Testing Peers

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers podcast. This time, join Chris Armstrong, Rachel Kibler, Tara Walton, and Russell Craxford discussing what it means to create change in teams that are worn down, frustrated, or stuck in longstanding patterns. 

In this episode, the Peers talk frame the discussion around practical reflections on joining difficult team contexts, building agency, identifying friction, and shaping improvements that matter without creating burnout.

The group focuses on the difference between technical problems and people or adaptive challenges, the value of curiosity and influence, and the power of small, intentional actions that reduce unnecessary friction and build momentum toward better ways of working.

Key themes and ideas

Teams with history and fatigue

Teams carry context, history, and stories long before new people arrive. What looks like dysfunction to a newcomer may be normalised pain to those who have lived with it. Past failed efforts at change often create deep scepticism.

The “WTF list”

Rachel introduces the idea of keeping a personal “WTF list” when joining a new team. This is a record of things that confuse, frustrate, or cause unnecessary pain. It is a tool for reflection, learning what to ask about, and identifying areas for low effort improvements while separating technical fixes from people or adaptive challenges. Some items are best kept for private reflection or manager conversations rather than shared openly.

Technical problems versus people problems

Technical problems usually have known solutions and can be addressed with the right expertise. People problems require influence, trust, and time. Effective change begins by asking why things are done the way they are before assuming what should be done.

The risk of bonding over complaints

Shared frustration can bond people quickly, "trauma bonding", but venting without action often leads to stagnation. Reflection and curiosity help teams ask what could realistically be done differently next time.

Context before action

Change attempts fail when history, constraints, or social dynamics are ignored. Newcomers often see pain points that existing teams have normalised. Without understanding the background, even good ideas can trigger resistance.

Agency, choice, and acceptance

Sometimes, change is not possible in the short term. Actively choosing to accept a situation can be more empowering than feeling trapped by it. Doing nothing can be valid when it is a conscious decision rather than passive resignation.

Small wins and incremental change

Not every improvement has to be dramatic. Small changes that remove friction can build trust and momentum over time. Cultural shifts often start with fixing minor but irritating problems rather than attempting wholesale transformation.

Positivity and recognising progress

Testing roles are often framed negatively, both by others and by the people doing the work. Creating space to acknowledge progress and success helps rebalance that narrative and improves team morale.

Leadership and advocacy

Leadership involves passing feedback upwards and advocating for change even when the leader cannot fix the problem directly. Choosing where to invest influence is an important leadership skill.

Takeaways

• You cannot change everything from every position.
• Context and history matter more than frameworks.
• Influence is more effective than instruction in people-related challenges.
• Small, deliberate improvements build momentum for bigger shifts.
• Conscious acceptance is still a form of agency.

Recommended Reading

Your Leadership Edge by Ed O’Malley and Amanda Cebula

A practical guide to the competencies and mindset required when everyone leads and challenges are not straightforward. The book emphasises

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Hello friends, and welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers podcast.

In this episode, Chris, Dan, David, and Russell come together for a wide-ranging conversation about flow, what it really means, and why it matters far beyond speed or delivery metrics. The discussion starts with some light New Year banter before quickly moving into systems thinking, value, and the often unseen friction that slows organisations down.

The group explore flow as something that exists across people, processes, and systems, not just CI/CD pipelines. Using plumbing analogies, real-world examples, and a healthy dose of scepticism about simplistic metrics, they unpack why optimising individual components rarely improves outcomes if the wider system is ignored.

A recurring theme is the idea that quality is about the removal of unnecessary friction, and that debt shows up in many forms, not just code. Documentation, onboarding, learning mechanisms, and organisational processes all contribute to how effectively value moves through a system.

The conversation also touches on how difficult flow is to measure meaningfully. While metrics like DORA can tell part of the story, they often focus on speed rather than outcomes, impact, or sustainability. The hosts discuss the importance of qualitative signals, trending over time, and understanding what good actually looks like in a given context.

A significant part of the episode focuses on the human side of flow, including onboarding, learning, feedback loops, and psychological safety. The group reflect on how better onboarding and clearer purpose can help people contribute sooner, feel more connected to their work, and understand the impact of what they do.

From a testing perspective, the discussion highlights how testers already have many of the skills needed to assess flow at an organisational level. Curiosity, critical thinking, risk awareness, and communication all play a role in identifying friction, asking difficult questions, and helping teams improve. At the same time, the hosts are careful not to position testers as uniquely gifted, recognising that good systems thinking comes from diverse roles working together.

The episode closes with reflections on trust, credibility, and the role of testers as trusted advisors. Being listened to is not about job titles or tools, but about doing the work, understanding the system, and backing up insights with evidence and experience.

