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Published rubric
The Certified Product Leader 360 credential is earned by submitting a portfolio that meets the six competency pillars below. Each pillar is scored at one of three performance levels by a PLA reviewer. This rubric is the same one reviewers use.
Emerging
Baseline competency
Proficient
Meets the bar
Certified Product Leader 360™ is a private credential issued by Product Leader Academy. It is not accredited by any government, university, or industry-recognized accrediting body (including but not limited to AIPMM, PMI, or any university certification). Employers and third parties evaluating this credential should treat it as evidence of portfolio-based coursework, not as an accredited qualification.
Complete the PLA free curriculum to at least 80% profile completion.
Submit one portfolio artifact per pillar (six total) through your PLA account.
A PLA reviewer scores each pillar at Emerging, Proficient, or Advanced against the criteria on this page.
To pass, you need Proficient or higher on at least 5 of 6 pillars, with no pillar below the Emerging bar.
Pay the $399 credential issuance fee. Your credential is issued with a public verification URL.
Reviewers return a written scorecard. If any pillar falls below the bar, you receive targeted resubmission guidance and one free re-review within 60 days.
Each pillar requires one portfolio artifact and is scored independently against three performance levels.
Pillar 01
Required artifact
A written product strategy brief (2–4 pages) for a real or candidate product, covering problem, target segment, business model, and three strategic bets.
Emerging
Strategy names the segment and the business model, but bets are generic or untied to segment evidence.
Proficient
Strategy ties each bet to a specific segment insight and a measurable business outcome within 2–4 quarters.
Pillar 02
Required artifact
Discovery write-up: 5+ interview synthesis notes, an opportunity tree, and an opportunity-size model with stated assumptions.
Emerging
Interviews are documented but synthesis is thin; size model uses industry numbers without local assumptions.
Proficient
Opportunity tree links user problems to product bets; size model has 3+ stated, falsifiable assumptions.
Pillar 03
Required artifact
A shipped (or staged) feature with PRD, acceptance criteria, launch plan, and a post-launch retro.
Emerging
PRD and acceptance criteria are complete but retro is descriptive, not decision-oriented.
Proficient
Retro names at least one process change adopted by the team and one scope/scoping lesson with next-time behavior.
Pillar 04
Required artifact
One analytics or experiment case: chosen metric tree, instrumentation plan, and a reading, not just a result.
Emerging
Metric tree is present; reading is 'it went up/down' without causal discussion.
Proficient
Reading addresses sample size, segment heterogeneity, and at least one alternative explanation.
Pillar 05
Required artifact
Funnel or retention case: current funnel with numbers, one diagnosis, and one intervention plan with expected effect and success threshold.
Emerging
Funnel is mapped but diagnosis is a best-practice list, not a ranked bet.
Proficient
Diagnosis is a ranked set of hypotheses with a clearly chosen first test and stop-criterion.
Pillar 06
Required artifact
An executive communication artifact (memo, deck, or decision doc) written for a real or simulated stakeholder.
Emerging
Artifact communicates the decision but buries the ask or decision request.
Proficient
Artifact leads with the decision requested, supports it with the top-3 pieces of evidence, and names the trade-off.
Each issued credential gets a public verification URL at /verify/<code>. Employers open that URL directly from a resume or LinkedIn to confirm the credential is active, who it was issued to, and when.
Revoked credentials display a revocation notice. Credentials are not transferable.
Start with the free curriculum. You can submit your portfolio whenever you're ready.
