Today, I like to talk about how important it is to be an excellent testr.
I believe Software Testing is the most stereotyped, mislead and judged discipline in Software industry. I’ve talked to (or argued with) many different people (PMs, Devs, Tests, Managers, and Executives in software industry) about software testing, and I found out that people have many different opinions about Software Testing. Of course, people have their own perspectives about software but I think there is more to it than people’s perspectives.
We need help them understand that software testing is not simple. Good domain/product knowledge does not guarantee better testing results. It is generally good thing but it can easily put testers in a box of assumptions. Fresh eyes and different perspectives could lead better testing results in some projects. Test automation does not guarantee better testing either. ROI of test automation is sometimes very ambiguous. Furthermore, testers are often confused with software development coding patterns or practices when they write testing codes. There are some overlapping coding and design practices between test automation and production code, but there are quite of differences (purposes, the fact that automation code is never used by our user, and etc.) There are dozens of different yet equally valuable testing strategies. Not only you cannot apply all of those strategies in every project, but also choosing the right testing strategy is hard. Metrics around software testing is very complex as well. Various main factors in a project (resources, timeline, budget, business goal, feature, and etc.) are keep changing and testing metrics seems going up and down randomly. Testing process also does not guarantee better testing result. Poor testing most likely remains poor whether it was done in Agile process or water fall process. And testers need to clearly understand the value of different process provides.
So basically what it boils down to is YOU. Testing results are determined by your testing ability, your thinking process, your strategy, your execution, your dedication and your learning.
We need help them understand that software testing is not simple. Good domain/product knowledge does not guarantee better testing results. It is generally good thing but it can easily put testers in a box of assumptions. Fresh eyes and different perspectives could lead better testing results in some projects. Test automation does not guarantee better testing either. ROI of test automation is sometimes very ambiguous. Furthermore, testers are often confused with software development coding patterns or practices when they write testing codes. There are some overlapping coding and design practices between test automation and production code, but there are quite of differences (purposes, the fact that automation code is never used by our user, and etc.) There are dozens of different yet equally valuable testing strategies. Not only you cannot apply all of those strategies in every project, but also choosing the right testing strategy is hard. Metrics around software testing is very complex as well. Various main factors in a project (resources, timeline, budget, business goal, feature, and etc.) are keep changing and testing metrics seems going up and down randomly. Testing process also does not guarantee better testing result. Poor testing most likely remains poor whether it was done in Agile process or water fall process. And testers need to clearly understand the value of different process provides.
So basically what it boils down to is YOU. Testing results are determined by your testing ability, your thinking process, your strategy, your execution, your dedication and your learning.
Let’s step a little further. Do you think a tester can accelerate software development process? (I stole a story from one of GTAC speakers here.) Do you remember the time we had 5.25 inch floppy disk? And 3.5 inch disk? I don’t think there were much of technical evolution moving from 5.25 inch to 3.5 inch disk. But there were much more on protection added by having thick plastic covers. I think excellent testers can help project team deliver 3.5 inch disk product when they come up with 5.25 inch disk product. Software testing should not be passive or submissive work. Can you challenge your architect? Can you challenge development team? I also believe software testing should be proactive. You can save 3-4 hot fixes. Software testing is fun and rewarding if you believe software testing is the most cognitive and intellectual activities you’ve ever done in your life.
Happy Holidays
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