In Software Engineering The Numbers Do Not Mean Direction With Clarity

 

I came across a post where a person from community said, he is making 40 PRs a day.  Further, he said, the long standing architects there could not keep up with that pace.  It sounds impressive to one listening it.

Wait!  This put me into a thought.

I'm writing 100+ test cases and executing the 100+ test cases reading line by line.  How should I consider and interpret this?  How do my reporting manager look at this and interpret my contribution and value add?  Do I get the big hike and promotion in each cycle?

Why I say this?

• Making 40 PRs in a day is as good as writing 100+ test cases and executing it -- when the number is expected and rated.

In a day, what can one push in 40 PRs?  Is this in a same repository or to the different projects repositories?  I have no idea.  But, as a engineer, I have a concern when I see that number -- 40 PRs or 100+ test cases by a person.  What are the review guidelines?  Who is reviewing it?  What is evaluated in the review before the merge is approved?

Engineering Manager, Numbers And Direction With Clarity

While one is on a intended direction with clarity the numbers make a better story.  If not, can it still make a story what is expected?

As an engineer, I see the numbers in everything and whatever I do.  The numbers help to represent, describe and communicate.

When the focus is on the numbers, it does not mean one is having the clarity.  

For example, I'm executing 50 test cases and 100+ in an automation run.  Does the organization, business and my peer programmers get anything from this number?  Will it be counted in as my value addition and contribution?

If we engineers are evaluated on numbers, I have seen the engineers running with the spreadsheet, number of PRs, test cases, product stories, the tickets marked as 'done', instances created and orchestrated.  Isn't it?  Do you see this at your work?

Engineering and Numbers

I learn, when we engineer a solution the goal is to have the clarity on what we are going to do, why and how.

Having the clarity means removing the ambiguities and being aware of it.  This is a major part of the solving in an engineering.

When the clarity is established with no confusions it sets a direction.  This direction is important with a clarity; it tells where we are heading, why and how.

Implementation is one part of the big engineering.

Do numbers remove the direction and clarity?  If one is obsessed with numbers and biased to it, it can derail the efforts.

When we are biased and acknowledge one's voice and thought in an engineering, we are not solving.  We are setting an example of Factory Pattern which the software engineering is not all about.

Engineering Manager, Numbers, Clarity and Direction

I as an Engineering Manager, my primary goal will be to set the direction to team with clarity.  If I do no set a direction and why we want to accomplish it, the team and delivery will be in chaos.

If anyone in my team is behind the numbers for showing PRs, test cases and stories, I will assist them to build the clarity and see it.

I will help them in knowing what the management sees and how to show one's delivery as an impact in conversion and numbers.  

Why this impact conversion matter -- I will talk about it and help to visualize it.  I did not get this from my engineering managers.  It has costed me and the team though delivery went on time sprint on sprint and KPIs looked as set and expected.

A person making 40 PRs and 100+ test cases in a day, is a smoke which indicates something is not right!

To end here, here is the sum up

• The number of PRs in a day and test cases written and executed by a person looks impressive, but it is not a impact and conversion.
• Remove the ambiguities, establish the clarity, set the direction and evaluate it consistently.
• Software Engineering is not all about the numbers, PRs, stories, tests, instances, pipelines and orchestration.
• Engineering Manager is critical role in the Software Engineering -- this is a role which sets the direction to the development teams with clarity by resolving the ambiguities to deliver with the velocity.
• The management wanting the numbers and asking for it can mislead the effective and skilled Engineering Manager.
• This two not the same -- 'the numbers' and 'the conversion and impact'; these two are numbers with different stories.
• 40 PRs and 100+ tests by a person in a day does not mean she or he has clarity and direction.

In today's timeline of AI and LLM, it is the number of tokens.  Someone saying I used less number of token is a value add?

Then, what is clarity with direction in the Software Engineering?  What it is to your reporting manager?  What it is to the business and management who decides on your employment, hike, promotion, benefits and growth?

Ask your Engineering Manager.  It is not too late.

45 Seconds of Confusion: When a Familiar GUI Fails the Human Eye

 

In meetings, we often hear the same line, 

"That's not a bug.  Report it as an enhancement."

Sometimes the observed behavior never even makes it to the enhancement list.  

