Digital Product Discovery and Strategy
This microdegree helps you align user needs, business opportunities and personal strengths to build validated, competitive digital products with a clear strategic foundation. You'll learn how to combine customer research, problem validation, and business modeling into a coherent strategy that meets real market needs and drives business value.
Gain the tools and mindset to turn real user problems into market-ready product strategies.
Practical info
Course Date
Capacity
15 ECTS (390 academic hours, of which 72 in classroom and 318 individual work)
Lecturers
Language
English
Method
In class
Prerequisites
- Completed bachelor's or applied higher education degree
- At least three years of professional experience in business or entrepreneurship
- EU/EEA/Swiss citizenship or a valid temporary residence permit allowing study in Estonia
- English language proficiency at B2 level
- Consultation with an EBS advisor before 15 August (register for the video consultation here)
Location
EBS University, A.Lauteri 3, Tallinn
Price
A Product Strategy That Creates Value — for the Market, the Customer, and the Business
If your core question is “what is actually worth building and does it have real market potential?”, then this program is the right choice. You will learn how to systematically assess the viability of ideas, understand the market and users, and connect these insights with a business model. The focus is on strategy, prioritisation, and reducing risk before making significant investments.
You will explore how product operations may streamline also the strategising of digital public services and how AI-enabled innovation can be ethically integrated into public infrastructure to improve citizen experiences.
At the heart of the programme is the strategic development of a product idea before committing to development. This master’s-level microdegree integrates self-awareness, validation of real user needs, and evaluation of business viability to support well-founded and aligned product decisions. Participants develop a differentiated value proposition, conduct market and competitive analysis, and synthesise the results into a clear product strategy.
The final project results in a strategic document that evaluates the product’s fit both in the market and within the organisation’s overall strategy.
Who is Digital Product Discovery and Strategy intended for?
This microdegree is for professionals in product development and innovation who want to strengthen their strategic thinking and digital product management skills. It is intended for advanced learners and assumes prior experience with business processes.
Ideal participants include product managers, project leads, service designers, business development and innovation managers, and marketing or segment managers involved in launching new products or services.
The program is also valuable for small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to validate their ideas and turn them into market-ready solutions.
The curriculum is registered in the Estonian Education Information System (curriculum code 261921)
Explore the microdegree
The master’s level microdegree programme runs from 4 September to 16 October 2026.
Lectures and seminars take place over nine training days: every other week on Fridays and Saturdays, and on two Thursdays. Each training day runs from 10:00 to 17:15. The schedule includes a 45-minute lunch break and several short breaks.
Exact dates: 04.09, 05.09, 17.09 (Thu), 18.09, 19.09, 01.10 (Thu), 02.10, 03.10, 16.10.2026.
In-class discussion and direct interaction add depth to the learning experience and help build valuable connections, but the lectures are also recorded.
The microdegree is worth 15 ECTS credits. The total workload is 390 hours, of which 72 hours are contact teaching and the remainder is independent study.
We value in-person learning and peer interaction, so all sessions are held on campus.
Topics Covered
The success of digital products depends less on execution and more on solving the right problems. This microdegree focuses on making informed decisions in uncertain environments.
You will learn to understand user needs, assess business value, and systematically validate ideas before investing in development. The programme covers product strategy, value proposition design, and experimentation methods that reduce risk and increase impact.
In digital product development, it’s essential to both choose the right problems and execute well — build the right thing and build the thing right. This microdegree provides a strategic framework and tools to make clear choices with limited resources, focusing on what is worth building.
What will you learn?
- Defining user problems and hypotheses – distinguishing assumptions from facts and framing testable problems
- Product strategy and value proposition – aligning user needs with business impact
- Pre-development validation – using MVPs, tests, and experiments to reduce risk
- Data-driven decision-making – leveraging qualitative and quantitative inputs
- Prioritisation and impact assessment – making choices with limited resources and measuring value
This microdegree is suited for specialists and leaders responsible for product, service, or portfolio direction who want to strengthen their strategic decision-making.
Digital Product Management Self-Discovery and Leadership – 12 contact hours, 92 hours of independent study – 3 ECTS
You will develop a clear understanding of the responsibilities of a digital product manager and assess your own competencies in relation to this role. Using a structured framework, you will map your skills and development needs across the product lifecycle and create a personal development plan. The module also introduces early-stage opportunity analysis, enabling you to recognize potential product ideas before solution design begins.
Lecturer: Anna-Liisa Reinson and some guests (TBA)
Research, Market Analysis, Problem Validation and Strategic Positioning – 36 contact hours, 120 hours of independent study – 6 ECTS
You will learn to transform an initial product idea into a validated business concept through structured customer research and business modeling. The course applies frameworks such as Jobs-to-be-Done, Lean Canvas, and Business Model Patterns to help you map user needs, validate problem-solution fit, and develop an initial business plan. You will explore desirability, feasibility, and viability, and formulate the strategic foundations for product development.
Lecturer: Mart Kikas, Anna-Liisa Reinson
Capstone I: Digital product strategy – 24 contact hours, 106 hours of independent study – 5 ECTS
The final course brings together the competencies gained throughout the micro-degree to develop a coherent product strategy and a realistic business plan grounded in validated customer needs and market insights.
You will prepare for a simulated executive-level presentation where you will defend your product vision, roadmap, and go-to-market plan. The emphasis is on strategic reasoning, risk awareness, and aligning the product with broader business goals. You will be challenged to justify your decisions using data and position your product within a competitive landscape.
Lecturers: Marko Rillo, Mart Kikas, Anna-Liisa Reinson
Entry requirements
This programme is open to external participants who are not EBS master’s students or alumni.
Entry requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification.
- At least 3 years of work experience in business or entrepreneurship
- EU/EEA/Swiss citizenship or a valid temporary residence permit allowing study in Estonia.
- English at B2 level
- Completed consultation with EBS before August 15 2026
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the microdegree, the learner will be able to:
- identifies and evaluates their personal development needs as a digital product manager;
- applies quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze products, markets, competitors, and users in order to inform strategic decision-making;
- develops a comprehensive digital product strategy.
Programme Completion Requirements
To complete the microdegree, learners must pass all courses with at least a grade of E (51–60%).
Assesment criteria
Assessment is course-based, with differentiated grading based on practical tasks and learning outcomes of each course (tests, self-reflections, final papers e.t.c)
Certificates Awarded
Graduates of the programme will receive a microdegree certificate with ECTS credits and practical skills
Learning Enviroment
The courses takes place at EBS’s modern campus in Tallinn, A. Lauteri 3. Students have access to ergonomic classrooms, the EBS library, and the cloud-based Canvas learning platform. The study process is supported by online tools such as Canvas and MS Teams. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the building.
View intro video of the programme
The discussion explores:
- Why understanding the “Why” must always come before the “What” or “How”.
- How to differentiate between what users say they want and what they actually need.
- The systematic steps to validate business ideas before burning valuable development resources.
- How to conduct a personal competency analysis to intentionally grow your leadership skills.
- Who this microdegree is designed for and how it fills a critical gap in the technology landscape.
Certificate
A micro-degree certificate with ECTS credits, which can be counted toward an EBS master’s programme
EBS SUPPORT SERVICES
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No bachelor’s degree or looking for a more hands-on approach? Explore course Digital Product Development and Prototyping.
