Written by StuOctober 7, 2019October 8, 2019

Learn To Love Failure – Big Ideas from TestBash Manchester 2019

Who wants to fail? In life, we strive to succeed, to do well, and to avoid the pitfalls and dangers we are beset by. As testers however, we need to take a different attitude to failure. Failure pays our bills! Without failure, without the human predisposition to make mistakes, short-sighted or narrow decisions, we are out of a job. So – how do we foster a more accepting attitude towards failure, and learn to not only enjoy it, but encourage it?

Written by StuOctober 1, 2018October 1, 2018

Attending TestBash: The Dos and Don’ts

Four TestBashes in, I feel like I’ve finally cracked it. Here’s my tips for enjoying your TestBash experience YOUR way!

Written by StuNovember 16, 2017

99 Seconds of Impostor Syndrome; or, my lightning talk about being terrified of talking to a room full of testers

I mentioned in my first post here this year that I was just back from TestBash Manchester 2017, where I’d surprised myself by giving a lightning talk to several hundred testers. Lightning talks are unscheduled and involve signing up on the day, queuing for your turn on stage and then, if you’re anything like me… […]

Written by StuOctober 31, 2017August 10, 2018

Test Your Testing – Big Ideas from Testbash Manchester 2017

Fourth in a series of thinkings, learnings and ramblings on this year’s Testbash Manchester So I’ve had a couple of days to process this year’s event, and I’m still chewing through some of the major themes of Testbash. There was a lot more on the psychological side than people might expect from a testing conference, […]

Written by StuOctober 30, 2017August 10, 2018

Test’s Role is Evolving – Big Ideas from Testbash Manchester 2017

Third in a series of thinkings, learnings and ramblings on this year’s Testbash Manchester So I’ve had a couple of days to process this year’s event, and I’m still chewing through some of the major themes of Testbash. There was a lot more on the psychological side than people might expect from a testing conference, […]

Written by StuOctober 29, 2017August 10, 2018

Self Awareness and Self Care as a Tester – Big Ideas from Testbash Manchester 2017

Second in a series of thinkings, learnings and ramblings on this year’s Testbash Manchester So I’ve had a couple of days to process this year’s event, and I’m still chewing through some of the major themes of Testbash. There was a lot more on the psychological side than people might expect from a testing conference, […]

Written by StuOctober 28, 2017November 16, 2017

Impostor Syndrome, and 99 Seconds of Fame

First in a series of posts reflecting on lessons learned and realisations, well, realised at Testbash Manchester 2017 Edit – Video now online at https://dojo.ministryoftesting.com/lessons/99-second-talks-testbash-manchester-2017 – I’m at ~7:10. Requires (free) signup. I spoke! I spoke at a damn testing conference! Maybe I can make it in this testing game after all! Sure, it was a […]

Written by StuOctober 27, 2016October 1, 2018

Moving Test Upstream – How to test the whole SDLC

Fourth in a series of posts summing up my thoughts on the Ministry of Testing’s latest success, TestBash Manchester 2016. As testers, we’re used to hearing the value of “shifting testing left” in the software development life-cycle. By finding problems sooner, we can be instrumental in saving the business money, effort and time rectifying costly […]

Written by StuOctober 26, 2016October 26, 2016

Top 3 New Skills from TestBash Manchester 2016

Third in a series of posts summing up my thoughts on the Ministry of Testing’s latest success. Note: The summaries below are based on my takeaways from the discussions, and are not necessarily representative of either the original intent or meaning of their authors! I only offer my perspective on what I heard, so my […]

Written by StuOctober 24, 2016October 25, 2016

Top 3 Big Ideas from TestBash Manchester 2016

First in a series of posts summing up my thoughts on the Ministry of Testing’s latest success. Note: The summaries below are based on my takeaways from the discussions, and are not necessarily representative of either the original intent or meaning of their authors! I only offer my perspective on what I heard, so my […]