Rapid Software Testing with James Bach – a pioneer of context-driven testing.

👤 About James Bach:

Over 40 years of experience in the software world.

Started as a teenage game programmer in 1983.

High school dropout who chose self-education due to his aversion to authority.

Author of Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar, a book about learning independently and creatively.

Emphasizes respecting the way your mind works and aligning with your natural thinking style.

🔍 Why Testing?

Discovered he didn't love coding all day – but loved complaining and breaking things constructively.

Testing gave him the perfect outlet: “Testers don’t break software. Testers break dreams.”

His goal became to reveal unrealistic assumptions and bring clarity to developers' expectations.

📚 His Teaching Philosophy:

No universal “best practices” – every situation is different (context-driven approach).

Believes in teaching through experience, not obedience.

Example: He advises to avoid GUI-level automation when possible – but encourages learners to try it themselves and reach their own conclusions.

His goal is to accelerate learning by offering guidance, not by prescribing rigid rules.

🧠 Personal Insights:

Describes his brain like a pet rhinoceros – stubborn, independent, and impossible to control directly.

Burned out several times early in his career until he learned to "make peace" with his mind.

Now sees teaching and liberating minds as his true calling – not just testing.

💬 Notable Quotes & Ideas:

“A tester doesn’t break software – a tester breaks dreams.”

“Best practices are a marketing term – not an engineering concept.”

“Teaching should help people form good judgment, not just ask for obedience.”

Promotes critical thinking and debate over blind agreement, even at the cost of being unpopular.