Links and references

• DORA metrics: https://dora.dev/guides/dora-metrics/
• The Phoenix Project: https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/
• Theory of Constraints: https://www.leanproduction.com/theory-of-constraints/
• Stu Crocker on quality as the removal of unnecessary friction
• Post Office Horizon IT Scandal: https://clarotesting.wordpress.com/the-post-office-horizon-it-scandal/

#PeersCon26 Tickets for the event are live for just

£30.
And as always, we are looking for sponsors to make this event the success it has been for the last 2 years, get in touch if interested

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Happy New Year, Peers!!

Welcome to the latest episode of the Testing Peers podcast, this time panel explores how testers and quality professionals can make the most of their training budgets, whether that budget is zero, modest, or stretches into several thousand pounds.

Hosts this week: Russell Craxford, David Maynard, Chris Armstrong, and Tara Walton.

The discussion is grounded in real experience and looks at how learning choices change depending on constraints, priorities, and organisational context.

Starting from Zero: Learning Without a Budget

The episode begins by challenging the assumption that learning requires money. The hosts highlight the breadth and quality of free resources available, including:

• Blogs, podcasts, and community-driven content
• Free learning platforms such as Test Automation University, freeCodeCamp, and edX
• Vendor-provided learning resources from tooling and platform providers

A key recommendation is the free “Learning How to Learn” course by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski, which helps people understand how they learn best before deciding where to invest time or money.

Spending Around £100: Small Budgets, Real Value

With a budget of around £100, the focus shifts to intentional, value-led choices:

• Books as a focused, low-distraction way to learn:
• Subscriptions to learning platforms rather than single courses
• Prioritising practical outcomes over certificates
• Using community recommendations to avoid low-quality content
• TestSphere and RiskStorming cards
• Obviously, the Testing Peers Conference, March 12th 2026

Books such as Explore It, The Phoenix Project, The Culture Code and other systems thinking titles are highlighted as high-value, low-cost investments.

Around £500: Community, Conferences, and Exposure

At the £500 level, learning opportunities expand:

• Attending local conferences, meetups, or community events 
  • Leeds Test Atelier (Free to attend)
  • SIGiST
  • ShipItCon
• Covering travel, accommodation, and tickets for nearby events
• Investing in leadership, communication, and presentation skills
• Subscriptions such as Ministry of Testing Pro (including a ticket to their #MoTaCon event) and similar learning communities
• LeanPub

The hosts discuss the value of human connection, being exposed to new perspectives, and coming away from events with renewed ideas and motivation.

Certifications and Career Signals

The conversation takes a balanced view on certifications, including ISTQB:

• Not a definition of quality or capability
• Potentially useful for people entering the industry
• Helpful as a signal when experience is limited
• More valuable as a foundation than an end goal

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Welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers podcast. In this episode, Simon, David, Chris and returning host, Dan Ashby explore what makes a high-performing team and how leaders can intentionally create the right environment for teams to thrive. The conversation builds on both shared experience and real-world examples of navigating complex team dynamics.

Topics Discussed

• Psychological safety
How teams understand it, how fragile it can be and the different forms it takes, including inclusion, learning, contributor and challenger safety.

• Purpose and direction
Why clarity of mission anchors decision making and helps individuals see their contribution to collective outcomes.

• Skills, proficiency and growth
Understanding a team’s starting point, enabling learning opportunities and how building capability strengthens trust and accountability. Dan also introduces his High-Performing Teams Framework, which provides a structured model for these elements:
https://evolvingleadership.uk/the-hpt-framework/

• Trust and ownership
The importance of follow-through, transparency and what Chris refers to as decisive humility when leading in uncertain or inherited contexts.

• Joy and community
How internal communities, shared testing sessions, social connection and small rituals can support morale and cohesion, especially in remote environments.

• Real-world leadership experiences
Chris shares an example of challenging expectations from leadership by gathering context, sense-checking with peers and approaching difficult conversations with evidence and respect.

Also in this episode

Burnout, remote working dynamics, and the role of workplace friendships in supporting sustainable performance.

#PeersCon26 Tickets for the event are now live too, starting at £15 until December 2025, when they increase to £30.
And as always, we are looking for sponsors to make this event the success it has been for the last 2 years, get in touch if interested

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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

Thanks to our sponsors – NFocus Testing.

nFocus are a UK based software testing company. They’ve been supporting businesses for 24 years by providing services that include burst resource, accelerated test automation, performance testing and fully managed testing services. In 2021, they launched a Test Automation Academy to create amazing testers and they’ve now created jobs for 48 people in our industry in just under three years!

nFocus were a big part of PeersCon in 2024 and 2025, really grateful for all they do to support the Testing Peers.

www.nfocus.co.uk and [email protected] for anyone wanting to get in touch.