But, what happens when the problem is not about functionality, but about how the users experience the GUI and its usability?

My peer Dhanasekar Subramaniam (DS) recently published a blog about a UI design that delayed him using the app. This made me curious.  How could a UI that an engineering team acknowledged and used slow down a user?

I decided to test investigate the design.  On testing and analyzing the UI behavior and usability, I discovered something interesting -- the GUI looks as in code, but behaved differently to the human eye.  

I went through the usability and experience problem, but I was conscious about this behavior so I could identify it in quick time.

If you are a SDET or Test Engineer, this blog will help you develop new perspectives while analyzing GUI problems.  If you are a manager or decision-maker, it highlights why seemingly small GUI problems should not be ignored.

When a Simple Task Creates Anxiety

Late at night 11 PM, the user opened the cab booking app Rapido, just as they had done many times before.  The goal was simple -- book a cab and reach the bus stop.

But something unexpected happened.

This time, the users could not figure out how to book the cab.

Seconds started passing.  The GUI looked familiar, yet the action to book the ride was not obvious.  Nearly 45+ seconds went by, trying to understand what to do next.

The situation made it worse.

It was 11 PM, the bus departure time was getting closer, and the user was unaware how to proceed because of the app's GUI.

That moment -- when the user knows the app, knows the task, yet cannot complete it, creates anxiety.

So the question is,

Why did two tech-savvy users, using an iPhone and familiar with the app, spend more than 45 seconds trying to figure out how to book a cab?

45 seconds for a task that usually takes less than 5 makes the problem feel bigger instantly.

Understanding the Cause of Anxiety

Here is how I started to learn and understand,

1. I installed the Rapido on the Android phone.
2. I have no ride history with Rapido.
3. I signed in for the first time.
4. I see the Ride screen.
• I see the three addresses given which I had not chosen. I could save these as favorite; I did not.

On the Ride screen, I do not see where to enter or select the pick up location and destination.  

TL;DR -- In quick and short here is what caused the confusion which led to anxiety.

1. The text in the search text field.
2. The color contrast of search text field.
3. The color contrast of view showing the three addresses.
4. The color contrast in between the 2 and 3.
5. User not able to identify that is a search text field which is tappable.

What to fix?

1. To rephrase the search text.
• "Enter pickup location" works as charm; refer Pic-4 in this blog post.
2. To have better color contrasting for the three GUI elements.
• The GUI color and contrast to have ΔE ≥ 3  -- good and preferred
3. To highlight a search text field so that I will be prompted to tap and enter or select the pick-up and drop location.
4. When experimenting with AB Test configs, the GUI design to follow the suggested GUI Design & Color Engineering practices.

In usability and user experience what is not noticed is as good as not present.

Continue to read the below sections for the detailed information on usability and user experience problems.  

If you want to quickly know the technical analysis alone then move to sub-section -- Why It Fails - Mathematical Analysis and Human Brain. This tells why the present Rapido app's GUI Design and colors confuses a human brain and eye.  

No wonder, why the users got into anxiety when booking the cab at 11 PM!

The First Usability Pitfall in the GUI

Now continue to read with much attention.

1. I looked at the top of the screen.  I see text -- "Where are you going?".
2. Below the text, I see the three locations listed which I had not chosen or entered or of my current interest.

Ah! that confused me.  Why?

I closely looked my mobile screen, that is Ride screen.

Pic-1:  The confusing text and three locations displayed

1. I see a search text field.
2. I see a search icon next to the text field.
3. The search text field has a text -- "Where are you going?"

This is the first usability pitfall in the confusing GUI.

Why am I asked where am I going and listing the three locations that I did not enter or choose?

The Second Usability Pitfall in the GUI

In the below image Pic-2, I see,

1. There is no prominent visual difference in the layouts of
• Search text field
• Color hex code #FFF8FAFC
• The three location displayed
• Color hex code #FFF6FAFF
2. Yes my brain could not perceive the differences right away between these two layouts.

Pic-2: The color contrast of the GUI elements.

The color contrast of these two layouts are almost same.

• This added for the confusion.
• My brain was perplexed in knowing what's happening here.
• I'm wasting time here to learn how to book a cab.
• Is this what a Rapido need as a business?
• Or, does it need a user to book a cab right away on opening the app?
• Won't this experience drive away the user to the competitors app -- Ola, Uber, Namma Yatri.

