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I had the privilege of sitting down with James Bach, one of the most influential voices in software testing. With over four decades in the craft, James brings a rare long-view perspective on how testing has evolved from the early days of Apple to today’s AI-driven landscape.

We covered a wide range of topics, including:

🔹 What has and hasn’t changed in testing since the 1980s and why many “new” ideas aren’t new at all.
🔹 Why testers are still misunderstood, and the emotional weight of constantly delivering uncomfortable truths.
🔹 The personal side of testing: boundaries, relationships, and how to switch off the analytical mindset.
🔹 The rising importance of independent evaluation and why testers should inform, not own, release decisions.
🔹 How AI is reshaping the craft from probabilistic testing to the return of the toolsmith, rapid “vibe coding,” and building disposable test utilities at speed.
🔹 A look at industry hype cycles, including a real story of a company that nearly replaced its entire test team with an AI tool that didn’t work.

James also shares reflections from Lessons Learned in Software Testing, Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar, and his latest book, Taking Testing Seriously.

If you care about testing, the future of testing, or the stories behind the people who shaped it, this conversation is packed with insight, history, and plenty of challenge.

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In this episode of Tech and Test, I’m joined by Casey Rosenthal, Interim CEO, HiBeam and former Netflix engineering leader. Casey is co-author of Chaos Engineering: System Resiliency in Practice and a frequent speaker on chaos engineering and complex systems.

We dive into:
💻 Why Netflix started breaking its own systems on purpose
🤖 How chaos engineering strengthens system resilience
🛠️ How your team can start experimenting with resilience today

Curious how to make your systems resilient in the face of failure? Don’t miss this episode.

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AI is changing how we code, but the real challenge is how we design and test software.

In this episode I speak with Harish Chandramowli, founder of Flare Software. From building cloud security at Bloomberg and MongoDB to launching a ERP platform for fashion and textile brands, Harish has seen software challenges at every scale.

We explore:
🤖 Practical applications of AI agents in startups
📦 Automating error prone tasks like parsing packing lists
🧪 Generating test cases at scale that traditional methods cannot reach
🛠️ Why the future of software depends less on coding speed and more on architecture and validation

If you are curious about how startups are using AI to innovate, and what skills will matter most in the years ahead, this episode is a must listen.

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