Engineering Quality

In this episode of Engineering Quality, Veronika, Ale, and Royalee explore one of the most challenging and most important skills in engineering, leadership, and life: learning how to say “no”.

From project requests and career opportunities to team commitments and personal responsibilities, it's easy to fall into the habit of saying yes to everything. But what happens when every “yes” comes at the expense of quality, focus, wellbeing, and long-term success?

Together, they discuss:

• Why saying no is essential for protecting quality and preventing burnout

• How overcommitment impacts teams, delivery, and trust

• The role of alignment, priorities, and values in decision-making

• Why engineers and leaders often feel pressure to say “yes”

• The hidden costs of people-pleasing and fear of missing out (FOMO)

• Questions to ask before accepting new work or commitments

• How delegation helps grow teams and create future leaders

• Personal stories of burnout, overcommitment, and lessons learned

• Why a thoughtful “no” is often more valuable than an unrealistic “yes”

The conversation explores how setting healthy boundaries can strengthen relationships, improve trust, and create space for the work that truly matters. Whether you're an engineer, leader, tester, or simply someone trying to balance competing priorities, this episode offers practical advice for making more intentional decisions.

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🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

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In this episode of Engineering Quality, Veronika, Ale, and Royalee are joined by developer experience leader and quality advocate Ashley Hunsberger to explore the connection between developer wellbeing, psychological safety, and software quality.

Ashley shares her journey from manual tester to Director of Developer Experience, and explains why creating great engineering teams is about much more than tools: it’s about people, trust, learning, and feedback.

We discuss:

• Why developer experience is about enabling people, not just improving tooling
• How psychological safety impacts collaboration, innovation, and delivery
• Practical ways leaders can build trust and healthier engineering cultures
• How teams can learn from failure without blame
• Why feedback loops and continuous learning improve software quality
• How to measure developer experience and connect it to business outcomes
• Advice for engineers and testers looking to grow into leadership and advocacy roles

The conversation also explores the role of empathy, communication, and human psychology in building stronger engineering organizations and better software.

Resource recommendations from Ashley:

• Lisa Crispin blog: ​​https://lisacrispin.com/agile-testing-blog/  
• Amy Edmondson - psychological safety research
• Brené Brown - job crafting and values
• Adam Grant - Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

Connect with Ashley:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyhunsberger/ 

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💼LinkedIn: Engineering Quality

🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Engineering Quality, Veronika, Ale, and Royalee are joined by testing leader and industry veteran Keith Klain to challenge one of the most persistent misconceptions in tech: that quality is owned by testing.

With over 25 years of experience leading global testing organizations, Keith shares a candid and deeply practical perspective on what testing really is—and what it isn’t. The conversation reframes testing as a risk management function, not just bug hunting, and explores how testers can elevate their impact by aligning with business goals and speaking the language of leadership. Together, they unpack what it takes to move from being seen as a bottleneck to becoming a strategic partner in delivering quality software.

We discuss:

• Why testing is fundamentally about risk management, not just finding bugs

• How testers can communicate value to executives and influence decision-making

• The problem with traditional testing metrics and why they fail to drive real outcomes

• Practical ways to reframe testing work in terms of business impact

• Leadership principles that help testers grow into influential quality leaders

• How to break down silos and build alignment across teams

• Why understanding incentives (like compensation structures) is key to driving change

• The reality behind test automation ROI and why many teams get it wrong

• How AI is reshaping testing, and what skills will matter most going forward
  

The episode also dives into the evolving role of testers in the age of AI, challenging the narrative that testing is becoming obsolete. Instead, Keith argues that strong testing fundamentals—critical thinking, risk analysis, and communication—are more valuable than ever.

If you’ve ever felt that testing is undervalued or misunderstood, this conversation offers a clear path to reframing your role, strengthening your influence, and leading quality from wherever you are.