If my brain cannot perceive the differences and is processing to understand what's happening here, is that a good user experience?

Forget about the user experience.  Is that a serving UI Design and Engineering?  I will leave this to your thoughts.

Further, the space in between these two layouts is with color contrast of #FFFFFFFF.  This makes the confusion much stronger.  Why?  

• All these three GUI components are on one main view
• To the human eye and brain, the color contrast of these three GUI components blend as one rather three distinct GUI elements.

This is the second usability pitfall in the confusing GUI.

Not being able to distinguish between these three GUI elements in a quick time is a problem.  Why the app has confusing color engineering for these three GUI components?  Why the GUI design did not highlight that search text field as tappable?  Why the search text is confusing when combined with the GUI color?

If the GUI components had distinguishing contrast colors.

Rapido's Competitor GUI and Usability

The competitor of Rapido has similar GUI, but it is more intuitive with the search text and color contrast of GUI components.  Refer the below pic.

In the Ola and Uber apps,

• The search text is straight and easy to understand.
• The readability of search text is close to the context of using the app.
• Importantly, the search text field is easily distinguishable easily.

The search text and distinguished search text field makes me understand I should tap on it and enter the pick up and destination location.

Pic-3: The search text field and GUI in Ola, Uber and Rapido apps.

The Two GUIs of Ride Screen

When test investigating, I experienced the two GUIs of Ride screen.  

The other GUI looks better in terms of usability and prompted me to tap on the search text field.  But my question is when do I get this screen?

Could be a AB test parameter coming in to the app shows the different Ride screen.  I did not pick this for debugging as it looked better.

In the below picture, screen 2 shows a better search text.  Also, it does not have those three locations that I see in screen 1.

Pic-4: The two different Ride screens of Rapido.

Test Investigation & Analysis - Why My Brain & Eyes Took 45+ Seconds?

This section has details of my debugging, test investigation and analysis.  I have put my eyes, brain, smart phone, reasoning and the Rapido app to evaluation.

If you are a Test Engineer or SDET in a role, this should be super helpful when you are testing for GUI.  Do not skip it!

Human Eyes and Cones for Blue Shades

I learn, the human eyes have three cone types L, M and S; below are it sensitivity.

• L-cones is for Long-wavelength cones; it is sensitive to red-ish light.
• M-cones is for Medium-wavelength cones; it is sensitive to Green-ish light.
• S-cones is for Short-wavelength cones; it is to Blue-ish light.

You remember, I shared the hexa color code for the two GUI components, that is

• #FFF8FAFC
• #FFF6FAFF

Pic-5:  #FFF8FAFC color

Pic-6:  #FFF6FAFF color

In between the above two hexa color code images, we have white (#FFFFFFFF) background as in the Rapido app.

These two hexa color codes explain my observation.

• I struggled to distinguish the subtle color difference, especially in certain ranges.
• So the two users who were booking the cab at 11 PM.  Why?  
• We humans have a fewer S-cones and it is less sensitive.  Hence, the small changes in blue/cyan hues are hard to see.

But, the small changes in red/green are easier to detect.  

Have you seen sky in the night when an aero plane is flying.  

You see the red-light of an airplane though the distance between sea level and the air plane is around 10 to 13 KM.  

Why do the plane use red-light and not blue or any shades of blue?  Hope this should trigger your eyes and mind now.  

With this simple daily life example shared, tell me about the two blue shades discussed here with minimal difference and next to each other as GUI components in an mobile application?  

To add more to the complexities, the hardware and display capabilities of smart phone models from the same OEM varies.  You see, how critical is the UI Engineering now in software design!

Display Behavior of Smart Phones

Even before your and my eyes see the color, the smart phone's display (hardware + software) processes it.

That is, the smart phones,

• Quantize colors (round up values)
• Use OLED sub-pixels
• Apply gamma corrections

This leads the rgb(246, 250, 252) and (248, 250, 252) to be same emitted light.  Why?  The display hardware will round or merge the small difference.  An another reason why on the Android device that I used and on an iPhone the other two users could not differentiate between the two GUI elements of Rapido app.

