Learn System Before Solving Release & Testing Challenges

 

I read this question on The Test Chat posted on 31st January 2026.

Hi, As we know that due to AI, development is happening at a much greater speed. Adding CI/Cd to it, companies are deploying daily releases.

Now consider you're a QA manager and you're assigned to a new project. Since it's a new development, Automation is not feasible as new features and changes are constantly happening. Also note that adding new resources to the QA team is not in budget.

How would you scale manual testing to cope up when the speed of development is a daily release ?

Please do not use ChatGPT 😁

The Question Posted on The Test Chat

Not sure if this is an interview question or a question posted from one's current context.

Here are my interpretations of the question to start. It will evolve as I discuss further.

1. What system is being discussed in the question?
• Having no idea on what is the system being discussed, all our discussions will be vague and irrelevant.
2. The said situation is possible and a common daily happening in startups and tech enterprises.
3. The daily releases are a common operations.
• But, the question is what are being released daily?
• How many releases in a day?
• How the teams orchestrate the release management? How the dependent interfaces are informed about it?
4. What is missing in this question?
• It does not say which all interfaces of the system as part of a product are changing constantly.
• Also, it does not say how these interfaces are connected and how they are interdependent.
• Does the change in one interface affect the other? If so, how?

I see the above questions should be worked upon for first.

Testing has to align with the speed of product's development.  In other words, today, the testing is all about the speed for first and then feedback at the fastest knowing the risks -- risk focused with AI in the arena than bug focused.  That is, by enabling the solutions of AI, the priority of me as a tester will be to focus over risk for first and than the bugs.

This is not a testing problem as such from the description of question.  It is the problem of seeking the clarity and how to be an enabler -- release enabler.

Once the clarity is available, one need to work on how to execute the testing and automation as an engineering activity in the chaos, yet deliver the serving releases.  

Me reasoning the above questions for first before working on scaling and executing the testing and automation, will be of super help.

Me having no clarity on the system and its interfaces dependency, but, working to streamline efforts with testing and automation for a super fast paced daily releases, is an engineering risk.

The Awareness Words On Growth And Promotion

 

I wish, I had seniors who said me about growth and promotions when I began my software testing career.  Could be my seniors did not know how important it is to share this with juniors who have started their career.  

Nevertheless, I want to share it here.  So that, it can be the words of awareness.  

These words of awareness related to promotions and growth is not limited to below sharing.  It is more and beyond.

The below are quick reminders to myself.  It can serve you as well.

• The good work delivered does not mean good money and benefits.
• The promotion and growth is not all about the good work done and delivered.
• It is about my identity, professional identity, visibility, communication, persuasion, influencing, the kind of problems I'm solving, the value and money I bring to the business.
• Me skilled in the tech stacks and capable to build, test and deliver is not the only priority factors for the growth, promotion and benefits, each time.
• The 1:1's and meeting with stakeholders should have a goal and way to evaluate the same periodically and consistently.
• It should be quantifiable and visible in the business.
• A manager's job is not to worry about my growth and promotions.
• A manager's job is to ensure the delivery is going good and meeting the business goals.
• A manager's job is to solve and enable the business on priority, most of the times.
• A manager can be of help in my growth and promotion to a certain role maybe until the senior engineer role.
• Beyond that, it is me and how I'm seen by my peers for what I'm and what I do.
• A manager is not responsible for my learning and upskilling.
• It is my responsibility and accountability.
• The manager might forget me after a release.
• She or he will remember me
• When I'm needed in the meeting.
• When a data is needed from me.
• When someone else need data of me.
• It is me who has to keep the manager engaged with my value and impacts delivered.
• The data has to be presented.
• The data should be quantifiable.
• The one whose work bring money to business and the one who sits in the role for making decisions that brings money to business, get identified and promoted usually.
• In other way, how close is my work to bring the money and impact to business and its growth?
• This is a preliminary equation which one has to have and solve before going to ask promotion, growth and benefits in a business place.
• How to keep myself here while I deliver an excellent work and value to the business?
• If you see, in a way this is politics.
• The office politics is not bad!  Everything runs on politics.
• It is the people and management dynamics, and that is how a system functions inherently.  This is my observation and interpretation.
• One should be able to play her or his role in the office politics.
• If ignored or keeping oneself away from the office politics, it projects one as muted with a label tagged -- he or she can be updated later and the job will get done and no need to be here.
• One's office politics is her or his identity, visibility, positioning and influencing

The manager is in the organization not to promote her or his team members.

