Testing Is Occupational Safety

Your job might be "CTO" or "Project Manager" but really you serve as the underwriters' insurance of software construction.

No, really.

Crashing is expensive! Testing serves as the software industry's equivalent of the NTSB, striving to prevent issues and scientifically analyze and resolve them when they arise.

Testing must operate within its economic context, as safety is not without cost.

If the One-and-Only Concern of the NTSB Were Safety, the Investigative Agency Would Simply Ground All Planes and Close All Roads

Testing can bring software construction to a halt, and, unfortunately, counting bug reports doesn't indicate progress beyond standing still.

Bugs in production systems can point to Testing failures, but this doesn't necessarily imply a need for more Testing. Bugs are part of software development.

If your strategy to reduce bugs is increasing the number of testers, more tools and more process, you just might want to think again.

Think of Testing as occupational safety; it enables the fearless and confident development of important work.

This is what gives software developers the room to create and the confidence to go beyond.

This isn't related to reliability requirements or number of bugs you process. Testing is a balancing act. While there are numerous ways to wastefully structure Testing procedures, there are only a very few methods that genuinely target the things that matter.

This is the critical budget point where costs explode or savings are realized.

Make Your Engineers Fearless

Effective Testing, mirroring the NTSB's role, isn't just about preventing crashes or reducing bugs, but about instilling confidence and clarity.

Think of Testing like a safety net for software architects, assuring them that their designs are sound, that deployments are secure, and that their engineering remains reliable.

This approach fosters an environment where tenacity thrives, encouraging engineers to innovate and push boundaries.

It’s about strategically investing in Testing that empowers the mind and creativity, transforming fear into fearlessness, and enabling engineers to confidently —Go Beyond.