By Testing Peers
The podcast currently has 116 episodes available.
Welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers podcast.
This time, Jesper Ottosen joins Russell, David and Chris as we discuss single points of failure.
As ever, we begin with our first email handles - as it turns out ours weren't so embarrassing and have persisted, but at least we break the ice!
Diving into the main topic, the group quickly talk about the single points of failure as people.
"what if they go on holiday?" " what if so and so wins the lottery?" and so on.
Are there robust handover processes in place?
Russell then moves the thinking to systems and processes that affect. Thinking about HR or payment systems.
The Peers discuss what mitigation looks like, continuous processes iterating as we go along, as well as validating these systems - think fire and safety drills.
We talk also about business continuity and disaster recovery.
How do you identify these in your workplace? How do you prepare?
The Testing Peers Conference 2025 has now launched the CFP: https://testingpeerscon.com/collaboration-2025/
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Welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers podcast. This time, join Chris, Russell, Callum Akehurst-Ryan & Leigh Rathbone as we talk on the topic of "No Testers, No Problem".
Before the main topic, Callum asks the group for their favourite fictional AI. From GLaDOS, I.N.T.E.L.L.I.G.E.N.C.E., the Terminator and Max Headroom.
What's your favourite fictional AI?
Leigh then introduces the topics of trends in the industry, touching on his #PeersCon24 talk, are we moving towards or away from organisations hiring testers or building quality functions, as is that ok?
The Peers discuss perception, reputation, the hows and whys?
Responsibilities, expectations, the costs and historical rationale.
We cover discussions on culture, context, copy & paste models and the requirement to make informed decisions on quality & risk.
What do you think?
The Testing Peers Conference 2025 has now launched the CFP: https://testingpeerscon.com/collaboration-2025/
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Thanks for joining us for episode 114 of the Testing Peers podcast.
This time, Ben Dowen joins Russell, David and Chris as we dive into the topic of learning fast (as a different take on failing fast).
For this episode's banter, Ben asks the group about what their reasons to be cheerful are. A lot of learning, project closing and summer time activities (or lack of activities) ahead!
The Peers then dive into the main topic. Russell explains the power of the language and cognitive biases around failure, and why he therefore opts for learning fast rather than failing fast.
Russell quotes Thomas Edison:
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Ben talks about the joys as a tester of exploration and the Peers talk about how things look and feel for those of us who naturally work well in environments where everything is not and cannot be known up front.
Shorter feedback loops, humility, recognition, collaboration and exploration are further pressed into.
But what do you do with that learning? Can you change, react, be resilient, agile? How can that information work within constraints, contracts and various contexts? What are the causes and effects?
We talk about documentation, comments and the value they also provide.
Russell mentions the game Testing Jenga.
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Thank you for joining us for episode 113 of the Testing Peers podcast.
This time, Sanne Visser & Vernon Richards join Chris & David to discuss Emotional Intelligence.
By the way, if you haven't already heard - Vernon hosts the Vernon Richard show: https://www.youtube.com/@TheVernonRichardShow
After Vernon's hot drinks ice-breaker we dive into the main topic.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions. People with high emotional intelligence can recognize their own emotions and those of others, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotional_intelligence
Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you. There are five key elements to EI: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.https://mhanational.org/what-emotional-intelligence-and-how-does-it-apply-workplace
The Peers discuss what we view as emotional intelligence and EQ means to us in various contexts.
From awareness, experimentation, exploration, motivation, constraints, awareness, cause & affect, prediction and volatility.
We talk about what that looks like in the introvert/extrovert spectrum.
Sanne also speaks to her passion in stoicism and emotional regulation.
What does emotional intelligence look like to you?
How would you approach starting a testing team from scratch?
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Thank you for joining us for episode 112 of the Testing Peers podcast.
This time around we are talking on the topic of building testing teams, with Simon, Russell, David & Chris.
The banter focuses in on favourite or memorable plot twists.
Then Simon poses this hypothetical scenario - If you landed in a role and you were the first person there who has been given the task to build a [test] team, what would you do?
Russell wins the 'it depends on the context' prize, but of course he is right.
Questions like:
Who are you employed by?
What are their expectations?
What is your budget?
What are the constraints?
What are the dependencies?
Who already is working there?
What is the risk appetite?
Who are the customers?
What does the tech stack look like?
and more….
The Peers dive into biases, measures, agility and more in this episode.
How would you approach starting a testing team from scratch?
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We’re also now on GoodPods, check it out via the mobile app stores
If you like what we do and are able to, please visit our Patreon to explore how you could support us going forwards: https://www.patreon.com/testingpeers
Saffron QA is a provider of recruitment and consultancy services, exclusively for the software testing industry.
You can find out more at https://saffronqa.co.uk/ or on LinkedIn
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Thank you for joining episode 111 of the Testing Peers podcast. This time Chris, David, Dermot & Sanne talk on the theme of 'This is the way', otherwise known perhaps as the gospel according to....
Before the main discussion, Sanne asks the group about any new to the Peers recipes or restaurants, so now I'm a little hungry.
*good time to pause for a snack*
Chris then introduces the Mandalorian theme. What are those absolute truths that we see some follow.
Is it testing/checking? The testing pyramid? Given, when then?
A couple of blog posts referenced from 2016:
Dan Ashby: https://danashby.co.uk/2016/10/19/continuous-testing-in-devops/
Del Dewar: https://findingdeefex.com/2016/05/20/the-testing-checking-synergy/
Should models be rigidly and explicitly followed or are they useful tools to achieve a common understanding.
