Should you get a PM certification? Product management courses, certificates, and bootcamps all promise to boost your career. Some cost $2,000 or more.
Let me give you the honest truth about whether they're worth your money—and what actually moves the needle in PM careers.
The Landscape of PM Certifications
Let's start by mapping what's out there:
Professional Certifications
- •Pragmatic Institute: Long-running, well-known in B2B/enterprise circles
- •AIPMM (Association of International Product Marketing and Management): Various certification levels
- •Product School: Bootcamps and certificates
- •General Assembly: Intensive programs
Online Courses
- •Reforge: Deep-dive cohort programs on specific topics (growth, retention, etc.)
- •Maven: Various PM courses from industry practitioners
- •Coursera/edX: University-affiliated PM courses
- •Self-paced platforms: Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, etc.
Bootcamps
- •Product School: In-person and online bootcamps
- •General Assembly: Intensive PM programs
- •Various others: Ranging from weeks to months
Prices range from free (Coursera audits) to $5,000+ (intensive bootcamps).
The Honest Value Assessment
Let me be direct: certifications matter far less than most people think.
I've hired many PMs over the years. I've never hired someone because of a certification, and I've never rejected someone for lacking one.
Here's what actually matters in hiring:
- •Relevant experience (even if not in PM title)
- •Demonstrated skills (through interview performance, portfolio, or side projects)
- •Cultural fit and soft skills
- •Domain knowledge for the specific product area
- •Strong referrals and recommendations
Certifications might be tiebreakers in rare cases. They're not the differentiator the marketing materials suggest.
When Certifications Might Be Worth It
That said, there are situations where investing in structured learning makes sense:
You're Completely New to PM
If you're transitioning from an unrelated field and need foundational knowledge, a well-structured course can help. You'll learn frameworks, vocabulary, and mental models that would take longer to pick up through osmosis.
But: Free resources can cover most of this too. You're paying for structure, not unique content.
Your Company Will Pay For It
If your employer offers a learning budget, certifications become much more attractive. You're not spending your own money, and completion might open internal opportunities.
You Want Specific Skill Development
Programs like Reforge are valuable not for the certificate but for the deep content on specific topics (growth, retention, strategy). If you have a skill gap in a specific area, targeted programs can accelerate learning.
You Benefit From External Structure
Some people learn better with deadlines, cohorts, and assignments. If you won't self-study effectively, the structure of a paid program might be worth it.
When Certifications Are Probably Not Worth It
You Already Have PM Experience
If you've been a PM for a few years, certifications add almost nothing to your resume. Your experience speaks louder than any certificate.
You're Spending Your Own Money While Job Searching
That $2,000 could pay for a lot of networking events, professional resume help, or simply extend your runway while searching. The ROI on certifications for job seekers is usually negative.
You're Doing It to Check a Box
"I got certified so I must be ready for PM" is backwards thinking. The certificate doesn't make you ready; developing the skills makes you ready.
The Job Postings Don't Mention Them
Look at PM job postings. How many list specific certifications as requirements? Almost none. That tells you what hiring managers actually value.
What Actually Moves the Needle
If you're going to invest money in your PM career, here's where I'd prioritize:
Free/Low Cost Resources
- •Lenny's Newsletter: Best PM content on the internet, free weekly newsletter
- •Product podcasts: Lenny's Podcast, This is Product Management, etc.
- •Company blogs: How Stripe/Airbnb/Figma think about product
- •YouTube: Hours of PM interview prep, frameworks, and case studies
- •Books: Inspired, The Mom Test, Continuous Discovery Habits, Empowered
Higher ROI Paid Investments
- •Reforge (if you have specific skill gaps and the budget): The content is genuinely excellent
- •Interview coaching (if you're struggling with PM interviews): Targeted help on your weak spots
- •Resume/portfolio review (one-time cost): Professional feedback can improve conversion
- •Networking events and conferences (when done strategically): Real relationships matter more than certificates
Time Investments
- •Building side projects: Demonstrates skills better than any certificate
- •Writing about PM publicly: Shows thinking, builds credibility
- •Networking with PMs at target companies: Referrals beat credentials
- •Practicing interviews: Skills improve with reps
The Uncomfortable Truth
Certifications exist because there's money in them. Companies profit from PM certification anxiety.
The PM career path is legitimately unclear, and that creates demand for anything that feels like a defined path. Certifications fill that need—but they fill an emotional need more than a practical one.
The skills that make you a good PM—customer empathy, prioritization, communication, execution—are developed through practice, not coursework.
If You Do Pursue Certification
If you decide a certification or course makes sense for your situation:
Pick Based on Content, Not Credential
Which program will actually teach you useful things? Read reviews, look at curricula, and talk to alumni. The certificate itself is basically worthless; the learning is what matters.
Choose Practitioner-Led Programs
The best PM education comes from people currently doing the work. Academics and career educators often teach theory that doesn't match reality.
Have Realistic Expectations
A certification won't get you a job. It might help you prepare for interviews. It might help you do the job better once you have it. But it's not a shortcut.
Expense It If You Can
Seriously, let your company pay. Most employers have professional development budgets. Use them.
My Recommendation
For most people, here's what I'd suggest:
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Start with free resources. There's an enormous amount of high-quality PM content available for free. Consume it.
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Focus on demonstrable skills. Build something. Write publicly. Do PM-adjacent work. These signal capability better than certificates.
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Invest in networking. A coffee chat with a PM at your target company is worth more than any certificate.
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Consider Reforge if you have budget and specific skill gaps. Their content is genuinely excellent, though expensive.
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Skip generic PM certificates. They don't move the needle and the money is better spent elsewhere.
The best PMs I know didn't get there through certifications. They got there through doing the work, learning from experience, and developing their craft over time.
That path is slower and less tidy than "complete program, receive certificate." But it's the path that actually works.