• But, to ensure the business goals are being met.  
• Taking care of her or his team members in a defined scope is one of the responsibilities for a manager; it is not the only responsibility and not the number one priority responsibility.

Business goals do not have my promotions and growth as their priority goals.  It should be my goals.

Yet, the managers go and fight in a closed room for her or his team members growth, hike and promotion until a role.  You see, not all get promoted in a cycle.  That challenging is the advocacy in that closed room, tables and meetings for the managers.  Give the quantified data to your manager.

Underestimating self and letting that to be used by others in the floor can be lethal to the growth.  

To end here, my growth, hike, promotion and the benefits I need to get is my advocacy and visibility for first.  The manager and peers can be a catalyst here.

Webinar — Tell Me, Why Your [Professional] Identity Matters?

 

You would have read about SmartQA and HOTS in my blog.  Every Friday a webinar with label musings brings a fresh topic consistently.  This webinar is from Ashok Thiruvengadam and the recordings are here.

One such webinar is "The Slow Drift of Professional Identity" on 9th January 2026.  As a sequel to this webinar, we from community have got an opportunity to share our thoughts.  This webinar is scheduled on 16th January 2026.  More details below.

The Slow Drift of Professional Identity

In short, this webinar reflected on,

• How important is the personal identity!
• How and when the personal identity can fade?  Why?
• Why should one have her or his identity for first and then a professional identity?
• How the current technologies, platform and expectations weigh more on past of yours than current identity?
• How and why the current identity is always under construction?
• How the job roles and description define what you are doing and your identity?
• How my yesterday's work and value reflect on my today's and future growth?

If observed closely, we all are navigating through this since we started our career.  And, we will be navigating through this puzzle of identity and professional identity.

Identity and professional identity matters!

The Slow Drift of Professional Identity - Voices From The Community

I'm happy for having this opportunity from Ashok.  

I'm delighted for having a space to sit and listen the thoughts and experiences of Catherine and Sandeep.  Knowing Sandeep and Catherine from close quarters, I'm grateful to get a chair to sit beside them as a co-speaker from the community.

In this webinar, we three will be sharing our learning, experiences and hard learned lessons from our career and practices.  Ashok will be moderating the discussions.  

I do not want to share more on what you will have here.  Come, experience, ask and co-learn together.

Here are the details of this webinar.

• Date: 16th January 2025
• Time: 12:00 PM IST to 12:30 PM IST [30 minutes]
• Mode: Online
• Joining URL: https://live.zoho.in/fxcc-wug-yra
• About Webinar:
•  https://www.linkedin.com/events/theslowdriftofprofessionalident7416350892360249345/

Details of Webinar -- The Slow Drift of Professional Identity - Voices From The community

I thank Ashok Thiruvengadam for giving me this opportunity, space and time in his webinar; thereby, letting me to co-speak together with Catherine and Sandeep who are committed and building their professional identity consistently.

[25th Jan 2026]

UPDATE: The webinar video can be watched here.

The Test Chat: The Tester Of The Year 2025 Recognition

 

To,

The Test Chat

I wish you a healthy and happy prosperous year 2025.  Let all your aspirations come true! 

I went into silence for a couple of hours on reading and knowing I have got this recognition and appreciation.  I did not know to respond.  I'm humbled and touched.  Respects!

Thanks for this recognition and appreciation.  It feels good!  This makes my 2026 start with a bliss.

I have to share this,

• I'm learning by listening and observing to everyone in The Test Chat community.
• This is helping me to be consistent in the efforts to improvise my practice each day.
• Hence, I owe this recognition and share with you all in The Test Chat community.
• I could share a bit because you all are sharing what you are having in full for us in the community.
• I owe a share to my seniors and peers whom I observe.

Such community recognition and appreciation come with added responsibilities and accountability.  Now, this has made to look upon myself much closely on how I conduct, communicate, unlearn, learn, practice and share with the communities and fellow testers.

I'm grateful for The Test Chat community.  Gratitude! 🙏

Thanks!
Ravisuriya

01st January 2026

The Test Chat's Tester Of The Year 2025

Recognition and Appreciation

UPDATED on 23rd Jan 2026 - Certificate

What Test Engineers Forgot By Saying "Out Of The Box"?

