In this episode, Kevin Martinez, a Software Architect and Full Stack expert at Orbitant discusses his journey and the creation of Testing While Developing (TWD). Kevin explains why testing shouldn't be an afterthought, sharing best practices and common mistakes while demonstrating how the TWD tool directly improve the developer experience by bringing testing into the heart of the coding process.

In this conversation, Jay Kishore Duvvuri shares his extensive experience in test automation, particularly focusing on microservices and the use of Playwright. He discusses his journey from manual testing to automation, the importance of AI in accelerating testing processes, and the challenges of flaky tests. Jay emphasizes the significance of CI/CD in modern testing environments and provides insights into the evolving role of manual QA testers in the age of AI. He also offers practical advice for aspiring QA professionals, highlighting essential skills and tools to learn.

For anyone curious, you can check:Jay Kishore Duvvuri LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-kishore-duvvuri-712b1a70Jay Kishore Duvvuri GitHub - https://github.com/JayKishoreDuvvuriJay Kishore Duvvuri Blogger profile (all blogs + articles hub) - https://www.blogger.com/profile/06939442079028713822

Today’s episode features Alan Richardson (aka Evil Tester). With over 25 years of experience in software development and testing, Alan shares his unique journey from programmer to testing consultant, author, speaker and trainer. Having written several books and created learning materials on the topic, he explains the evolution of Selenium over the last decades and why it’s more than ever relevant to master in today’s day and age. He also emphasizes the need for collaboration between testers and developers, what to look for when choosing a testing framework or a programming language, how to manage test data, the importance of building a strong portfolio while learning, how AI tools can speed up the learning process as well as recommended skillsets that will make software testers stand out in 2026 and beyond.

For anyone curious, you can:

Connect with Alan on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eviltester/

Check this Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@EvilTester

Check this patreon Channel - https://www.patreon.com/eviltester

Visit this personal website - https://www.eviltester.com/ that has blogs, books, online trainings, talks, tools and podcast The Evil Tester Show.

In this episode, Filip Hric, an expert in test automation and Cypress, discuss his journey into testing, the importance of Cypress, common mistakes in test automation, and practical tips for getting started. He also shares insights on avoiding flaky tests, the differences between Cypress and other tools, and the significance of continuous learning for testers. Finally, he highlights resources for aspiring testers and provides advice on building empathy with developers by understanding web applications.

Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDvKs0uqrjE

Links:

• Connect with Filip on LinkediIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/filip-hric-11a5b1126

• Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@filip_hric

• Check Filip’s personal website - https://filiphric.com/

• Replay.io - A full-stack app builder that works like ChatGPT but generates complete applications instead of text responses.

• Cypress Documentation - https://docs.cypress.io/app/get-started/why-cypress

• Blog post - how to structure Cypress for big projects - https://filiphric.com/how-to-structure-a-big-project-in-cypress

• Test Automation University (free) - https://testautomationu.applitools.com/

• 99 Cypress.io Tips - https://filiphric.com/course/99-cypress-tips

• Filip Hric speaking at STAREAST 2026 on AI-driven test automation https://stareast.techwell.com/

In this episode of "How to Test This," we are joined by Debbie O'Brien, Global Community Lead and key contributor to the Playwright framework.

For over 30 minutes, we discussed:

1. Her journey from a front-end developer to a leader in the testing community.
2. Playwright as a powerful tool for end-to-end testing, what makes it different from other tools, and its key features.
3. Valuable insights on common mistakes teams make when using Playwright
4. The role of AI in testing, MCP, and how Playwright's agents can automate test generation and debugging.
5. Practical advice for aspiring test automation engineers to embrace AI, continuously learn, and engage with the testing community to succeed in their careers.
   Happy Listening.

In this episode, testing legend Paul Holland (Rapid Software Testing instructor) explains why the industry’s obsession with "pretentious metrics" is a red flag. Paul shares his journey from tester to executive by taking initiative and building communities, and he breaks down the actual role of a tester: an investigator who reveals the real state of the product beyond written requirements.

Learn why bad news does not age well, how to avoid the trap of "oversold" AI and automation, and what a 7-10 slide test report looks like when it’s designed to provide actionable information instead of false comfort.

Episode #8 – How to Test As an Architect with Paul McCollumPaul McCollum is a Salesforce MVP, enterprise architect, community leader (We Dreamin’, Architect Dreamin’) and author of Practical Salesforce Architecture. Together, we talked about how to move from roles like tester, admin or dev into architecture.Here are 5 key lessons for aspiring architects:1️⃣ Architecture ≠ “Senior Salesforce”→ A solution architect works inside Salesforce. An “Architect Architect” designs how multiple systems (Salesforce, Workday, IdP, data platforms, etc.) work together.2️⃣ Know what happens under the hood→ Great Salesforce architects understand databases, integration patterns and scale limits, and know when Salesforce is perfect—and when it’s not the right tool alone.3️⃣ Curiosity beats titles→ You can move from tester/admin/dev to architect if you relentlessly ask why things break, follow issues down to root causes, and learn the concepts behind limits and failures.4️⃣ Stop trying to “make Salesforce win”→ A real architect optimizes for business outcomes, not for their favorite stack. That means accepting constraints (budget, skills, timelines) and being okay when your preferred option isn’t chosen.5️⃣ Design your own apprenticeship→ Find architect mentors, study multiple paradigms (data, integrations, security), use Trailhead for solution skills, certifications like Data Architecture for foundations, and learn from real-world problems in the community.Hope you’ll enjoy this episode. Link to today's episode and extra resources:

• Connect with Paul on LinkedIn - / realpaulmccollum

• Book Practical Salesforce Architecture: Understanding and Deploying the Salesforce Ecosystem for the Enterprise - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1098138287?...

• Paul Trailhead Account - https://www.salesforce.com/trailblaze...

• Connect with the LinkedIn Group Architect Dreamin’ - / architectdreamin

• https://developer.salesforce.com/podc...

Episode #7— Taking Testing Seriously – James Bach

James Bach is the founder of the RST Methodology and co-author of “Taking Testing Seriously: The Rapid Software Testing Approach”. He’s been in the IT Testing field since the 1980’s. Together, we discussed:

1️⃣ How he got into testing , it’s influences & why he created RST→ From teenage game programmer, he became the youngest R&D manager at Apple, then a tester frustrated that most books don’t actually teach how to test—only how to write test cases and follow specs.

2️⃣ The RST definition of testing→ Testing is a human learning activity that consists of evaluating a product by learning about it through experiencing, exploring, and experimenting with it—not just executing scripts or checking boxes.

3️⃣ What makes great testing→ Excellent testing requires skill, motivation, and time, and benefits from independent testers who are rewarded for finding problems. Great testers are “finely tuned instruments” aware of biases and using deep testing or tools like the Heuristic Test Strategy Model (HTSM) to structure and sharpen their thinking.

4️⃣ Common Risks in software development→ Security often overlooked, usability not always tested deeply enough, and how a lack of variety in test data hides many of the most interesting bugs.

5️⃣ Start a QA career today→ While commercial certifications don’t improve the craft, building a portfolio (bug reports, test notes, tools, coverage outlines) + focusing on areas like security testing and testing AI systems is a far better career move.