Confession: I’ve never traveled using a travel agency. I am not speaking from experience, only with an imagination filled with ideas of what working with a travel agent might be like. Feel free to correct me on any points that don’t feel fair or true. I’m happy to update my article wherever it makes sense. 

In my current organization, I’m a solo tester. Thankfully, I have the privilege of knowing lots of other testers.

From the Ministry of Testing to the Automation Guild and the Women in Testing Slack Channel, I’ve met testers virtually around the world. Many of us are feeling similar feelings. Technology has changed in the last two years. Nearly 3 years ago, when I was looking for a QA role, learning and using AI as a normal part of my workflow wasn’t even on my radar. Now, it’s on everyone’s mind. Should we adopt it? How should we adopt it? Am I killing the planet when I use it, or at the very least, destroying someone’s neighborhood? Will I still have a job in a few years? Am I valid? Do I bring value? What can I do that AI can’t? What can AI do that could replace me? So many questions. All valid. All necessary.

Then there are questions beyond AI. Questions about career choices, where to go, who to become, and what role a person should take in this new landscape? Do I stay in tech? Do I dive deeper where I am? What if what I want isn’t defined in the job listings? What are my options? Do I have a say in where I’m going?

All of it is overwhelming, for sure. And, while I won’t offer advice that will fit exactly what you need where you are, I do wonder if there is a mindset that we could adopt that is very suited for where we are. A mindset we turn on when we’re staring at a piece of functionality without a scrap of acceptance criteria.

The mindset of an Explorer.

Travel Agents need itineraries. Explorers only need a direction.

Some of the best stories begin merely on a hunch and a map. In The Hobbit, all Bilbo needed was a tale sung by new companions, the promise of treasure, and a map that outlined the general areas. In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, the map revealed itself as they moved throughout the game. Many times, in our careers and in life, we only get bits and pieces, inklings of an idea, a thought, or a next step. The feeling of “Maybe I could do ….” These are the next steps that could lead to something unexpected, good or bad. One experience builds on the next, and the traveler gets the chance to learn and grow from what they’ve gone through.

Travel Agents need everything to go as planned. Explorers learn, listen, and course correct.

When I quit my office job to find a remote role, I thought that was my only goal. I landed a job a few months later and planned to settle in. Instead, over time, I felt worse and worse about my decision. I didn’t understand it. I got a remote job. Wasn’t that the point? But my body wouldn’t let me settle in (perhaps another blog post?), and I woke up feeling terrible every day. Eventually, I was able to identify some valid reasons for leaving, and I chose to job search elsewhere. Yes, getting a remote role was the plan, but the adventure required that I keep looking and learning. An explorer learns to read the signs around them, when it’s time to stay, when to leave, and when to change direction entirely. Being willing to learn and listen to these signs. If you’re off the right path and you can feel it in your soul, that doesn’t mean you’ve done something wrong; it means that you just need to change course. There is no reason to make yourself feel better when you are headed in the wrong direction. Change course, and you’ll probably feel far more at ease.

Travel Agents are on a timeline. Explorers are on a mission.

I am terrible at time-boxing exploratory testing. When I choose to explore something, it could be an hour or a day! Depends on the functionality for sure. But, if my mission is to expose functionality that might not be up to standard, then I put away all my test plans. I look at it and try to view it as someone who’s never seen it before. I’m asking several questions at once. Yes, can I break it, and how (rage-click anyone?), but also, does what I’m seeing make sense? The titles, colors. Is it accessible (hopefully we’ve addressed this question earlier in the process)? What happens if I click the buttons in this order? Like a child, I start to play and see what happens. As I explore, much is revealed. I document my findings and take them back to my team.

Explorers fully expect the unexpected. They are willing to keep their eyes out for things that frighten, things that inspire, people and places who will provide help for the journey, and roads that seem to stretch on forever. They know that to find what they need, the only way to discover it is to walk the path and see what happens. As they discover, they can document their findings and bring them back for the good of the community.

Travel agents want specific clientele. Explorers partner with anyone willing to take the journey.

As a QA, I know I can’t do my job alone. And, in the testing community, so many of us come from a variety of backgrounds. We cannot judge ourselves or anyone else for what we are capable of. We can only hold our lamps up a little higher so that the others around us can see where to step. It only makes sense that if we get anywhere, we need to get there together.

I finished a book this week that I really didn’t care for. But one quote stood out to me as I consider the Explorer mindset.

Let go of what your life is supposed to look like. None of us was promised a specific path. Explore. Discover. Document. Tell us what you find.

I’m looking forward to joining you on the journey.

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Written with the ❄️ Echoes of Winter | The First Signs of Light 🕯️playing in the background

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about values since my last attempt to write down who I am as a tester. I did listen to the Brené Brown podcast. I went through the exercise, and I was really surprised by my findings.

In short, Brené says we really only have two core values, and all other values stem from those. I decided to test that theory and see if that thinking fits for me as well. I read through the list, paying attention to the words that tugged on my insides. Some words, I was surprised, didn’t move me at all. There was one word that I had a gut reaction to: “Yeah, no, I don’t want that one”. Authenticity. If there is any word that is overused, it is authenticity. It’s annoying mostly because the people who use it, mostly, don’t seem to be acting very authentic. I did not linger on that word.

One word did stand out. Time. I hadn’t thought of time as a value, but it rang my bell. I listened. Time. Isn’t that the thing none of us feel like we have? That we are constantly running out of? If I think of time, initially, I think of the lack of it in my life. And, the more I sat with this word, I thought of how when I take the time, I make better decisions, I’m able to ask better questions. I feel healthier overall when I slow down, or even stop, let everything go, and trust that I have enough time. When I embrace the time I have, I’m a better human being. When I give of my time and use it wisely, slowing down to answer a question, allowing for real and useful thoughts to bubble up to the surface, I have more to give. Time is my friend. It was the first value that rang true.

I continued perusing through this list. Dang it, it was authenticity that kept coming up for me. But I didn’t want that to be my value. Instead, I decided to take advantage of the little box at the end of the list. I didn’t like the word authenticity. Maybe I could find a close cousin?

I did some thesauras-ing and found the word genuine. This, too, rang clear for me. When I am not genuine, I am not myself. I will tell you when I’m well and when I’m not. You’ll know when I’m nervous, happy, grumpy, or unsure. Thankfully, I’ve learned that I can still be scared and do something brave, though I’ll go ahead and tell you that I’m nervous about what I’m about to do. If I can’t do something, I’ll tell you. I live by the maxim of disappoint now and surprise later. I don’t like over-committing and under-delivering. And, if I can’t be honest about how things are going, in my work, or in a relationship, that’s not a good sign. Either something needs to be fixed, or I’ll need to figure out how to walk away. And, in a world with AI, where everything is increasingly questionable, I think it’s important to be the person who speaks the truth, even if it goes against what someone is hoping to hear. That doesn’t mean I’m not a hopeful person, but I’m not going to gloss over something that isn’t going to be helpful. Thank goodness for the Thesaurus. Genuine works.

So, with two core values picked, what does that mean in terms of my career? Let’s try to summarize.

