Emerging Technologies

Building Effective Test Frameworks: Lessons from My Experience

In today's agile software development era, building and maintaining effective test automation is crucial for delivering high-quality software products. Building a test framework can be complex and challenging, but with the right approach and mindset, it can be a rewarding endeavor. To navigate through the complexities, it is important to understand the architecture of your application, identify the tools and skill sets of your team, design for reusability and maintainability, implement a robust test data strategy, utilize CI/CD pipelines, and implement effective logging and reporting mechanisms. Documenting your approach and seeking input from stakeholders is also essential. After implementing the framework, thorough documentation and knowledge sharing within the team are important for adoption and maintenance. Continuous learning and enhancement, overcoming frustration and self-doubt, and embracing others' opinions and feedback are also key factors in building an effective test framework. By following these strategies, you can successfully build a test framework that contributes to the success of your team and organization.

Team Development Framework for new managers

When transitioning from an Individual Contributor to a Manager, it can feel overwhelming. This post focuses on the mindset shift needed to better utilize the advice available for new Managers. The key difference between the two roles is the core action (Developing code vs. Developing team) and how it is done (high quality vs. high engagement). Managers must have a core set of skills such as building trust, active listening, decision-making, and emotional intelligence. Despite having the development framework and required skills, being a Manager is still hard due to the high cost of being wrong, solutions not always being logical, and non-determinism.

Learnings of a Solo Game Developer — Wacky Drivers video game

The author shares their journey of creating a video game called "Wacky Drivers" for Android and iOS. They had the idea for the game since they were a teenager and decided to use Unity as their development tool. They emphasize the importance of having a Game Design Document (GDD) to stay on track and discuss the development process, including creating reusable components and optimizing performance. They also highlight the importance of refining aspects such as controllers, game balancing, settings, and particles. The author advises releasing a minimum viable product (MVP) and gathering feedback early on. They also discuss their marketing efforts and future plans for expanding the game. The author encourages readers to try the game and provide feedback, and concludes by emphasizing the importance of consistency and sharing their enthusiasm for video game development.

Gain insight without losing time during your 1:1s

This article outlines a strategy for managers to use 1:1s to focus on the emotional state of their team. The strategy involves asking reports to submit an update slide with five questions in advance of the meeting, and then using the time to ask about their concerns and emotions. This approach has been successful in improving communication and understanding the emotional state of the team.

Overcoming an engineer’s temper

A junior engineer at Google was having difficulty advancing in his career, and it was discovered that his temper was the main issue. Through regular one-on-one meetings, the engineer was able to gain control of his emotions and improve his performance, eventually leading to a promotion. This experience showed that if an issue is identified and analyzed, it can be solved and people can improve quickly.

How Early Engagement Can Help Improve Cross-Team Communication

This article discusses a situation where a development team and customer success team had to go back and forth multiple times to implement a feature. To prevent this from happening in the future, the author suggests establishing a Product Council to ensure early engagement of all stakeholders and to prioritize activities. The author also outlines six key principles to ensure smooth communication and alignment between different teams. These include being clear on why, exercising empathy and understanding, owning responsibility, acknowledging frustration, establishing a common ground, and moving into a solution.