6 | Test cover story
testing was not a choice, it was the The trouble is, software testers are be appropriate for software test
natural way to provide confidence. not seen to be providing value to start- management or assisting in the
Though not all start-ups think like ups. As an industry more effort needs automation of testing. This is great
this. As an alternative to hiring a to be spent meeting start-ups’ needs news for start-ups who work in a
software tester, start-ups typically test and more time spent on promoting high-flux, short-time and low-cost
in two stages. The Alpha Test Phase these benefits to them. environment. It means that there are
using an in house developer to test For example, there is a misconception now techniques out there that allow
software followed by the Beta Test that while the benefits of software software testing to be effectively
Phase, which involves select customers testing are real, it brings with it a applied in a quick, meaningful and
trialling the software prior to its weighty, time-consuming process. cost effective manner. It provides
formal release. What is gained in results is lost in time the benefits of risk reduction, and
It’s a poor response to software and resources. In fact, vast changes confidence building without requiring
testing, as most developers make bad have been made in software testing in enormous amounts of documentation
testers. To put it baldly, developers like the last twenty years or so. Software or a large budget
to create, testers like to destroy. Also, development and software testing Perhaps it’s time to take a fresh
Beta Testing is not as cheap and easy have changed enormously since the look at the start-up industry and see
as hoped by many start-ups. In fact, waterfall model was concocted in the how we as software testers can help
it’s costly, resource intensive and time sixties, seventies. Today, there are drive their success. In doing so, we not
consuming. many ways that software testing can only involve ourselves in a dynamic
Of course as software testers we all be executed that extend beyond the and intense environment, we are also
know this. We also know the practical V-Model and a typical standardised ensuring the creation of software
benefits our work brings to a company software testing process. My question testing jobs in the future.
and that these benefits extend beyond is, are start-ups aware of this?
finding bugs so that others won’t.
For example, it supplies confidence Rapid response
and knowledge to both supplier and Rapid software testing (RST) as Anne-Marie Charrett is a
client and reduces the risk of product invented by James Bach (http://www. professional software tester; she
failure in the field. It improves the satisfice.com) is a technique that is runs her own company Testing
application’s usability and helps well suited to working with start-ups. Times. An electronic engineer
generate positive first impressions The technique is aimed at testing by trade, software testing chose
and these are essential as word of quickly and comprehensively. It does her when in 1990 she started
mouth is an effective marketing tool so by placing greater emphasis on conformance testing against
for start-ups. testing the application as opposed to European standards. She was
In the world of start-ups, the benefits test documentation. This technique hooked and has been testing since
of testing are amplified because is context-driven, considers cost vs. then. Anne-Marie really enjoys
software failure has greater impact. value in all test activities and uses working with innovative and
Simply put, if the product fails, the exploratory testing techniques. It relies creative people, which has led her
company fails. This is not necessarily on the tester’s intelligence to drive the to specialise in working for start-
true for mature companies who testing through to its completion. ups and incubators. Anne-Marie is
may have more than one product to There are also a large number of a keen blogger and hosts her own
Anne-Marie Charrett
Software tester
sell, and if necessary can call upon excellent open source testing tools blog
http://mavericktester.com.
Testing Times
www.testingtimes.com.au
additional resources to fix problems. available to start-ups. These can
T.E.S.T | June 09
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