Panel Discussion about Agentic Testing with LeadDev

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

Thrilled to see my name in print — in German!

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! 🎉

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)

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.

Beyond the Code: Crafting the Perfect Test Automation Strategy

In the ever-evolving world of software development, test automation is a necessity. But effective test automation isn’t just about writing code to automate tests; it’s about creating a strategy that aligns with your team’s goals, ensures optimal coverage, and evolves with your product. Let’s explore how you can craft the perfect test automation strategy, one that goes beyond the code and truly delivers value.

Why Strategy Matters

Many teams dive headfirst into test automation, often tempted by the promise of speed and efficiency. However, without a clear strategy, automation efforts can quickly spiral into chaos. Flaky tests, redundant coverage, and maintenance nightmares become all too common. 

For example, a startup I worked with automated their entire regression suite without prioritizing critical paths. When their checkout system broke due to an API change, the automated tests failed to catch it because they were too focused on miniscule UI tests and edge cases.

The takeaway? A good strategy ensures that your test automation efforts are focused, reliable, and adaptable to change.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Every automation strategy should start with a clear understanding of your team’s goals. Are you looking to reduce manual testing time? Improve test coverage? Speed up deployment cycles? Align your automation efforts with these objectives.

A fintech company aimed to release updates weekly without compromising quality. Their automation strategy focused on automating critical workflows like fund transfers and account creation while leaving exploratory testing to manual testers. By aligning their automation with their release goals, they achieved faster, safer deployments.

Step 2: Identify What to Automate

Not everything needs to be automated. Even if feasible, not everything would be Valuable to automate. So, we need to prioritize test cases for automation based on their :

  1. Criticality: Focus on features that are essential to your business. For instance, for an e-commerce platform, the checkout flow and payment gateway are non-negotiable.
  2. Frequency: Automate repetitive tasks, such as regression testing, to save time.
  3. Feasibility: Some tests, like those involving visual validation, might be better suited for manual testing or require specialized tools.

A SaaS team struggled with flaky UI tests for edge cases. By refocusing their automation on API-level tests and critical user journeys, they reduced test execution time and improved reliability.

Read More »

My experience speaking at DevOpsCon, Singapore 2024 – Talks, Learning, and Inspiration

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend and speak at DevOpsCon Singapore, an event that brought together some of the brightest minds in the DevOps and agile communities. It was an experience filled with learning, sharing, and connection, all while revisiting the vibrant city of Singapore.

My Talks at DevOpsCon

I had the privilege of delivering two talks, each centered on topics I am deeply passionate about:

  1. Mastering Test Automation: Strategies for Maximum Efficiency and Impact
    In this session, I explored how teams can elevate their test automation game to ensure faster feedback, better quality, and smarter integration into CI/CD pipelines. We discussed practical strategies, real-world examples, and tools that can help achieve these outcomes. The engagement and thoughtful questions from the audience truly made this session a delight.
  2. Navigating the Agile Seas: Program Management in Startup Waters
    This talk was all about managing the unique challenges faced by agile teams in fast-paced startup environments. I shared insights and anecdotes from my own experiences, focusing on strategies for balancing speed with quality, fostering collaboration, and keeping teams aligned with business goals amidst chaos.

Both sessions were well-received, and I was deeply encouraged by the feedback and conversations they sparked. Knowing that my insights resonated with the attendees is always a humbling experience.

The Power of Learning and Collaboration

One of the highlights of the event was attending Ben Linders‘ workshop on Agile Teams Gamification. The session was not just informative but also incredibly interactive, showcasing how gamification can be a powerful tool to foster team collaboration and innovation. The exercises and insights were eye-opening, and I’m already thinking of ways to incorporate some of these ideas into my own work.

Workshops like these remind me of the endless possibilities for learning and the value of sharing knowledge within a community. It’s moments like these that inspire us to challenge conventional thinking and embrace fresh perspectives.

Reflections on the Event

Events like DevOpsCon are a testament to the power of tech communities. From engaging discussions with fellow speakers and attendees to exploring ideas that can reshape the way we work, the experience was nothing short of invigorating.

Beyond the technical learnings, it was also about connecting with people—whether it was hearing about their challenges, sharing stories over coffee, or simply realizing how much we all have in common in our pursuit of excellence.

Gratitude and Looking Ahead

I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity to represent my ideas on such a global stage, and for the chance to learn from some of the best minds in the industry. Sharing my knowledge, while also growing from the knowledge of others, is what drives me to keep pushing forward.

Here’s to more opportunities to learn, share, and grow together! If you attended the event or my talks, I’d love to hear your thoughts and continue the conversation.

