take charge of your testing career: bring your skills to the next level

Take Charge of Your Career

J a r e d R i c h a r d s o n A g i l e A r t i s a n s

@ J a r e d R i c h a r d s o n

A g i l e A r t i s a n s . c o m g r o w s m e t h o d . c o m

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Who am I?

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Jared RichardsonCofounder of GROWS Methodology

Author Ship It! and Career 2.0

Screencast editor PragProg.com

Started AgileRTP in 2007 (>1,800 members)

Coach, trainer, speaker

AgileArtisans.com

GROWSMethod.com

EffectiveAgileTeams.com

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Jared Richardson

Backyard chicken farmer

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Jared Richardson


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Jared Richardson


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Jared Richardson


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Learning to Ride a Bike

Remember how excited you were?

Parents bought you a book

Took a 2 day course

Got a bike masters certification

Entered your first race

Sat on the bike for the first time!flickr.com/photos/tandemracer/32465379

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Of Course Not!

Study can’t teach you to ride a bike

Only a bike can teach you that

flickr.com/photos/chaimzvi/169878386

flickr.com/photos/49024304@N00/4105131927

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Learning a New Scripting Tool

Do you study or try?

Both!

Read this bit…

Then type “Hello World!”

flickr.com/photos/isipeoria/6691167811

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Experiments

lead to

experience

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The only source of knowledge is experience

-Albert Einstein

flickr.com/photos/13964815@N00/145646478

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Only two ways to gain experience

Accidentally

Intentionally

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Start

Familiar

Working

Smooth

Teaching

Dreyfus Model

ofSkills

Acquisition

Steps

Recipes

Intuition

Stuck

Principles

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreyfus_model_of_skill_acquisition

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Dreyfus Lessons

Beginners need steps

Experts need freedom

Expertise doesn’t transfer

flickr.com/photos/thehoneybunny/101746482

X15

Expertise

Expert brain surgeon

Horrible cook

Excellent exploratory tester

Novice performance tester

Can be an expert here…

… and clueless thereflickr.com/photos/gemsling/589275040

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That’s OK

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Our Expertise

We became experts…

On the ~last~ project

flickr.com/photos/ofernandezberrios/2719764089

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Today is a New Project

New OS (Windows 10? El Capitan? Sierra? Pangolin?)

New toolkits (Selenium? Cucumber? te52.com?)

New versions from Mercury, HP… and who else knows?

It’s all new!

Slightly different

flickr.com/photos/ofernandezberrios/2720569216

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Expertise Graph

Skill

Project 1 Project 2

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Expertise Graph (Expectation)

Skill

Project 1 Project 2

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Expertise Graph (Reality)

Skill

Project 1 Project 2

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We’re Not Experts Anymore!

Dunning-Kruger Effect

If you think you’re an expert…

You’re at risk!

flickr.com/photos/ronbennetts/5516621911

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Are You Sure?

mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/agile-succeeds-three-times-more-often-than-waterfall

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Are You Sure?

mountaingoatsoftware.com/blog/agile-succeeds-three-times-more-often-than-waterfall

Waterfall failure > 80%

Agile is 3X safer!

Agile is only 40/60

Russian roulette has better odds

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Embrace It

We stink

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More Politely

Our industry is young

Bridge builders have had thousands of years

We’ve had decades

We’re still learning

Still discovering what works

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Let’s Assume…

Past experience is of less value than we’d hoped

The ability to learn is invaluable

Intentional experimentation is the best way to learn

Ever project is suboptimal and has learning opportunities

flickr.com/photos/katerha/7071545621

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How?

Let’s focus on a few areas

Requirements

Architecture

Languages & Librariesflickr.com/photos/toolstop/4546017269

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Requirements

The Expert vs The Learner

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Requirements: The Expert

I already know what the customer needs

I’ll go write all the requirements for the next release

Leave me alone

Feedback slows me down

You slow me down!

