In this episode of This Week in Testing, Nataliia Burmei and Ben Dowen open the floor to a community conversations on how testers influence quality through everyday actions. Joined by Christine Pinto, Gary Hawkes, Preeti Gupta, Eamon Droko, and Demi Van Malcot, they share practical stories of leading without needing a leadership title.

From supporting remote teams and coaching others to introducing new ways of working and asking timely questions, the episode highlights how testers shape quality culture by stepping up and speaking out. Whether you're early in your career or already guiding teams, this discussion is full of insights on making a difference through action.

Join hosts Simon Tomes and Ben Dowen as they chat with Ujjwal Kumar Singh, Aj Wilson, Michael Close (in his first appearance!), and Judy Mosley about all things testing!

This week’s conversation kicks off with space ducks and sound effects before diving into quality coaching, job titles that don’t match the work, happy paths vs reality, and reasons to update a pull request template. It’s full of thoughtful takes, shared experiences, and plenty of laughs along the way.

“Why are testers so good at delivering bad news?”

In Episode 92, we ask a question that hits close to home for many in the testing community: Why are testers so good at delivering bad news?

Simon Tomes was joined by contributors Christine Pinto, Aj Wilson, Ujjwal Kumar Singh, Lukas Lindinger, and Emily O'Connor, this episode dives into the emotional labour of quality work — from navigating difficult conversations to communicating risk, uncertainty, and inconvenient truths with care and clarity.

Expect open, thoughtful stories on:

The psychology of raising bugs and blockers

Balancing honesty with empathy

Building trust with developers and stakeholders

Managing reactions to “bad news”

Why testers often end up being the truth-tellers in the room

It’s a grounded, community-led conversation full of personal insight, light moments, and shared experience — for software testers, QA engineers, and anyone who’s had to say, “This isn’t quite ready… yet.”

🎙️ Exclusive from Ministry of Testing.