Book recommendation: Rethinking Expertise by Harry Collins 

Connect with Keith:

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithklain/

🎥 YouTube: @KeithKlain

In this episode of Engineering Quality, Veronika, Ale, and Royalee are joined by accessibility leader and advocate Crystal Preston-Watson to explore why accessibility is not an afterthought but a fundamental part of software quality.

Together, they unpack how accessibility often gets deprioritized in organizations, why it’s frequently treated as a “nice-to-have,” and what it actually takes to embed it into the development lifecycle. The conversation dives into the realities of accessibility testing, the limits of automation, and the importance of involving real users with lived experiences.

We discuss:

• Why accessibility is often treated as an afterthought and how to change that

• The real balance between automated tools and human-driven accessibility testing

• Why hiring and paying people with disabilities is critical for meaningful testing

• How accessibility and testing share the same challenges in proving ROI

• The role of leadership in making accessibility a priority (top-down vs. grassroots)

• Practical ways to start accessibility testing even without specialized tools

• The risks companies ignore when they deprioritize accessibility

The episode also explores how teams can measure success in accessibility, avoid regressions, and shift from reactive fixes to proactive practices. Crystal shares both personal and professional insights, highlighting how inclusion, empathy, and real-world usage should shape how we build software.

Connect with Crystal:

🌐 Website: https://crystalprestonwatson.com

💼 LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalprestonwatson/ 

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💼LinkedIn: Engineering Quality

🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Engineering Quality, Veronika, Ale, and Royalee are joined by renowned agile testing expert Janet Gregory to explore what it really takes to build a strong quality culture in modern engineering teams.

Together, they unpack the realities of consulting in different organizations, how to assess quality culture, and why testing is often misunderstood as the problem instead of a symptom. The conversation dives into holistic testing, the role of communication, and how small behavior changes can drive big cultural shifts.

We discuss:

• Why “fixing testers” is often the wrong approach

• How to assess quality culture through observation, questions, and patterns

• The impact of silos and “silence” on team effectiveness

• What holistic testing really means in practice

• How to create shared ownership of quality across teams

• The role of leadership in enabling strong quality practices

The episode also explores what testing leadership looks like in today’s world, especially as teams move away from traditional roles toward shared responsibility. From empowering testers to use their voice to helping leaders advocate for quality, this conversation offers practical insights for anyone looking to improve how their team builds and delivers software.

Connect with Janet: 

🌐 Websites: https://janetgregory.ca/ and https://agiletestingfellow.com/ 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetgregory 

🦋 BlueSky: @janetgregoryca.bsky.social

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💼LinkedIn: Engineering Quality

🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com
Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Engineering Quality, Veronika, Ale, and Royalee explore what productivity really means in engineering and why being busy doesn’t always mean being effective.

Together, they unpack the myths around multitasking, discuss the impact of constant context switching, and share practical strategies for protecting focus in a world full of meetings, notifications, and competing priorities. The conversation dives into personal productivity systems, from calendar blocking and weekly planning to time audits and task management tools.

We discuss:

• Why productivity is about doing the right work, not just more work

• How context switching and multitasking reduce real output

• Time-blocking and protecting deep focus time

• Practical tools for managing tasks, calendars, and priorities

• Setting boundaries and learning to pause before saying yes
  

The episode also explores how productivity connects to clarity of goals, team alignment, and organizational culture. From personal systems that reduce cognitive load to leadership practices that enable focus, the discussion offers practical insights for engineers, testers, and leaders trying to stay effective without burning out.

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🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Engineering Quality, we’re joined by two influential voices in the quality community: Anne-Marie Charrett, author of The Quality Coach’s Handbook, and Fiona Charles, founder of Quality Intelligence.

Anne-Marie shares insights from her experience as a quality coach, explaining how the role differs from traditional testing and why quality is ultimately a leadership responsibility.

Fiona dives into the realities of influencing change, facilitating workshops, and navigating resistance in organizations of all sizes.

