An overview of how agile QA at Etsy works.

1. HOW AND WHY IT WORKS
Agile QA at Etsy
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2. Agenda Main Section One
Main Section Two
Main Section Three
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• About Etsy’s QA Team
• What We Do
• How We Work
• Why It Works
• What Makes This Possible
• Wrap Up

3. DISCLAIMER
There is no one way to achieve great software
quality. The goal of this presentation is to share
our QA practices with you. Enjoy.
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4. ABOUT THE TEAM
• Centralized QA Function
• Promote Continuous Learning
• Prevent Burnout
• Refine Integration Testing Skills
• Share Expertise & Practices
• Project Based Allocation
• Team of QA Leads (not Analysts)
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5. ABOUT THE TEAM
• Roles
• PQ Analyst
• QA Manager
• Program Manager
• Software Engineer in Test
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6. WHAT WE DON’T DO
Regression/Specialized Testing
Dev/VM/Stage Testing
Track Standard Metrics
Maintain Formal Test Case Suites
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7. WHAT WE DON’T DO
Rely on External QA Resources
Team Dedicated Resources
Treat QA as a Gatekeeper
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8. WHAT WE TEST
New Features and Products
Integration Testing
Exploratory Testing
Cross Platform Testing
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9. WHAT WE TEST
Mobile Release Verifications
User Impacting Changes
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10. WHAT ELSE DO WE DO?
Advocacy
Engagement/Dogfooding
Training & Development
Career Progression
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11. HOW WE WORK

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Production Testing

13. Production Testing
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Minimize Deployment Issues
Effective Integration Testing
Visibility Restriction

14. REMOVE FEAR & BLAME
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15. REMOVE FEAR & BLAME
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Concentration & Focus Improves
Reduce Repetition of Error
Comprehension Increases
Promote Just Culture

16. COLLABORATION IS KEY
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17. COLLABORATION IS KEY
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Everyone is Seeking a Successful
Outcome
Communication Flows Freely
Everyone is Doing Their Best

18. FEEDBACK OVER METRICS
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19. FEEDBACK OVER METRICS
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Adjust Actions to Desired Outcomes
Practice Objective Feedback
Strengthen Communication Skills

20. PERSONALIZED CAREER
PATHS
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21. PERSONALIZED CAREER
PATHS
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Growth in the Areas of Strength
Defining New Roles on the Team
Transition to a Different Team
Transition between IC and
Management

22. LET GO AND TRUST
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23. LET GO AND TRUST
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Reduce Micromanagement (Back Off)
Be Available and Approachable
Increase Accountability
Promote Work/Life Balance

24. EMPOWER TEAM MEMBERS
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25. EMPOWER TEAM MEMBERS
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Instill a Sense of Ownership
Breed Motivation & Curiosity
Increase Employee Retention Rates

26. DO MORE WITH LESS
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27. DO MORE WITH LESS
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Group Test Sessions
Facilitated Tirekicks
Admin Rotation Sessions

28. HAVE FUN
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29. HAVE FUN
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Celebrate Achievements
Reward Growth
Acknowledge Hard Work
Take Time to Reflect

30. WHY IT WORKS

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Driven by values Fueled by a common
purpose
Connected to
community
Photo by Emily Andrews
WHY IT WORKS

32. WHY IT WORKS
We Invest in Role Comprehension
We’re Stronger Together
We Value Work/Life Balance
We Remove Competition
We Repeat What Works
We Champion Learning/Growth
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33. WHAT MAKES THIS
POSSIBLE?

34. WHAT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE
Continuous Integration/Deployment
User Research
Prototyping
Experimentation
Support Practice
Collaborative Culture
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35. Wrap Up

36. We Discussed
Advantages of Centralized QA teams
The Value of Feedback Loops
Do More With Less
The Power of Collaboration
Career Development
Repeating Successful Strategies
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THANK YOU!!