Author: Nishi Grover Garg

Technical Learning & Enablement Manager - Alteryx Industry Experience - Nishi is a Testing and Agile trainer with 14+ years of industry experience working in Agile environment and has hands-on experience in all stages of software testing life cycle from White box, Black box, Automation testing to Regression and Usability testing. She has trained hundreds of professionals and teams on agile, test automation and DevOps courses. She is CP-AAT, CP-SAT, CP-DOF, CP-MAT (certified by ATA), Agile Scrum Master ASM (by EXin) and ISTQB certified (Foundation and Advanced Test Analyst & Test Manager) and likes to keep updating her skill periodically. Speaker and Trainer - She has been a speaker at numerous testing events and conferences, been deeply appreciated for her sessions at renowned conferences by UNICOM and ATA in Singapore, Bangalore and Pune. She has also been awarded for chairing UNICOM’s NFT-Con Event in Dec 2016. Freelance writer – Nishi is a writer on technical topics of interest in the industry and has numerous articles published at forums like www.stickyminds.com, https://blog.gurock.com/, https://www.practitest.com/qa-learningcenter/, www.agileconnection.com and her own blog www.testwithnishi.com ,where she writes about the latest topics in Agile and Testing domains.

Attended the PMI Netherlands Summit 2026

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Project success is about more than delivering a project. It’s about delivering value. 🚀

I had a great day at the PMI Netherlands Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, joining project professionals from across industries to exchange ideas, learn, and reflect on how our profession is evolving.

Two morning keynotes particularly stood out and left me with some powerful takeaways.

💡 1. M.O.R.E. A mindset shift to maximize project success

Tom Bloemers introduced a refreshing perspective on what project success really means:

  • M – Manage perceptions
  • O – Own success beyond project management success
  • R – Relentlessly reassess project parameters
  • E – Expand perspective

One message that resonated with me: a project is successful when the value delivered is greater than the effort and expense invested. We need to look beyond traditional project metrics and focus on the impact we create.

🤖 2. Projects with Purpose – by Alize Hofmeester

As AI transforms the way we work, the human side of project leadership becomes even more important.

Building stakeholder trust, resolving conflict, applying judgment and ethics, aligning with strategy, navigating organizational dynamics, communicating with leadership, advocating for projects, and leading change – these are capabilities that remain essential.

My biggest takeaway? AI may change how projects are delivered, but the ability to bring people together, build trust, make sound decisions, and create meaningful outcomes is what will continue to define great project professionals.

I also loved the broader conversations around purpose, people, value, and the future of project management.

A big thank-you to PMI Netherlands and everyone involved in organizing such an insightful summit. And congratulations on celebrating 25 years of building the project management community!

Leaving with fresh perspectives, new connections, and plenty to reflect on. 💜

#PMINL #PMISummit2026 #ProjectManagement #ProjectLeadership #AI #AgileLeadership #FutureOfWork #BusinessValue #Leadership #ContinuousLearning #ProjectsWithPurpose

My experience speaking at the Panel Event LeadDev Amsterdam

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AI is changing how we build software. But are we changing how we lead teams? 🤖🚀

What a fantastic evening at the LeadDev Amsterdam Meetup, hosted at Adyen!

I had the pleasure of being a panelist for “Building Self-Sufficient Teams in the AI Era”, alongside an incredible group of fellow engineering leaders: Oleksandr Tryshchenko, Olaf de Ruiter, and Vanessa Ho.

We explored some thought-provoking questions:

💡 How is AI-assisted engineering changing roles and responsibilities within teams?

🤝 What does the evolving role of Agile leaders look like in this new era?

🔍 Are PR reviews becoming bottlenecks to team autonomy? How do we maintain code quality while moving faster?

🌱 How do we mentor junior developers who are entering a world where prompting is becoming as important as writing code?

⚖️ And perhaps most importantly, how do we give teams the freedom to experiment, learn from mistakes, and grow when AI accelerates everything?

The best part was the energy in the room – the interactive questions, diverse perspectives, and honest discussions that kept the conversation going beyond the panel.

One thought I took away: AI may accelerate how teams work, but building trust, ownership, critical thinking, and a culture of learning remains very human work.

A big thank-you to the @LeadDev team for bringing us together, Adyen for hosting us, my wonderful co-panelists for the stimulating discussion, and everyone in the audience who contributed to such an engaging evening.

Already looking forward to the next conversation! 💜

#LeadDev #EngineeringLeadership #AI #AgileLeadership #SelfSufficientTeams #FutureOfWork #SoftwareEngineering #TeamAutonomy #ContinuousLearning #Leadership

I am speaking at LeadDev Meetup, Amsterdam

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📢 I am super excited to be speaking at the upcoming LeadDev Amsterdam Meetup on October 30th!

🪴 I’ll be joining the panel on “Building self-sufficient teams in the AI-era” to explore how AI is reshaping teamwork, leadership, and the role of Agile leaders, alongside amazing panelists like Oleksandr Tryshchenko , Vanessa Ho and Olaf de Ruiter

⛳ More details here -> https://lnkd.in/eTx936Jh

Hosted at Adyen, Amsterdam.

