InfoQ has opened enrollment for the first cohort of the InfoQ Certified High-Performing Teams Program, a five-week live online program facilitated by InfoQ Java Editor and InfoQ Podcast co-host Olimpiu Pop. The cohort runs from November 17 to December 17, 2026, with sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM CET. Enrollment costs $1,470.
The program examines how engineering team structure, delivery flow, ownership, AI-enabled work, and metrics affect one another. Participants develop a target operating model for an engineering team across the five weeks.
- The first week covers team design and the structural, cultural, and process choices associated with teams that deliver effectively. Participants examine delivery bottlenecks and compare alternative team and workflow patterns.
- Week two focuses on flow, ownership, and self-sustaining delivery, including dependencies on individuals or external groups and the changes to responsibilities, infrastructure, or processes that may be needed.
- The third week examines the introduction of AI agents into software delivery. Its scope includes which work can be delegated, where human judgment remains necessary, and what additional controls or artifacts may be required.
- Week four covers engineering metrics when AI shifts delivery bottlenecks. Participants compare measurement frameworks and metric anti-patterns, including which measures remain useful information as output increases.
- The final week addresses responsible AI and brings the previous topics together in the team operating model. It covers the ethical and environmental implications of AI-enabled delivery, followed by each group’s capstone presentation.
The program is conducted with a small cohort of senior engineers and architects from other companies. Participants use selected QCon talks and technical material as the starting point for each week, then examine how the same team-design decisions change across different systems, organizations, and constraints.
Each week includes four hours of live work, split across two sessions, and a time-boxed exercise applying the material to a current team, delivery, or operating-model decision. Participants return to the cohort with what changed, what held up, and what required adaptation.
Olimpiu Pop has worked in software architecture, engineering management, and technology leadership for 20 years, including roles as Solutions Architect, Engineering Manager, and Chief Technology Officer. Alongside his work as an InfoQ Java Editor, he co-hosts the InfoQ Podcast.
Sessions are not recorded, allowing participants to discuss current organizational challenges in a private and confidential setting. Participants can continue discussions through a private Slack channel and access session materials through a shared Google Drive folder. The InfoQ certification is awarded based on consistent attendance, active participation in the live sessions, and successful completion of the group capstone project.
Further details, including the complete syllabus and participation requirements, are available on the InfoQ Certified High-Performing Teams Program page.