We discuss:

• The difference between a tester and a quality coach

• How to influence without authority

• Why roadmaps alone don’t drive transformation

• The importance of allies, networks, and facilitation

• Balancing impact with visibility in large organizations

The conversation also touches on career growth, community, the evolution of quality roles, and the human side of transformation. Whether you’re working in a startup or a large enterprise, this episode offers practical insights for anyone expected to lead quality with title or without.

Connect with our guests:

Anne-Marie Charrett: https://www.annemariecharrett.com/ Fiona Charles: @fionaccharles.bsky.social‬

Follow us on social:

💼LinkedIn: Engineering Quality

🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Engineering Quality, we sit down with Ali Feldman, a seasoned tech recruiter with experience across engineering, product, and leadership roles. Ali shares her insights on the evolving tech job market, how candidates can stand out, and practical strategies for navigating recruiting challenges in today’s competitive landscape.

We discuss:

• Current trends shaping tech recruiting, including AI in applications and interviews

• What makes a resume or LinkedIn profile stand out and what raises red flags

• Strategies for reaching out to recruiters without overdoing it

• How to navigate layoffs and pivot thoughtfully to your next role

• The value of video screens, in-person interviews, and understanding company culture

Whether you’re actively looking for a job, considering a career change, or just curious about how tech recruiting works today, this episode is packed with actionable advice from someone who’s seen it all.

Connect with Ali:

🌐 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-feldman/ 

Follow us on social:

💼LinkedIn: Engineering Quality

🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Engineering Quality, we’re joined by Shaquanna Brown, an experienced Agile coach and BizOps leader, to explore the connection between Agile maturity, team alignment, and software quality. Shaquanna shares her insights from leading Agile transformations and helping organizations embed quality as a shared responsibility.

We discuss:

• How Agile maturity correlates with sustainable, high-quality software

• The importance of fully integrating testers and quality engineers into cross-functional teams

• Common misconceptions about Agile, including “Agile means fast” and “Agile doesn’t require planning”

• The value of a strong Definition of Done and Definition of Ready

• How leaders’ actions impact Agile adoption and team effectiveness

Whether you’re a tester, developer, product manager, or engineering leader, this episode offers actionable strategies to improve collaboration, reduce rework, and ensure quality is baked into every stage of delivery.

Connect with Shaquanna: 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaquanna/ 

Follow us on social:

💼LinkedIn: Engineering Quality

🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

Email: [email protected]

We’re kicking off Season 2 of Engineering Quality with a very special guest - Lisa Crispin, a true pioneer in agile testing and one of the most influential voices in the quality engineering community.

In this episode, Lisa joins Ale, Veronika, and Royalee to explore holistic testing - an approach that goes beyond “testing early” and looks at quality across the entire software development lifecycle.

We discuss:

• What holistic testing really means (and why it’s more than shift-left)

• Why quality is a shared responsibility across the whole team

• How to build shared understanding before code is written

• Practical techniques like risk storming, example mapping, and pipeline mapping

• How testers can influence change without authority

• The power of relationships in DevOps and modern teams

Whether you’re a tester, developer, product manager, or engineering leader, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration to help you build better software - together!

Connect with Lisa:

🌐 Website: https://www.lisacrispin.com 

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacrispin 

🦋 BlueSky: @lisacrispin.bsky.social

Follow us on social:

• 💼LinkedIn: Engineering Quality

• 🎥 YouTube: @EngineeringQuality

• 🌐 Website: https://www.engineeringqualitypodcast.com

• Email: [email protected]

References & People Mentioned in this Episode:

• Risk Storming by Beren Van Daele
• Mapping from Matt Wynne
• Ashley Hunsberger
• Abby Bangser
• Practical Guide to Testing in DevOps - By Katrina Clokie
• The Quality Coach's Handbook - Anne-Marie Charrett
• The Paradox of Choice
• XMind - Mind Mapping Tool