Time for some experimentshttps://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Ireland.jpg20001333CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
When you look at the logo of TestingSaaS you see a green magnifying glass.
Testing like Top Gun?https://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/OODA_topgun-1.jpeg1549874CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Testing like Top Gun
A few years ago I was asked to help a crack remote IT-team from Nagarro (India) to help them with their software testing and quality assurance. Their assignment then was to create plugins (interfaces) between the client’s marketing Platform (PaaS) and 3rd parties like Microsoft Azure , Google cloud platform and other platforms like Snowflake etc. There was one catch, little documentation was available and we did not have a dedicated PO (later we got a great one!) and the situation could change by the day. So, what do you do as a tester then?
Well, about 10 years ago a buddy of mine (and great coach) told me about the OODA loop, a decision-model created and used for making decisions quickly. It was developed by a US Airforce Colonel, John Boyd, for use in air combat where situations change by the second. Remember Top Gun and its great sequel Top Gun: Maverick ?
How I use the OODA loop with software testing
OODA is an acronym for Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. My first step was to oversee the situation (Observe) and filter the things necessary for my tests. These things I had to combine (Orient) and create the best fitted tests for the product and the current situation (Decide) And then the testing started (Act). But what if things changed? Well, that’s why it is called a loop, and you can start again from the beginning at Observe. All in a fast and agile way. Doing this we created interfaces in a fast way and we were always aware of the constraints and possible risks. As a team, not a bunch of individuals!
Alas, after a while the management team wanted to align us with the other teams and with the company’s processes. Which is understandable because the company became more a scale up.
But, what a time. It shouldn’t be a surprise I use the same OODA loop for my clients at TestingSaaS.
Always a maverick at TestingSaaS, always a step further, sometimes in the danger zone, but then the OODA-loop helps. See you in the air, I mean cyberspace….
Quantum computing, Cordny, are you mad?https://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/qubit_blochsphere_viz-1.jpeg776773CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Quantum computing, Cordny, are you mad?
This question I got last week from a peer after I announced on LinkedIn I wanted to dive into quantum computing.
Yeah buddy, quantum computing, QC for short.
On high school I wasn’t a physics fan, but I was always fascinated by atoms and its protons, electrons etc. Regarding mathematics, geometry I hated, but algebra I was more interested in. Even during my biology study theoretical biology attracted me, but zoölogie was always my keen interest, so I graduated in microbiology and bio-informatics. Recognize the interest in micro? Durig my testing career my curiosity in how things work at the smallest level continued and I also got more experienced in cloud computing (see my blogs and articles) And then a few months ago a colleague of mine talked about QC and I thought, seeing the possibilities of cloud computing, combined with QC, thank you Quantum Delta NL, why not give it a shot in 2024? Let’s test it out and create content, or better said: Create Content through Testing. Just like I did for identiverse (UMA!!!!!) and the metaverse startups (Fectar )
A bloch sphere visualization of a qubit, created with Python
It’s a kind of deja vu I now have, the curiosity and implementing it, just like I had more than 10 years ago with IAM (identity and access management) and UMA (yeah Eve Maler !) I do not expect to be a pro at QC, but with my company TestingSaaS I will explore the landscape, test the software in the cloud, talk to the quantum computing experts, and I will write about it. Yes, using all my skills. One step at a time, or better said 1 Qubit at a time :-).
Salesforce and EinsteinGPT: what’s it all about?https://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SF_einsteinGPT.jpeg768446CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
When I started my TestingSaaS blog years ago I was inspired by the efforts of Marc Benioff and his Ohana crew at Salesforce. Creating a service online in a new to discover silicon ecosystem.
SaaS and cloud computing, that would be my area for at least a decade. Well, it’s already more than a decade and I’m still cloudbusting.
Digital identity, data science, machine learning and some occasional blockchain. All part of AI aka artificial intelligence. And it’s not stopping yet.
The Rise of Generative AI
Artificial intelligence is already a very interesting field, but AI even has an area which is even more attractive for engineers and even artists: Generative AI. This includes AI tools for creating text, images or even audio.
Let’s start with text. Do you remember the hit at the end of 2022: ChatGPT. That is a tool created by OpenAI.
What is GPT?
ChatGPT is a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations and much more with a chatbot. The language model can answer questions, and assist you with tasks such as composing emails, essays, and even code. It already has a massive userbase and therefore may have a profound impact on the way we work now and in the future.
But did you know ChatGPT is as implementation part of a bigger family? The GPT family.
