Transcript
Welcome to Iconoclast Insights – the podcast for everyone who refuses to wait for best practices while everything around them changes.
I am Andre Daus, and today we're tackling a question that keeps popping up on LinkedIn – and lingers unspoken in meeting rooms across corporations and people alike:
What matters more – a certificate or the ability to solve real problems?
I want to explore with you when certificates actually help – and when they become obstacles. And how to make pragmatism visible in a world that prefers to judge by badges.
Why Do We Trust Certificates?
Certificates provide security.
For you – but especially for others.
When we don't know someone, we look for shortcuts to build trust. And that's exactly what certificates are: mental shortcuts for decision-makers.
Certificates help when you need:
- Comparability
- Formal requirements
- External validation – "We have certified experts"
- Clear, known problems solvable by the book
In all these cases, certificates are like maps. They show known routes. They prevent mistakes. And they help you avoid starting from zero every single day.
But here's the thing: maps only work when you know where you're going – and when the terrain hasn't changed since the map was drawn.
But What Happens When the Map Becomes Useless?
Let me give you an example. Imagine, You want to go to the moon.
Who do you hire? Someone with an "Advanced Moon Landing" certificate? Or someone who can say:
"I've never done this before – but I know how to work with the unknown."
Many of today's problems aren't complicated – they're complex.
Here's the crucial difference:
Complicated: Many parts, but predictable. Like repairing a watch. There's an instruction manual. A certificate helps. If you need to repair an Omega, you go to an Omega certified expert -- not necessarily to a Rolex expert.
Complex: Many interactions, unpredictable. Like changing company culture. No fixed approach exists. Certificates become irrelevant.
Certificates help when you know where you're going and how to get there. But with complex problems, you need someone who can improvise. Someone who can observe, decide, and adapt. You need a pragmatist.
Think about it this way: When NASA wanted to reach the moon, they couldn't choose from astronauts who'd done it before. They had to find people who could think systematically under pressure, who could transfer knowledge from one domain to another, who could make pragmatic decisions when there was no playbook.
The Visibility Problem
So far, so good -- Now here's the real dilemma:
Pragmatists are often invisible.
Their results speak for themselves – but only if you know where to look.
They rarely have certificates because they were busy doing the work – not sitting in certification classes.
And pragmatists are terrible at self-promotion. They say things like:
- "I just got it done."
- "It wasn't that complicated."
- "I saw the problem and solved it."
I’ve seen them -- That’s what they say.
At the same time, others are already building their third slide deck with methodology names and framework citations.
Result: Decision-makers see the medals – not the real solutions.
This creates a perverse incentive structure. The people who can actually solve novel problems remain in the shadows, while those with the shiniest credentials get the opportunities.
What You Can Actually Do About It
If you're a pragmatist yourself – or a decision-maker – here are some concrete things you can do:
For Pragmatists:
First, tell your stories. Not with "I was the hero," but with: "Here's what the problem looked like – here's what I did – here's the impact."
Speak in outcomes, not methods. Don't say "I implemented the SCRUM framework." Say "I helped a team deliver three months faster by changing how they communicated."
Show your thinking process, not just your toolbox. People need to understand how you approach the unknown.
For Decision-Makers:
Ask about real problems: "Tell me about a time you had to work with complete uncertainty."
Look at context, not just résumé. The person who thrived in chaos at a startup might be exactly what your stagnant corporate division needs.
Ask the crucial question: "What do you do when there's no manual?"
Most importantly, learn to distinguish between complicated and complex problems. A complicated problem needs expertise. A complex problem needs wisdom.
Here's a practical framework: If you can write a detailed specification upfront, you probably have a complicated problem – hire the certified expert. If you find yourself saying "we'll figure it out as we go," you have a complex problem – find the pragmatist.
The Real Challenge: Recognition
But let's be brutally honest about something. Even if you're the most effective pragmatist in the world, you face a fundamental challenge: How does someone who doesn't know you find you when they have an urgent problem?
The harsh truth is they usually won't. They'll go with the certified option because it feels safer, more defensible.
This isn't stupidity – it's human nature. When you're under pressure and don't have perfect information, you choose what appears to minimize risk.
The pragmatist's dilemma is that their greatest value – the ability to navigate uncharted territory – is also their biggest marketing problem. You can't show a portfolio of problems you've never encountered before.
Or, as Thomas Schelling. Nobel price-winning economist once said: „One thing a person cannot do, no matter how rigorous his analysis or heroic his imagination, is to draw up a list of things that would never occur to him.“
Building Pragmatic Visibility
So how do you solve this?
You don't compete on credentials – you compete on clarity of thinking.
Share how you approach problems, not just what problems you've solved. Write about uncertainty, decision-making under pressure, learning from failure.
Position yourself not as "another consultant with tools" but as "the person you call when the situation is messy and something still needs to happen."
Create trust through transparent thinking. Say openly: "I don't know the answer yet – but I know how to find it with you."
This approach won't appeal to everyone. It will scare away people who want guaranteed outcomes and detailed project plans. That's actually good – those aren't your clients anyway.
Conclusion: Attitude Over Evidence
I'm not making a case against certificates here. They can be important.
But I am making a case for intelligent decision-making, and critical thinking.
And that means recognizing when you need the certified watchmaker – and when you need someone who can lead through the fog without knowing where the path is, but with the firm determination to find one.
In a world that's becoming less predictable by the day, we need more of the latter.
The future belongs to people who can think, not just follow instructions. Who can adapt, not just apply. Who can create solutions, not just implement them.
Stop hiding behind other people's frameworks. Start trusting your own judgment.
Closing
That was Iconoclast Insights.
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with people who trust certificates – or with those who refuse to hide behind badges anymore.
Until next time. And remember: Not everything that glitters is certified – and not everything that works is visible.
