In February I wrote about the experimental retrospective format for our team’s “cross-pod retro” (so-called, because our large team is divided into smaller pods). Since then, my manager Jo Webb and I have continued to tweak the retro format, based on feedback from surveys done following each retro. Building on feedback Our teammates said they […]
Read Morecommunicating
Agile Requirements Exploration: How Testers Add Value – ExpoQA 2016
Raji Bhamidipati and I co-facilitated a day-long workshop at ExpoQA Madrid in June. We shared techniques testers can use with their teams to build shared understanding at the product, release, feature, iteration and story levels. Participants worked in teams to try out the various techniques and contribute their own experiences with ways to enable shared […]
Read MoreConfidence
I enjoy listening to the “Testing in the Pub” podcasts with Stephen Janaway and Dan Ashby (along with various guests). Though the episodes make me thirsty for a pint of cider, the casual but insightful conversations inspire me to learn and try different ideas. One recent episode was about being a valued team member. I […]
Read MoreWhat skills should we learn & teach to build quality in?
I learned so much last week at Agile Roots 2015 last week. Check out the artifacts, they’ll inspire you too! Janet Gregory and I did a plenary talk on “Do Testers Have to Code… To Be Useful?” I always love pair presenting with Janet. She did a super job of explaining our views on the […]
Read MoreA tester’s life
I work every day as a tester on the Pivotal Tracker team. Some people think that because I’ve written books and speak at conferences I must be a full time consultant, but my passion lies in being a member of a great team and doing hands-on testing. It’s easy for me to go around telling […]
Read MoreThe Future is Here
Agile Testing Days 2014’s theme was the future of agile testing. What challenges are ahead, and how will we address them? Janet Gregory and I facilitated a workshop with experienced agile practitioners designed to identify some of the biggest issues related to testing and quality, and come up with experiments we can try to help […]
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