The document discusses the concept of truly agile testing, emphasizing that agility is about adapting quickly rather than just speeding up delivery. It critiques common practices like excessive automation, promoting a mindset that focuses on exploration and understanding user needs through experimentation. The author advocates for a balanced approach to testing, blending automation with human insight and continuous learning.

1. Automated agility?!
Let’s talk truly agile testing.
Adam Howard | @adammhoward
Test Practice Manager | Trade Me

2. A bona fide Good Thing.
So… agile.

3. We’re lagging behind a bit.
But… agile testing?

4. Heads in the sand.
Camp 1.

5. Automate all the things.
Camp 2.

6. It might be faster, but if anything, it’s less agile.
Nothing has changed.

7. Agile is not about
speed to deliver.
It’s about speed
to adapt.

8. “Agile Testing” is more often than not just “fast waterfall testing”.
Automation is fast, but rigid.

9. Featuring automation, but much else besides.
Let’s talk truly agile testing.

10. Smarter, not harder.
Don’t test all the things.

11. Different mind-set, different testing.
Encode, explore, experiment.

12. Check your expectations.
Encode

13. Despite all I’ve said so far.
Automation is crucial.

14. If something fails, it should mean something.
Just don’t go overboard.

15. Use automation to breed shared understanding.
And shift it left.

16. Encode your
expectations,
sensibly.
Use tools to check.
Don’t over-automate.
Define and build checks early.

17. Learn about your product.
Explore.

18. And a nimble approach to testing.
Unknown unknowns.

19. Informing your product development.
A different kind of value.

20. Because your users are probably
human.
Humans wanted.

21. Explore your
assumptions,
rapidly.
Adapt your testing to fit.
Don’t just confirm, discover.
Embrace your humanity.

22. Listen to your users.
Experiment.

23. This becomes a different question.
Good enough?

24. Fail fast, recover fast, learn lots.
Embrace risk.

25. Monitor the shit out of your changes.
Watch carefully.

26. Experiment with
your hypotheses,
continuously.
Test as little as possible.
Redefine what is good enough.
Capture the outcomes.

27. These tactics are part of a whole.
All together now.

28. Cool story bro…
Rad. But does it work?

29. We’re part way there.
The Trade Me story.

30. A unique environment.
Context.

31. A tester’s life.
Role.

32. API and front end.
Encoding.

33. Intrepid adventurers.
Exploring.

34. Experimenting with experimenting.
Experimenting.

35. Testing with agility
can’t be automated. It
requires a multi-
threaded strategy.

36. Twitter:
Email:
So… questions?
?
@adammhoward
adam.howard@trademe.co.nz

37. Thanks for listening