Tag: agile testing

My experience speaking at LeadDev Meetup,Amsterdam

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

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

Speaking at LeadDev Panel Discussion: How Cloud-Native Teams Test at AI-Powered Velocity 🚀

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

What an honor it was to join the panel discussion hosted by LeadDev this week—alongside brilliant minds like Ole Lensmar, @Varun Awasthi, and our amazing & talented moderator Heidi Waterhouse.


Event Link: https://leaddev.com/event/how-teams-test-at-ai-powered-velocity


We tackled one of the most pressing questions in software today: How do we maintain quality and developer experience when velocity is being pushed to its limits—especially with AI tools accelerating the pace?
Here are a few of my favorite takeaways that resonated deeply:

🔍 Key Insights & Highlights

🌿 Orchestrating Tests in Cloud-Native Environments
Scaling test automation across Kubernetes and complex cloud infrastructures is no longer optional—it’s essential. We discussed patterns and practices that help achieve consistency and coverage without slowing things down.

🌿 Breaking Down Silos between QA, Platform, and Dev Teams:
Collaboration is critical. One recurring theme: embedding quality into every step, not isolating QA as a final gate. Cultivating shared responsibility ensures faster feedback loops and higher trust. LeadDev

🌿 Better Observability, Fewer Flakes:
Too often we drown in test noise. By improving observability—clearly distinguishing signal from noise—we can reduce flaky tests and focus on real quality signals. LeadDev

🌿 Developer Experience as a First-Class Concern:
Velocity is important, but not at the cost of a broken feedback loop. Optimizing for DX means tests must be fast, reliable, and integrated—so developers feel empowered, not burdened.

The depth of conversations, the invigorating questions, the connections made—all of it reaffirmed how powerful shared learning is.

A heartfelt thank you to the LeadDev team for inviting me and running such a seamless, high-impact event. And to my fellow panelists and everyone who joined the discussion: thank you for your insights, your challenges, and your curiosity. We grow by asking hard questions together!💡

Cheers,

Nishi

Thrilled to see my name in print — in German!

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

Thrilled to see my name in print — in German!! 🇩🇪📖

When I first wrote this article on Continuous Testing in Agile—highlighting the need to balance speed with quality, and keep the “wheels of testing” running—I had no idea it would travel this far.
But today, I’m proud to share that my work has been published in the print edition of Entwickler.de, one of Germany’s most respected tech magazines! 🎉

Originally written in English and translated by the amazing editorial team, the article is titled:
🔍 “Die Räder des Testens am Laufen halten”
(“Keeping the Wheels of Testing Running”)
— and dives deep into how Agile teams can stay efficient and resilient with continuous testing strategies, even in fast-paced delivery cycles.

🧪 From quality thinking to adaptive test environments, the article covers the mindset and methods teams need to deliver great software, consistently.

💜 A big thank you to the Entwickler.de team for beautifully presenting the article and sending me a print copy that I’ll treasure.
🙏 And a warm shoutout to the Devmio team as well for our collaboration and continued support in sharing meaningful conversations around DevOps and Quality at Scale.

Here’s to celebrating small wins, sharing knowledge, and seeing our ideas come to life across borders and languages! 🌍✍️

📖 Read the article here:
👉 https://entwickler.de/testing/die-rader-des-testens-am-laufen-halten-002

#ProudMoment #ContinuousTesting #AgileQuality #DevOps #EntwicklerDe #AgileTesting #TechWriting #DevOpsCon #WomenInTech #TestAutomation #QualityAtScale #KnowledgeSharing #AgileLeadership #PublishedAuthor #FromIdeaToPrint

Speaking at DevOpsCon Berlin

What an Incredible Experience Speaking at DevOpsCon Berlin 2025! 🎉

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

Last week, I had the honor of speaking at DevOpsCon Berlin on June 17-18, 2025, and what an amazing experience it was!

From the moment I stepped on stage to deliver my session(s), I could feel the energy and curiosity in the room. The engagement, questions, and feedback I received were truly inspiring and reaffirmed why I love sharing knowledge and learning from the incredible tech community. 💡 (More about my sessions shared here earlier)

But this event wasn’t just about speaking—it was about connecting. I had the privilege of meeting some of the most passionate and brilliant minds in DevOps. Our chats were not only insightful but also a reminder of how collaborative and innovative this space is. Special thanks to @Simon , @Robert , and @Richa for some enriching conversations and the shared laughs that made these days even more memorable. It is always a pleasure to work with @Fabian and meeting in person was even more fun!

