Pradeep Soundararajan

I am excited to announce my first hire of someone from Journalism background into App Testing. She is joining us tomorrow. Her job is to find stories that are worth influencing. Trying out something new in the software testing space. This is awesome fun.

She is a mother of a 7 month old - will work from home and do part time as she nurses her child. No one has tapped the power of women at home effectively in this country. I hope I can create a million regular paying jobs.

Update : Check this out : We are creating 3 more jobs for Moms : https://lnkd.in/fCQC23b

I completed 19 years in testing today. Here is how I see the industry over the last 2 decades. 💫

Employers 🌻

The outlier companies are not an industry example. The large masses are.

1. Outliers focus on preventing bugs. The masses focuses on finding bugs.

2. Outliers use automation to free up humans. The masses still look at automation replacing humans.

3. Outliers enable humans to understand customers. Masses focus humans to understand deadlines.

4. Outliers focus on usability of a feature. Masses focus on throughput of features.

5. Outliers let SDET’s build tools and testability. Masses focus SDET’s on writing scripts.

6. Outliers make their Testers influential within the org. Masses make Testers fear the consequence of asking something.

7. Outliers build a culture of early escaltion. Masses makes escalation look like a bad word.

8. Outliers have a small test team. Masses need a very large test team.

9. Outlier companies have leaders making a go no go decision. Masses force the junior most tester to sign off a go.

Testers 😎

1. Outlier testers are constantly practicing. Mass testers are constantly gaining knowledge (without actual practice).

2. Outliers are focused on solving problems. Masses are focused on comparison.

3. Outliers are clear on what they don’t know. Masses want to learn everything.

4. Outliers want to find niche work. Masses want to find work that has many openings.

5. Outliers stick to a path. Masses get easily distracted.

6. Outliers fear not being of value. Masses fear not being in a good job.

My personal journey

I am at peace with this industry. I am trying to help it do better.

My focus and body of work is not for outliers. They don’t need me but I need them. I am focused on the outliers stuck in the masses. Both companies and testers. Those are the only companies and people I want to help and liberate from the masses.

The last year of my work has been the most productive and I spent ~200 hours of sitting and not doing anything but observing and ~40 hours of writing.

Here’s the outcome 🧘🏼‍♂️

Companies need 2 kinds of Testers:

a) Super tech savvy
b) Super product and biz savvy

Right now they are hiring generalists and hoping they would become one of the above. Not happening. Why? No training or support systems and too much work that takes time away from growing.

In Moolya  we are building both types. A shot at the future. Investing in Product Management Course and Developer Training.

Mindset of Testers need to be

a) Prevent bugs
b) Escalate early and influence people

👇

It is easy to show speed in projects by compromising quality.

It is easy to show growth in your career by compromising your life, health, family and your own interests.

Holistic personal growth and holistic test coverage are 2 important themes in a tester’s life.

Dedicating the next 19 years to liberate the outliers stuck in masses and making bugasura.io an example for the world.

I am because of many people. 🙏

I completed 18 years in Testing.

I am done creating success for myself.
The last few years has been all about facilitating others to succeed.
Success is not having everything in life.
Success is knowing what gift we have or can build.
Success is knowing what to give, how to give and whom to give.
Success is knowing the balance sheet of give versus take.

I am not done solving testing problems.
Some problems continue to exist from 2003 when I started.
New tools to solve an old problem is not advancement of the field.
Most people know what needs to be done.
They also know why they are unable to do what needs to be.
Building solutions that work under constraints is true advancement.

I am done working hard.
The only smart work we all know to do is more hard work.
I have screwed myself in the name of hard work.
I don't want my colleagues to become like me.
I want to see them do better than me.
I want their reportees to do better than them.
I want that to become a chain reaction.

I am not done creating leaders.
We have good and skilled engineers in this world.
We are bad at creating leaders out of them.
This is due to the culture in which we grow and work.
One bad feedback on us, we judge the whole world.
Leaders win the tournament and hearts even if they lose a match.

I am done trying to be the smartest.
Trying to be smarter puts us on an overdrive and overthinking.
It makes us the smartest dumbest person in any room.
It takes us to the top of the mountain and pushes us off the cliff.
When we are climbing we feel good. The fall is ooh aah ouch.

I am not done failing.
I won't be.
I don't want to be.
I never will be.

I am an intern in this world.
I am because of everyone.
I am done and undone.