GPT stands for generative pre-trained transformer which is a family of language models generally trained on a large corpus ( collection) of text data to generate human-like text. Other members are BioGPT and ProtGPT2, which originate from biomedicine and bio-informatics. Yeah, that brings back memories of my time at Wageningen University, but that’s another story.
Ok, back to Salesforce.
Salesforce already used AI with Einstein, built-in intelligence to work smarter with CRM.
And now it has incorporated GPT into its CRM software.
Salesforce answer to Generative AI: Einstein GPT
In the beginning of March Salesforce launched Einstein GPT, the world’s first generative AI CRM technology, delivering AI-created content across every sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT interaction, all at hyperscale. Einstein GPT will use its generative power – through enabling conversational questions with natural-language prompts – to work with Salesforce’s proprietory AI models in the Salesforce ecosystem of partners and the Salesforce Data Cloud.
In this video you can see a peak of Einstein GPT.
That sounds awesome, and I can tell you a lot about its features, but what about its benefits?
The benefits of Einstein GPT
Basically Salesforce Einstein GPT is for every CRM-professional:
Service – More customer satisfaction through personalization (automated chat replies and knowledge articles)
Sales – Less time lost with automatically generated tasks like meeting scheduling and emails.
Marketing – Unique content creation through a data-driven personalization engine
Developers – Increase productivity by generated code or answering questions
Instant messaging – More productive ad efficient Slack conversations
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Salesforce and the future of AI
Salesforce is in AI for a long time now and will be staying. New GPT-implementations are already there like GPT-4, which can, next to text, also respond to images, opening a whole set of new possibilities.
I wonder how Salesforce will react to this as a CRM-specialist?
Interesting media about Salesforce Einstein GPT
Do you want to read more about Einstein GPT and GPT in general?
One of the hardest things in Software Testinghttps://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/1604559259_Fq4pMG_Data.jpg870470CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
When people ask me what the hardest thing in software testing is:
Creating your testdata and then use it wisely.
Testdata, not test automation? No, because getting the correct testdata for your software testing costs a lot of time, especially when you need lots of data, which is also diverse.
Test automation is also hard, but this is just about automating your tests, not testing it. You first need your testdata, otherwise no test, no test automation.
Luckily we have the knowledge and tools from data science where we can create testdata with, for instance, Python and its libraries.
So, what testdata did you create today for your tests?
PS: Next to this post on TestingSaaS this blogpost was also shared on LinkedIn:
The Holy Grail in Software Testinghttps://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/holy-grail-scaled.jpg25601920CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Test automation is not the holy grail in software testing It’s just a tool to achieve the holy grail.
In my opinion, the holy grail here is quality.
Do you agree?
This was a post I created at LinkedIn last week and it got plenty of attention.
I mentioned 2 well known and great software test professionals, Michael Bolton and James Bach, and to my astonishment they reacted.
The Holy Grail of software testing is the truth about the status of the product.
Truth is my obsession. Trouble is my faith. Quality is an unknown country.
James Bach
Quality about product is like finding the Holy Grail. Lots of people are running around trying to achieve that; they’re not sure where the object of their search is; and they’re not sure how they’ll get there.
Neither testing nor automated checking advances the quality of the product.
Michael Bolton
They said a lot more, but these struck me. You can read more in the comments to my LinkedIn post.
I also liked Jim Hazen’s take on it: It’s Automation, not Automagic. You have to do the magic all by yourself. Well said Jim!
When writing the post I wanted to kick the hornet’s nest as I explained in my following post.
Why this LinkedIn Post on Software Testing and Quality?
It certainly caught some attention and even inspired other posts.
But what was it that I wanted to achieve?
That test automation is not the Holy Grail in Software Testing.
A discussion about quality in software testing. Is it all about quality or the state of the product under test – as a QA engineer I first thought the first, but now I know it’s all about the state. Quality is subjective and different per person who looks at it.
Another thing I learned, kick the hornet’s nest at LinkedIn when you want to know something and people will certainly respond. Or, as Michael Bolton said, did I simply stir the soup and see the ingredients that were out of sight, below the surface?
Challenges at work? Listen to each other!https://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/listening.jpeg19201080CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Listen,
every company has challenges.
Last week a client phoned me.
‘Cordny, I want to make some changes in my software development lifecycle, but I do not get the people aligned.’
‘Why not?’ I ask him.
‘Busy, busy and they hate long meetings.’
