Building quality in is faster than inspecting defects out
- It isn't testing that takes so long... it's fixing.
- Automation isn't the best way to save time in testing.
- Coding user stories without acceptance criteria is like getting paid twice: Once to put the defects in, again to take them out.
What are acceptance criteria?
- Shared understanding = Co-creation, conversation
- Measures completion = Done done
Keys of acceptance criteria:
- Just in time
- Customer value
- Everybody contributes (in same room)
- Verifiable
Overcoming resistance
Many psychological factors cause us not to apply our value (build quality in) (See Perfect Software, Gerry Weinberg, Chapter 7 How to Deal With Defensive Reactions)
- Human nature is to assume we have the same understanding.
- Resistance as resource (Dale Emery. Respond with curiosity.)
- Why are they lacking buy-in? Is it simply familiarity with the status quo? Can you inspire them with stories?
- What is the nature of the resistance? "Hand me detailed requirements but don't make me work for them" or "It's dumb, we already know what it needs to do" or ...?
In the Agile literature
"Being a tester in an agile environmnt is about improving the quality of the product before it's complete" Jeff Patton post
Caution
- Keep product goals in mind (Don't get too tactical)
- What does the medium enhance? Better focused testing.
- What does the medium make obsolete? Communication by documents and handoffs.
- What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier? Specifications.
- What does the medium flip into when pushed to extremes? Up front requirements.