In the last main Testing Times edition (April fools day), I argued, quite ludicrously, that testing is a waste of time. That it slows releases, costs money, and ruins everyone’s fun.
Judging by the comments, a few readers took it a bit too literally. So let’s be serious for a minute.
Five Counterarguments for Anyone Who Missed the Point
- Testing does slow you down. That’s the point. It adds necessary friction in exactly the places you’d otherwise glide past. It’s the seatbelt that makes driving slightly less thrilling and infinitely safer.
- “We can fix it in production” is brave, especially if your product touches real money, real people, or regulated industries. Good luck undoing that.
- The failed devs who end up testing? This is complete rubbish. I’ve done both jobs, and Testing is a specific skillset. It requires a broader perspective and more context than development. They’re often the only ones in the room asking, “what happens if this goes wrong?” While the devs are busy making sure it compiles.
- AI will help, sure. It is becoming increasingly important, and powerful, but AI still relies on human judgement..
- Testing Is the Business. Testing helps you keep the promises you make to customers.
Testing isn’t a tax on speed. It’s how you pay for trust. No customer ever said, “I love how fast they shipped that bug.”
So test it. Then ship it. Then take credit for how smooth everything seems, while quietly knowing why.
