TestGuild Automation Podcast

In the age of AI, the role of software testers is evolving fast.

Don't miss the QA Summit: https://testguild.me/qasummit

As more repetitive tasks are automated or handled by AI, the testers who will stand out are those who lead, influence, and bring deep subject matter expertise to their teams.

In this exclusive replay from a private Automation Guild 2025 monthly gathering, testing leader Mike Lyles shares exactly how to build those skills — and position yourself for long-term success in the AI era. You'll learn how to expand your leadership influence, strengthen your domain expertise, and future-proof your career as testing continues to evolve.

Normally reserved for year-round Automation Guild members, this session is a rare peek into the kind of ongoing training and community support that keeps testers sharp all year long.

If you want to be part of conversations like this — plus dozens of expert sessions, networking opportunities, and live Q&A,, keep your eyes open for Automation Guild 2026 early bird registration.

On this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, host Joe Colantonio welcomes Matt Gilbert, founder of Clear Insight, for a conversation packed with practical wisdom for testers looking to break into, or advance in, modern software quality practices.

Drawing on his experience working across industries such as insurance, healthcare, and SaaS, Matt shares how he transitioned from an aspiring developer to a passionate advocate for testing. They dive deep into the challenges of uniting disparate testing tools, making complex data from performance, accessibility, and security checks accessible to all team members, and the critical importance of educating both testers and business leaders about quality risks.

Matt discusses how Clear Insight was born from the need to simplify usability and performance feedback, making actionable insights available for everyone, regardless of technical background.

Plus, you'll hear Matt's take on using AI responsibly in regulated spaces and his advice for testers who want to expand their role beyond functional testing. Whether you're new to automation, a testing veteran, or curious about the growing intersection of AI and quality engineering, this episode has actionable strategies and real-world stories you won't want to miss.

In this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, I'm joined by Don Jackson, Technical Evangelist at Perforce, to explore a bold new frontier in automation testing: true agentic AI. We unpack the groundbreaking tech behind Perfecto's latest release and what it means to test smarter, faster, and with zero hassle.

Don shares how this new form of automation, powered by natural language, computer vision, and LLMs, lets you test like a human but with the speed of AI. No scripts. No frameworks. No brittle locators. Just plain-language instructions that drive real user-experience testing at runtime.

You'll learn:

What "agentic AI" really means and how it goes beyond traditional test automation How to run intelligent UI tests across devices without writing a single script Why this approach could finally bring automation to business testers and non-coders Real-world use cases, from validating stock charts and UI branding to exploratory testing at scale What to watch out for: prompting quality, performance tradeoffs, and trust

Whether you're a skeptical scripter or just tired of flaky UI tests, this conversation will challenge how you think about automation—and show you what's now possible.

Want to see it in action? Join the upcoming live demo webinar with Don and Perfecto's head of product: Perfecto AI in Action – Register Here https://testguild.me/donperrfecto

In this episode, Parasar Saha founder and CEO of Digy4 shares insights from his journeys across multiple countries, meeting with global enterprises to uncover real-world challenges teams face in achieving quality at scale.

The discussion dives into the importance of data visibility, the pitfalls of focusing on the sheer quantity of tests over their real value, and how testers can transform technical data into business outcomes that resonate with the C-suite.

Parasar reveals why most organizations struggle with fragmented tools, overwhelming data, and telling a compelling story about quality's business impact—even in the age of AI.

Whether you're looking to elevate the role of QE in your organization, make your testing results more meaningful, or simply want to know how to get a seat at the executive table, this conversation is packed with practical advice and thought-provoking strategies.

Tune in and discover how measuring the right things, and telling the right story,can take your automation efforts (and your career) to the next level!

In this episode, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Debbie O'Brien, Principal Technical Program Manager at Microsoft and a leading advocate for Playwright end-to-end testing. Debbie shares her fascinating journey from web design in the late '90s to building and nurturing the Playwright community at Microsoft. Together, they tackle the latest and greatest in test automation, with a special focus on Playwright's Model Context Protocol (MCP) server and how you can unlock its powerful AI-driven browser automation capabilities.

From real-world advice on overcoming resistance to testing in teams to the exciting possibilities MCP brings for generating and scaling tests with natural language and AI, this conversation is packed with both practical tips and future-looking insights.