Core Values

Time:

As a QA Engineer, I take the time to assess the state of an application or functionality, with the necessary tools at my disposal, to provide an accurate and actionable snapshot of its current state, and how it can move forward.

As a communicator, I will take the time necessary to speak in ways that uplift the team, helping to identify gaps or missteps, and operate out of curiosity to help unearth and pinpoint better ways of working together for the health and good of the business.

Genuine:

As a QA Engineer, I will provide true and extensive information to the best of my current understanding and depth of knowledge. If asked a question, I will find the answer. If I don’t know, I will say so. If I can’t find the answer, I will reach out for help. When assessing the application or functionality, I will provide reports that are clear and understandable. I will offer feedback that is genuine and expect the same in return.

As a communicator, psychological safety is key to discussing issues and struggles that prevent the team from thriving. Refusing to blame, being willing to speak up and own mistakes, and assessing weaknesses without judgment are things I choose to practice to create an environment that benefits everyone.

This is who I am as a tester. There is plenty of room for growth. I will make mistakes. And, there will be successes. I believe that leaning on these values will get me where I need to go.

Where that is, I have no idea.

I’m excited to find out.

Till next time…

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Written with the In the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take playing in the background

It was lovely looking back over 2025. It’s been a tragic and beautiful year. And, surprisingly, many of the events I cherished had to do with being a part of the testing community.

In 2025 I:

• Wrote my first article for the Ministry of Testing

• Spent time with Joe Colantonio talking about Building a Career in QA

• Helped initiate and facilitate the Women in Testing Newsletter

• Co-hosted This Week in Quality for the first time!

• Submitted my first talk to Automation Guild 2026 (and got accepted!)

Those were the highlights. There were a thousand celebrations and sorrows along the way, but we made it.

In 2025, my themes were:

• Stop: Being half-hearted

• Continue: Bringing things together

• Start: Get in the driver’s seat

I think I did that. I risked. It was scary. In the end, I looked back, and I was proud of myself. I’d accomplished things I’d never done before. We’ll see where those decisions take me.

Looking to the year ahead, I love using Mel Robbins’ Best Year Ever format. Yeah, it takes a solid morning to complete, but it’s the best 2 hours spent: scrolling through my year, laughing, crying, evaluating what’s working (and what’s not), and considering what makes sense to continue in the coming year. I can’t do everything, nor do I want to. If I can narrow my focus and stick to my themes, I think I’ll be okay.

My themes set for 2026:

• Stop: Taking on what I don’t need to

• Start: Showing Up

• Continue: Creating everyday magic

Let’s break this down a little bit further…

Stop: Taking on what I don’t need to

I’m in an interesting season in life. This means I need to be really thoughtful about what I do accept. I tend to take on too much. Going into this year, I think I need to be really careful about what I say “yes” to. I believe it’s important to follow through. I’d rather under-commit and over-produce.

Start: Showing Up

There are some things that I’ve always wanted to do that I’ve never done. It’s time to stop looking longingly and heaving deep sighs about what I want and just do it. I need to show up if I want to do what’s been on my mind.

Continue: Creating everyday magic

This has nothing to do with testing, but one thing I loved seeing on my camera roll are the number of times I just chose to enjoy an event. Whether it was a plateful of breakfast or ice cream in a mug, if it was something I wanted to do, I went for it. Did not regret any of it. This year, I want to continue acting on those feelings, and hopefully, I can spread that magic beyond just myself. Things are possible. They really are. Even when everything feels scary or we feel weird, we can do what sounds fun or makes sense and see what happens. I want to take that spirit into 2026.

And, the goals?

Yeah, I have goals. But, I have a personal philosophy not to share goals publicly until they are complete. If I really want to share them, then I can talk about them when I’m finished. It’s a great way to add the incentive at the end, and it pushes me to get the thing done, dang it. That way, it’s not on my mind anymore.

I can’t promise that this will be our best year ever. But, I can say that I’ll be here, as much as I’m able, sharing what I know. Lord knows what will happen, but we can get through it together.

Get your snacks ready.

Welcome to 2026. ☕️ 

Till next time…

P.S. Okay, I broke my rule a little bit. While working through STEC, I did make a couple of SMART goals. I added those as a memory over at MoT. Feel free to check it out.

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with it could all be so simple playing in the background. 

In module 3, we learn the value a good tester brings to the table. Good testers are curious, empathetic, able to ask questions, able to have a variety of conversations with all kinds of teammates, and to make the invisible become visible in a variety of ways.

Key Takeaways

In Lesson 1: What makes a good tester? Jenna Charlton and Beren Van Daele recommend the following

• make a brag book or a book of bugs

• Use the Star Framework

In Lesson 4: Receiving and Giving Feedback, Jesse Berkeley advised starting a feedback journal.

In thinking about this idea, I created my own online Brag Book/Feedback Journal. I hope to keep all my findings to help catalogue feedback and important accomplishments I’ve achieved along the way.
https://github.com/jmosley5/feedback-journal/

Another tool to use to get our thinking caps in a different mindset is The Six Thinking Hats. Use the colors to identify which mindset you need to take on at the moment.

🤍 white: What facts do we need to know?
💛 yellow: What are the positives, values, and benefits?
🖤 black: What are the problems and risks?
❤️ red: What do you feel about the situation?
💚 green: What are the possibilities?
💙 blue: How can we ensure guidelines are followed?

And, if I were going to add one… 🤠 
💜 purple: What would we like to see happen that doesn’t seem to be an option right now?

Activities

The Goldilocks Hueristic:

Find software and apply the Goldilocks heuristic to create three testcases:

Coffee Cart:

• Less than: The cart page should tell the user that their cart is empty

• Just right: A user can see when one coffee is added to their cart

• More than: A user can see when they’ve added 20 different cups of coffee to their cart

My full answer is availabe in the MoT Club: https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/how-do-you-apply-the-one-zero-many-heuristic/80832/6?u=jmosley5

Mnemonic portfolio:

Either trigger or recall an error message in software. Apply the mnemonic based on the information you have available and capture it for your portfolio.

Using the Sauce Demo website, we will assess the login page.

Example:

As a user who is locked out, what information can I gather when attempting to log in?

• Functional: Do we detect errors automatically? Can users report errors?

  • After attempting to log in, I can see by the error message that I’m locked out. There is no way to report being locked out, or any next steps given.

• Appropriate: Are errors reported instantly, to the right audience? Do we have false errors?

  • The error is reported instantly, and to the right audience. If I attempt to log in with a valid username and password, I do not receive the same message. Logging in as a user that is locked out, I see the correct message.

• Impact: Does it fail as soon as possible? Is the user flow blocked? What do users lose?

  • The user does not have any way to access an alternative route. The question becomes, if a user is logged out, what are their options to gain access? Do we want them to gain access? Why or why not.

• Log: Are logs accessible, detailed, searchable and understandable by us?

  • Looking in the network calls, the logs don’t give any reason why the locked_out_user is locked out. Just the error message that they don’t have acess.

• User Interface (UI): Is the error message understandable by users?

  • Yes.

• Recovery: Does the message help users recover from the error? Can they contact support?

