Co-hosts Simon and Oleksandr theme the episode around influencing without authority, inspired by Suzanne Abdurahman’s work on influence in the Software Quality Engineering Certificate and recent community conversations. They unpack what influence looks like day-to-day, why “being present” matters, and how to adapt your message to different stakeholders.

The group also explores what happens when you’re right about a risk but nobody acts, why some stakeholders only “get it” after impact lands, and how to make your work visible through contributions on the Multiverse. The episode closes with advice for junior QAs on getting noticed, plus a rapid-fire discussion on the hardest stakeholders to influence.