Using some techniques from Exploratory testing to help with exploration of the requirements on a messy backlog. How to decide where to begin!

1. Using testing
mindset
to explore
requirements
Toronto Agile Conference
November 14, 2016
Janet Gregory and Ardita Karaj

2. A little about us …
Tweet about us @janetgregoryca and @ardita_k

3. Backlog… so?

4. I hear about …..
Story Mapping...
But how to slice the first sprint/release?
MVP...
But how to identify the first one?
SFD …(Sh$%%y First Draft)
Yeah, but where to begin?

5. Exploratory testing is simultaneously designing
and executing tests to learn about the system,
using your insights from the last experiment to
inform the next.
~ Elisabeth Hendrickson,
author of Explore It!

6. To distinguish good Exploratory Testing as a
disciplined form of testing:
Using a wide variety of analysis/testing techniques to
target vulnerabilities from multiple perspectives.
Using charters to focus effort on those vulnerabilities
that are of most interest to stakeholders.
Two key things

7. Essential elements
Techniques
- Understanding your Ecosystem
- Exploring different Scenarios
- Alternate paths
- Chartering for focus
Execute
Learn
Design
Steer
experiment

8. "The ecosystem of your system includes the
environment in which your software lives, all
the interfaces into your software, and all the
external dependencies. "
~Elisabeth Hendrickson

9. We had a dinner together
And decided to use it as an example

10. Our example ecosystem
- We were starving!
- We were overwhelmed with 8 pages of menu
- We were the first in the restaurant and couldn’t see
what others had ordered on their tables
- We didn’t know how BiG the tapas portions were
- We were not interested in a dessert
- We didn’t know much about each-other's food
preferences
- Sangria was very easy to agree to start!

11. First instinct was ..
1. ‘Pre-set’ dinners, but …..
TOLEDO COMBO [ 7 TAPAS TOTAL ]
My Mother’s Chicken Croquettes, Alioli Sauce
Traditional Garlic Shrimps, Amontillado Sherry
Grilled St Peter Fish,[ White Fish ] Piquillo Pepper Sauce
Grilled Fresh Veggies Topped With Goat Cheese, Garlic Bread
Grilled Beef Tenderloin Topped With Portobello, Shiitake Mushroom Sauce
Pork Tenderloin Topped With Madeira Wine Sauce
House Style Paella: Made With Shrimp, Scallops, Calamari, Mussel, Chicken, Chorizo, Saffron Rice
2. A thought was to go across the street
but.. we had already ordered the Sangria!
We decided to explore the ecosystem a bit better.

12. So we mapped the ecosystem
Janet
and
Ardi
Starving
Portion
size?
Pre-set
menu
Á la carte
menu
Go across
the street
…….

13. Your turn to explore your
ecosystem
Problem:
You need to build an application to manage a
baseball league for children

14. Users
administrators ,coaches,
parents, umpires,
children on the teams
Your users, main needs
and backlog
Main needs:
- Administration
- Team management
- Games management
Product backlog
- is on the handout

15. Exercise 5 Min
Understand your backlog
What's your ecosystem?
- What environment?
- What interfaces?
- Any external dependency?
Explore anyway you want.

16. Our problem:
What to eat from a tapas menu for 2 people
Our Scenarios:
1. Use the pre-set menus with some defined choices
2. Each would chose a number of tapas and not share
3. We would chose some tapas and share
4. …..
From ecosystem to Scenarios

17. We chose our Scenario
Janet
and
Ardi
Starving
Share
Portion
size?
Pre-set
menu
Á la carte
menu
Not shareDessert
Go across
the street
…….

18. Our example continued …Next …
We had to choose a Scenario for our basic needs
- DECIDED 5 DISHES WOULD BE GOOD SINCE WE
COULD ORDER MORE IF WE WERE STILL HUNGRY
- No desserts yet
The core: Paella
- Each of us would chose 2 others

19. Exercise 5 Min: Your turn
What’s your approach
- What are your Scenarios?
- What are the important things for you?

20. Back to our example
Taking Alternative paths
while executing and learning
Vegetarian? Sea food?
Chicken?
Lamb?
Meat?
Beef?
Fish?
Shrimp?
Mushrooms?
Dessert?
Nah..
Carrots?

21. Simultaneous execution and learning
1. Janet chose 2 of her favourites from the shrimp
selection
2. and then asked Ardita which she preferred

22. Exercise 5 Min: use this
technique of alternative paths
- What are your alternative paths?
- How deep do you want to go on each?
- Do you still remember the important things you
considered when you picked the Scenario?
- What can you execute and learn?

23. Our example again:
Designing charters for focus

24. Exercise 5 Min: use this
technique to create charters
- What do you want to discover?
- What resources you have?
- What Information do you want to focus on?

25. Wrap up
1. Ecosystem
2. Scenarios
3. Alternative paths
4. Charters for focus
Share what you decided to do on your first
MVP/Release/SFD/Sprint
Execute
Learn
Design
Steer
experiment

26. Tweet about us @janetgregoryca and @ardita_k
Janet Gregory
www.janetgregory.ca
janet@agiletester.ca
Ardita Karaj
Ardita.karaj@gmail.com