  • No

• Emotions: What does a user feel when an error occurs? Does the error message ease or worsen that pain?

  • Without the option to contact support, a user can do little else. This is a simplified example, for sure, but it’s a reminder that if someone finds themselves on the other side of a blocker, we need to figure out what is the best way to get them on the right track.

Oracle Activity:

Activity: Those are just a few examples of where you can take oracles from. Why not spend some time researching them for yourself as well as considering what oracles you use in making everyday decisions? Thinking about thinking is always a good way to grow your awareness. When done, don’t forget to update your portfolio.

What Oracles do I use in making everyday decisions?

• The weather: to figure out how to dress every day

• Written test cases: when I’m working to create automated test cases. I want an automated test case to mimic the written test case so that the person reading it has a mirrored example to follow

• Bug reports: When a user reports a bug, and it’s a verified bug, I use that bug report to create a written test case, and then a related automated test case to increase coverage (if it’s not too much of an edge case)

And, finally, building your Tester Skills Plan. I’ve learned a lot in my journey so far, but I'm thinking learning how to make the invisible, visible is the theme that’s been coming up for me the most. It’s time to start talking about what makes up the work that I do, and tell it in a way that matters to the receiver.

Till next time:

Written with this floating dark fantasy castle only exists in your dreams. playing in the background

A winter night, in a dimly lit room, and a cup of tea can put one in my mood. It’s January, a time to reflect. I watch the stillness of the trees and feel the birds absense. I am intentionally slow and only adding goals as they come to me. They are brand new, barely hatched. I want to give them time to become whatever they need to be.

Who knows what we’ll face in 2026. I’d rather not burden myself with unrealistic expectations.

Nothing prevents me from stewing on old post ideas. The post-its are gathered around my desk. Scanning the options, I find one that is appropriate to contemplate, while the baby goals are still developing.

One question: Who am I, as a tester?

For context, Scott Kenyon shared this question in the form of an existential crisis on episode 112 of This Week in Quality. He faced a situation where someone questioned his ability, and it knocked him off his feet a little. And, I’ve been pondering that question for a while.

I could provide a list of my experiences, the places I’ve worked, and the tools I work with. But that doesn’t tell you who I am as a tester. Not really. It demonstrates what I know. It does not outline how I operate.

I’ve heard that it’s best to start with your values. When we define our values, all other decisions will flow through those filters. Make a decision that goes against your values, and you can feel it, even if no one else sees it. Brene Brown offers a values clarification exercise that is worthwhile walking through.

Let’s do it together, shall we?

Define your values…well, not right now.

Actually, you know what? I’m going to leave this article unfinished. I can tell that I won’t be able to finish it tonight. I’ve already seen Brené’s book “Strong Ground,” and I’m intrigued to hear the podcast episode.

So, here’s an assignment for both of us: Listen to Brené Brown’s first podcast episode for Strong Ground and work through the values clarification exercise.

I’ll come back next week and report my findings.

That’s what I love about January. It’s the perfect time to follow your curiosity, wherever it leads.

Till next time…

Written with the smell of old books, reading, writing and studying (a dark academia playlist) playing in the background

This is the second time I’m revisiting resources I’ve shared over the year. So many good reflections and insights. It’s also a reminder of new connections I’ve made this year! Excellent articles written by incredibly professional people who make me grateful I’m a part of this community.

Here are some of my favorites:

1. Verbal Processing: Why You ‘Think Out Loud’ And 5 Tips to Support You by Sam Dylan Finch

   1. Are you an internal processor or an external processor?

2. The System of a Button by Patrick Prill

   1. What may seem simple is, in fact, very complex

3. Oops! We Automated Bullshit. | Department of Computer Science and Technology by Alan Blackwell

   1. One of the greatest risks is not that chatbots will become super-intelligent, but that they will generate text that is super-persuasive without being intelligent,

   2. as Frankfurt observes, “Bullshit is unavoidable whenever circumstances require someone to talk without knowing what he is talking about”

   3. Graeber revealed that over 30% of British workers believe their own job contributes nothing of any value to society. These are people who spend their lives writing pointless reports, relaying messages from one person to another, or listening to complaints they can do nothing about. Every part of their job could easily be done by ChatGPT.

4. Herding Squirrels Ep 05 w Jessica Mosley hosted by Brandon Wetzstein

   1. "Your team isn't expecting Tony Robbins or Lee Iacocca or something like that. They're expecting you." - Jessica Mosley

5. Empathy in FinTech Testing: The Human Element Behind Every Transaction by Ujjwal Kumar Singh

   1. Excellent article about testing for the user experience. Love the idea of having "In their shoes" testing sessions

6. The Testing Trap: When Narratives Become Strategy by Brijesh DEB

   1. When automation becomes the goal instead of a means to achieve better quality, the focus shifts. The question is no longer "Are we building the right thing?" but "How fast can we test what we already assume is right?"

   2. "The automation was fast but superficial. The tool struggled with dynamic content. Test data dependencies caused false positives. The team had automated everything they could, but not everything they should. They were measuring success in terms of coverage rather than effectiveness."

   3. "The assumption became that if the tool can handle it, there is no need to question it. But good testing has never been about just doing. It has always been about thinking. When tools replace thought instead of enabling it, we trade insight for illusion."

7. Crawl, Walk, Run? by Hanisha Arora

   1. You skip the “walk” part entirely. Because walking is boring. Walking means building things properly, documenting them, setting up feedback loops, and—god forbid—maintenance.

   2. In product, running isn’t just velocity — it’s repeatable velocity without chaos.

   3. You learn in loops. Not sprints.

8. Testability Is About People, Not Just Code by Maria Kedemo

   1. Testability is how easy it is for a specific person to test a specific product in a specific context.

   2. When testability is low, it doesn’t just slow down releases or make bug-hunting harder. It drains energy. It discourages curiosity. It not only undermines confidence in the product but may also create a dangerous illusion of reliability.

9. The Importance of Trust in Software Testing and AI with Host Joe Colantonio and Damian Synadinos

   1. Excellent discussion about trust and AI.

10. Software migration: Pain vs Risk by Leon Adato

    1. Final spoiler: We wait for something to explode. We wait for a system we know is unstable to experience a surface-of-the-sun hot nuclear melt down. Because at that point, all the hurdles and bullshit clear away. The executives who were so picky before are now screaming bloody murder. They’ll do ANYTHING, agree to ANYTHING, to make sure that EXACT PRECISE problem never happens again, Then and only then can a tool be adopted quickly.

11. Suddenly, a wild tester appeared! A developer’s guide to caring for software testers by Olly Fairhall

    1. Testers will often challenge you and your thinking. They’re not being “difficult” for the fun of it. Okay, maybe a little bit for the fun of it. But it’s all part of the job, possibly in their DNA, and it’s all in aid of creating something better together. They truly don’t do it with the intention of annoying anyone.

    2. There’s a good chance they’re underappreciated and undervalued, often literally getting paid less than everyone else, regardless of how hard they work.

🍌 Honorable Mention: I tried out Nano Banana. What do you think of my new haircut?

Till next time…

Written with Judy’s 2025 Recap Playlist playing in the background.

