"I HATE QA" - A Perspective from a Senior QA Engineer

Introduction

In software development, Quality Assurance (QA) is often misunderstood as simply catching bugs or performing tests. However, as a Senior QA Engineer with 10 years of experience, I can tell you that QA goes far beyond that. It is not just about finding defects; it’s about building processes, strategies, and systems that lead to higher-quality products. In this article, I will break down what I call “I HATE QA,” where HATE is an acronym representing key pillars of QA:

H - Human Factor

A - Adjust Constantly

T - Tech Mastering

E - Embrace Good Practices

This title, though provocative, comes from a deep-seated philosophy:

“We are humans, and humans are not perfect. Humans make mistakes. Since we aren’t perfect, we must find strategies to come close to perfection. And that’s what QA is for.”

Let’s dive deeper into these four blocks and explore how each of these plays a crucial role in helping us move from average to excellence in software development.

1. Human Factor: The Root of the Problem and the Key to Success

There’s a famous saying:

“The problem isn’t technical; the problem is people.”

In my experience, this statement couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to building a product. Software systems, no matter how complex, are designed and built by people. People, however, are prone to biases, miscommunication, and misunderstanding. We often say the problem is people because elements like communication, language, misconceptions, alignment, and bias are incredibly hard to handle.

Software engineers, more than anyone, must recognize that we’re paid to think. Anything that distracts us from this core purpose — such as poorly defined requirements, misaligned expectations, or communication gaps — takes us away from the essence of our job. A QA engineer’s role isn’t just to find issues in the product but to ensure the team is thinking effectively.

Here are some questions that every QA engineer should ask themselves to find paths that help developers and teams improve beyond just technical output:

1. How can I help developers think better?
2. How can I improve communication within the team?
3. How can I make developers listen better?
4. How can I encourage adaptability?
5. How can I promote better imagination?

QA engineers act as a bridge between different departments, advocating for clear communication and collaborative improvement. We need to ask ourselves these questions daily to broaden our perspectives and make a difference beyond standard QA tasks.

These are some thoughts around previous questions:

1. A well-thought-out test scenario forces developers to reconsider edge cases and the flow of their code.
2. Are we all using the same vocabulary? Do we understand each other’s assumptions?.
3. Ensuring feedback is heard and considered is critical to team improvement.
4. Every release and product iteration demands a fresh approach.
5. Good QA not only spots errors but inspires new ways to approach and solve problems.

2. Adjust Constantly: Evolving Along with the Role of QA

The software landscape evolves rapidly, and the QA role must adjust just as quickly. In the past, a Manual QA Engineer was the norm — performing human-driven tests to check functionality. As development processes matured and automation technologies became more accessible, the QA landscape evolved toward Automation QA Engineers, capable of writing scripts that could execute tests faster and more consistently.

Today, we’re witnessing the rise of Full Stack Engineers who test, blurring the lines between development and QA. A QA engineer is expected to not only test but to contribute to the overall architecture and development of the system.

The need for constant adjustment doesn’t stop at roles. It also extends to processes. Historically, QA processes were strict and rigid, often following strict guidelines that would sometimes stifle creativity and flexibility. Now, with the rise of Agile and DevOps methodologies, flexibility and adaptability are prized.

In companies like Facebook and other tech giants, we see a clear shift toward a more flexible approach where certain agile layers are removed. Teams are given ownership of the product, and this sense of responsibility drives them to release features faster. Adjusting processes based on the maturity and seniority of the team allows for better outcomes, as developers feel more accountable and motivated to deliver higher-quality work.

QA engineers must adjust constantly, both in their skill sets and in their approach to process. As teams grow in maturity, the need for flexibility becomes more crucial, allowing individuals to contribute in a way that maximizes productivity while maintaining quality.

3. Tech Mastering: Technology is Your Best Ally

In modern software development, technology is your best ally as a QA engineer.

"Mastering technology can elevate your work to another level, enabling you to remove repetitive tasks, reduce the time spent fixing bugs, and devote more time to innovation"

Automation is the cornerstone of tech mastery in QA. Automated tests save time, reduce human error, and provide quick feedback loops to the development team. But automation is just the beginning. To truly master the technology, a QA engineer should be proficient in the tools and frameworks used for:

Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD): These pipelines allow for rapid deployment, but only if the underlying tests are solid.

Performance Testing: Understanding how to test the system under various loads is critical to ensuring stability and scalability.

Security Testing: Today’s digital world demands software that is not only functional but secure. Mastery of security testing frameworks and tools is essential.

By mastering technology, QA engineers help the team move faster, innovate more freely, and ultimately build more reliable software. Tools can help create order from chaos, automate the repetitive, and help teams focus on solving higher-order problems.

4. Embrace Good Practices: Focusing on Process, Not Just Results

One of the key lessons I’ve learned in my career is that good practices and well-defined processes lead to better results. A strong system of good practices helps remove bias, put everyone on the same page, and create reusable components that allow the team to move faster.

By embracing good practices, we ensure the development process is as clear and repeatable as possible. Some principles to focus on include:

Make it obvious: Testing should reveal issues easily, and the path to fixing them should be straightforward.

Make it simple: Simplicity reduces the room for error. Overcomplicated systems often breed mistakes.

Make it repeatable: Repeatable processes are key to consistent success. Each new iteration should build on the success of the previous one.

Make it concise: Avoid bloat in your testing strategies. Clear and concise processes ensure better understanding and easier execution.

Make it fun: A positive testing culture encourages collaboration and creativity, making the process more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Good practices shift the focus from rushing to meet deadlines to ensuring that the product is being built on a strong foundation. These practices give clarity, reduce misconceptions, and create a roadmap for delivering high-quality software consistently.

Conclusion: QA as a Strategic Role

While the title “I HATE QA” might seem like a contradiction, it’s not. This philosophy reflects a QA engineer's deeper role: helping people — developers, testers, and product owners — think better, adjust constantly, master technology, and embrace good practices.

"QA isn’t about finding bugs; it’s about preventing them. It’s about building a system that supports and enhances human thinking and ensures a product that users love"

If we embrace the Human Factor, adjust to changes, master the technology, and embrace good practices, we can move closer to perfection, not just in the product but in the process. QA is a critical piece in delivering high-quality software, and by focusing on these core aspects, we ensure not just good software but great teams and better experiences for everyone involved.