As I look back at these moments , I feel immense gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to this thriving community. Here’s to more connections, collaborations, and growth in the future! 🌟

A huge shoutout to the organizing team @Mirjam , @Nadia and the @S&S Conference team for hosting such a seamless and impactful event—it was no small feat, and you nailed it! 🙌

If you attended my session or would like to chat about any of the topics, feel free to reach out—I’d love to keep the conversation going. Let’s continue building and growing together! 🚀

Cheers,

Nishi

I am speaking at DevOpsCon Berlin (June 2025)

Nishi Grover Garg1 Comment

I am excited to share that I will be speaking at DevOpsCon Berlin next week, an event by devmio.

This event is known for its power workshops, practical learning avenues and networking with international community of Agile & DevOps enthusiasts, I am excited to be presenting not one but 2 sessions – one focused on No-Code Test Automation Revolution and another about Leading Scrum teams in dynamic environments.

The conference offers 4 full days of learning in the form of sessions, keynotes and workshops, with options to attend in-person or online – here is the full program https://devopscon.io/berlin/program-berlin/

As I prepare to travel to Berlin again, this will definitely be a new experience as a European native and having my family along with me! I am excited to meet some new people and reconnect with the amazing people I met in the past years.

Here are the details of my 2 sessions:

No Code Revolution: Redefining Test Automation for Speed and Simplicity

With numerous test automation tools and frameworks available today, many in the software testing industry are focused on learning them all. It is important to stay updated with new technology. But are testers losing something in the race to become more technical and equipped with automation skills? Is your test automation becoming so technical and code-intensive that it’s in danger of alienating the subject-matter expert testers who best know the core of your business?
Testing is a creative field and Test automation tools are the necessary technology that is meant to serve us.
Test automation is undergoing a paradigm shift with the rise of no-code platforms. This session dives into how no-code test automation tools are transforming traditional testing practices, enabling faster implementation, and making testing accessible to non-technical stakeholders.

Takeaways :
Attendees will discover:
>>What steps to take to not alienate your business testers and other key stakeholders from yoyr test automation.
>>How no-code platforms democratize test automation for Agile teams.
>>Techniques to reduce setup time and increase test coverage.
>>Practical insights into leveraging no-code tools for scalable, efficient testing

Mastering Scrum and Navigating Agility in Dynamic environments

Agile teams in startups can be in a constant state of flux, and creating harmony there requires mastering adaptive leadership techniques, relooking at processes and leaning them out to suit the needs of the teams. In this session, we will dissect the intricate dance of leading software delivery in startup agile teams, and discover actionable strategies for navigating the complexities of program management in fast-paced environments. 

Scrum masters, agile leaders and team members 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:​

>Gain insights into adaptive leadership techniques tailored for startup agility.

>Learn practical approaches to balance speed and quality in software delivery.

>Explore effective methodologies managing scrum teams in dynamic startup ecosystems.

From Team to True Squad: Building Synergy in Scrum

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

I’m excited to share my latest article, “From Team to True Squad: Building Synergy in Scrum,” recently published on Devm.io!

We often hear about the importance of teamwork when we talk about agile and Scrum in particular. But there’s a massive difference between a group of individuals that work together and a squad that truly clicks. Building a high-performing Scrum team is less about following rigid frameworks and more about nurturing relationships, creating trust and creating a shared vision & sense of purpose. What truly elevates a group of individuals into a high-performing squad is synergy—that magical cohesion where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Key Insights from the Article

🔹 Continuous Improvement: Agile squads thrive when retrospectives are used not just as a ritual but as a powerful tool for learning and growth. The key is to focus on actionable feedback, addressing both the wins and the pain points. Improvement isn’t a one-time event; it’s a mindset that fosters resilience and adaptability.

🔹 Alignment with Autonomy: Balancing squad goals with overarching organizational objectives can be tricky, but it’s essential. Alignment ensures that the team delivers value, while autonomy empowers them to decide how to deliver it, fueling innovation and ownership.

🔹 The Role of Trust: A true squad is built on a foundation of trust. When team members trust each other, they feel safe to share ideas, challenge norms, and admit mistakes—without fear of blame or judgment. This psychological safety is the bedrock of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Leaders must actively foster trust by encouraging open dialogue, leading by example, and celebrating team wins.

🔹 Fostering Synergy: Building synergy means creating an environment where collaboration isn’t just encouraged—it’s ingrained in the squad’s DNA. This involves clear communication, shared accountability, and a shared vision of success.

Why It Matters

Agile is more than a process; it’s a way of thinking. When squads embody these principles, they don’t just deliver—they innovate, inspire, and transform.