Debbie also addresses common fears around AI replacing jobs, highlighting the need for testers and developers to embrace these tools and stay ahead of the curve. Whether you're an automation engineer, front-end developer, or simply curious about where testing is headed, this episode is full of actionable wisdom and inspiration.

Tune in and get ready to supercharge your automation skills!

On this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, host Joe Colantonio welcomes Kristijan Plaushku, founder of QA Robots, for a fascinating deep dive into the evolving world of testing and automation.

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Broadcasting from Italy, Kristijan shares his journey from starting in quality assurance at AS Watson to building his own company, dedicated to reshaping how businesses approach QA, automation, and DevOps integration, with a specific focus on the unique challenges and opportunities within the Italian tech landscape.

Together, they explore what it means to apply first-principles thinking in QA, the ongoing struggles with test environment management, and why bridging the gap between QA and DevOps can have such a significant impact on software delivery.

Kristijan also shares the growing influence of AI in automation, his passion for the Robot Framework, and the innovative tools he's creating to help teams work smarter, not harder.

Whether you're an automation pro or just beginning to dip your toes in the world of testing, this episode is packed with practical insights, industry trends, and actionable advice for building better, more efficient quality processes.

Don't miss Kristijan's take on building a QA culture from the ground up and why human-centric thinking still matters in an AI-driven world.

In this episode, we sit down with Tom Akehurst, the creator of WireMock, the popular open-source API mocking tool now powering simulation at scale in modern development pipelines. We unpack the real-world benefits of API mocking, when to simulate vs. integrate, and how WireMock Cloud is helping teams manage drift, complexity, and change.

If you're exploring API testing, mocking tools, or wondering how OpenAPI, AI, and MCP (Model Context Protocols) fit into the picture—this one's for you.

In today's show, we're diving deep into the highly specialized world of software testing for medical devices. Our guest, Priyank Soni, brings over 20 years of experience and a wealth of knowledge from the front lines of medical innovation, think cardiac mapping, lab automation, and infusion pumps.

Not only is Priyank a recognized authority in embedded systems, AI, and machine learning, but he's also a master at transforming manual QA processes into scalable, cloud-based automated frameworks.

Join host Joe Colantonio as he and Priyank unravel the unique challenges of testing in a heavily regulated, high-risk environment where safety, compliance, and innovation must work hand-in-hand.

You'll gain practical insights into navigating stringent standards like ISO 13485, managing risk in legacy systems, and balancing Agile development with rigorous verification requirements.

Plus, Priyank shares the real impact of AI and automation in medical device testing—and what the future might hold for testers in this rapidly evolving field.

Whether you're a seasoned QA pro or just curious about what it takes to deliver safe, compliant software in healthcare, you won't want to miss this episode!

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In this session, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Leonardo Lanni, a globally recognized quality engineer and founder of QA Roots, to explore a cool testing technique: mutation testing and reverse mutation testing.

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Leonardo breaks down the concepts behind mutation testing, which is an innovative approach to verifying the effectiveness of your tests by intentionally introducing code changes—and introduces the idea of reverse mutation testing, a new technique for ensuring your tests themselves are up to the task.

They also discuss real-world QA challenges, practical tooling, and the future of automated testing in an AI-driven world.

Whether you're a seasoned engineer or just getting started in QA, this conversation is packed with actionable insights and fresh ways to look at your automation strategy. Listen up!

On this episode of the TestGuild Automation Podcast, host Joe Colantonio sits down with Damian Synadinos, a multifaceted expert with over thirty years of experience in software testing, public speaking, improv, and more.

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Together, they dive deep into the concept of trust in software testing, how it's formed, the dangers of misplaced trust, and why trust is more crucial than ever in today's rapidly evolving world of AI and software testing.

Damien shares how his interest in trust grew out of observing its impact not just in tech but in daily life. He highlights the importance of healthy skepticism, effective communication, and critical thinking for testers and organizations at large. The conversation also explores the challenges of navigating deepfakes, the nuance of risk-based decision-making, and the role of curiosity and questioning in creating better testers.

Whether you're a tester, developer, or just curious about AI's growing influence, this episode offers actionable insights on trust, risk analysis, prompt engineering, and how to communicate skepticism professionally within your organization.

If you've ever wondered what it means to "trust but verify" in a digital age, you won't miss this conversation!