| Academy

Instructor Certification

Three cert tracks teach students how PhotoRobot is operated, managed, and integrated. This track teaches the next layer: how to teach those tracks. Who delivers them, who sets the curriculum, who keeps the content current.

Who this is for

PhotoRobot Academy is delivered by Certified Instructors (CIs) — people who have demonstrated both the subject-matter expertise and the teaching skills to walk a student through a cert track end-to-end. Currently this is PhotoRobot internal staff (Founder, Operations Director, CTO, Head of Software Development, Lead Instructor US Studios, Field Specialist North America). The external CI program will open when the internal program is proven.

This track has two tiers:

Both tiers are documented here for transparency — students benefit from knowing the program is governed, not improvised.

Why this exists

Three reasons.

For PhotoRobot students: the cert track you take is the same content regardless of which instructor delivers it. The CI program enforces that consistency. Without it, two students taking “Operator Standard” with different instructors could leave with substantially different skill levels.

For PhotoRobot’s all-star team: instructor expertise is part of the company’s competitive advantage. The Founder built the technology. The Operations Director runs the studio operations. The CTO designed the hardware. The Head of Software Development built CAPP. Each is a domain expert who has accumulated decades of unwritten knowledge. The CI program turns that knowledge into a transferable credential — and creates a path for future hires to grow into it.

For external partners: PhotoRobot has talented operators, integrators, and consultants worldwide. As the customer base grows beyond what internal staff can cover, the CI program is the mechanism to grow the delivery capacity without compromising quality. External CI enrollment is not yet open — it opens after internal CI program completes its first refresh cycle (~2 years from initial bootstrap).

What CI certification covers

The CI cert track has 4 modules + a practical observation. All 4 modules are LIVE in v0.33.0:

CI01 — PhotoRobot Academy Curriculum Architecture (90 min)

How the Academy is structured. Modular content (modules → packages → cert tracks). Self-updating curriculum principle (link to manuals, don’t duplicate). Quiz pool structure (knowledge check / cert exam / refresh exam). Student progression paths. Phase A vs Phase B infrastructure. When and how to update content, CHANGELOG discipline.

CI02 — Adult Learning + Delivery Methods (75 min)

Adult learning principles (relevance, hands-on, self-direction). Online vs in-person delivery trade-offs. The “live demo” discipline (textbook covers concept; demo cements it). Reading the room. Handling questions. Student archetypes (over-confident, under-confident, skeptical, distracted).

CI03 — PhotoRobot Studio Hands-On Confidence (90 min)

Standing in front of CAPP + Control Units + cameras + lights as the room watches. Live demo flow practice (workspace creation, capture, edit, export). Recovering from a failed demo gracefully. Equipment failure protocol mid-session.

CI04 — Assessment + Feedback (60 min)

Reading the knowledge check results (which questions were missed, what does that signal). Practical observation — what to watch for when student operates CAPP. Coaching vs grading mindset. Documenting session outcomes for Course Director review.

Practical observation

The CI candidate delivers one session to real students. The Course Director (or designated senior CI) observes — in person or via session recording. Pass/fail based on:

CI cert exam

Course Director (CD) — internal governance

The Course Director tier is not an exam-based cert. It’s an appointed role based on demonstrated sustained content contribution + delivery experience + business judgment.

Current population: 1 person (Kamil Hrbáček, Founder & CEO). Possibly 1 deputy when needed.

CD responsibilities:

Selection criteria (when adding a CD beyond Kamil):

CD certification is not commercially priced. It’s an internal governance role.

Pricing

Dual model:

If you are an external operator, integrator, or studio manager interested in becoming a CI: complete your student-facing cert track first (Operator Standard, Studio Manager Essentials, or Integrator Essentials), then contact PhotoRobot sales. We’ll notify external candidates when the program opens.

How this benefits students (not just instructors)

Publishing the instructor cert path serves regular students too — even those who’ll never apply for it. Three benefits:

  1. Transparency — students see that the cert track is governed, not improvised. Knowing a Course Director maintains content quality + reviews instructor performance is a quality signal.

  2. Path visibility — a student who completes their cert track and develops mastery can see the next step: become a CI, teach the track to others. The career path is visible from day 1.

  3. Talent pipeline — exceptional students who become CIs are visible to PhotoRobot. The instructor program is one of the recruitment surfaces for the all-star team. If you’re considering PhotoRobot as a career platform, the CI path is one of the ways in.

Current status (v0.33.0)

Sources + references

For questions or external CI program updates, contact PhotoRobot sales at sales@photorobot.com.