Viewing Angle Makes It Even Worse

I was holding my smart phone at 180 degree to the ground -- that is device at an angle to view. 

Pic-7:  Holding the smart phone to view at an 180 degree to the ground.

At an angle,

• The contrast reduces
• The colors shift
• The subpixels blur

So even a small difference that might exist becomes visually flattened.  Small hue differences are flattened by the panel optics.  This effect is common in cyan/blue hues.

Further our human visual system averages nearby pixels.  The two adjacent colors like #FFF8FAFC and #FFF6FAFC are interpreted by the brain as a single averaged blue.

Why It Fails - Mathematical Analysis and Human Brain

In color science, the term "Empfindung" is used when talking about the experience of a color.  It is a German word meaning sensation or perceived differences.

In the UI and Design Engineering it is used as ΔE.  Where Δ (delta) means change or difference, and E is Empfindung -- perceptual sensation.

The professional UI Engineering rule enforces the minimum color difference of 3 to 5 RGB units.  Or the perceptual metrics as ΔE > 3 to ensure UI elements remain distinguishable. 

For these two colors #FFF8FAFC and #FFF6FAFC in discussion here, the calculation using CIEDE2000 color difference formula results in ΔE = 2.0 to 2.3.

• This range falls into interpretation as slightly noticeable -- borderline perception.

But, both colors in discussion here are with very high lightness (almost white) and low chroma (very low saturation) -- this is critical. 

• For such colors the human sensitivity to differences drops significantly.  
• Despite the ΔE ≈ 2, in reality the users will not notice the differences, especially on the mobile phones.

The smart phone display may map the two colors discussed here to the same or near-identical output.  Why?

• Display Quantization
• The values of R and B are near maximum in the above said color
• The maximum color value is 255.
• In our case the RGB of the two are rgb(246, 250, 252) and (248, 250, 252).
• Rounding and Gamma correction will compress the differences from the hardware and software of a mobile device.
• OLED Screen
• The smart phones having OLED screens, with high brightness levels,
• The subpixel differences become less distinguishable
• +3 in blue channel may not produce a visible shift
• -2 in red may be completely lost
• Viewing Conditions
• On smart phones, the brightness varies, ambient light interferes and viewing angle shifts color.
• As a Result, ΔE ≈ 2 is often perceived as identical by human brain.
• That is, the human brain cannot differentiate between the colors

Using these two colors #FFF8FAFC and #FFF6FAFC for buttons, states and backgrounds is risky and leads to users unable to distinguish them reliably.

For those with accessibility concerns and conditions, ΔE ≈ 2 is effectively invisible.  It fails practical usability and experience expectations.

The final outcome from the test investigation and debugging is,

1. These two colors used is not helpful and unreliable.
2. Not suitable for distinguishing the GUI elements.
3. Needs stronger contrast for interactive GUI design.
4. If the ΔE ≈ 2.0 to 2.3, it is borderline and unreliable.
• The range 2.0 to 2.3 may be ok only for subtle background variations.
• In this case it failed; we all three users had difficulty and trouble to understand the GUI.
5. Use the colors and contrasts with ΔE ≥ 3.

Use the below as a reference (heuristic) for standard perception thresholds.

• ΔE is < 1,
• the interpretation is not visible.
• ΔE is 1 to 2, 
• the interpretation is barely noticeable.
• ΔE is 2 to 3, 
• the interpretation is slightly noticeable
• But it does not serve on mobile app engineering.
• ΔE > 3, 
• clearly visible

On the lighter fun side refer to the below pic.  Let me know what is the Empfindung of your eyes for the discussed two colors together with the white background.

Pic-8:  The screenshot of this blog post on my mobile screen.

The three colors FFFFFFFF, FFF8FAFC and FFF8FAFC appear to merge and look as one color.  Doesn't it?  

You can  try an experiment with the above pic.  Look at this pic, by increasing and decreasing the brightness and contrast of the screen (smart phone or monitor) by being in the lighted and dark.  What's your experience?

Hope this should be a sufficient data to understand the seriousness of the problem discussed in this post.

What's the Fix?

1. For mobile app engineering, the recommendation for GUI color and contrast is
• ΔE ≥ 3  -- good and preferred
• ΔE ≥ 5  -- safe
2. Use the better text in the search text field
• This looks better and prompts to tap on it -- "Enter pickup location"
3. Distinguish and highlight the search text field GUI component prominently
4. When experimenting with AB Test configs, the GUI design to follow the suggested GUI Design & Color Engineering practices.

