A new year means a new start for many people, and that’s definitely the case in this episode, where both host and guest have just started new roles as Head of QA. This month, Neil interviews Simon Rigler, which is another way of saying that Neil wants to ask Simon all of the most difficult questions that are keeping your host awake at night.

It’s a veritable Greatest Hits of test leadership discussions, as they discuss what draws people into (and out of) the world of testing, the importance of collaborating between disciplines and breaking down walls, remote collaboration challenges, and how to handle the situation where managers are fixated solely on automation.

We’ve got diversions aplenty, including discussions about globetrotting, lockdown life on the coast, timezone headaches, and how to avoid being the testing equivalent of the Grim Reaper.

On the music front, there are electronic and instrumental offerings, some Antipodean friends, a band marking their fifth appearance on the podcast, and Simon picks a track from one of the defining albums of 1999 which sends Neil off down memory lane.

Podcast Links:

IQVIA

Neil’s attempt to record an episode with tonsillitis

YouTube: Jack Peñate - Second, Minute or Hour

Elucidat

Ministry of Testing: Test.Bash() 2021: 99-Second Talks

YouTube: Mary and Max trailer

YouTube: Live video of Simon’s fourth selection

Peter James

Simon on Twitter: @The_Rigler

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