STEC Deep Dives are extended reflections on portions of the Ministry of Testing’s Software Testing Essentials Certificate. If you’d like to know about STEC and how it can boost your career, you can learn more at the Ministry of Testing.

In lesson 1 of Module 2, Melissa Fisher and Cassandra Leung take us through an important conversation about the value that Junior Testers bring to any organization. Many times, organizations want seasoned testers who have been in the game for many years. What they could be missing out on are people who bring fresh eyes and new ideas to the organization.

One point that Melissa and Cassandra touched on is how being the new person gives you the opportunity to see the application you will be testing from a different vantage point.

This is a practice that I recommend when taking on a new position, even as a seasoned tester, and something I practice myself! Consider this your guide to testing an application as a new hire!

Why test now?

You, being so new, have so much to learn. Taking on the task of testing an application (or several) entirely will do several things.

First, you’ll learn about the current state of the application. You’ll discover its strengths and weaknesses, and this can be a great way to determine which parts of the application you could automate first to build confidence when releasing new or updated features.

Second, you’ll be able to spot things that other people, after years of being in the same organization, gloss over. Functionality that feels the same ole, same ole to everyone else will be brand new to you. Your reflections will be fresh, and your reactions will be more deeply felt. Really, you are the equivalent of a brand-new user introduced to the system. Being able to provide feedback like that is a gift!

Finally, you will learn so much. You’ll learn the application at a deep level, and you’ll learn more about the people who built it, either past or present. As you take a deep dive into the functionality, you’ll find yourself asking lots of different questions from lots of different people. This will help you discover who they are and how they like to communicate. It’s a chance that can’t be replicated after being there for a few years. Take advantage of the opportunity!

Outline the plan:

As a new person on the job, you’ll be reporting to your supervisor and outlining how to best spend your time when it comes to learning the application you will be testing daily. Make the suggestion that you’d like to spend dedicated time learning the application. If there are several applications to test, ask which ones would be best tested in terms of priority. You don’t have to test everything right away. However, there may be a particular piece that your supervisor would like your feedback on sooner rather than later.

Gather Your Tools:

If you prefer writing test cases, figure out where you will write and track them. Make them accessible so that others can see them. If the company already has test cases written, take what they already have and test the test cases! You’ll be able to see what is valid and what can be removed if it’s no longer viable.

Start making QA documentation when necessary. Are there test cases that require specific files? Are they in a public domain where everyone can use them? As you are testing, keep your eyes open for the needs of your team members. Where are they struggling when it comes to testing the application? Being able to fill these gaps quickly brings immense value and removes frustration when people know where they need to go to do their job.

Discuss the best place to ask questions:

It’s important to let others know ahead of time that you will be asking lots of questions or making a variety of observations. You don’t want to be spamming people or putting questions in a place where a lot of people will feel irritated during the process.

Before testing, find out where the appropriate place is to ask questions. Many times, Product teams are excited about feedback like this and will direct you to a specific chat or channel. Or, identify key stakeholders and ask if they would be willing to give feedback on your questions while testing. Someone will be interested in what you find. If you aren’t sure, you can ask your supervisor who the best person to talk to would be.

Ask, ask, and keep asking:

When you start testing and following workflows as a new user, some things will make sense straight away. Others won’t. Point out, respectfully, what doesn’t make sense. If you notice a bug, before you write it up, ask if what you are seeing is a bug. It could be a “fug”, a feature that wasn’t designed as well as it could have been. If it’s determined to be a bug and you’ve been given the confirmation to write it up, go for it! Most people will celebrate the fact that you found a bug within the first week or two on the job.

An additional guide to asking questions can be found in my article, Wide open spaces: A thought worker's guide to asking good questions.

Be respectful

Don’t ask, “Why was this built like this?” A better response would be, “I’m noticing that this workflow is going in a direction that I didn’t expect. Can someone tell me what the intention was here and what we are hoping the user will experience?” Yeah, it’s a lot more words. But it shows that you aren’t out to embarrass anyone. You are curious about the design and want to know why something was made in that way. Showing respect while asking questions is a great way to build trust as a new hire.

Track your journey

Depending on the size or the number of applications you’ll need to test, you may need to break the application into chunks. Keep documentation on where you are in the process and what you’ve learned so far. You can use whatever documentation your company uses. Be sure to publish your findings in a common space where people can offer feedback.

Provide a Testing summary

In the end, what did you discover? What gaps did you find? How many bugs did you write up? Any feature requests you submitted? Any problems you solved for the team? Create a document you can present to your supervisor that showcases what you learned and how your fresh eyes brought a new perspective to the organization. Brag, brag, brag! You brought value. This is a great way to put your Testing foot forward.

Starting a new job can be daunting. Imposter syndrome can set in. If you embrace your newness, you’ll learn quickly that you have so much to offer. Use those fresh eyes and offer a differing perspective. This is exactly what your team has been waiting for.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with What It Feels Like To Forgive Yourself. playing in the background

So much of what we do as testers, as Jenna Charlton said, is invisible work. When everything goes well, all is well. But what actions can we as testers take to help everything roll out as smoothly as possible?

In Module 2, I learned more about Glue Work and Hueristics, and discovered some valuable resources I want to keep for later.

These are my notes. Is there anything you would add? What have you learned in your journey through STEC? 

Definitions:

• Glue Work: “Glue work: A collection of small, often invisible actions and tasks that generate a lot of team value”

Discussion with Cassaundra Lueng and Melissa Fisher - As a Junior Tester, what kind of reporting works?

• Read this: https://www.ministryoftesting.com/articles/what-is-exploratory-testing-four-simple-words-to-level-up-your-testing-efforts

Important links:

• 99 essential resources to help software testers by Rahul Parwal

• The Club and search for ‘new testers’ and explore the “New to Testing” tag.

Great Quotes:

• Assumptions definition: something we believe to be true without any real proof. - Ady Stokes from Mind the Gap!

Resources on Hueristics:

• What are heuristics? - Software Testing Glossary

• Look at the Test Heuristics Cheat Sheet on the Ministry of Testing

Tasks:

🛠️ Activity: Use the 5Ws and H Framework to Challenge Assumptions

1. Identify an assumption: The City of Madison, Wisconsin, gives me headaches

   1. I recently traveled to Madison, Wisconsin. Before I left, I did not have a headache. While I was there, I had a headache the entire time i was there. Coming home, my headache went away.

2. Challenge your assumptions using thought techniques: Now, use the 5Ws and H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How) framework to think more critically about your assumption:

   1. Who was affected by this assumption, and could thinking from their perspective have helped? I was affected by this assumption, but this assumption could also affect my partner because we are considering moving there. If I make a decision based on my assumption alone, my partner will be affected as well.

   2. What was the assumption you made? Because I felt bad in Madison, I assumed it was the city, since altering my food did not affect how I felt (this typically works)

   3. When did you make this assumption, and did the timing or time pressure affect the outcome? While I was in Madison

   4. Where did this assumption come from (your past experiences, habits, unconscious biases, etc.)? This is my first time being in Madison, so I have no prior experience.

   5. In answering the previous questions, can you determine why you made this assumption? Because I felt fine before traveling and returning home.

