Should QA exist
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An engineering leadership perspective on whether QA teams should exist in modern software organizations. The post examines arguments on both sides, concludes that most teams should not start with QA and that engineering should own quality, but offers nuanced guidance for situations where QA already exists. Key recommendations include eliminating dev-QA handoffs, embedding QA within teams, and prioritizing test automation. The post also introduces the concept of an 'Automated Verification Engineer' (AVE) as a forward-looking evolution of the QA role, focused on fast automated feedback loops especially for AI coding agents.
Table of contents
QA should not existQA should definitely existThe testing pyramidMy (slightly) more nuanced take?When would I reach for QA?What about when there is already a QA team?Introducing the Automated Verification Engineer (AVE)What is an Automated Verification Engineer?What is the role of an AVE Leader?Automated Verification Engineer is experimentalDisrespecting QA?Thank youSort: