculations. || 1
  
 
|}
 
|}
  +
==== Section 4 ====
  +
 
=== Final assessment ===
  
=== Final assessment ===
 
'''Section 1'''
  
'''Section 1'''
  +
# For the final assessment, students have to prepare a full project of marketing and sales promotion of their IT product and present it on the exam. The project should contain the next parts:
−
# Grading criteria for the final project presentation:
  
  +
# The idea of your product/service.
−
# Problem: short clear statement on what you are solving, and why it’s important.
  
  +
# Define your market.
−
# User: should be a specific user, can start from generic and then show how you narrowed it.
  
  +
# Analise what type of market.
−
# Solution: how do you target the problem, what were the initial assumptions/hypotheses
  
  +
# Target segment, who should we talk to?
−
# Elicitation process: interviews, how many people, what questions you asked, what you learnt.
  
  +
# What is your main message(s)?
  +
# What should we do to achieve the addressable market?
  +
# Brand promotion, knowledge, interest, coverage, sales etc.
  +
# Media design.
  +
# How should we say it? Creative strategy&content.
  +
# Channel (media) strategy.
  +
# How do we reach them? Evidence on a real case.
  +
# Budget.
  +
# Money for promotion.
  +
# How to close deals. Evidence on a real case.
  +
# Measurement.
  +
# How we control the result. Evidence on a real case.
 
'''Section 2'''
  
'''Section 2'''
  +
−
# Arriving at MVP: how you chose features, describe prototyping and learning from it, when did you launch, and how it went.
  
−
# Team and development process: how it evolved, what were the challenges, what fixes you made to keep progressing.
  
−
# Product demo: make it clear what your current product progress is.
  
 
'''Section 3'''
  
'''Section 3'''
  +
−
# Hypothesis-driven development: how did you verify value and understandability of your product, what were the main hypotheses you had to check through MVP.
  
  +
'''Section 4'''
−
# Measuring product: what metrics you chose, why, what funnels did you set for yourself, and what was the baseline for your MVP.
  
  +
−
# Experimentation: What usability tests and experiments you conducted, what did you learn, how did it affect your funnels and metrics.
  
   
 
=== The retake exam ===
  
=== The retake exam ===
 
'''Section 1'''
  
'''Section 1'''
  +
−
# For the retake, students have to implement a product and follow the guidelines of the course. The complexity of the product can be reduced, if it is one person working on it. The grading criteria for each section are the same as for the final project presentation. There has to be a meeting before the retake itself to plan and agree on the product ideas, and to answer questions.
  
 
'''Section 2'''
  
'''Section 2'''
   
 
'''Section 3'''
  
'''Section 3'''
  +
  +
'''Section 4'''

Revision as of 16:03, 9 November 2022

Business Development, Sales and Marketing in IT Industry

  • Course name: Business Development, Sales and Marketing in IT Industry
  • Code discipline: S22
  • Subject area: all around marketing and sales in IT industry.

Short Description

and prerequisites This course contains two important for successful company parts: marketing and sales. These are the parts that are linked with each other - it is very difficult to sell without marketing support and it is very difficult to achieve results with marketing efforts only. Marketing part, starting from defining things like developing marketing strategy for the companies, finally offers practical tools of digital marketing. We will explore new digital reality and its impact on IT business. We will learn success stories of real businesses and how companies are adapting to the new changing landscape. The second part of the course covers important things for every company's success – the sales process. Understand how to attract customers in negotiations, how to “get to yes” getting great deals, how to control the sales funnel – you will get the understanding how it works and try it in practice.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite subjects

  • HSS310

Prerequisite topics

  • Basic IT industry knowledge
  • Basic marketing knowledge

Course Topics

Course Sections and Topics
Section Topics within the section
Marketing Strategy
  1. Types of markets
  2. Product-centric marketing
  3. Customer-centric marketing
  4. Developing Marketing Strategy
Marketing tools
  1. Brand&Presentation
  2. Analytics
  3. Content
  4. SMM
  5. Context advertising
  6. E-mail marketing
Sales
  1. CRM systems
  2. B2B
  3. B2C
  4. Negotiations
Final Project Presentation
  1. Presentation of marketing&sales strategy and tactics for startup

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

What is the main purpose of this course?

This course aims to give students the skills of developing a winning marketing strategy for a startup, as well as the skills to implement marketing strategy using real digital-marketing tools and sales tactics for a startup product.

ILOs defined at three levels

Level 1: What concepts should a student know/remember/explain?

By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...

  • Develop right marketing strategy for its type of market
  • Develop naming, presentation, and product offer
  • Use digital marketing tools
  • Use CRM
  • Sell its product

Level 2: What basic practical skills should a student be able to perform?