   6. How could you prevent this from happening again? What steps could you take to improve your process or thinking?

   (Working through this task brought up this discussion topic that I posted in the MOT club)

⚒️ Assess the following scenarios, map the skills to the tasks, and share tips on how to develop these skills if you can.

• Scenario 1: Investigating a Bug Report

  • Skills/Traits: Inquisitiveness, Critical thinking, Attention to detail, spotting patterns

  • Explanation: When working with incomplete bug reports, it’s easy to be frustrated by what you don’t have: missing steps, cropped screenshots, or vague explanations. Being inquisitive, you can begin with what you do have. What hints are in the existing bug report that you can start from? If there is a screenshot or a video, watch it for tiny actions the user is making that could help you understand what issue they are facing. Can you figure out which browser they are using? Sometimes, even the machine they are using can help you figure out the issue. Windows users are notorious for double-clicking, while Mac users are typically single-click people (this uses your pattern-spotting skill).

  • Tips: Develop a great relationship with your customer experience team. If they see you as an ally, you can ask questions that they can redirect to the client. Get familiar with different user behaviors (like the difference between Mac and Windows users). And, above all else, get curious. If you have the end result (User cannot log in), approach the login page with the result in mind and try to find any way that you can to achieve the same result
    

• Scenario 2: Collaborating on a New Feature

  • Skills/Traits: Analytical Skills, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Adaptability, Communication, Empathy

  • Explanation: Empathy was added as a skill here because when developing a new feature, in my mind, QA can approach the feature from a new user’s perspective. Does the design make sense? The functionality? If I am attempting to complete a task, does the UI give me clear directions on how to achieve what it’s promising that I can do? I can use empathy, analytical skills, and critical thinking when approaching development from this mindset. Then, being able to communicate my thoughts respectfully is crucial. Asking questions when I am confused gives the team a chance to rethink what’s been developed so far. And, I may think I see a better way, but due to time constraints, I may need to let go of what I think would be helpful. This is where adaptability comes in. I work with the team, communicating what seems valuable to me, then agreeing on what’s possible so that we can move forward with development.

  • Tips: When collaborating with others, approach people with the belief that everyone is working hard and wants to do their best work. You are not there to belittle what’s already been done or to merely “poke holes”. You are there to see where potential value might be missed, be willing to communicate that, and help bring to life what the team is working on together.

• Scenario 3: Conducting Exploratory Testing

  • Skills/Traits: Inquisitiveness, Time Management and Organisation, Spotting patterns, Communication, and Attention to detail

  • Explanation: When approaching functionality that hasn’t been tested yet, Exploratory Testing is a great way to approach this. First, gather your tools (this helps with Organisation). Be ready to document your findings as well as write test cases that can track what is working from a pass/fail rate. Know which browsers your development team supports, and try to view as a first-time user. Are the pages responsive? What is the first thing you are tempted to do when you see the page? If you don’t automatically want to follow the happy path, why is that? Be ready to communicate that to your team (communication). Do the elements match up with existing elements in other parts of the application (spotting patterns)? If you know how to break a particular part of the application in one way, can do break it in the new functionality you are testing? Be as inquisitive as possible and be willing to look at with with new eyes, over and over. At some point, though, you will reach a point where you won’t know how to break it. This is good! That means you have reached your limits and you are ready to see how other users could possibly break it (Time Management). Write up your reports and share what test cases you’ve created, which passed, which failed, and how reliable you feel about the application if it were released today.

  • Tips: Get your tools together. Have a test case management system ready. Know how to communicate your findings. Be able to share the number of test cases that are passing or failing. Be willing to “sleep on it” if you’ve spent the day on exploratory testing. Looking at it again with fresh eyes the next day can sometimes provide a whole new perspective, or you might have the ability to spot something you missed the day before because you spent so long looking at it.

• Scenario 4: Prioritising Bugs for a Release

  • Skills/Traits: Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Adaptability

  • Explanation: Not everything will come out as squeaky clean as we like before releasing it to production. This is where trust in the team comes in (collaboration). It is our job to communicate what the current risk of releasing looks like. Having an existing list of issues that the team can work through and determine priority will help foster trust. Leaning on adaptability, the team may make a decision that I am not a fan of. That’s fine as long as the team made the decision. Based on user feedback, the team can come back together and decide which steps to take. Being willing to view functionality from the user’s point of view and determine what is high priority is not only the QA’s job. It’s everyone’s job to decide how they want their work to display for the world.

  • Tips: Communicate the risks. Provide educated information for the team to decide how they want to spend their time, either before or after a release. Then, let things happen. Hopefully, you are not in an environment where the team is the scapegoat. If this happens, be very clear in communicating that you shared your findings with the team and that the decisions made were a team decision. Being able to trust each other and own quality together is what makes a good team great.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with make a dent in the universe — dreamcore sleep music playing in the background

Every day, we rely on a simple bit of code where the results of any deploy hang in the balance:

The data-testid 🎉 

And, while not everyone relies on the data-testid (I’m looking at you, MUI!), most developers and testers find it to be the bedrock of the automated test.

So, what happens if a change is made in a source file, and Cypress tests start to fail? Want to give yourself an extra edge on navigating straight to the file with the broken test(s)?

Introducing: JSDoc Links 🔗 

You can use JSDoc links in any file, and using CMD + click, anyone in the code will be redirected straight to the related test file. ¹

Let’s check it out.

TL;DR: Add a JSDoc link in your source file to link to the related test files.

import React from "react";

/**
 * The following are a set of Cypress tests that rely on the elements in this file. Please check these tests when making changes.
 * (NOTE: Use CMD + Click instead of clicking the "follow link" option.)
 * {@link file://./cypress/e2e/quick-tip/link-it.cy.ts}
 */

const ExampleButton: React.FC = () => (
  <button data-testid="button-example">Click Here</button>
);

export default ExampleButton;

If you haven’t already, install JSDoc in your project.

Determine which test file you want to link back to. What I do is search for the data-testid in the repository and see which files show up.

Once I’ve identified the source file, I add a commented section, outlining the test files that could be affected if any changes are made:

/**
 * The following are a set of Cypress tests that rely on the elements in this file. Please check these tests when making changes.
 * (NOTE: Use CMD + Click instead of clicking the "follow link" option.)
 * {@link file://./cypress/e2e/quick-tip/link-it.cy.ts}
 */

The linked file is noted here:

{@link file://./cypress/e2e/quick-tip/link-it.cy.ts}

Then, I test the link by using the command key and clicking the mouse button at the same time. 🗒️ Important note: Hovering over the link and clicking “Follow link” will trigger this area.

Also, be sure you get the path set correctly in the linked file. Otherwise, you will get the same error. When using the CMD + click, you should be reidrected to the test file.

Check out the JSDoc link example on Github!

If everything else were that easy to find.

Till next week…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with floating in space — dreamcore sleep music playing in the background

Every morning, I start my day by writing an async standup in the QA channel. Being the only QA in the organization, I try to make my post intriguing. It started with the updates on the weather, with a twist on what might happen during the day. Since a tree is being removed today, the weather report becomes “ ☀️ with a chance of 🌳 🪓”. Later on, I rolled in the “Today is…” reports. Thankfully, we live in an amazing world that will make a day out of almost anything. Learning what “today is” adds a little bit more spice to the update.

What really ignited the conversation in the QA channel was the crackers. My post looked like this…

The responses came rolling in. There was a vote for Goldfish (And a vote against. Apparently, they are bad for your teeth), Triscuits, the classic saltine, and of course, Ritz. I messaged my boss:

Well, I finally got conversations happening in the QA channel 😂

Being a voice for quality can be tricky. As the only QA, I don’t own quality (the entire engineering team does). But, as someone who works to keep quality top of mind, I don’t want to be the person who sounds naggy or frustrated.

Is it possible to do that without turning into someone who is boring or, god forbid, annoying?

Here are some practices that have helped me along the way.

Make it relevant

Every Thursday, I take time to read up on what’s happening in the QA community. This could be a video, a podcast, or an article I’ve saved throughout the week. We have a #dev-learnings channel where we can share what we’ve learned at any time. As I watch the video or read the article, I post in the channel what I’m learning and quotes that stand out to me. Not everyone joins in, but typically one or two people do. It creates the space for conversation around processes, new ideas, or flashes of insight.

Make it engaging

Circling back to my silly standup, what if I left out the weather report and the “Today is” events? I don’t know. Is there much to respond to if all someone sees is:

Okay, cool. That’s nice. And, more than likely, no one would respond. Yes, having the add-ons might be silly. Considering that now we are now having an entire conversation about crackers, I can safely bet that someone has read my boring update as well and still decided to share their opinion on their favorite.

Make it accessible

Have you seen testing content that you want everyone to engage with? Do a lunch and learn with your team! Watch the video together and encourage them to ask questions after the showing. Or, if you’ve recently returned from a QA conference, put together some slides on the sessions you participated in. This is a great way to practice public speaking and share your experience at the same time.

Make it normal

We don’t have to walk around being holier than thou about quality. Many times, I try to post and discuss what is new to me because if it’s fascinating, someone else might find it delightful as well. If talking about quality becomes the norm, without nagging or holding anything over anyone’s head, then people will be more likely to engage in conversation.

Be vulnerable

If I’ve missed something while testing, I fully own it. I inform the team what I forgot to do, provide a full status on the current project, and explain what I’m doing to avoid making the same mistake. If your team sees you willing to admit and own your mistakes, that creates an environment for everyone else to do the same.

Listen

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is not talk, but listen. In team meetings, listen to people’s pain points, where they struggle, what they are wondering about, or what gets them excited. As QA professionals, we have excellent resources we can offer our team. But, we can miss the mark if we don’t take the time to learn who are teammates are and what they need. Listen first. Offer later.

Talking about Quality doesn’t have to be dull or frustrating. Find ways to make it worthwhile. I’d love to know what works for you!

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with autumn station playing in the background

Important Links:

Ministry of Testing Software Testing Glossary

Ministry of Testing Club

Things to Meditate on:

What is my Tester’s Toolkit?

Research:

Functional / Non-functional testing

Heavyweight / Lightweight Test Assets

• The One Page Test Plan

Activity

What is my current definition of software testing?

My definition…

Testing is verifying that:
…what should happen, happens.
…what shouldn’t happen, doesn’t happen.
…trying something [unexpected] won’t blow up in our face.
…what we expect to work well, works well.
…it’s accessible to as many people as possible.

What role do I play?

Embedded Tester:

Testers are part of cross-functional development teams, working with developers, product managers, and designers. They contribute throughout the development cycle, ensuring testing is continuous and collaborative.

What type of tester am I?

A Comb(?), Automation Engineer, and Quality Coach(?)

Automation Engineer: Testers who focus specifically on building and maintaining test automation frameworks, developing scripts, and implementing automation tools to streamline testing.

Comb: A tester with deep and medium knowledge in two or more areas and a breadth of knowledge across multiple disciplines

Quality Coach: Testers who focus on educating and mentoring other teams on quality practices. They guide teams toward embedding quality into their development processes rather than doing hands-on testing themselves.

I’m a Continuous Learner and a Generalist:

Continuous learners: A majority of testers would describe themselves as continuously learning about their craft

Generalists: Many testers would describe themselves as generalists, meaning they have broad knowledge across many areas. Generalists seek to understand how everything interconnects and often network across teams to identify risks and gain insight into the bigger picture.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Music to study by: Outer Space Banjo Ambience | Chill, Relax, Study, Meditation

The Ministry of Testing released the Software Testing Essentials Certificate. This certificate, in many ways, will fill the gaps that many Testers experience in their knowledge and skill set of software testing.

In my own career, I’ve always been a “boots-on-the-ground” and “learn-as-you-go” tester. This means that while I’ve gained valuable experience, there are lots of skills I don’t have because the opportunities I’ve taken part in didn’t expose me to the knowledge and tools required to do the work.

I’m so excited about STEC! And, I’m in a very interesting stage of life. My kids have almost flown the nest. I have two more years with my youngest. I have aging parents, and there’s the part of being a wife, friend, and dog-mom. Then there’s my career 😅. Yeah, there’s lots to do. I tried to work through the certificate once but lost my way among my daily work and life tasks.

This time, I’m circling back and making shifts that will stick. I want to offer you the changes I’m making in the hopes that a few of these ideas will also help you.

Is STEC right for you?

If you are curious about STEC , consider the following questions to decide if taking this certificate is the right step for you.

Is it worth the investment?

For many testers, myself included, finding education on Quality Engineering can feel overwhelming. There is a wealth of resources online. As a beginner, it’s hard to know what information is up-to-date or even relevant to your current role and skillset. At times, I learned a skill but didn’t know that it had an official name until I was exposed to it in some form of training or conference. Being in QA, the unknown unknowns are scary, and it felt like it was all up to me to learn what I needed for my personal growth.

What helped was finding and immersing myself in online Testing Communities. The most valuable ones for me are the Ministry of Testing Club and the Test Guild Community. I would ask the dumb questions and find the help and resources I needed.

Still, I could feel the skillset gap. It felt unnerving knowing that as my years in QA increased, my skill level wasn’t following the same trajectory. Having access to certificates like this gives me a new opportunity to upskill, regardless of my current role.

For me, this is worth the investment. I can move beyond searching online for answers that may or may not be up-to-date. I can learn relevant information that I could apply in my present-day role immediately, and ask questions in the community to make sure I am making the right choices.

What’s the cost?

$1,399. Let’s think about this. What’s more expensive? Learning valuable information while having an online portfolio of what you’ve learned, while being surrounded by people who care about the craft of Quality, and being armed with tools and insights that you can add to your testing role right away, or going without? You are worth the investment. And what’s being offered in this certificate is something you can brag about in your current role and in whatever job interview you decide to take part in. Having confidence in your own value is worth the price, in my opinion.

When is the best time to start?

As experience has taught me, there are times in your life that are easier than others to start projects. And, sometimes, it’s best if those projects are shelved for a later date. Only you know what you can take on. In my opinion, as long as there isn’t anything absolutely traumatic happening in your life, it’s fine if you take the time to invest the time to complete this. You can learn on your own time.

