A certification proves you’ve passed a test

Certifications show test-passing ability but don’t prove real-world product skills. Experience, judgement, and stakeholder influence matter more for true competence.

Published on 3 May 2025

Written by Martin Hinshelwood

1 minute read

https://nkdagility.com/resources/5fShT9wNqFg

A certification proves you’ve passed a test. It does not mean you can define a product vision, align stakeholders, or make tough trade-offs.

Hiring managers often use certifications as a filter, and while they serve as a minimum competency bar, they don’t guarantee expertise. I’ve met certified POs who struggle to influence stakeholders and uncertified POs who run circles around them.

Real competence comes from experience—making strategic product decisions, balancing customer needs with business goals, and driving incremental value. It’s about having the judgment to say no, not just prioritising whatever stakeholders demand.

That said, assessments like PSPO I and PSPO II can be useful for self-evaluation. If nothing else, they expose gaps in your knowledge. But if you’re relying on them as proof of capability, you’re missing the bigger picture.

What’s your take? Should hiring managers weigh experience over certification, or is there still value in the credential?

Also published on: LinkedIn

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