When I started my testing career, I read the lines which said, think Out of the Box.  My then manager said the team to think and work, out of the box.  

I see testers practicing, working, testing and automating by saying, out of the box.

Wait! When said boxes, what comes to one's mind is Black Box, White Box and Grey Box.  But, I tell you, there exists no such boxes.  These boxes are imaginary; it was termed probably to give an analogy, to see and know the ways to test the product's code and infrastructure.

I do not tie myself to these imaginary boxes, but, it is a useful analogy.  After all, when said Out of the Box, which box are we referring to?

And, what is that I'm missing by saying and doing out of the box?

What Have we Forgotten?

While me talking and saying *out of the box*, I'm not letting myself to think Inside The Box, for first.

If I cannot know what is *inside the box*, how will I know what is outside the box?

If I cannot see, think and explore for what is *inside the box*, how will I know what is outside the box?

I see, we have forgotten "Inside The Box" by saying and hearing "Out of The Box" for decades.

What's inside the box which you are testing?  Does it have just functionality, though the functionality is the heart beat of a system?  Okay, have I explored the functionality in all possible dimensions?

Almost everything in the box is associated with functionality.

When I'm not said to test for what is inside the box, I will be lost with Out of The Box.  Do you?

If I explore Inside The Box, fore sure, it will help me to go beyond functionality.  What all I can do inside the box?  What all I can evaluate inside the box and how?  That is, I think of performance, security, usability, observability, traceability, monitoring, and you label next.  All these are associated directly with the functionality.

All the boxes in software testing are imaginary.
We have forgot to see and explore Inside the Box.

Inside the Box, helps you to identify and observe,

• Why these exists?
• Why these are interconnected?
• How these are interconnected?
• How are they communicating?
• What are they communicating?
• To whom they are communicating?
• When are they communicating?
• When they fail to communicate?
• How fast and reliably they can communicate?
• The programming, code, protocols, tech stacks, libraries, money, ports, cables, people, etc.
• What they are holding and where, how and why, when?
• And, more ...

As you go Inside the Box, this space grows in multi dimension.  You will realize what is out of the box and what is inside the box.  You will consistently tune yourself to fit in any imaginary boxes with your tests.  From there on, you will explore, test, automate and talk to all the imaginary boxes and system[s] you are interacting with.

If I cannot see what is within, how can I see what is outside?

The Reality, Pain, and Cost

This is my observation.

• When I ignore Inside the Box, I will continue to talk with more focus on vocabulary, terminologies, schools, process, advocating on one aspect of the discipline and think this is craft and craftsmanship.  
• I will be stuck here and pass on the same to upcoming generation of software test engineers and practice.  
• This is the reality and painful part. 

Is talking and working on vocabulary, terminologies, schools, craft, craftsmanship and advocating that one aspect is testing, wrong?  

• No, it is not wrong.  
• But getting lost here indefinitely is beyond wrong.  
• The cost of this is huge to the craft as a practice and to the software test engineering discipline.
• As a result, the upcoming test engineers and generation will pick whose voice, approach and content is more opted.
• If observed, this is not the case with programming and programmers.
• I see, the programmers challenge most times and everyone who pushes or sells the thoughts. 
• Why? I see, they are trying to learn and understand from inside the box for first.

Unfortunately the smart people who are with role and title of influencers, thought leaders, keynote speakers, seniors, directors, VPs, ambassadors, and advocators of a thought and schools are lost here.  My question to them and me is, why not we explore Inside the Box?  Why just confined for propagating the philosophies and one's ideas alone ignoring what is Inside the Box?  The philosophy is a need; I do not say we should not ignore it.  Philosophy alone do not pay one's bills and fill the stomachs.  I wish, I had learned this lesson in the start of my career.  The business is a philosophy by itself and it will make use of or ignore any other philosophies as and when needed.  I hope and wish, the test engineers will interpret this.

I see this is one of the key reasons why the software testing as a discipline and practice we did not gain the recognition and importance as programming the product and solution.  Though we work closely with the product code and the test code, we miss our craft and names being called out.  This is reality and painful.

To end here, if I'm not seeing and thinking for what is Inside the Box, how will I excel in Out of the Box?