These fixes also benefit the users with accessibility concerns and conditions.  

Any questions or information needed on this please do connect with me.  I'm just one ping away!

Everything is Script -- A Philosophical Interpretation of Software System

 

The word 'script', I know it from days I started practicing Shell script.  My understanding for script then it was -- a small set of instructions in a file or piped through in a command.  

Prior to this, I had heard VBScript.  But, I did not use VBScript.

The bash script that I wrote did not span beyond 50 lines, then.

This was my first encounter with word 'script' and how I dealt with set of instructions grouped in a file and called it script.

The Ambiguity -- Script or Code?

I have this conversation in myself for a long time ow -- What is Scripting Language and Programming Language?

Technically, there are reasons why the two are seen as different paradigms in building and running the software systems.

That said, Python serves as Programming Language and also as a Scripting Language.  I learn JavaScript also falls into the same perspective.

In short, this is what I understand for script -- technically compilation exist but I do need to do it explicitly, can run using interpreter, quick and useful in automation of tasks.  

Today's programming languages can also work like scripting languages.  I see this is one of the key reason for the ambiguity.

Then what's the difference and advantage of scripting over programming?

• I understand, the scripting languages leverages the speed of writing and automation.
• Whereas, the programming languages leverages performance, structure and scaling of systems with better control for processing, memory, storage, exchange and communication.

Mental Model -- To Ease My Understanding

Scripting

• Say, the instant coffee that I prepare with Bru or Nescafe sachet and milk.
• Though there is a kind of compilation, that is, mixing of coffee powder and milk, it is not evident to viewer, who is making it, and the coffee sipper.
• That was fast making an instant coffee!

Programming

• Me preparing the coffee by boiling the milk and then add coffee powder.  Boil it for few minutes. Then filter and sip it.
• This is not as a instant coffee.
• It had different layers [explicit compilation] to go through before feeling the aroma of coffee and sipping it.

This mental model helps me to get and feel the coffee.  But, the taste and aroma of coffee got from these two approaches are different.  

The second way of preparing coffee gives me a control on how the coffee has to taste, feel and serve just to me or for the crowd.  I see this is a paradigm of programming language in a perspective.

Philosophical Perspective -- Everything is Script

Caution: This section is not confusing; it needs imagination and interpretation to see it.

I have been into this debate with myself.  One of me says, why the word 'script' is not so right for context.  While the another in me says, why the word 'script' is so right -- this person have had a upper hand so far in the debate.

Why I feel it so right?

• Philosophically, whatever I do it is a script.
• In that case, a software version deployed itself is a script.
• Why?
• A software system is a bunch of such coordinating scripts.
• Each script has a structure, organization, specific seams and responsibilities assigned to it.
• These scripts undergoes changes consistently to keep it contemporary!
• The word contemporary weighs and augments the notion of 'script' in the software.

I see, the script is always in the state of development unless the system turn to be static and requires no change.  But what it is static?  Is there anything static?  That's philosophical you see!  From the point view of computer science if it can be deleted any time and restored is that static?

Today's software system keep evolving to meet the need of business and scaling.  That way each deployed software version looks to me as a script doing a specific job to constitute the idea of software as a service.  This script sees the consistent development and maintenance to serve.  Do you see this philosophical and mental model of me?  

Seeing each component of the software system as a script  is philosophical.  Technically it make sense to me for interpreting it this way.  But, when communicating to people I cannot present it this way.  Why?  If I do so, it confuses people who follow the distinction between programming and scripting languages.  

I understand this confusion here is for not seeing there is a philosophy to the technical aspect too, and just consuming the technical as binary.  Is that wrong?  No!  That is also a way of consuming what I understand and what I just need  -- it serves the purpose well.

When the script [software components philosophically] undergoes a change, the system composing of such being developed scripts can still co-exist together.  Here is where that person in me asks -- Why should I remove the notion 'script' from my vocabulary, practice, interpretation and usage?  This question hits me bang hard to my head!

