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.

Episode #6 — How to Test in the Era of Agentic QA – Jon Robinson

With Jon Robinson (Salesforce Ecosystem Analyst & GTM Advisor), we discussed:

1️⃣ Jon’s journey in QA → From a QA practitioner to a leader helping QA and DevOps companies succeed through strategic consulting,

2️⃣ What is Agentic QA? → How agent-based AI is redefining how tests are created, executed, and validated.

3️⃣Risks in today’s testing approaches: → The moving away from scripted tests, the lack of documentation, and the danger of “that’s how we’ve always done it.”

4️⃣ Best practices to adopt in the AI-driven testing era: → Build strong context, define guardrails, focus on data quality, and adopt AI as a testing partner

5️⃣ How testers can adapt and grow: → Shift from technical execution (what AI can do) to strategic leadership and becoming QA Architects for the new age.

For anyone curious, you can:

• Connect with Jon Robinson on linkedin

• Salesforce test automation landscape 2025 Report https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7382027529190002688/

• Testing Peers podcast - Testing in the Age of AI https://testingpeers.com/?p=8954

• Joe Colantonio content

• Ministry of testing content

With Michael Dailey (Dreamforce 2025 speaker), we discussed:

- What is Agentforce ?

- Risks to tests for with Agentforce: non-determinism, incorrect personas/permissions, hallucinations, and skipping sandbox tests and least-privilege.

- Salesforce out-of-the-box testing tools: Prompt Builder, Agent Builder, and Testing Center

- How Provar addresses gaps with additional tests: persona-based testing, multi-channel testing, and end-to-end (multi-system) testing

- Tips and free resources to get started testing Agentforce

Links available to find out more :

• Connect with Michael Dailey on Linkedin
• Testing Center Trailhead course - https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/agentforce-agent-testing
• Testing Agentforce with Provar - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzzPDxU65Rg
• Provar website - https://provar.com/

Today, I’m joined by Julio de Lima to explore how to test with generative AI and use it to become more productive and better software testers.

Julio is a QA leader and product manager, international speaker, and expert in leading AI‑driven testing initiatives.

Passionate, he runs Brazil’s largest software testing YouTube channel, where he has mentored thousands and shares practical techniques and research.

In this episode, we cover :

• when and where genAI truly accelerates QA,
• why strong testing fundamentals come first,
• how to validate AI‑generated test outcomes,
• ways to integrate genAI with popular automation tools.
• Career insights for carrer growth and tools on demand.