More context for team-design decisions without obvious answers

No. Sessions are not recorded. This is a deliberate choice to keep all conversations private and confidential, so that participants feel safe sharing real challenges, ongoing decisions, and truthful perspectives from their organizations.

Participants are expected to attend at least 4 of the 5 weeks. Consistent attendance is one of the criteria for receiving your InfoQ certification.

If you do need to miss a session:

• Connect with your peers through the private Slack channel to catch up on key discussions.
• Review the session materials and slides shared in the Google Drive folder.
• Complete the homework assignment for that week.
• Post any questions in Slack — your facilitator, peers and the InfoQ team will be available to help.

You can contact us for any payment questions at payments@qconferences.com .

We accept PayPal and major credit cards. A payment charged to your credit card or PayPal account is processed directly by us in the funds stated on the website.

The Terms of Participation can be found at https://certification.qconferences.com/terms-conditions .

Registration fees are not refundable.

Yes, we've developed a template you can use to explain to your manager how you can benefit from the cohort participation.

Yes, in-person cohorts are offered at select QCon conferences, such as QCon London and QCon San Francisco.

You can opt to pay by invoice during the registration process by selecting the "Do You Want to Pay Later by Invoice?" checkbox.

Your invoice reflects the ticket price in effect at the time your payment is due. Invoices are generally due 30 days from the date the order is submitted, or 7 days before the event start date—whichever comes first. To ensure all funds are cleared, the "Pay by Invoice" option will be disabled 14 days prior to each event (subject to change without notice). All invoices must be paid in full no later than 7 days before the event begins.

Please note that only participants who have paid in full will be admitted or receive access credentials. Credit card or PayPal payment is required if you are registering after the invoice deadline or prefer immediate confirmation. Once processed, a receipt marked "Paid" will be emailed to you for your records.

Our Privacy Policy details how we collect, use, and protect your data. You can find it at https://www.infoq.com/privacy-policy .

Yes. The program is open to freelancers and the self-employed. When registering, simply enter your trading name or "Independent" in the Company Details section.

The program is a collaborative initiative between InfoQ and QCon, both of which are practitioner-driven brands owned by C4Media Inc.

InfoQ is a practitioner-driven community news site focused on facilitating the spread of knowledge and innovation in professional software development.

We do not offer scholarships or complimentary seats for the InfoQ Certification at this time. Should this change for future cohorts, we will announce it via our official channels.

We are dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive experience for everyone. Our Code of Conduct can be found at https://certification.qconferences.com/code-conduct .

Participants who registered for the online cohorts will receive an email with detailed instructions on how to join the sessions during the week prior to the start of the cohort.

To ensure an optimal experience, you will need:

• A stable internet connection: High-speed access for video conferencing.
• Zoom: The latest version of the Zoom desktop client.
• Slack: Access to our private workspace for peer networking and coordination.
• A laptop or desktop: While mobile devices are supported, a computer is highly recommended for collaborative work and session participation.

The program runs for five weeks, with two 2-hour live sessions each week — four live hours a week — plus independent work between sessions and a group Capstone project.

Yes, alumni enrolling in a second Certification program receive a $147 discount. To claim your alumni code, please email certification@qconferences.com when ready to register for your second program.

Plan for four live hours each week, split across two 2-hour sessions, plus a time-boxed exercise between sessions.

No. It is for experienced technical people who influence how engineering work gets done. That includes engineering managers, but also Staff and Principal Engineers, architects, technical leads, and senior engineers.

The talks and frameworks are starting points. Most of the live work is spent applying them to current team decisions, comparing trade-offs, and seeing how the same problem changes under different constraints.

Because team design is context-dependent. A framework can look sensible until it meets your architecture, incentives, team boundaries, delivery model, and organizational constraints.

The cohort gives you reference points from people working elsewhere, plus five weeks to apply the thinking and bring the result back into the discussion.

Across the five weeks, your working group develops a target operating model for an engineering team, including how roles, responsibilities, flow, metrics, and AI-enabled work should evolve. In Week 5, the group presents its work to the cohort. Selected capstones may be developed for publication on InfoQ where the current program rules allow.

The syllabus covers team design and high-performing traits; flow, ownership, and self-sustaining delivery; delivering with AI teammates; metrics when output is no longer the bottleneck; and responsible AI and the team operating model.

Each week you apply the material to a current team, delivery, or operating-model challenge and bring the result back to the cohort.

Certification is awarded based on two factors: consistent attendance and active participation in the live sessions, and the successful completion of the group Capstone project.

Certification is awarded based on active participation in the cohort and completion of the capstone assessment in Week 5.

Experienced engineering managers, senior engineers, Staff and Principal Engineers, architects, technical leads, and engineering leaders who influence how teams are structured and how software is delivered.