As ever, we discuss not only the value of context, but also of pragmatism as well as the appreciation of the etymology.
We speak to experience bias and theory vs reality.
The conversation closes with Chris referencing Leigh Rathbone's 10 leadership lessons from Ted Lasso talk.
https://prezi.com/p/ja_fnx4qvujy/ted-lasso/
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We’re also now on GoodPods, check it out via the mobile app stores
If you like what we do and are able to, please visit our Patreon to explore how you could support us going forwards: https://www.patreon.com/testingpeers
Saffron QA is a provider of recruitment and consultancy services, exclusively for the software testing industry.
You can find out more at https://saffronqa.co.uk/ or on LinkedIn
Support the show
Welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers Podcast. Chris, David, Russell and Simon talk about one of the big buzzwords in the industry at present being the term of Quality Engineering, what it means, how it differentiates from "Testing" and what it means for the future.
For the banter, Russell asks us all what our favourite pizza toppings are, unsurprisingly there is talk of "it depends", and pretty much every topping is mentioned from the peers.
We start by talking about what Quality Engineering is and whether there is such a role of a Quality Engineer. This takes us on a slight rabbit hole around job titles.
Is there more to Quality Engineering than just Testing being re-branded? Does it offer more around holistic quality?
A couple of mentions were made during the episode.
Where do you sit on the discipline of Quality Engineering?
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We’re also now on GoodPods, check it out via the mobile app stores
If you like what we do and are able to, please visit our Patreon to explore how you could support us going forwards: https://www.patreon.com/testingpeers
Saffron QA is a provider of recruitment and consultancy services, exclusively for the software testing industry.
You can find out more at https://saffronqa.co.uk/ or on LinkedIn
Support the show
Hello friends, thank you for joining us for the latest episode of the Testing Peers podcast.
This time, join Russell, David, Chris & Dermot as we discuss Presentations.
Before diving into the main event, Chris asks the group to go back in time to when they first travelled for work. Our thoughts and experiences of that, and how that will have changed over our careers.
As the Peers move on, we discuss different presentation styles, contexts, tools and 'weapons of choice' - hello PowerPoint my old friend.
Talking about slides, we discuss context, notes, ALL OF THE TEXT, PowerPoint as documentation and more.
Dermot talks about the value of audience consideration and the concept of multi-sensory learning [https://www.twinkl.co.uk/teaching-wiki/multisensory-learning#:~:text=Multisensory%20learning%20is%20all%20about,gustatory%2C%20olfactory%2C%20proprioceptiveorvestibular%20senses.]
The Peers talk about changing styles over time, thinking on our feet and preparing for the worst.
The team discuss the value of setting expectations for interactivity and engagement, the power of good facilitation, allies and such.
Finally, what is the purpose of the presentation? Has that come across? Did we receive feedback?[email protected]
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We’re also now on GoodPods, check it out via the mobile app stores
If you like what we do and are able to, please visit our Patreon to explore how you could support us going forwards: https://www.patreon.com/testingpeers
Saffron QA is a provider of recruitment and consultancy services, exclusively for the software testing industry.
You can find out more at https://saffronqa.co.uk/ or on LinkedIn
[email protected]
Twitter (https://twitter.com/testingpeers)
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We’re also now on GoodPods, check it out via the mobile app stores
If you like what we do and are able to, please visit our Patreon to explore how you could support us going forwards: https://www.patreon.com/testingpeers
Saffron QA is a provider of recruitment and consultancy services, exclusively for the software testing industry.
You can find out more at https://saffronqa.co.uk/ or on LinkedIn
Support the show
Welcome to episode 108 of the Testing Peers podcast.
This time, join Russell, David, Callum & Dermot as they talk requirements, emergent ones at that!
Before diving into the main event, Dermot kicks the Peers off with a conversation around fandom and eras, initially with Dr. Who.
Moving on, the group discuss what emergent requirements are.
Undocumented, not (yet) asked for, potential unknown complexity, not refined, just an idea.
The team talk about maturity, the need to sometimes be comfortable with not knowing all up-front.
What does testing look like in this world?
Are there trends we have seen, traps, lessons learned?
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We’re also now on GoodPods, check it out via the mobile app stores
If you like what we do and are able to, please visit our Patreon to explore how you could support us going forwards: https://www.patreon.com/testingpeers
Saffron QA is a provider of recruitment and consultancy services, exclusively for the software testing industry.
You can find out more at https://saffronqa.co.uk/ or on LinkedIn
Support the show
Welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers. Chris, David and Russell are joined by Bruce for this one to discuss the topic of "Square Peg, Round Hole" and how we sometimes may not always feel like we or some tools fit and how we can address those challenges.
Bruce starts with the banter and asks everyone what gets them up in the morning, everything from running, coffee and children are mentioned as things that get us started every day.
Chris starts off the topic by asking about using the wrong tools for the job, the peers dive into looking at overengineering or under-engineering, automation tools, traceability matrices and also how our systems can sometimes be used in a way that wasn't intended.
Where have you experienced Square Pegs in Round Holes?
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We’re also now on GoodPods, check it out via the mobile app stores
If you like what we do and are able to, please visit our Patreon to explore how you could support us going forwards: https://www.patreon.com/testingpeers
Saffron QA is a provider of recruitment and consultancy services, exclusively for the software testing industry.
You can find out more at https://saffronqa.co.uk/ or on LinkedIn
Support the show
The podcast currently has 116 episodes available.
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