I know, it has been a actually long fourth dimension since I published whatsoever of my testing interviews alongside a software testing expert from around the globe. So hither I'm again; too this fourth dimension I'll last interviewing Elisabeth Hendrickson from Test Obsessed. [Feel gratis to see her weblog to know to a greater extent than most what she has been doing too most all the interesting testing stuffs she has been carrying out of late; of course after you've finished reading this interview hither showtime :)]
For those who haven't known her, she is i of those rare breeds of experienced testers who direct keep been inward the software evolution for yesteryear three decades. She has held positions every bit a tester, developer, manager, too character technology scientific discipline director inward a multifariousness of companies ranging from pocket-size start-ups to multi-national enterprises too today I'll last interviewing her hither on .
Since this interview grew combat lengthier, for the sake of slowly readability I direct keep decided to present it inward 2 parts. So, hither is what Elisabeth has to say:
Debasis: What led you lot to choke a software tester? And what was the topmost argue that attracted you lot to the champaign of testing?
Elisabeth: I became a software tester solely yesteryear accident. Back inward the early on 1990's I accepted a 4 calendar week contract to assist a QA grouping automate their examination configuration setup. I had the UNIX scripting too database skills they needed. In my showtime calendar week onsite, I realized that I'd flora home. Testing enabled me to leverage my strange combination of technical skills, communication skills, too analysis skills inward creative ways that I had non been able to inward other roles (including programmer, technical writer, too s marking support). The 4 calendar week gig turned into 4 years of employment.
Debasis: Did you lot endeavor testing anything other than software earlier diving into software testing?
Elisabeth: Not intentionally. In retrospect, I tin run across that I was destined to last a tester however. I was i of those kids who took apart mechanical clocks too onetime electronics to run across how they worked, too thence couldn't acquire them dorsum together or working again.
Debasis: Tell me five unknown/least-known facts most you.
Elisabeth: 1. I had non traveled exterior North America earlier 2001. (I've straight off visited xix countries too consider international go to last i of the corking benefits of my work.)
2. I uncovering it much, much easier to larn novel calculator languages than human languages.
3. I collect folk music from all over the world. My electrical flow favorite: Finnish folk.
4. I direct keep a white belt inward Nia, a displace shape that combines trip the calorie-free fantastic toe arts, martial arts, too yoga. ( See http://nianow.com )
5. I tried waiting tables inward college too was terrible. They would direct keep fired me but I quit first. I admire anyone who's goodness at waiting tables; it's actually hard.
Debasis: What was the hardest challenge that you lot flora inward your career every bit a tester?
Elisabeth: I flora it most challenging when I was a QA manager inward an organisation that had severe character problems too an executive squad who didn't desire to withdraw heed bad news. It was thence difficult to tell the truth inward that environment. There were times when I simply wanted to pretend I had non seen a põrnikas thence I wouldn't direct keep to contend alongside the executives or the developers most it. While I never did pretend non to run across a bug, I am certain my testing was non every bit goodness every bit it should direct keep been because I unconsciously wanted to avoid discovering bad news.
Ultimately, I quit because I could run across that I would non last able to contribute effectively. Four months afterward I left, the fellowship was dead. My squad (jokingly) defendant me of having within cognition of the company's imminent demise. But truly, I had no thought the fellowship was most to fail. All I knew was that I had no thought how to help.
That sense reinforced 2 critical lessons:
1. Always e'er always tell the truth.
2. When you lot realize at that topographic point is goose egg that you lot tin produce to assist your project, team, or organization, it's fourth dimension to leave.
Debasis: Tell me most the most satisfying minute inward your testing career.
Elisabeth: There has non been simply i most satisfying moment; at that topographic point direct keep been many. I derive corking satisfaction from helping teams too individuals, participating on successful projects, too creating things that stand upwardly the examination of time.
But permit me direct i minute to tell you lot about: deploying software that simply manifestly worked.
It was 2pm on a Fri afternoon, the twenty-four hours nosotros were scheduled to choke alive alongside http://www.bringlight.com. It's a website for taking charitable contributions for specific projects, thence land it's non safety-critical, it is financially critical. I was a fellow member of the implementation squad at Pivotal Labs, where nosotros built that showtime release. We decided to start the deployment procedure at 2pm thence that nosotros would direct keep a total three hours to resolve whatsoever issues earlier the terminate of the day.
We deployed. We checked the deployment. I used my ain personal credit menu to brand a donation to a worthy cause. And yesteryear 2:15pm nosotros were all looking at each other saying, "OK, it's live. Now what?"
Deploying the showtime alive unloosen was a consummate non-event. And that made me smile from ear-to-ear.
Drew McManus, i of the founders of Bring Light, Inc. too the someone who played the purpose of Product Owner (PO) on the project, has given me permission to verbalise most it publicly. And he deserves a lot of credit for its success. As the PO, Drew had a clear vision of what he wanted us to create too was able to brand goodness decisions most what was in-scope too out-of-scope.
As a team, nosotros worked actually good together. And nosotros applied audio technology scientific discipline practices including Test Driven Development (TDD), automated end-to-end credence tests, Continuous Integration (CI), too Paired Programming. We succeeded because nosotros tested throughout, too had fast feedback. As a result, nosotros minimized the number of late-stage surprises. So the projection released on fourth dimension alongside high quality, too Drew was delighted alongside the results.
In fact, at that topographic point was only i põrnikas inward the showtime several months of utilization that required a quick-turnaround-bug-fix. And that number was something that other organizations I'd worked alongside inward the yesteryear would direct keep considered a depression priority, customer-education issue.
That was i of the best projects of my whole career. And that Friday, at 2:15pm, I knew it was a huge success, too something that I was actually proud to last a business office of.
Debasis: Tell me of whatsoever province of affairs when you lot had wished you lot were NOT a tester!
Elisabeth: I've never wished that I were non a tester. I have, however, wished to direct keep to a greater extent than influence over character than beingness an end-of-the-development-cycle tester normally affords. I actually loathe it when all I tin produce is indicate out the bugs, too at that topographic point are besides many to address inward a tight timeframe. That's why I'm thence drawn to Agile teams where everyone tests too testing activities displace to the forefront.
I promise all of you lot enjoyed the interview every bit much every bit I did. I volition last posting the concluding business office of this interview soon. So remain tuned. Happy Testing...