Date: Friday, 30 October 2026
Time: 18:00 – 21:00
Location: Adyen Office, Simon Carmiggeltstraat 6, 1011 DJ Amsterdam

Looking forward to exchanging ideas and connecting with the engineering leadership community in Amsterdam!


See you there!

That’s What She Said!

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What happens when you bring incredible women, honest conversations, and improv comedy into one room? ✨ A whole lot of connection, inspiration, and laughter! 🔅

Yesterday, I attended “That’s What She Said” at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam – and what a refreshing evening it was! It was so much more than networking. 🤝

💫 I met amazing women from so many walks of life, each with their own stories, career journeys, ambitions, challenges, and perspectives.
🦋 We talked about work, life, taking risks, navigating careers, and everything in between. It was wonderful to connect beyond job titles and professional profiles and simply share our experiences as women.

And then came the comedy! 😆 A huge shout-out to the incredible all-women improv comedy cast at Boom Chicago for turning relatable experiences and unspoken workplace realities into such a hilarious performance. You had us laughing while recognising just how familiar some of those situations can be!

🍀 A heartfelt thank-you to Yoana Leusin and the impowr team for bringing this wonderful experience together. ❤️ & to all the amazing ladies I met there – thanks for bringing your authentic selves!

🤗 My biggest takeaway? Sometimes the best professional connections happen when we step away from formal networking, show up as ourselves, listen to each other’s stories, and have a really good laugh.

🥂 Here’s to more spaces where women can connect, support one another, share openly, and celebrate each other – with a little humour along the way! 🤩

Certified! PSM- AI Essentials

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Agile leadership is evolving. Are we evolving with it? 🤖🚀


Happy to share that I’ve earned my Professional Scrum Master™ – AI Essentials (PSM-AI Essentials) certification from Scrum.org! 🎉


With AI reshaping how we work, collaborate, and deliver value, I believe the opportunity for Scrum Masters and Agile leaders goes far beyond simply adopting new tools.


It’s about asking the right questions:
💡 How can AI help us facilitate more effective Scrum events?
🤝 How can we strengthen team collaboration and decision-making?
🚀 How can we use AI to empower teams rather than replace human judgment?
🔐 And how do we ensure we adopt it responsibly and ethically?

For me, this certification is another step in my continuous learning journey – exploring how we can combine Agile principles, human-centered leadership, and AI to build stronger, more effective teams.


Because the goal isn’t to use AI just because it’s available. It’s to use it thoughtfully, where it creates real value.


Excited to keep learning, experimenting, and bringing these insights into practice!


#Scrum #AgileLeadership #ArtificialIntelligence #ScrumMaster #ScrumOrg #ContinuousLearning #FutureOfWork #AIEssentials

My Experience at ‘Unmute’ – A Retreat for Women Ready to Lead with Confidence & Presence

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Sometimes leadership isn’t about finding your voice.
It’s about giving yourself permission to use it. 💫



I recently spent two days at Unmute – a Retreat for Women Ready to Lead with Confidence and Presence – and I came away with so much more than I expected!

The biggest highlight?
The women. ❤️

An incredible group of women, each brilliant in her own way, each at a different point in her journey – exploring leadership, boundaries, clarity, purpose, confidence, identity and simply… becoming more of who they are.

We talked. We laughed. We reflected… and We Unmuted parts of our own selves in different ways.



🦋 We explored somatic practices, guided exercises, self-reflection and some wonderfully honest conversations. And there was something powerful about being in a room where people could put their professional titles aside and simply show up as themselves.



🦄 It reminded me that leadership development isn’t always about acquiring another skill or learning another framework.
Sometimes it’s about:
✨ trusting yourself a little more
✨ understanding what you truly need
✨ setting boundaries without guilt
✨ finding the courage to speak up
✨ and creating enough space to hear your own voice



A huge thank you to Alicia Ingruber and Amanda Gandolpho for creating such a thoughtful and welcoming space. The intention, energy and care behind Unmute really came through. 💜

I left feeling inspired, connected and reminded that the strongest leadership often begins with the relationship we have with ourselves.
Definitely looking forward to joining future events and continuing these conversations.
Sharing a few glimpses from the experience. 📸

My experience speaking at LeadDev Meetup,Amsterdam

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Excited to share that this week I had the opportunity to speak at the upcoming LeadDev Meetup Amsterdam, sponsored by Picnic Technologies and CircleCI 🚀

🦄 Having participated in LeadDev panels and online events in the past, it felt especially meaningful to now join the community in-person here in Amsterdam.

https://www.meetup.com/leaddev-meetup-amsterdam/events/313077825/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events

The evening brought together an incredible mix of engineering leaders, managers, and software professionals — all passionate about building better teams, stronger engineering cultures, and more thoughtful leadership practices.

💫 And what a setting it was!