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Welcome to episode 139 of the Testing Peers podcast. This time, the Peers dive into the sequel to episode 39, for Testing Rants part 2. Hosting this episode is Callum Akehurst-Ryan, Tara Walton, Chris Armstrong and David Maynard.

After a brief ranter moment (terrible rant banter portmanteau, sorry), the team move onto the main topic.

Topics covered in this episode:
Documentation Issues

• Single Points of Failure: Documentation saved locally or only in one place.
• Poor Comments: Insufficient or missing code/system comments.
• Clarity over Volume: The need for context and value to avoid "death by documentation."

The Problem with Assumptions

• "Termites of Relationships": Assumptions damage team relationships and project outcomes (citing Henry Winkler).
• Contextual Blind Spots: Discussing unchecked assumptions in daily work.

Value and Motivation

• Missing the WHY: Lack of communication around the ultimate VALUE of the work.
• Purpose Drives Motivation: Knowing why tasks matter increases engagement.

Cognitive Load and Flow

• Spoon Theory: Managing limited mental energy and cognitive load.
• Flow Disruptors: Identifying Slack/notifications as excessive noise that breaks focus.

Time Off and Workplace Safety

• Managing Return: Setting healthy expectations for those returning after time off.
• Psychological Safety: The foundational requirement for taking necessary breaks.
• "Always On" Pressure: Ranting against the pressure for a digital detox and constant online presence.

Community and Celebration

Lisa Crispin Shoutout: Acknowledging her commitment to championing the community.

Shining a Light: The importance of celebrating and elevating others.

#PeersCon26 Tickets for the event are now live too, starting at £15 until December 2025, when they increase to £30.
And as always, we are looking for sponsors to make this event the success it has been for the last 2 years, get in touch if interested

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

Thanks to our sponsors – NFocus Testing.

nFocus are a UK based software testing company. They’ve been supporting businesses for 24 years by providing services that include burst resource, accelerated test automation, performance testing and fully managed testing services. In 2021, they launched a Test Automation Academy to create amazing testers and they’ve now created jobs for 48 people in our industry in just under three years!

nFocus were a big part of PeersCon in 2024 and 2025, really grateful for all they do to support the Testing Peers.

www.nfocus.co.uk and [email protected] for anyone wanting to get in touch.

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Welcome to episode 138 of the Testing Peers Podcast

In this episode, Chris, Rachel, David and Russell discuss how people begin their careers in testing and software quality today.

After a light-hearted round of “Two Truths and a Lie (But All Lies)”, the conversation turns to the different ways people enter the field, and how those paths have changed over time. The Peers share their own experiences and reflect on what helps new testers succeed.

Topics include:

• Apprenticeships, graduate schemes and internal career changes
• The importance of curiosity, communication and collaboration
• Balancing technical skills with people skills
• The impact of AI and automation on entry routes
• Building inclusive teams and supporting diverse backgrounds
• The difference between culture add and culture fit

The group explore what organisations can do to create better entry points into quality roles, and how experienced professionals can help the next generation of testers grow with confidence.

#PeersCon26 Tickets for the event are now live too, starting at £15 until December 2025, when they increase to £30.
And as always, we are looking for sponsors to make this event the success it has been for the last 2 years, get in touch if interested

Twitter (https://twitter.com/testingpeers)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/testing-peers)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/testingpeers/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TestingPeers)

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

Thanks to our sponsors – NFocus Testing.

nFocus are a UK based software testing company. They’ve been supporting businesses for 24 years by providing services that include burst resource, accelerated test automation, performance testing and fully managed testing services. In 2021, they launched a Test Automation Academy to create amazing testers and they’ve now created jobs for 48 people in our industry in just under three years!

nFocus were a big part of PeersCon in 2024 and 2025, really grateful for all they do to support the Testing Peers.

www.nfocus.co.uk and [email protected] for anyone wanting to get in touch.

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Welcome to episode 137 of the Testing Peers podcast!

This time, join  Callum Akehurst-Ryan, Russell Craxford, Chris Armstrong and David Maynard as we discuss Personal Branding and Social Media.

In this episode, the Peers discuss the importance of personal branding and the role social media plays in shaping professional identity within the testing community.

The conversation explores how each of the hosts approaches their own personal brand, the motivations behind building one, and the ways in which visibility and authenticity can influence employability, reputation and connection. The group also considers the evolution of social media platforms, how algorithms influence engagement, and how to use these platforms effectively while staying true to personal values.

Key discussion points include:

• The link between personal branding and professional opportunities
• Developing an identifiable and consistent online presence
• Balancing authenticity, tone of voice and self-promotion
• The impact of algorithms and how to navigate them
• Choosing the right platforms for your goals, from LinkedIn and YouTube to community spaces such as the Ministry of Testing Club [https://club.ministryoftesting.com/]
• The idea of defining your brand through a single theme or “word” [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/whats-your-word-finding-perfectly-describes-you-career-dan-ashby-1sv2e/?trackingId=xoBbDkUiRfmqX6GsXR2U7g%3D%3D]

The hosts share their experiences of what has worked for them, the challenges of maintaining consistency, and the benefits of intentionality in developing a recognisable and trustworthy online identity.