I’ll tell you when I’m done.

flickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/7519959272 flickr.com/photos/fumigraphik/14556518130

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Requirements: The LearnerI’m not sure

I have a few ideas

I’ll write one down

Discuss with a customer

Review with developers and testers

Let’s implement one

Verify it

Show a customer

Adjust and try againflickr.com/photos/skeletalmess/7519959272

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Implement

Requirements

Rewrite

Before significant time and $$ is

invested

Discuss

Include the Triad

Dev QA

Customer

Requirement Experiments

Verify

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Architects: The ExpertI’m an Architect!

The last 5 projects? Development’s fault.

The cloud is just like the mainframe

Tweak a few slides…

Here’s your slide deck architecture

Go implement it.

POOF! (The Disappearing Architect!)

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Architect: The Learner

Tracer Bullet Development

Walking skeleton

Thin, vertical slices

Validate the technologies interact cleanly

Executable architecture

Engaged partner, working alongside the team

Learning, and changing, as we progress

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Tech Choices: The ExpertThis worked last time

Shut up and code

I know what I’m doing

It’s what I already know, so it’s what we’ll use again.

And again

And again

And again

flickr.com/photos/dmitry-baranovskiy/2378867408

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Tech Choices: The Learner

Let’s try it

Let’s code a proof of concept first

How about 2 or 3 experiments?

Spend a few days… then let’s regroup to discuss

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Why No Testers?

Rumor has it…

It’s easier to see faults in others

flickr.com/photos/dharder9475/16191943997

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Tester: The Expert

I don’t have time to learn

My company will tell me what to learn

Automate? When?

I’m busy clicking through my tests

Why don’t you help me click?

WHY AREN’T YOU CLICKING TOO??

flickr.com/photos/mvjantzen/8077516249

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Tester: The LearnerI’ve done this by hand too many times

Can this be automated?

What’s being talked about? (articles, blogs, ???)

Here’s a tool I learned about at a user group.

Can I test it from a different direction?

Can I test at a different level?

Can I automate the automation?

flickr.com/photos/crashmaster/3262933193

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In Industry Today

Work hard

Long hours

Get certificate of appreciation

Then you’re laid off

Jobs move elsewhere

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Change is DifficultDont’ change

Experiment

Attempt

Learn

Adopt

Thrive

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Why Doesn’t Everyone Work This Way?

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Why Don’t We Work This Way?

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White Rabbit Projects

I’m late! I’m late!

No time to sharpen the axe

Don’t have time to learn

Shut up and code

Shut up and test

Too busy walking to learn to ride a bike

flickr.com/photos/tearstone/5028273685

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Learn From History?Repeat the same

mistakes…

Too busy to look up and realize we’re in a rut

flickr.com/photos/lauritopias/15594799343

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THE KEY TO BIKE RIDING

Is to ride a bike

flickr.com/photos/beatkueng/5182116596

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THE KEY TO BUILDING SOFTWARE

Is to build software


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THE KEY TO LEARNING

Is to learn


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Get on a bike

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Guidelines for Habitual Experimenters (from GROWS)

Intentional (setup loop before starting any activity)

Short (approaching real-time)

Real-world (e.g., “as deployed”, not theoretical)

Iterative (steady, cyclical rhythm)

Incremental (growing small piece at a time)

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Source of TruthBooks mislead

Friends overstate

Internet lies

Experiments strip away bias, prejudice, and assumption

Experiments reveal reality

flickr.com/photos/jonastana/15624042964

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ExperimentsThis IS how it works

Not what I thought

Not what I expected

It’s easy to start

Difficult to start

Too slow

It’s great

Truthflickr.com/photos/sandwichgirl/5109314424

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Stages of Learning

Initial learning

GrowsMethod.com

Improvement

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Stages of Learning

Initial learning

Improvement

GrowsMethod.com

Unconscious Incompetence

Not aware you suck

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Stages of Learning


Not aware you suck

Initial learning

Improvement

GrowsMethod.com

Conscious Incompetence

Aware you suck

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Stages of Learning


Not aware you suck


Aware you suck

Initial learning

Improvement

GrowsMethod.com

Conscious Competence

Suck less when you

focus

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Stages of Learning


Not aware you suck


Aware you suck


Suck less when you

focus

Unconscious Competence

You no longer suck

Initial learning

Improvement

GrowsMethod.com

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Stages of Learning


Not aware you suck


Aware you suck


Suck less when you

focus


You no longer suck

Initial learning

Improvement

GrowsMethod.com

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Stages of Learning


Not aware you suck


Aware you suck


Suck less when you

focus


You no longer suck

Initial learning

Improvement

GrowsMethod.com

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No Pain? No Gain.Get comfortable being uncomfortable

