2020- Let's Look Back

What a year 2020 has been for us all. As we get ready to turn the page into 2021 I thought it would be good to look back and reflect on the positives. I set out at the beginning of 2020 to write more regularly. I did this with the thought of giving back to the wider community as well as documenting my own thoughts and ideas. These included my knowledge, experience, learnings, and thoughts. This past year I was able to publish 11 articles right here on LinkedIn (including this one). On top of the articles, I had the opportunity to give 3 talks (1 in-person, 2 virtually). I also had a unique opportunity to take part in a roundtable discussion. Here is a look back at my articles for 2020:

January: A Journey to Instil the QA Mindset

In this article, I explored how to measure success around instilling a QA mindset. What behaviours or actions can I look for? How can I measure if that elusive mindset is there amongst my team? I also discuss my team's superpower! Which I discovered from a Post-it note after returning from holiday!

February: What Does a QA mindset look like?

After January’s article, a reader asked me to expand further on what a QA mindset would look like. So I endeavoured to make it more concrete. I shared 6 things that, to me prove a team has a strong QA Mindset.

March: How to 'Practically' use the Test Automation Pyramid

I did my first QA talk at Quality Advocates in London where I discussed the Conundrum of Test Automation. In this article, I highlighted the key points raised at that talk. I discuss how I used the Testing Pyramid to drive my test automation.

April: Keep Calm and Carry On Testing

This is where Coronavirus was spiking during the 1st wave. During this time a particular world leader suggested stopping testing. He said that by doing this we would reduce the numbers. I play a bit of devil's advocate here and look at QA metrics in the same light...some interesting findings

May: My Public Speaking Journey

I discuss my journey in the world of public speaking and reflect on the build-up to my first QA talk. I went on to two further QA talks around the same topic but virtually you can relive them here:

The Conundrum of Test Automation

Building Confidence in Test Automation

June: Manufacturing Quality in Software

I explore similarities and differences between the world of manufacturing and software development. Looking at why it is that in software development we seem to have a lot more defects, but why? 

July: Quality Perceptions

I dig into the idea of perceived quality. After getting a range of views on what some industry leaders think of perceived quality. I endeavour to take you on a journey on how we got to where we are in software development. In software development, it feels like we are concerned primarily about perceived quality. I then go on to share how I go about trying to measure this quality perception

August: Bug Bashing in the 21st Century

We traditionally hold bug bashes right before big feature or major product releases. In this article, I talk about making bug bashes an iterative process. Aligning them with the rest of our Agile software development processes.

October: The Bug that Escaped

The journey of a bug that escaped but got caught in the ‘Escaped Defect Funnel’. In this article, I talk you through the four levels of the funnel. I discuss how this funnel helps me get a pulse on quality in the eyes of the business.

November: Trust- A Fickle Friend?

With 2020 being such a rough year for so many, one theme that has stood out for me has been TRUST. I wrote some thoughts about how trust can be easily broken. I share some ideas around 4 pillars that I believe are important to build trust.

December: 2020- let's Look Back

You have just read the article for this month. Kindly take a minute to like, share and drop me a line in the comments. Tell me your favourite article this year and what you would like me to tackle in 2021?

Here is to a prosperous, bright 2021! Lets make it great, Cheers! Happy New Year!

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Authored by: @SufyanFarooqi