#PeersCon26 Tickets for the event are now live too, starting at £15 until December 2025, when they increase to £30.
And as always, we are looking for sponsors to make this event the success it has been for the last 2 years, get in touch if interested

Twitter (https://twitter.com/testingpeers)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/testing-peers)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/testingpeers/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TestingPeers)

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

Thanks to our sponsors – NFocus Testing.

nFocus are a UK based software testing company. They’ve been supporting businesses for 24 years by providing services that include burst resource, accelerated test automation, performance testing and fully managed testing services. In 2021, they launched a Test Automation Academy to create amazing testers and they’ve now created jobs for 48 people in our industry in just under three years!

nFocus were a big part of PeersCon in 2024 and 2025, really grateful for all they do to support the Testing Peers.

www.nfocus.co.uk and [email protected] for anyone wanting to get in touch.

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Welcome to episode 136 of the Testing Peers podcast.

In this episode, David, Chris, Russell and Tara dig into a question from #PeersCon25 speaker, Stuart Pates: what’s the difference between a test strategy and a quality engineering strategy?

The peers explore:

• Whether strategies are rigid documents, living guides, or something in between
• How context drives whether you need a test strategy, a quality strategy, or both
• Why language and labels (“test” vs “quality”) can help or hinder collaboration
• The role of purpose and value in defining strategies that actually work
• Strategies as empowerment tools versus “one-way to do things” policies
• How to avoid strategies becoming shelfware and instead keep them living and relevant

As always, there’s plenty of banter (including revelations about everyone’s oldest open browser tab!) before diving into the topic.

We’d love to hear your thoughts, what does strategy mean in your organisation, and how do you approach the balance between quality and testing?

#PeersCon26 Tickets for the event are now live too, starting at £15 until December 2025, when they increase to £30.
And as always, we are looking for sponsors to make this event the success it has been for the last 2 years, get in touch if interested

Twitter (https://twitter.com/testingpeers)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/testing-peers)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/testingpeers/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TestingPeers)

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

Thanks to our sponsors – NFocus Testing.

nFocus are a UK based software testing company. They’ve been supporting businesses for 24 years by providing services that include burst resource, accelerated test automation, performance testing and fully managed testing services. In 2021, they launched a Test Automation Academy to create amazing testers and they’ve now created jobs for 48 people in our industry in just under three years!

nFocus were a big part of PeersCon in 2024 and 2025, really grateful for all they do to support the Testing Peers.

www.nfocus.co.uk and [email protected] for anyone wanting to get in touch.

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Welcome to episode 135 of the Testing Peers Podcast. This time join Chris, Russell, David and the returning Jon Robinson as we talk all things AI in testing.

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how we approach testing, QA and quality. But what happens when the pace of change accelerates? In this episode, the Peers explore what AI might mean for our profession, our skills and the value we bring.

We discuss:

• The future of QA roles in the next 3–5 years and which functions may fade or evolve.
• Why exploratory testing could become more important as AI takes on repetitive checking.
• The risk of over-reliance on AI tools, from hallucinations to “blind hope” in outputs.
• New skills testers may need: data literacy, training and validating models, and critical thinking about outputs.
• Shifts in business mindsets: AI as a cost-cutting tool vs AI as an enabler.
• The challenges of scalability, maintainability and sustainability when using AI.
• Ethical and legal concerns around data sharing, intellectual property and training models.
• How diverse skills and perspectives remain crucial for testing in an AI-driven future.

Along the way, we touch on topics from token debt and environmental impact, to healthcare examples, to why trust and human experience still matter.

#PeersCon26 Call for Collaborations for written and video submissions until September 30th 2025, and also for VolunPeers. More on all this can be found here

Tickets for the event are now live too, starting at £15 until December, when they go up to £30.
And as always, we are looking for sponsors to make this event the success it has been for the last 2 years, get in touch if interested

Twitter (https://twitter.com/testingpeers)
LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/testing-peers)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/testingpeers/)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TestingPeers)

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

Thanks to our sponsors – NFocus Testing.

nFocus are a UK based software testing company. They’ve been supporting businesses for 24 years by providing services that include burst resource, accelerated test automation, performance testing and fully managed testing services. In 2021, they launched a Test Automation Academy to create amazing testers and they’ve now created jobs for 48 people in our industry in just under three years!

nFocus were a big part of PeersCon in 2024 and 2025, really grateful for all they do to support the Testing Peers.

www.nfocus.co.uk and [email protected] for anyone wanting to get in touch.

Support the show