If it’s not hurting, you’re probably doing it wrong

flickr.com/photos/aandaphotography/8703788718

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Now What?

Intentional experimentation is good

Deliberate learning advances our career

What to learn?

A few samples…

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Your Roadmap?

The College Journey and Academic Engagement: How Metaphor Use Enhances Identity-Based Motivation

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2014, Vol. 106, No. 5, 679–698

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Continuous Integration

Builds stay clean

Provides code change visibility

Encourages project hygiene

Jenkins is open source

Nice UI

Easy set up

Watch

Build

Unit Tests

PublishContinuous Integration

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Read Docs

Read Use-cases

Install locally

Monitor anythingDemo

Enlist help Share

with your team

Visit http://jenkins.io

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4

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Virtualization

Run multiple operating systems on your computer

Run a safe testing environment

Pause it

Back it up

Wreck it!

Restore it

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Visit http://docker.com

What is Docker?

Get Started Tutorial

Install locally

docker run hello-world

Visit hub.docker.com

docker pull jenkins

Share with your

team

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4

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Behavior Driven Development

Describe project features in english

Executable documentation

Write “tests” during planning meeting

Stories are done when the tests pass

Create a common language for dev, test, and PO

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Visit http://cucumber.io

Read Docs

Read Installation

Watch 3 YouTube tutorials!

Run locallyPartner w/dev to

get basic test running

Write variations of the original test Share

with your team

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4

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Web Browser Automation

Verify your product via the web browser

Use free, open source tools to test

Avoid licensing fees for users or servers

Use the bundled IDE to record your actions

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Visit docs.seleniumhq.org

Read Documentation

Select your team’s

language

Read Introduction

Install IDE & Selenium 2

Record a use case w/IDE

Add a few validations

Demo for your

team

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4

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Remember

Assume what you just learned still works and you’ll be a statistic

Question constantly

Prove every assumption

Validate choices before they’re permanent or expensive

Short, time-boxed experiments drive learning

Knowledge is power

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Road Map Your Path

Lay out a roadmap for where you want to go

Make it visual

Follow your plan…

Until it’s time for a new plan!

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This is the end

Of the conference

What have you learned?

What will you do?

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This is the beginning

Of your next steps

Where will you go?

Write it down

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Let me remind youBob Galen Mary Thorn

Paul Merrill

Arylee McSweaneyCheezy

Michael Bolton

Lee Copeland

Melanie Drake

Jim Holmes

Jennifer BonineStacy Kirk

Scott Miles

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They Started in These Seats

They listened and learned too!

What will you do?

What choices will you make?

Will you make intentional experimentation work for you?

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You don't have to though…This can just be another event in a cool location

I love southern California!

Low humidity

Great temperatures

Bars on the windows; bad traffic

Okay, love the temperatures!

You can just go home

Keep treading water

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Stages of Learning


Not aware you suck


Aware you suck


Suck less when you

focus


You no longer suck

Initial learning

Improvement

GrowsMethod.com

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Intentional Experimentation

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Your Roadmap

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Andy HuntOne of the 17 authors of Agile ManifestoAuthor of nine books on tech and agilePublisher, Pragmatic Bookshelf

Jared RichardsonCoach, author and speaker

Founder, Agile Artisans

Experience the 2-day GROWS workshop with

Andy Hunt and

Jared Richardson

GrowsMethod.comEffectiveAgileTeams.com

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take charge of your testing career: bring your skills to the next level

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