📖 Read the full article here: From Team to True Squad: Building Synergy in Scrum

I’d love to hear your thoughts:

  • How do you foster trust within your teams?
  • What strategies have helped your squads achieve true synergy?

Let’s discuss and share ideas!

#AgileLeadership #TeamSynergy #ScrumMastery #TrustInTeams #ContinuousImprovement #AgileSquads #LeadershipMatters #DevOps

Shipping Daily : From Sprints to Continuous Releases

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

DevOps Teams that achieve daily releases have mastered a unique set of skills and practices to ship software faster and more frequently, with higher confidence. This high frequency release model differs significantly from the traditional Scrum framework with 2-week sprints (or longer). 

I wrote about this recently in my article published at devm.io platform , where I discussed the daily routines, processes and tools that support these teams, while contrasting them with more familiar cadence of traditional scrum teams. For teams and organizations looking to move towards daily releases, I also covered the key adjustments required to turn this vision into reality.

The Daily Rhythm: Planning, Execution, and Monitoring

1. Planning

For teams delivering code daily, the rhythm of planning, execution and monitoring does not follow the two-week sprint cycle but happens continuously. Here is what this daily rhythm looks like:

  • Frequent Prioritization: Daily release teams prioritize their work each day, selecting high impact tasks that can be completed and shipped within a single day.
  • Dynamic Backlogs: Instead of working with a static sprint backlog which is derived from the mammoth product backlog, these teams operate with highly flexible backlogs – adding things to it every day. They are ready to pivot quickly in response to customer feedback or issues, urgent needs or new business opportunities.
  • Smaller Targeted Tasks: Work items are broken into small, manageable pieces – each designed to be completed within hours. User stories and tasks are refined to be achievable in less than a day, keeping workloads manageable and ensuring that work completed aligns with daily release goals.

2. Execution

Unlike Scrum teams that often release at the end of a sprint, daily release teams execute work with a focus on immediate delivery.

  • Incremental Work: Instead of waiting until the end of a sprint, developers push small, frequent changes every day. Every code change is designed to be testable and deployable at the end of the day.
  • Automated Testing: It is critical to daily releases. CI pipelines are designed to run tests on each code change, ensuring stability and reliability and readiness of production.
  • Seamless Deployment: CD pipelines are in place, so that the code – once tested – is deployed automatically to production. With daily releases, teams cannot afford to spend hours on deployment activity every single day – so it is imperative to automate it.

3. Monitoring

  • Automated Monitoring: Monitoring tools track deployment success, system performance, and error rates in real time. Tools like Datadog, New Relic, or Prometheus help track application performance, error rates and system health. These tools are crucial for catching issues early and preventing them from impacting users.
  • Daily Retrospective Feedback Loops: Instead of waiting until the end of a sprint, the team reviews their daily progress and identifies immediate improvements – leading to quick adjustments.

Read the full article here for details on :

Normal Scrum vs Daily Release : Key Differences

Practices to Support Daily Releases

Key Metrics to Track

When are Daily Releases Appropriate?

Benefits of Daily Releases

Agile Metrics that Matter: Measuring Success in Software Delivery

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

In the world of software delivery, the agile approach has transformed the way teams work, adapt and succeed. Agile is all about delivering value quickly and iteratively, but how do we know our team is succeeding at that? The answer will lie in the metrics we track.

I tried to answer this in my article that was published on devm.io platform recently.

Why Metrics Matter in Agile

Agile metrics provide valuable insights into:

  • the health of our processes,
  • helping us make informed decisions,
  • identifying areas of improvement and, eventually,
  • delivering better software.

Before we get into specific metrics, it is important to understand why tracking metrics is crucial in agile development.

Agile thrives on feedback – whether it is from users, stakeholder, or the development process itself. Metrics provide that feedback, helping teams understand where they stand and where they need to go.

Metrics help us answer critical questions:

  • Are we delivering value quickly enough?
  • Are we maintaining quality as we move fast?
  • Are our customers satisfied with the product?
  • Where are the bottlenecks in our process?

Without metrics, these questions are left to guesswork.

With metrics, you have data-driven insights that guide decision-making, foster continuous improvement and ensure alignment with business goals.

Let us explore the key metrics that agile teams should track to measure success in software delivery.

1. Lead Time and Cycle Time

Lead time is the time taken for a piece of work from request to delivery. It includes everything from the requirement coming in, to the idea generation, coding, testing & deployment.

Cycle time is the time it takes to complete a specific task or user story from the moment work starts on it to when it is finished. Unlike lead time, cycle time doesn’t include the time spent in backlog or waiting for the work to start.