To end this philosophical transitions for now,  I pulled this blog post from draft and rephrased the above section a bit after responding to Shrini Kularni's LinkedIn post.  The link to LinkedIn post is in the comment.  I see, Shrini is right in his interpretation and the from perspective he is talking.

I know, I have sounded with not the common philosophical interpretation.  It makes relevant to me in my imagination, interpretation, visualization and modeling.

Every code has a script within it -- a set of instructions to do a task.  How I see the code and the scripts within the code is my imagination.  If there are scripts within a code, then the code is a script in a way -- the script with capability of language used to build a resilient software system and to automate a business's services and tasks. 

Will I use the word script or code?  That depends on vocabulary, understanding and interpretation of people with whom I'm communicating.  I prefer code.  

If you are in between the debate and thinking of code or script, then, how this sound -- the code in the script file or the script code.

Augmented Testing: 26th ATA Bengaluru Meetup at Fiserv

This blog post is about the software testing meetup which resumed after 5 years.  It is ATA's 26th Bengaluru Meetup held on 28th February 2026.  

The last meetup [25th ATA Bengaluru Meetup] was on 29th February 2020.  Do you see the date and gap?  That was pre-COVID days meetup.

It is a good feel to experience the restart and resuming!  This is living the hope.  

I tell you what it takes to run one meetup; read here.  Now, imagine running the meetups month on month as a ritual.  Do you feel it?

26th ATA Bengaluru Meetup, 28th Feb 2026 at Fiserv office in Bengaluru

26th ATA Bengaluru Meetup

In excitement I registered for this edition of ATA meetup.  I read the agenda, venue and date.  I started to feel it.  

The meetup was scheduled to start at 3 PM IST -- unusual and it helped me to travel and be on time from my distant place.  I reached by 2:24 PM IST.

1.  Meetup Updates

• Team ATA gave regular update on the meetup with all details.
• I did not have any confusion.

2.  Venue and Hospitality

• Fiserv office in Bengaluru.
• The security and admin staff of Fiserv were highly cordial and professional.
• I did not face any problem with check-in and checkout.
• The admin staff helped us with information.
• Ankur Raj, Balaji Kanamanapalli Venkata and Moulya Charegowda of Fiserv hosted and spoke to each of us.
• The seating and accessories for workshop was well arranged and organized.
• We got high snacks to beat the stomach hunger along with space to network.
• Thanks, Fiserv!  You imprinted a cherishing memory in me.
• I will attend the meetups you host.

3.  Meetup's Panel Discussion and Workshop

• 26th Meetup's theme
• Augmented Testing: How AI Is Changing Quality?
• Panel Discussion
• Discussion on the questions from community.
• Panel members
• Ajay Balamurugadas, Balaji Kanamanapalli Venkata, and Deepthi K
• Moderated by Aditya Garg
• We meetup attendees were encouraged to share our thoughts during the panel  discussion.
• This made it lively and active participation.
• Such experiences and initiation can happen only in the meetups.
• The panel is of opinion
• AI is of help and way forward.
• AI is effective when we input the effective data.
• What to consider when evaluating the AI solutions and how it is not same as we evaluate any tool or language.
• Have human in place and use the AI to the best possible level in a context.
• AI speeds the execution.
• The efficacy of outcome is dependent on input.
• How to see and use the AI solutions.
• AI, jobs and impact.
• Test Engineer now as a orchestrator of AI solutions and testing.
• Ethical AI and practice.
• Guardrails around AI.
• Hands-on Workshop
• We were given laptops by Fiserv for this workshop.
• Ankur and Moulya led the workshop.
• The workshop was around how to write better and effective prompts to LLMs.
• Copilot was prompted with hands-on exercise.
• Explained how to use the heuristics AUTOMAT and CO-STAR to build the prompt.
• This workshop was useful to me.
• I saw a couple of attendees prompting for the first time.
• It helped them!
• The purpose of workshop is served.
• Moulya and Ankur gave me space to share my thoughts to the attendees during the hands-on workshop.
• I thank them for this.
• They were in good spirit and encouraged me to share.
• I conveyed this to them and expressed my gratitude.

