16 Years of Brutally Honest Automation Advice in 30 Mins

Test Automation Experience

Can you handle these truths about automated testing?
In this episode, Nikolay Advolodkin reveals the hard-hitting truths he's discovered throughout his 16-year career in software engineering. From the common misuse of Cucumber to selecting the wrong automation tools, he talks about how these mistakes can lead to wasted effort, unnecessary complexity, and lost resources. He also explains why automating everything can backfire and how flaky tests destroy trust in automation.

Tune in so you don’t have to learn the same hard lessons.
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(00:00) Intro

(00:20) Stop Using Cucumber

(01:06) Challenges with Cucumber and BDD

(04:03) The Right Automation Tool Matters

(05:23) Choosing the Right Tool

(07:44) Automate the Right Things

(10:58) The Pitfalls of Flaky Tests

(12:27) Action Plan for Effective Automation

(15:59) Automation Tools vs. Strategies

(18:16) The Importance of Strategy in Automation

(19:43) Investing in People Over Technology

(23:52) The Pitfalls of Center of Excellence

(27:47) A Better Approach to Automation Practices