Huib Schoots

How to Become a Great Tester

www.eurostarconferences.com

@esconfs#esconfs

The blind side, evolution of the game

A Personal StoryA Personal Story

Challenging personal beliefsChallenging personal beliefs

A journey of learning by making mistakesA journey of learning by making mistakes

To find the best testing possibleTo find the best testing possible

Some consider him controversialSome consider him controversial

Questioning & exploring TestingQuestioning & exploring Testing

Interactive talk Interactive talk

To become a great TesterTo become a great Tester

social sciences, critical thinking & heuristicssocial sciences, critical thinking & heuristics

This is my story about the most beautiful “game” inworld called testing. For me software development is likea team sport where collaboration is essential. In this talkI want to share how I questioned and changed mybeliefs over the years. When I discovered my blind side,it set off a series of events that changed my gameforever. Consider my testing career as a journey, fillingmy backpack with experience, skills, techniques andtools. A long exploration learning more about testing,asking myself how to become a great tester. Findingways to help my clients and other stakeholders with thebest testing possible. I learned by making many mistakesand trying many different ways.

My first steps on the testing path were in a happy-go-lucky way. I didn’tknow much about testing and common sense helped me to do my work.Next I learned about structured testing methodologies. As a tester andlater as a test manager, but also as a teacher I observed many people testand learn to test. I struggled with the testing I did and saw others do. Istarted doubting the testing I was taught and teaching myself: it justwasn't right... There is much more to testing that wasn’t told in thecommon testing classes. And why weren’t we testing actual software inthese classes?

On foreign blogs I read about agile and context-driven testing and I foundout there is much more to testing then I could guess. I learned new,exciting and interesting aspects, which I hadn’t considered before. Istarted reading more about topics like social sciences, critical thinking,heuristics and exploratory testing. Some of these ideas where consideredcontroversial by my colleagues. Being curious and driven by my passionfor testing, I discovered my blind side. Join me in this interactive talk andquestion me about the intriguing journey I took. At the same timequestion your testing like I did.