I have a pet but unproven theory. Bugs are born outside of code. Several conditions outside the control of engineering influence the quality of software being produced. And I want to find out what those conditions and factors are. I still cannot articulate my idea well, but the videos over here go a long way in helping me think and build out a proof for my theory.
Every senior Qxf2 engineer is required to watch these videos during their first 6 weeks with us. I originally wrote this article on our internal wiki for my new colleagues at Qxf2. But given the general nature of the talks, I thought I might as well share it on this blog.
The videos are intense and loaded with ideas. So casual viewing will not suffice.
1. Just culture
My favorite book about testing happens to be something totally unrelated to testing. It was written by a healthcare safety specialist – Dr. Sydney Dekker. So when I saw that Dr. Dekker had YouTube videos, I naturally had to watch them!
2. Cynefin framework
Testing is often over simplified. We often forget that with software, the problems co-evolve with solutions. The Cynefin framework is a brilliant way to make sense of the evolutionary nature of complex systems and the inherent uncertainty.
3. Discovery without objectives
Qxf2 invests a lot of money into R&D. And yet when you talk to me, I cannot give you a clear goal of what exactly we plan to accomplish. That is because we are in the process of searching and discovering what is useful. And objectives are part of the discovery process. If you are feeling anxious about the lack of clear goals at Qxf2, this talk will calm you down.
4. A 30-yr retrospective by a software tester
I loved this CAST talk. Karen Johnson talks about her 30-year career as a software tester. She talks about what are worthy goals, good habits and distractions. I think it is totally worth thinking about these things relatively early in our career.
5. Theories on working in groups
I like the first part of this video where the speaker talks about how working in groups evolved.
6. Software and engineering
I hate when software is treated like some manufacturing process that should churn out release after release. This talk does a great job of clarifying the economics of software and how they change the processes we work with.
I want to find out what conditions produce remarkable software. A few years ago, I chose to work as the first professional tester at a startup. I successfully won credibility for testers and established a world-class team. I have lead the testing for early versions of multiple products. Today, I run Qxf2 Services. Qxf2 provides software testing services for startups. If you are interested in what Qxf2 offers or simply want to talk about testing, you can contact me at: [email protected]. I like testing, math, chess and dogs.