4.  My Experience

• Wow!
• I'm happy, I was in 26th ATA meetup.
• I'm glad to experience the Fiserv's people, hospitality and spirit.
• I shared insights on,
• SLMs and its help in specific to a context in contrast to LLMs.
• Why it is not easy to stop using the AI going forward?
• Why the compliances around AI is a challenge?
• The factor of 'interest' along with cost vs value.
• Cost vs Value vs Interest
• Interest drives further though the cost is high and value is not experienced.
• In case of AI, the interest is driving irrespective of the value and cost for now.
• This is my experience, observation and learning for today.
• How we end up writing the prompts and miss what we actually want to test?
• Why it is important to know how the system is orchestrated, communicates and functions along with domain knowledge?
• I shared an example and walked through the incidents.
• I cannot end this section without thanking Moulya and Ankur for giving me the space to express and share my thoughts.
• Moulya you are a team and person with whom I wish to work.
• I feel how considerate you are in listening and facilitating the best to come for all us in meetup.  Thanks!
• Balaji you are a team and person with whom I wish to work.
• I could see how open you were to know and listened asking my bits and experiences.  Thanks!
• I met Manoj MV of PostQode after a decade.  Wow!  I conveyed, how thankful I'm to him.
• I met Aditya Garg in person.
• I wanted to discuss with him on few topics; it did not happen this time.
• I met Ajay.
• Though we did not converse, we knew we are in touch and could feel it.
• I had a long discussion with Sushmitha and Vimala.
• I had a discussion with Ram from Capgemini on performance testing models.
• Had a quick chat with Jwala and recalled our last meetup.
• A brief talk with Arjun, Balaji and  Penchaliaha.
• I had a good networking and connecting.
  

How Fiserv is integrating AI solutions with testing and engineering -- the impact and changes.  My request to ATA and Fiserv is to host one more edition and share their exploration and solving.

I cannot end without the mention of security staff of Fiserv.  The lady was smiling, professional and helped us through check-in and checkout with information.  Fiserv, please do convey our greetings and message to her.

The other staffs who helped us in the meetup area and cafeteria were smiling.  That smile and warm welcome gesture tell a lot about the office floor.  

I'm looking forward for the 27th ATA Bengaluru Meetup.

Thank you, ATA.  Thank you, Fiserv.  Thank you, community.

Volunteering Meetups: An Experience and a Recurring Ritual

 

I attend meetups consistently.  I observe, conferences give information; meetups give the transformation.  

I have discovered that the informal and interactive format of meetup helps me express myself, connect deeply with others, and build a stronger network than in conferences.

As someone who organizes and volunteers at meetup in Bengaluru, I have seen firsthand what it takes to make them thrive and succeed.  In this post, I will share a glimpse of behind the scenes and why these gatherings matter so much to our tech community.

What is a Meetup?

A meetup is an informal community-driven gathering where people with shared common interests come together to share, learn, collaborate, network and grow.  Unlike conferences, the meetups emphasize on openness and active participation.  

Usually the meetups are a regular happening -- often month after month and it is recurring.  The community drives, foster and sustains it with its energy.

Conversations here are not one way lecturing; they are dynamic exchanges where everyone's voice is valued.

Most meetups do not charge and are free to attend.  Yet, the meetup delivers amazing hospitality and hosting.

Once you attend a meetup which helps you to be aware and contemporary, you will start searching for more meetups in the community.  That's how the meetups function, work and hold you together in your growth journey.

Ravi as a Meetup Volunteer

As a meetup volunteer, I see myself less as a moderator and more as a community curator.  My role is not about control; it is about creating space.

I work on facilitation -- assisting so that knowledge, ideas and experience flow from community back into the community.  The people are already enabled; what they need is a platform, a spark, a rhythm and that's where I work.

I try my best for the communities of software testing and software engineering.

Meetup Volunteer's Priorities

Here are the first few priorities I work on.

