The move towards agility is an acceptance that we operate in an uncertain world. We can’t predict what will change in the future so we’ve evolved our practices toward flexibility, instead of attempting precognition. But have we evolved every practice? About Adam Howard: Adam Howard is the Test Practice Manager at Trade Me in Wellington, New Zealand. He is passionate about helping to evolve the way testing is perceived and performed. A regular speaker at Meetups and conferences in NZ and internationally, Adam also helps organise local WeTest Workshops and is chief design and layout editor for Testing Trapeze, a bi-monthly testing magazine. He also writes about testing on his blog and occasionally manages to be concise enough to tweet as @adammhoward.

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