Expectations from Software Testers

I recently watched an amazing video on this topic on YouTube by Uncle Bob. Most of the points made complete sense. Although this video was addressed for developers, it is quite relevant for testers too. We need professionals (and professionalism) in our field in order to be taken seriously as a craftsman.

Although, most of us believe that we are software professionals, however not all stand up to the expectations of a professional.

These are some of the expectations from the software professionals which if fulfilled can help anyone stand out from the average crowd.

Expectations from Software Testers – Lessons from Uncle Bob (adapted for Testers)

Want to thrive as a professional software tester?
Here’s the playbook:

1. Mentor Constantly
   → Teach juniors.
   → Discuss ideas.
   → Pair test together.
   If you lift others, you lift yourself.
2. Learn Aggressively
   → New techniques, tools, and patterns.
   → On your own time, at your own pace.
   If you don’t, someone else will — and they’ll take your place.
3. Say “NO” When Needed
   → If you don’t believe in a feature, call it out.
   → Don’t fake commitments.
   Professionalism = Honesty.
4. Don’t Repeat Mistakes
   → Slip once? Learn.
   → Slip twice? That’s on you.
5. Give Honest Estimates
   → Communicate uncertainty.
   → Share ranges, not fake deadlines.
   Truth builds trust.
6. Never Ship Garbage
   → Pressure? Deadlines? Doesn’t matter.
   → Quality first, always.
7. Stay Ready
   → Testing, deployment, delivery — be prepared.
   → A short delay is fine. Months of delay is a failure.
8. Stable Productivity
   → Keep your workspace and code clean.
   → Chaos kills momentum.
9. Adapt Inexpensively
   → Systems should evolve easily.
   → No to tangled dependencies.
10. Continuous Improvement
    → Boy Scouts Rule: Leave it better than you found it.
11. Chase Extreme Quality
    → Every day, end with this:
    “I did a great job today.”

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Software testing isn’t just about finding bugs.
It’s about living these principles.

Master them — and you’ll stand out. Check out Tips – Rahul’s Testing Titbits for more such tips.

Here is my mindmap summarizing the talk by Uncle Bob:

Here is the web version of the same: https://www.xmind.net/m/Zzzp9N

Thank you!