Every person at our firm will earn an Anthropic Certification with Claude this quarter. Developers, architects, consultants, executives and operations professionals – all of us.
This is a large commitment – and one I thought bears some explanation. It speaks to how we are approaching AI – and the next era of technology.
Over the past year+, we have been actively experimenting with AI tools. Alongside that, we have built a series of policies, practices, and guardrails to govern how we will use this technology responsibly. We will soon begin to accelerate: to use AI to transform not just how we deliver services, but how we manage the firm internally.
As we start this next phase, we want to be certain every person with access to this technology is a skilled operator. I would point to three broader themes behind why we see certification as a key part of this:
A Time of Seismic Changes in the Technology Landscape
Claims about the timing and severity of the “SaaS-pocalypse” are often premature and overheated. But what is undeniable is that we are entering a new era of technology. AI tools, particularly Anthropic’s Claude, are reshaping the technology landscape. Routine tasks are being automated, deeper analysis is now readily available, code review is more comprehensive, and how we use and interact with data has opened new frontiers of possibility.
A career in this industry has always been a continuous, gradual evolution, punctuated by moments of sudden, seismic change. This is one of those moments of seismic change, and it requires we match that momentum.
Certification provides us with a clear mile-marker as to our progress. It ensures global adoption but also a baseline of knowledge – a core competency.
Demonstrate, Validate Our Capability
These tools are now broadly accessible. That accessibility creates a host of new problems. Proposals augmented by AI can be produced with little effort, which means the barrier to appearing capable has dropped even as the standard for genuine capability has not.
We often say that certification does not make you good at your job. It does, however, reflect a level of rigor, discipline, and commitment to being good at it. We regard it as a threshold we must clear to use these tools in good faith on behalf of our clients.
Technical certification is one way we demonstrate that we have done the work and cleared a bar of professional competency.
Ensuring Responsible Use
We have discussed at great length the risks associated with AI, including the potential for environmental damage and social and economic disruption. These risks are real, and it would be dishonest to minimize them. AI represents a largely unregulated industry and technology – a situation unlikely to change at the federal level for some time.
An absence of regulatory structure further reinforces our individual responsibility.. Responsible use will be guided by our values and backstopped by firm policies. But ultimately it will be the individual skill and judgement of each member of our team that ensures we are using this technology responsibly day-in-day-out.
Earning more than fifty certifications at a firm our size provides no guarantees; no credential does. What it does provide is a team of skilled operators of these tools, a clear-eyed awareness of the associated risks, and the capability to build policies and practices that genuinely reflect our values.
What’s Next
We recognize that our clients are watching closely how firms like Craftsman approach this moment, and appropriately so. Certification is not an endpoint; it is a mile-marker and one that we believe provides a visible and verifiable sign that we are building the competency to use this technology both effectively and responsibly.
From here, we will expand and accelerate our use of AI. In the months ahead, we will rebuild many aspects of our service delivery, strengthen our existing data and security policies, and continue communicating openly with clients to ensure these tools help us remain an outstanding technology partner in this new era.
About Anthropic’s Claude Certifications
On June 3, 2026, Anthropic introduced services tracks and a new partner hub for the Claude Partner Network. The Claude Partner Academy rolled out 4 partner certifications: Claude Certified Associate, Claude Certified Developer (Foundations), Claude Certified Architect (Foundations) and Claude Certified Architect (Professionals).
The first of the set – Claude Certified Associate – is for “consultants, sellers and delivery leads who guide customers toward the right Claude use cases and set engagements up for success.” We see the “Associate” as also having the requisite skill – core competency – for every member of our team. Our Technical Consultants and other key roles are continuing on to Certified Developer and Architect.