Testing

Unless it causes a severe damage like life/death, health, wealth, high investment, or cultural change, the sooner you test it, the better.

I met someone who is afraid to test it in front of a customer. Define “it” — It is just a first prototype of a system. It is not a final product. It is not a final exam that can ruin your life if you fail.

He is afraid because if it fails, he will lose everything. A contract will be terminated. A client will turn to his competitor. His company’s reputation is damaged.

He is right about the first half. Yes, it will definitely fail. Because it is a testing. Everyone should expect to see failures; himself, and his client. But that is the whole purpose of doing it, he needs to know quickly what is wrong with his assumptions, with his concepts, with his executions so that he can respond properly.

Without testing, he will never know. Without testing, his client will never understand why it is not working the way they wanted it to work. Without testing, everyone is living in a dream world.

This comes down to expectation management. He must start to understand that testing is not a bad thing. Failures are inevitable. And he needs to educate his client to understand the same.

Failing today doesn’t mean failing forever. Failing hard doesn’t mean he is completely incapable. Failing now doesn’t mean he will lose everything.

He needs to remind himself that he as a project leader should always seek the truth. And one way to help him is to stop being afraid of a testing.

Thinking and writing are the things I like. Sharing is what I love. Because of them, I write everyday to share stories from my thoughts and experiences, from the future I see and believe in. Everything I use to build Inthentic a better home. A home of people who want to do good things and give back. A home that is a small starting point of changes for a better society. I am proud of what I am doing. And even prouder to know that I am not doing it alone.

Thanks for reading. :-)