#DevOpsCon #AgileLeadership #ContinuousLearning #Grateful #TechCommunities

Course Launch – “Agile Quality Quest: Mastering Testing in Agile”

The efforts spent over the past few months have materialized today with the launch of my course on the The Test Tribe platform! 🍀

I have carefully curated the contents for the latest practices in the industry, planned the flow of the course for basic to advanced learners and sprinkled practical examples, scenarios and anecdotes from my experience. 📋

We also have a #knowledgecheck at the end and you can earn a #certificate in Agile Testing at the end of the course. 🥉

If you are interested in learning about #agile #testing or planning to enhance your knowledge in these areas, checkout the course page for details. https://www.thetesttribe.com/courses/testing-in-agile/

As an Introductory Offer — Get a 25% Discount on the purchase if you apply my Discount Code:

NISHI25

(Limited Period Offer)

What a start for 2024!

Onwards and Upwards from here! 🚀

I am speaking at DevOpsCon Singapore – Nov 2021

I am super excited to announce that the DevOpsCon Singapore conference is finally here and I am elated to be a part of the Speaker lineup!

After cancellations and rescheduling in 2020 due to the pandemic, this grand event is finally happening now from 22 to 25 Nov 2021 in an online edition.

My talk that was slated to be part of the 2020 edition remains the same topic which I have worked to enhance this year. Here are a few details of the session –

Title – The What, When and How of Test Automation

Description

Agile means pace and agile means change. With frequent time-boxed releases and flexible requirements, test automation faces numerous challenges. Haven’t we all asked what to automate and how to go about the daily tasks with the automation cloud looming over our heads? Here, we’ll discuss answers to some of these questions and try to outline a number of approaches that agile teams can take in their selection of what to automate, how to go about their automation, whom to involve, and when to schedule these tasks so that the releases are debt-free and of the best quality. 

  • What to automate: regression averse approach, selective approach, sanity automation, max automation approach
  • When to automate: sprint n-1 approach, continuous automation
  • How to automate – all-hands approach, shared automation expert, code-averse tool 

Let us have a look at the integration of these possibilities, the possible combinations, and what may or may not work.

My session will be held live on Monday, November 22 2021 17:00 – 17:45 SGT

To check out my speaker and session details, click here

For the detailed program and agenda of the conference, see this page

To Register for the event and related details, click here

Hope to see you there! 🙂

How to Decide if You Should Automate a Test Case

Test automation is imperative for the fast-paced agile projects of today. Testers need to continuously plan, design and execute automated tests to ensure the quality of the software. But the most important task is to decide what to automate first.

In my article published on the TestRail Quality Hub, I have compiled & shared a list of questions to help you prioritise what you should automate next and guide your test automation strategy.

Here is a checklist of questions to ask yourself as you decide on automating a Test Case–

*******

Is the test going to be repeated?

Is it a high-priority feature? 

Do you need to run the test with multiple datasets or paths? 

Is it a Regression or Smoke Test?

Does this automation lie within the feasibility of your chosen test automation tool?

Is the area of your app that this is testing prone to change?

Is it a Random Negative Test?

Can these tests be executed in parallel, or only in sequential order?

Are you doing it only for the reports?

********

For the detailed explanation of each of these points, read the complete article here –>

Achieving the Goal of In-Sprint Test Automation

Getting test automation done is a challenge, especially within the tight deadlines imposed by Scrum. As much as the thought of continuous in-sprint test automation sounds enticing, the practicality of it may elude most Scrum teams.

In my article published here– I look at some of the main things you need to consider in order to get your test automation done within the confines of your sprint.

Framework

The first thing to focus on is a framework that is useful, is easy to understand, and helps all stakeholders participate in test automation.

This is essential because you want to make test automation a continuous activity that is a part of daily work, not a once-a-sprint (or once-a-release) work item. For this to happen, the framework must make it equally comfortable for a businessperson, developer, functional tester or automation expert to add their contribution and see the results of their efforts.

There are many business-friendly frameworks and techniques, like behavior-driven development (BDD), as well as many tools that can create tests in a domain language and then translate them to script code.

All stakeholders must be trained on using the framework, and their area of contribution must be made clear to them, with practical hand-holding. The automation tester can then focus on maintaining the framework, generating test suites and editing failing scripts, while the creation of test automation will be a continuous task assigned to everyone involved.

Collaboration

The next thing to focus on is collaboration between the various stakeholders. A continuous automation framework can only survive when it is being fed and tended to by everyone on the team.

  • The business people, like a business analyst or a product owner, can help by adding user scenarios or defining the requirements in a framework-friendly format. This may require them to be trained on the preferred format based on the framework being used
  • The developers can help by creating reusable methods for steps of the script. They can also create and maintain an object repository for all elements they add to the UI while testers use the pseudo names of the elements in the test scripts. This means that the scripts can be created before (and independent of) the application UI, and such scripts won’t need editing when the UI changes, as long as the object repository is kept up to date
  • The testers can help by adding more scenarios, specifying and creating test data, and executing the scripts periodically

Strategy

How to strategize the development of test scripts is crucial to making in-sprint automation a reality. Using API-level automation whenever possible will reduce the time and effort.

Continue Reading –>

Read More »