I recently had a conversation, with Alex “ZAP” Chernyak about his journey to the United States and founding a company focused on test automation.
For those unfamiliar Alex is the mastermind behind ZAPTEST. His unique perspective in this field is shaped by his experiences in the Defense Forces (IDF) and his entrepreneurial path as an immigrant in America.
He revealed eight transferable skills that he learned during his time in IDF that can be applied to test automation.
So, I wanted to share the insights that Alex has gained that could benefit your career and your efforts in automation testing.
Let’s delve into how Alex’s life experiences have translated into strategies for automation testing.
Here are 8 Special Ops Principles for Automation Testing that Alex shared with me.
1. Embrace Change: The Special Operations Mentality
Like special operations teams must adapt to changing circumstances successful automation testers need to be flexible and quick learners.
Embracing change in automation testing is crucial because the technology and methodologies in this field are constantly evolving. The concept of embracing change is tied deeply to the agility of testing processes and the ability to adapt to new tools, frameworks, and testing environments. For instance, as technologies evolve, tests need to be updated or rewritten to ensure they remain effective and relevant. This adaptability is essential not only for maintaining the quality of the software but also for accommodating the rapid pace of development cycles in modern software practices.
Moreover, embracing change helps in fostering a culture where continuous improvement is valued. This mindset encourages testers and developers to innovate and explore new ways to enhance test efficiency and coverage. It's not merely adapting to change but leveraging it to drive better testing outcomes.
Alex stresses the importance of forming a team with skills work ethic, determination, multitasking abilities, and adaptability to handle any situation effectively. These attributes are essential, for maintaining test automation frameworks in the realm of software development.
2. Leading by Example
Drawing from his IDF background Alex learned that “to lead effectively one must first excel as a soldier.” He applies this principle to his business by leading his engineers through expertise and experience.
In automation testing, this means being involved and hands-on. Leaders, in projects should keep up to date with the technologies. Engage in coding and troubleshooting alongside their teams.
Also leading by example in automation testing is crucial for fostering a culture of quality and continuous improvement within a team. When leaders actively engage in the testing process, demonstrate best practices, and invest time in learning and implementing new tools, it sets a powerful precedent for the team.
For instance, by taking a hands-on approach to automate tests and showing commitment to maintaining high standards, leaders can inspire their teams to adopt similar practices.
This not only enhances the skills of individual team members but also drives the overall efficiency and effectiveness of testing processes. By embodying the principles they advocate, leaders in automation testing can significantly influence the adoption of automation practices and the pursuit of quality in software development.
3. Continuous learning and adaptation
Continuous learning and adaptation are crucial in the fast-paced tech industry, including automation testing. Alex’s commitment to self-improvement and evolution is essential.
As he expresses it “We are always evolving. We transitioned from web to mobile. Now to AI.” To stay ahead in automation testing one must continuously acquire tools, frameworks and approaches.
Continuous learning and adaptation in automation testing are pivotal for staying relevant and effective in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
Other experts I’ve interviewed emphasize the importance of regularly updating your skills and knowledge to keep pace with new tools, technologies, and methodologies. This approach not only enhances the efficiency of test execution but also ensures that your testing strategies are robust and agile enough to handle the dynamic nature of software development.
By embracing continuous learning, testers and developers can foster a culture of innovation and improvement, crucial for driving better testing outcomes and maintaining high software quality.
4. Bridge Cultural and Technological Gaps
Bridging cultural and technological differences was made possible for Alex due to his background. This ability is highly valuable in automation testing when collaborating with teams or integrating tools and platforms. Embracing viewpoints can result in thorough and efficient testing strategies.
Other testers I’ve spoken with also highlight the importance of management patterns that are not purely technical but also cultural. For instance, issues in test automation can arise not only from technical misunderstandings but also from cultural misalignments within teams, where management may not fully grasp the needs or potential of automation strategies.
This cultural aspect requires a diagnostic approach where leaders identify and address the disconnects between team members' expectations and the actual capabilities of automation tools. It's crucial for fostering an environment where both cultural understanding and technical proficiency grow hand in hand, ensuring that automation efforts are effective and inclusive.
5. Think Outside the Box
Thinking outside boundaries is exemplified by ZAPTESTs capabilities such as generating automation from mockups or hand-drawn sketches. In automation testing exploring methods can lead to advancements in efficiency and test coverage.
Thinking outside the box in automation testing is essential for innovation and solving complex problems that standard approaches may not address.
In the context of automation testing, this means experimenting with new tools, techniques, or frameworks that might not be the norm within your team or industry. For example, exploring non open sourced tools, yet highly effective tools like ZAPTEST can lead to more robust and efficient testing strategies.
This approach not only improves test coverage and quality but also fosters a culture of creativity and continuous improvement among team members. By encouraging unconventional thinking, teams can discover unique solutions that significantly enhance the effectiveness of their testing processes.
6. Build Long-term Relationships
Establishing enduring relationships with customers is a core belief, for Alex that supports business practices.
In the field of test automation, it's essential to focus on creating automation testing frameworks that are easy to maintain and building relationships, with development teams and stakeholders. This ensures that your automation efforts stay aligned with the long-term goals of your projects and continue to provide value.
Strong relationships foster better communication, collaboration, and mutual understanding among team members, which are essential for effective automation strategies. For instance, when teams share their frameworks and scripts with development, it builds confidence and promotes a collaborative environment where everyone understands and supports the automation objectives.
This camaraderie is not only beneficial for the current project but also sets a solid foundation for future initiatives.
7. Embrace a Hybrid Approach
One important aspect is adopting an approach like ZAPTEST does, which allows for integrating types of automation (UI, API, load testing) into a single framework. This diversity in testing methods and tools can result in effective test suites.
This approach allows teams to leverage automated testing for repetitive, data-intensive tasks while utilizing manual testing for exploratory, usability, and ad-hoc testing scenarios where human intuition is crucial. For example, integrating manual testing insights can enhance automated script accuracy and coverage, ensuring a more robust testing process.
This strategy not only maximizes the efficiency and effectiveness of testing efforts but also ensures a more comprehensive quality assurance process. By maintaining flexibility in testing methods, teams can adapt more quickly to project needs and technological changes, making the hybrid approach a dynamic solution in the fast-paced tech environment.
8. Set High Standards
Maintaining standards is another factor as seen in Alex’s dedication to upholding American corporate ethics and striving to uphold excellence in automation testing. This involves ensuring top-notch code quality, thorough documentation, and professional behavior within the team.
Alex Chernyak’s journey from being an immigrant from the Soviet Union to becoming a trailblazer in test automation offers lessons for testers at all levels. By embracing principles such, as adaptability, leadership, continuous learning, innovative thinking, fostering relationships utilizing approaches, and upholding high standards. Testers can enhance their automation strategies. Deliver significant value within their organizations.
Reflect on how these principles can be integrated into your work whether you're new to test automation or seeking ways to improve your frameworks.
Take Your Automation to the Next level
If you want to witness these concepts, in practice ZAPTEST provides a 6-month trial period where you can try out their methodology yourself.
Don't forget, in the realm of automated testing like in life it's not only the tools that matter. The attitude you approach the task with.
Remember what Alex always says; “Stay on your toes and keep evolving ” so remain flexible continue learning and be open, to ideas!