Even 30 minutes a week is more than nothing. Baby steps, friend. Baby steps.

What I’m doing differently

Yes, I’m starting over. Thankfully, you can do that with STEC. No one is on you to get it done, but that means you’ll need a little drive and a bit of organization to prop you up in the process. Here’s where things went wrong for me and what I’m doing differently.

🕰️ Make the time

 🫠 What went wrong:

• Yeah, I set aside time. I set time on a Friday, at the end of the week. By Friday, I was exhausted, and there were other priorities that felt more pressing.

😁 What changed?

• Switching my study time to Monday. Monday’s are more of an open day for me, and where I can study first, then switch over to the next priorities. I’m taking time to learn, and then I have the rest of the week to focus on what needs to be worked on. Nothing is lost, and my energy and time feel like they’re well spent.

This leads to…

⏰ Manage your time

🫠 What went wrong:

• I am easily distracted. My brain likes to make all kinds of connections while I’m trying to focus. Like comparing my dog, Princess, to an MOT character in the curriculum. I really have to guard my time to make sure it’s not spent in other ways.

😁 What changed?

• Creating an event on the calendar and honoring it like anything I would normally do makes a huge difference. I listen to music while I read to help me focus (no lyrics!!!), and when there are videos, I set them to full screen to help keep away any notifications I may get on my desktop. And, if a notification pops up, well, I ignore it. This is my learning time!

If you are learning during time that might normally be spent with family, let them know before you start studying that you are going to create a calendar event to take some learning time for yourself. Let them know when you will be done and that they can talk to you after that time is complete. Put a movie on for the smaller kiddos if you have them. Put a sign on the door letting them know when your time is up. It may take a little time for your family to get used to the change. If you take your learning seriously, so will they. Soon, they’ll start cheering you on. You're changing your life! Everyone can get excited about that.

📓 Prepare your portfolio

🫠 What went wrong:

• The STEC program recommends creating an online portfolio. I did not. This meant that I wasn’t taking notes and had a hard time remembering where I left off in between sessions. I had nothing to show for my progress, which wasn’t building the confidence I’d hoped to create in the process.

😁 What changed?

• My portfolio will exist in two places: this newsletter and GitHub. I’ll share what I learn and anything else that sparks my interest. Feel free to follow along! If you’d like to figure out where to create your portfolio, there are a couple of great discussions on the topic. You can find them here and here.

🪩 Create a rhythm

🫠 What went wrong:

• Since I wasn’t making the time, I wasn’t making learning a normal part of my experience. I’ve learned that it’s easier to do something you repeat often. If learning doesn’t become part of your daily rhythm, then it feels awkward and hard to complete

😁 What changed?

• By making and managing my time and normalizing learning, it’s much easier to follow through with what I said I would do. Learning something new becomes a little easier when it’s a part of your daily practice. Yes, at some point, it might feel like a bit of a slog. It’s going to take time and effort. But this won’t last forever. This is who we are! We’re learners. Make learning a normal thing, as normal as breathing. And, all that work will, over time, pile up into something that you can be proud to show the world.

I hope you’ll join me. I hope this helps. In my spare time, I crochet. One thing I’ve learned when crocheting something is that if a stitch or two goes sideways, the only thing to do is pull out what’s not working and start again.

I’m fixing my stitches. Hopefully, it will all turn out right in the end. And, if not, then I’ll circle back and start again.

That’s what makes the work worth it in the end. Because when you’re a lifelong learner, after taking the time you need, you become someone better than when you started.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with Spacefolk Banjo - Ambient Chillwave | Dream, Relax, Game playing in the background. 

Can you use emotion as a test strategy?

This is Ujjwal Kumar Singh's starting point in his poignant article, “Empathy in FinTech Testing: The Human Element Behind Every Transaction.” He describes what it’s like to create testing strategies for FinTech, where everything revolves around money. He’s discovered that his greatest asset is viewing each transaction through the lens of someone trying to send or receive funds through the application. His topics touch on how Empathy makes the biggest difference:

• During the onboarding process

• Delivering difficult news

• Managing the anxiety of waiting.

For me, this was a great reminder that not only should I test with the user in mind, but test with the user as a whole person who will have many experiences with the application I’m testing.

• How do I want them to feel?

• Am I considering the different kinds of people who will be using the application?

• Am I considering the types of living conditions they are in?

These questions and more are addressed in this article. This type of information can be used company-wide, across Product and Design teams.

If we come together and use empathy as a team strategy, we can create applications not only to delight but also to uplift the person using them.

To learn more about Ujjwal, his website, Being Human Tester, is a great resource.

Till next time…

Written with LOWER CHAKRAS HEALING & CLEANSING SOUND BATH 》Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus playing in the background

Each week, I get the opportunity to take a breather and catch up with what’s going on in the Testing Community. We are so fortunate to have so many Testers sharing their stories, experiences, technical skills, and insights with the world.

This past week, I enjoyed Ady Stoke’s write-up for the Ministry of Testing: How to get unstuck: A guide for testers or anyone else who feels stumped. Ady breaks down what Thinker’s Block is, why we get stuck as Thought Workers, and shares ways on how to get unstuck.

I loved this article because Ady writes with humor and humanity. This post is relevant for anyone who feels stuck, no matter what type of sticky situation they find themselves in.

You can find Ady on LinkedIn and read more of his writing at The Big Test Theory.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with Synthwave/Electric Mixtape I | For Study/Relax playing in the background

After I moved from Substack to BeeHiiv, I didn’t dive deep enough into each post to ensure that all my content arrived intact. In the last few weeks, I’ve noticed some mishaps, and I’ve realized it’s time to clean house.

So, for the next few weeks, Failure is Feedback is under construction. However, in the meantime, I’ll share content that’s caught my attention from other Testers. There are so many good contributors in the testing community. I’d love to share them with you.

So, please excuse my mess while I tidy up each post and set things right. And, be on the lookout for some great content headed your way! I’m excited to share the latest from the world of testing.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with Synthwave Coding Mix – Feels Like 𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟕 Never Closed playing in the background.

Dear friends,

I’m going to let you in on a little secret.

With all the things happening in the world, this is the perfect time to start creating what you want to see.

Some of my friends in the Women in Testing community are doing just that.

Coming in June 2025, I’m happy to share that the Women in Testing Newsletter is opening its doors. You’ll glean insights from Testing contributors who are boots-on-the-ground working to make software better than it’s ever been.

Here’s your next steps:

1. Subscribe to the newsletter: https://womenintesting.beehiiv.com/subscribe

2. Share the subscription link on Social Media. Spread the word. We don’t want anyone missing out.

3. Follow the Women in Testing LinkedIn page. You’ll get up-to-date announcements on everything happening in the community.

I’m excited to see who takes the stage! Grab your seat early! This is going to be good.

Till next time:

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with Clear You Mind 💖 Wind Chimes Soothing Meditation | Crystal Healing playing in the background.

Testing is fun. And, being able to contribute to the testing community is even more fun! I’ve been a part of the TestGuild community for some time and appreciate being a part of the group. When Joe asked if I’d like to be a guest on one of his shows, I was happy to oblige.