‘Oh, I recognize that. Invite the people you want for an afternoonmeeting, 1 hour tops, and say it is important for the fututure of the company. I will join too.’
The meeting was scheduled.
The meeting started and I enter the room. People look at me.
‘Who is this bloke?’
My client starts to tell his story, but does not mention me. He wants to modernize the software development, but thinks there is no unity.
Immediately a developer reacts: ‘We need state of the art tooling.’
A scrum master reacts: ‘No, we need to look at the process.’
A discussion erupts, people are talking all at once. It is a mess.
I stand up and walk to the whiteboard and write on it:
LISTEN!!!
Everybody stops talking.
I introduce myself, Cordny from TestingSaaS, and explain my client’s issue.
Then I ask everybody to tell their story in 5 minutes max. The rest should listen and keep their mouth shut. During the storytelling I write down some keywords I hear.
After 30 minutes everybody had their talk. I return to the whiteboard and write the keywords on it.
Everyone pays attention. Not only to me and the whiteboard. No, also to each other.
The next step is connecting the keywords. Promptly action points are discussed in a proper manner without anyone interfering or raising their voice.
6 Years at Fixate, thank you!https://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/fixate.jpg200200CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Time flies!
Six years ago I was asked by Chris Riley if I would be interested in writing DevOps articles for their clients. I knew a bit of DevOps and loved it’s culture theme so I took the challenge.
Every time I progressed in my writing and my DevOps knowledge and although I am not a DevOps pro, at least not in my function description , I learned more about technical writing and also writing for clients.
Fast forward 2 years and I thought, why not combine #softwaretesting with #technicalwriting as a business and voila, TestingSaaS was founded.
Fast forward 4 years, my company is still alive and kicking with happy customers. For about 2 days a week (I’m also employed at the awesome growing BlueConic ) I’m there for my customers to keep the quality of their software and documentation healthy.
A spark was needed and it came from Fixate IO. Yes I’m grateful, thank you!
PS: the last year was busy, but I promise, new articles will come Debi Davis
The last months I invested my time heavily on 2 areas, which seemed not related to each other: blockchain and screenwriting. Well, not exactly. In november Quentin Tarantino announced a planned sale of NFT’s, or “non-fungible tokens,” based off of his original hand-written script of Pulp Fiction.
So in 2022, expect some more of me regarding this extraordinary combination.
PS: Miramax, the production company behind Pulp Fiction filed suit against Tarantino. The company accuses him of violating the company’s copyright and trademark, and it’s demanding a halt to the upcoming sale.
Social Media Writing with the Iceberg Theoryhttps://testingsaas.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/ErnestHemingway-header.jpeg200200CordnyCordnyhttps://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8c932d954241a60f327d0e5e28caa7c3d207404784b19d4725d01cc2776c5667?s=96&d=mm&r=g
Telling the story of your company is very important. Lots of SaaS companies use social media for this. LinkedIn, Facebook and also Instagram are excellent distributors of your story. At TestingSaaS we use it lot.
But, beware! Users of social media are impatient. If a story is too dull, they click or swipe to the next one.
So you have to get your story told in a quick and amusing way.
And because social media, next to the graphics and videos, makes use of short texts, you need to know how to write these. Why not use the same technique as is used in writing short stories: the famous Iceberg Theory of Ernest Hemingway. No, you do not need to be chased by Spanish bulls or have to shoot an elephant. It describes Hemingwway’s writing style.
What is the Iceberg Theory?
Why is it called the Iceberg Theory?
Well, it’s really about the iceberg. When you look at an iceberg, what do you see? The top! The other bigger part is under the water, which you can’t see.
Hemingway adapted this in his story by omitting everything that did not contribute to the story. His opinion was the reader could interpret this themselves and further construct the story.
Hemingway mentioned the Iceberg Theory in his famous book about bull fighting ‘Death in the Afternoon’:
” If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of an ice-berg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water.”
For Hemingway, the actions of the characters should clarify the tensions felt in in the story, without explicitly mentioning them. Hemingway used his journalistic skills to accomplish this. Examples are the omission of adjectives and using short and crispy sentences.
The link with Social Media Writing
Awesome, but how is this related to telling my SaaS story on social media?
Social media stories are short and you have to use less words to tell your story. A great exercise for the Iceberg Theory. If you do it well, your story will be remembered by the reader who will then follow you for more stories. Voila, a follower.
In short, Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory is a great technique to promote your SaaS company, or any company, on social media.
)
, I learned more about technical writing and also writing for clients.