A packed room, engaging conversations, a warm atmosphere hosted beautifully by Picnic Technologies, and a lineup of insightful talks that made the entire event energizing and inspiring.

My talk for the evening was:

🌊 “Navigating the Agile Seas: Program Management in Startup Waters”

In the session, I shared some of my learnings and experiences around:

🔹 Leading programs in fast-moving startup environments

🔹 Balancing agility with structure and predictability

🔹 Building resilient teams amidst constant change

🔹 Navigating uncertainty while still delivering value at scale

🪴 One of the best parts of speaking at events like these is always the conversations afterward — hearing different perspectives, exchanging ideas, and connecting with people who are equally passionate about Agile leadership and engineering culture.

💜A huge thank you to the LeadDev community, the organizers, sponsors and everyone who attended and engaged so openly during the session.

📸 Sharing a few snapshots from the evening

#LeadDev #Meetup #MeetupEvents #EngineeringLeadership #AgileLeadership #ProgramManagement #StartupCulture #TechCommunity #AmsterdamTech #Agile #Leadership

I am speaking at LeadDev Meetup, Amsterdam

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I am super excited to share that I have been invited to speak at the upcoming LeadDev Meetup in Amsterdam – being sponsored by Picnic and CircleCi. The LeadDev group is dedicated to bringing together engineering leaders, managers, and software developers to share best practices in engineering leadership, discuss strategies for promoting leadership accountability, and network with like-minded individuals in the tech industry. And having been a part of online LeadDev Panels and events in the past, I am very happy to be invite for an in-person meetup event in Amsterdam.

My topic for the day is “Navigating the Agile Seas: Program Management in Startup Waters”
Join me on an exhilarating voyage through the turbulent waters of startup agile teams, where the pace is fast, and quality is paramount. In this talk, we’ll explore the dynamic landscape of leading software delivery in startup environments, balancing the need for speed with the imperative for quality. Program and engineering leaders will gain valuable insights into aligning team efforts with business goals while maintaining agility and high-quality standards. By the end of this session, you will:

  • Explore effective methodologies for orchestrating agile programs in dynamic startup ecosystems
  • Gain insights into adaptive leadership techniques tailored for startup agility.
  • Learn practical approaches to balance speed and quality in software delivery.

Here are the details and the agenda for the meetup:

Join the event for inspiring discussions, valuable insights, and networking opportunities. Let’s grow and learn together!

Year-end Reflection 2025

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Some years don’t just pass by — they transform you. 🔅

That is what 2025 has been..

Not every transformation is loud or obvious.

💫 Some are visible — new places, new roles, new beginnings.

🌱 Others happen quietly —

in how you think, what you value, how you observe life, what you let go of, and what you finally choose for yourself.

🌾 Growth doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it arrives quietly — and stays forever.

As this year comes to a close, I feel nothing but gratitude.

Gratitude for the people I met, the conversations that shaped me, the lessons that humbled me, the patience that I found in me, and the strength I discovered within myself.

Thank you, 2025, for everything you were —

for the dreams that your brought down to reality,

for the opportunities that came my way,

for the challenges that built resilience,

for the changes that brought clarity,

and for the journey that made me more Me!

As we close down the year, it might be a good time to reflect, find things to be grateful for, and instead of setting some new year resolutions, perhaps find some systems to place within our lives – to be better at being ourselves!

Let us step into the next year more hopeful, grounded, and open — trusting the timing, the process, and the possibilities ahead. 🌟

Here’s to what’s next. 💫

#2025Reflection #YearInReview #Grateful #GratefulHeart #TransformationJourney #LifeTransitions #CareerGrowth #NewBeginnings #TrustTheProcess #LifeLessons #MondayMusings #YearEnd #YearEndReflection #PersonalGrowth #MovingForward #GrowthMindset #WhatALesson

Panel Discussion about Agentic Testing with LeadDev

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Still buzzing from yesterday’s Panel discussion at LeadDev on “Are You Ready for Agentic Testing?”

https://leaddev.com/event/are-you-ready-for-agentic-testing

We unpacked some powerful themes there:

↩️ What agentic testing really is and How is it shifting testing from scripted execution to adaptive, autonomous quality.

🚧 How do you give agents sufficient context, guardrails, guidance to make them effective

🚐 Practical ways to integrate testing agents directly into our workflows.

🌵 A risks vs benefits analysis of using more autonomous agents & what it means for testers today!

I loved the depth of conversation, the questions, and the energy in the room! We got some amazing questions online from the participants, and the conversation continued on the slack channel later too.

A huge thank you to LeadDev for hosting and to my fellow panelists Richard Bradshaw Vernon Richards and Dan Belcher and our host Amanda Sopkin for putting together such a meaningful, future-focused discussion.

Always a privilege to share space with people pushing the boundaries of quality engineering!

#AgenticTesting #SoftwareTesting #QualityEngineering #Agile #DevOps #AIinTesting #ContinuousDelivery #TestAutomation #LeadDev #AI #AIDiscussions