1. Have I created an atmosphere and space where people can connect and collaborate with ease?
• How do I foster comfort, conversation, and the confidence to share?
• The real challenge is "tagging" connections -- quickly introducing individuals to help them find common ground.
• Initial facilitation creates a ripple effect -- once people are connected, they will network independently in future meetups.
2. How to surface the available knowledge within the community?
• My goal is not to find the speakers.
• If I did so, I will make the meetup a mini conferences; it fails the purpose of the meetups.
• Identifying the "Quiet Experts"
• I collaborate to know who can surface the knowledge and share.
• It is all about collaborating with members to assist them surface and share their unique insights.
• I work to build time and structure for the community to share the knowledge it already possesses.
3. It is okay when we do not have an answer. We will solve it in the upcoming meetups.
• As a volunteer, I do not work to give answers.
• Instead, we community work to solve problems.
• Sometimes, we do not get solution for questions in a meetup.
• But, we follow it up, get an approach and potential solutions in the upcoming meetups.
• This is not see in the conferences.
4. What if all registered people do not turn up to a meetup?
• In a meetup we do not take attendance.
• Instead, we work on connecting, networking, collaborating and sharing.
• Say 10 out of 40 people turned up the meetup.  
• The goal is how we 10 can deeply connect and partner to help self and the community.
• I facilitate here much deeper and stronger on purpose.
• This is an asset we build.
• In the meetup, number of people is not success; the connection we make is!
5. How should I function so that this meetup will recur?
• I will be planning for the next meetup sessions in the ongoing meetup.
• It is a ritual that recurs month on month.
• If I run meetup as a conference, people will feel disconnected.
• People do not enjoy the powerfulness of informality and knowledge packed meetup.
• I work on how to remember the names of people.  I talk to them by calling their names in next meetup.
• People feel connected and associated when I do so.
6. Leaving the meetup venue clean and organized.
• As a volunteer, it is me who will be last to leave the meetup.
• People would have spilled the coffee, tea and eateries.
• I pick it and move to trash bin.
• Erasing the white boards, moving the chairs, pens, duster, cables, turning off the lights and moving the cups to wash basin.
• I do this, if this is not done by the people.
• Look for any items which people have left in the venue.
• Collect it and hand over to them.
• Why I do this?
• It is a mark of respect and my duty to leave the venue clean and organized.
• That way, the venue sponsor will be happy to give us the space next month with hospitality.

Volunteer and Payment

I am not paid for doing all this by the community which organized the meetup.  Neither it is observed, recognized and appreciated.  But, the security and home staff of the venue got much closer to me to work as a team in running the meetup.  

Most times the meetup organizing community do not think of the efforts I put and travel to run a meetup.  Yet, I do it for the software testing community and my happiness!

Delivering a Meetup

As a volunteer, I'm more of a community curator than moderator and organizer.  

I facilitate [not enable] the sharing of knowledge, thoughts and work from the community to the community.

Running the meetup is a collaboration and team work together with the community.  This team work will have multiple challenges to solve. Some of the challenges mention are,

• Passion and commitment
• Funds
• Venue sponsor
• Surfacing the speakers to share the knowledge
• And, speakers who finally makes on the day
• The topics and how it is relevant for the today's need and audience
• Meetup campaign execution
• Attendees
• The audience reach
• Reaching the meetup's information to the right audience
• Registration
• Maintaining the data sanity
• Keeping the audience excited
• Pre-meetup engagement
• Getting the audience to the meetup on the day
• Engagement of the venue sponsor, speakers and audience during pre-meetup, in the meetup and post meetup
• Venue management
• Meeting the venue's administration expectation
• Arrangements and facilities
• Hospitality
• Leaving the venue clean and sane
• Agenda of the meetup
• Keeping it balanced so that it serves audience interest and time with a take back to their desk and apply it
• Volunteers available on the day to host and facilitate the meetup
• Travel of people to the meetup
• Promotions do happen in meetup
• Who is being promoted, why, how and when?
• This has to be evaluated by the volunteers and meetup organizers
• Too much of it, it leaves behind not a good impression in the audience
• Why?
• Meetup should not be a place for promotion by large and solely
• It is a happening where people of common shared interest gather and collaborate informally to learn, share and grow
• Finding the balance here is critical
• The volunteers have a role to play to keep the meetup organizer see the interest of community and not just the business branding 
• And, more as you add to it.

To end here,  I do not get why this phrase is used in announcements -- "last but not the least".

The meetup organizer and volunteers are not last and the least.  They are part of the meetup in each phase.  Without the commitment and passion of the volunteers and meetup organizers, the meetup is not ready to deliver.  

Yeah, finding that volunteer who is super charged and passionate is like spotting a wishing star!

In gist, this is how the meetups are delivered by a passionate and committed volunteers from the community.

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