Ing. David Havíř, Ph.D.
Market Research
From Lean Canvas assumptions to a validated research report
You're building a venture on a stack of assumptions. Research is how you turn those assumptions into answers — and better assumptions — one loop at a time. This course walks through the full research process: from deciding whether research is even worth doing, through planning, recruiting and running sessions without bias, to analysing data and writing a report that reduces the risk that you know absolutely nothing, or think you know something but actually don't.
How the Semester Runs
13 weeks, from your first focus group to your final research report.
Weeks 1–3 · Kickoff & Foundations
Sign up for a focus group slot in week 1, then two lectures on research essentials, methods and tools.
Weeks 4–5 · Planning Workshop
What to research, why, and how — a lecture followed by team sessions building your own research plan.
Weeks 6–10 · Feedback Sessions
Register for consultation slots to review your research plans, data collection tools, pilot results and report drafts.
Weeks 11–13 · Independent Work
Continue independently, with three research reports (desk, exploratory, validation) due at the end of the semester.
Final Exam
Team-based research project on a randomly assigned topic — plan and report submitted the same day.
Deliverables & Assessment
Desk Research
Plan + ReportSecondary research — competition analysis, market trend analysis, industry reports, academic journals, literature review, customer reviews, social media monitoring.
- Due: Wednesday, 10 December 2025, 23:59
Exploratory Research
Plan + ReportPrimary qualitative research to understand the problem in depth — interviews, focus groups, observation, ethnographic research.
- Due: Wednesday, 10 December 2025, 23:59
Validation / Testing Research
Plan + ReportPrimary quantitative research to confirm assumptions at scale — surveys, data analytics, usability testing, A/B testing.
- Due: Wednesday, 10 December 2025, 23:59
Final Exam
Team projectMeet at 8:00 AM at the Market Research Laboratory, where research topics are randomly assigned. You're free to decide where and how to work afterwards — no need to stay at the faculty all day, and no presence is required at the end.
- 11:30 AM–12:30 PM: optional slot for a quick review of your research plan
- By end of day: submit a Research Plan and a Research Report
- Each exam term has unlimited capacity but runs only with at least 25 registered students
- Teams with fewer than five members are welcome to join another team
Semester Checklist
The key milestones from week 1 to the final exam. Check them off as you go through the semester.
Resources & Templates
Downloadable, print-ready worksheets to run your research as a team — the same templates used in the workshops.
Design & Research Templates
27 one-page templates covering the full Double Diamond — from problem framing to interview scripts and prioritization.
"What to Research" Workshop Templates
The 6 worksheets used in the weeks 4–5 workshop, from prioritization through to your own research plan.