Joe Colantonio is the founder of TestGuild and spreads the word about all things testing. He is the host of the Automation Testing Podcast, the DevOps Toolchain, and the TestGuild News Show.

Joe is an excellent host and guide, as we discussed many topics ranging from Imposter Syndrome to the benefits of joining a technical BootCamp. If you’re looking for support in QA, the TestGuild offers many valuable resources.

You can watch the full episode here…

And, come check out the TestGuild community for yourself! We’re excited you’re here!

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with Warm Hug for the Soul [Relax & Focus] Water Koshi Wind Chimes :: Warmth of the Water [432hz] playing in the background.

I am stuck.

Maybe you feel it too. I have big dreams and even bigger ideas, but getting there feels really hard.

It’s the overwhelm that stops me. Everything builds up in my brain, and I feel like nothing will make sense if I let it all out at once.

And, there is more to it than that. Things have been difficult for me in ways I can’t share here. As life is life-ing, I’ve had to adjust, make changes, take self-care more seriously, and, frankly, take a break from some things so I can focus on others.

Which makes coming back to things I love feel almost harder. I want to DO IT ALL and I don’t have the words, the energy, or the strength.

So, here’s what we are going to do. You and I. We are going to take one quality step at a time to make something we hope for happen.

One thing I wanted to do lately was to create a GitHub repository for the code examples I share in my posts.

And, it exists: BEHOLD!

GitHub - jmosley5/failure-is-feedback: This repository includes working examples of code snippets used in the Failure is Feedback newsletter.

This repository includes working examples of code snippets used in the Failure is Feedback newsletter. - jmosley5/failure-is-feedback

github.com/jmosley5/failure-is-feedback

Yes, that’s it. Nothing is written up yet. I had to start somewhere.

So do you.

I don’t know what you are hoping to create in this world. For today, take my example of taking one quality step to make it happen.

Whatever step you take to make it happen, I would love it if you’d share with me.

I’m cheering you on.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read, and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with Gravity: Cozy Ambient SciFi Music & Dronescape 🎧☀️ for a Relaxing Early Spring 2025 (White Noise) playing in the background

Last week, I realized that I’ve been in tech for nearly 10 years.

A stay-at-home mom who knew nothing about building websites signed up for a 12-week coding boot camp thanks to President Obama coming to Louisville and talking about the program on the radio.

At the time, I was working as a Playground Monitor for a local church. I was making $10 an hour. I was trying to figure out how to start a career when I’d never finished college. On my way to work, I turned on the radio and heard then-President Obama talk about a program called Code Louisville. I took a voice note with my phone and later signed up for my first boot camp. I was part of the May 2015 cohort.

I had no idea how much that decision would change my life.

I went from a college dropout who felt lost in the world to a person who discovered she had the skills and the ability to grow in an ever-changing industry. I met women in tech who I admired, teachers who showed me that it was okay to ask questions and classmates who had one desire: to change their life. We transformed. In fact, I completed two coding boot camps and shortly after the second session, got my first job as a QA.

So much can change in 10 years.

I did. So can you.

But, why write about it? Truthfully, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I started keeping journals at age 11. I wrote blog posts in the early 2000s. I spent years trying to find ways to express myself but never really had an audience. It’s always been me, trying to figure out the world.

Oddly enough, that’s why I write today.

Why do I write? 

I can’t help it. I feel a deep need to share my experience. Hopefully what I create is valuable. That is still to be seen.

Why do I write Failure is Feedback?

Mostly, I got tired of writing documentation for other organizations only to leave them behind as my life transitioned. That sucked. I wanted to carry what I created with me.

As I wrote, I found value in documenting the roadblocks I ran into when programming. If I wrote about it and kept it in one place, I would know where to look for it the next time.

What I didn’t expect was how fun it would be - listening to music each Wednesday and writing down my thoughts. I enjoy creating all of my posts, from the very silly to incredibly serious.

What I also didn’t expect was the connections I’d make. Creating in a corner all alone is not enough. Having the privilege to read and share the stories of others has only expanded my experience. There are moments where I am in awe of the people I know and the resources they share. As we create, our world expands, and as we share, we grow together. It’s not about competition. It’s about community and creating spaces where all of us can grow, learn, and change.

So, why should you share your career journey?

Because your story matters. I see people question if what they know would be helpful to someone else. Guess how you find out? You create and see what happens. You make something because you love it and it brings you joy and hopefully your creation makes someone else feel the same way.

What will happen once you start sharing?

I have no idea. I have been writing in a silo for years and years. It was very lonely but I kept writing. Now, I feel like I’m only beginning to learn where writing can take me. But, I can’t do this alone.

Share your journey. Share what you’ve learned, what brings you joy, and what makes you frustrated, and keeps you up at night. Show us where you came from and what you’ve learned along the way. The biggest mistake is thinking that you shouldn’t create because what you have to say already been said. It’s absolutely true. And we haven’t heard you say it. It’s your voice and your journey that makes what you share undeniably unique. We will never get to experience what you have to offer unless you start sharing.

How should you share?

What are you doing already? I’ve always been writing so writing was the perfect medium for me. Maybe it’s a newsletter, a video, a podcast, a painting, a song, or a computer program. Use any medium you want. Forget about being professional (it helps take the pressure off for me 😅). Start creating. Your voice will develop. You’ll grow and we’ll be cheering you on in the meantime.

When should you start?

I’ll be honest. For a long time, I didn’t write online because I didn’t know what to say. I went through a period of deep confusion and needed to pull back for years. It wasn’t until I started a family newsletter a couple of years ago that helped me find my way again. My point is, the when isn’t important. It’s that you start. Start small. Start simple. Create something manageable, maybe even something that only you care about. But, whatever you start to create, make it a habit. Make it normal. Once it becomes as normal as breathing, I think that’s when life really begins to infuse itself into what you create.

So, where do we go from here? Well, I know one thing, I need to start planning a tiny celebration for myself in May. It’s the month I changed my life - even when I had no idea what I was doing.

Maybe you should have a little party for yourself too. Pick a month, enjoy a treat, and start taking your story seriously.

I can’t wait to see you on the road.

Till next time…

All my posts are free to read and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!

Written with Spacefolk Banjo - Ambient Chillwave | Dream, Relax, Game playing in the background

What you’re still reading? Well, here, you can view Code Louisville’s post about our projects on Facebook. You can even watch me describe my first project on YouTube. That 10-minute video took about an hour to film because I was so nervous and kept falling apart while filming. God love it. She’s so cute.

This week, I’m excited to share that I published my first article with the Ministry of Testing. This testing community is not only focused on testing and quality but how to bring good to the world. Please enjoy my first contribution and check out everything the Ministry of Testing has to offer.

Some of my favorites are the club, the memes, and their certifications!

Welcome to the MoTaverse! We have snacks and career development for all!

All my posts are free to read and clicking subscribe will bring each post to your inbox. If my work brings you joy, and you’d like to support it, you can become a paid subscriber by clicking the button above. If a paid subscription is not your thing, you can support my caffeine addiction writing by clicking the button below! Thanks!