By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...

  • Skills of market type identification
  • Skills in developing naming, presentations, product offerings
  • Skills of context advertising
  • Skills of SMM doing
  • Skills of content marketing
  • Skills of e-mail marketing

Level 3: What complex comprehensive skills should a student be able to apply in real-life scenarios?

By the end of the course, the students should be able to ...

  • Skills for valuation the market environment
  • Skills how to find the right addressable market for its product
  • Skills of web analytics
  • Skills of CRM using
  • Sales skills to various types of clients

Grading

Course grading range

Grade Range Description of performance
A. Excellent 90-100 Pass
B. Good 75-89 Pass
C. Satisfactory 60-74 Pass
D. Fail 0-59 Fail

Course activities and grading breakdown

Activity Type Percentage of the overall course grade
Seminar classes 40
Interim performance assessment on the results of lecture assignments and its presentations 30
Final presentation 30

Recommendations for students on how to succeed in the course

The student is recommended the following scheme of preparation for classes:
Marketing and sales are much more about hypothesis testing and math, than creativity. Therefore, it is so important for students to try the acquired knowledge in real practice, doing small tasks after each lecture.
Finally, we will try to assemble a working strategy for a startup from these tasks.
Moreover:
Participation is important. Showing up is the key to success in this course.
Reading the recommended literature is optional, and will give you a deeper understanding of the material.

Resources, literature and reference materials

Open access resources

  • Андрей Кравченко. Неидеальная стратегия для идеальной компании.
  • Peter Fader. Customer Centricity.

Closed access resources

  • Viktor Pelevin. Empire V.
  • W. Chan Kim, Renee Mauborgne. Blue Ocean Strategy.
  • Eric ries. Lean startup.
  • Simon Kingsnorth. Digital Marketing Strategy.
  • Chet Holmes. The Ultimate Sales Machine.

Software and tools used within the course

  • Standard office tools for Tables, Text and Presentation

Teaching Methodology: Methods, techniques, & activities

Activities and Teaching Methods

Teaching and Learning Methods within each section
Teaching Techniques Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4
Problem-based learning (students learn by solving open-ended problems without a strictly-defined solution) 1 1 1 1
Project-based learning (students work on a project) 1 1 1 1
Business game (learn by playing a game that incorporates the principles of the material covered within the course). 1 1 1 1
Task-based learning 1 1 1 1
Activities within each section
Learning Activities Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Section 4
Lectures 1 1 1 0
Interactive Lectures 1 1 1 0
Lab exercises 1 1 1 0
Cases studies 1 1 1 0
Individual Projects 1 1 1 1
Peer Review 1 1 1 1
Discussions 1 1 1 1
Presentations by students 1 1 1 1
Written reports 1 1 1 1
Simulations and role-plays 1 1 1 1
Experiments 0 1 1 0
Group projects 0 0 0 1

Formative Assessment and Course Activities

Ongoing performance assessment

Section 1

Activity Type Content Is Graded?
after lecture assignments Define target audience and describe type of market for your product. 1
after lecture assignments Make 3 cusdev with potential/existing customers of your product. 1
after lecture assignments Develop your marketing strategy and present it in-class. 1

Section 2

Activity Type Content Is Graded?
after lecture assignments Write a marketing article about your product or technology in the informational style manner. 1
after lecture assignments Create a landing page for your product and connect it to Yandex Metrica or Google Analytics. 1
after lecture assignments Create a semantic core for your product and determine the current positions on your landing page. Determine key marketing metrics, including conversion rate, on your landing page. 1

Section 3

Activity Type Content Is Graded?
after lecture assignments Create the sales funnel of your product and present it in-class. 1
after lecture assignments Create the budget for your marketing and sales activities and approve it with management. 1
in-class exercise “Sell me the pen” exercise. 1

Section 4

Final assessment

Section 1

  1. For the final assessment, students have to prepare a full project of marketing and sales promotion of their IT product and present it on the exam. The project should contain the next parts:
  2. The idea of your product/service.
  3. Define your market.
  4. Analise what type of market.
  5. Target segment, who should we talk to?
  6. What is your main message(s)?
  7. What should we do to achieve the addressable market?
  8. Brand promotion, knowledge, interest, coverage, sales etc.
  9. Media design.
  10. How should we say it? Creative strategy&content.
  11. Channel (media) strategy.
  12. How do we reach them? Evidence on a real case.
  13. Budget.
  14. Money for promotion.
  15. How to close deals. Evidence on a real case.
  16. Measurement.
  17. How we control the result. Evidence on a real case.

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4


The retake exam

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Retrieved from "https://eduwiki.innopolis.university/index.php?title=IU:TestPage&oldid=7742"