In agile, the goal is to deliver value quickly & frequently. Lead time tells you how quickly your team can turn ideas into working functionality. Shorter lead time would indicate a more efficient process and better response to market changes.

Cycle time helps you understand the efficiency of your team’s workflow, and how long it takes to deliver a piece of work once it is in progress. Shorter cycle times mean that the team is working efficiently and can handle more tasks within a sprint.

—- Follow the link to read further —–

https://devm.io/agile/agile-metrics-software-delivery-analyze

About devmio

devmio is an IT and Tech conference platform that goes beyond the conference room. Join live events, read magazines and articles from the IT experts you know and love! You can join the live events to chat with experts, read magazines written by experts and attend conferences with exclusive discounts all accessible with their Fullstack Experience membership. Join here -> https://devm.io/

New Country. New Life. Same Drive for Growth. 🌍🚀

Nishi Grover Garg2 Comments

A Life Update!


A few weeks ago, I took one of the biggest leaps of my life—I moved to a new country.

Hello, Netherlands!

This journey has been nothing short of transformative. From navigating unfamiliar streets to trying to learning a new language, looking for a home, and finding my rhythm in a completely new environment—every day continues to bring its own set of challenges and lessons.

But with every challenge comes growth. 🌱

Moving to a new country isn’t just about geography—it’s about rediscovering yourself, stepping out of your comfort zone, and embracing the unknown. it is not easy to wrap up a life you’ve known forever and built for yourself, and just leave with a few suitcases and heaps of memories – in search for something that is calling for you from hundreds of miles away…. But when were we ever made for ‘easy’ things? After all —

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John A. Shedd

It’s about giving up the comfort and luxury of every ‘known’ , and starting from ground up.

It’s all about learning to adapt, staying resilient, and building connections that make the transition easier.

It is about being Agile!

As an experienced Agile professional with a passion for driving team success, collaboration, and continuous improvement, I’m now actively looking for my next career opportunity in this incredible city.

📢 To my fellow #Agile practitioners, leaders, scrum masters and #QAprofessionals in #Amsterdam:
If you’re part of this vibrant tech and Agile ecosystem, let’s connect! I’m eager to bring my experience in Agile coaching, leadership, and transformation to a team that values collaboration, innovation, and growth.

This is more than just a professional journey—it’s a personal one. And I’d love to connect with people who share similar values and can guide, mentor, or simply share a coffee and a conversation. ☕

To anyone else considering taking a big step like this—trust the process. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

Here’s to new beginnings, endless possibilities, and the courage to create a life you truly love!🌟

Cheers,

Nishi

Confronting Technical Debt: Making the Case for Investment in Long-Term Quality

Nishi Grover GargLeave a comment

Technical debt is like the credit card debt of the software world – easy to accumulate but expensive to pay off if not managed. Technical debt occurs when shortcuts are taken during the development process, often to meet tight deadlines or push out new features quickly. With agile’s fast pace, it is easy to accumulate technical debt, justifying it as the need of the hour and need of the market. But just like credit card debt, the interest from technical debt compounds over time, making future changes harder, more expensive and riskier. The question many development teams face is how to convince the leadership to invest in resolving technical debt, even when everything seems to be working fine on the surface.

I recently wrote this article for the devm.io platform where I explore effective strategies for communicating the hidden costs of technical debt, demonstrating its impact on innovation, and making a compelling case for prioritizing it – even if it means temporarily slowing down feature delivery. By understanding and articulating the true risks of technical debt, you can help your team invest in long term health and scalability of your product.

The Hidden Costs of Technical Debt

Many teams struggle with increasing time to production, decreasing velocity sprint-after-sprint and it might begin to seem like the team’s productivity is decreasing over time. The most dangerous aspect of technical debt is its impact on your team’s ability to innovate and scale. At first glance, technical debt may not seem like a pressing issue – since the software is running smoothly and features are being delivered. The problem is that technical debt accumulates gradually and its effects remain hidden until they reach a tipping point.

Every shortcut taken, like skipping tests, avoiding refactoring, hardcoding solutions or neglecting peer reviews – creates complexity in your codebase. As this complexity builds up, it slows down your development process, increases the likelihood of issues, makes future enhancements more difficult and time consuming.

Not only this, there may be instances when these skipped actions are actually mandatorily needed for certain regulations, contracts or standards that we adhere to. This means the team would end up having to do them later, spending more time and causing delays in our project completion.

To read the complete article, visit the devm.io platform

<My article published at devm.io platform: https://devm.io/agile/technical-debt-costs-strategies>