In episode 109 of This Week in Quality, co-hosts Simon Tomes and Nataliia Burmei guide another happy Friday gathering packed with stories, ideas, and reflections from across the MoTaverse.

The episode opens with Nataliia exploring new mobile testing tools, connecting MCP servers to AI agents, and tackling team conversations about shared ownership of testing. Simon shares updates to Ministry of Testing profiles, including new filtering features, GitHub links, and the growing importance of stars, badges, and community recognition.

On stage, Scott Kenyon sparks a debate with his question, “Is AI removing curiosity and creativity from testers?” This leads to a thoughtful conversation about critical thinking, collaboration, and human judgment. Neil Taylor joins to share lessons from moving API work from Postman to Bruno and reflects on communication wins across development and support teams. Nadja Schulz celebrates hosting her first MoT Berlin Meetup and stepping onto the public speaking stage. Christine Pinto talks about using MCP servers, cloud code, and Playwright automation in real projects. Gary Hawkes reflects on sharing his MoTacon insights at work and championing continuous quality. Maithilee Chunduri closes by connecting two decades of learning and reminding us that while technology evolves, curiosity remains the same.

From AI debates and first-time talks to stars, profiles, and community spirit, “Curiosity Killed the Chat” shows how the community keeps questioning, learning, and celebrating quality together.

In episode 108 of This Week in Quality, host Simon Tomes flies solo for a lively Friday session full of news, bugs, and community updates. The show opens with a real inbox mystery when some attendees receive four reminder emails for the same event. Simon then shares announcements about Professional Membership now including in-person events, new course completion badges, and highlights from MoTaCon 2025, including Rahul Parwal’s photo collection and new talks going live.

On stage, Stan Desyatnikov joins for the first time to reflect on balancing manual and automated testing in a long-term project. Ady Stokes shares a simple badge completion tip and updates on the Software Quality Engineering Certificate, while Eamon Droko talks about learning accessibility testing and becoming a conduit for community knowledge. Ben Dowen introduces Service Level Objectives (SLOs) as a practical way to define and measure quality.

To close, Judy Mosley expands on her new article “Quality Insight: How to Ignite Quality Conversations,” exploring how listening and curiosity help teams connect around quality. From bug reports and badges to principles and people, this episode celebrates how the Ministry of Testing community keeps quality at the heart of everything they do.

In episode 107, the very first under the new name This Week in Quality, co-hosts Demi Van Malcot and Simon Tomes “test in production” as the show moves to a brand-new hosting platform for the first time. They celebrate the rebrand from This Week in Testing to This Week in Quality, exploring what the shift means for the community and why it reflects the growing focus on quality as a whole-system mindset.

Joining them on stage, Eamon Droko, Heleen Van Grootven, Ben Dowen, Ady Stokes, and Nataliia Burmei share their post-MoTaCon reflections, from crafting tables and karaoke moments to first-time talks, community stars, and the power of connection. Together, they test out the new Wistia platform live, find a few bugs along the way, and prove that quality is as much about learning, experimenting, and laughing together as it is about software.

In episode 105 of This Week in Testing, co-hosts Nataliia Burmei and Oleksandr Romanov contrast the reality of quality conversations with the hype of AI.

Oleksandr shares upcoming MoT events in Valencia, Leeds, and Brighton, while Natalia reflects on the joy of in-person meetups and community memories. Their weeks in testing highlight the value of visualization: from earning the Software Testing Essentials Certificate to using diagrams and AI tools to clarify complex systems.

On stage, Ben Dowen introduces the capture–review–update cycle for building shared understanding. Preeti Gupta brings energy from the London MoT Meetup, while Christine Pinto talks quality coaching, preparing conference

talks, and excitement for TestBash Brighton.

The conversation loops back to AI: the hype around tools like v0 and the steady reminder that while tools evolve, human collaboration, critical thinking, and communication remain at the heart of testing.

Together, they explore how testers balance new tools with timeless skills, proving again that quality conversations are very real, even when the AI buzz feels less so.

#AIInTesting

#QualityCoaching

#Visualization

#DiagramsAndModels

#CommunityMeetups

#TestBashBrighton

#MoTEvents

#Collaboration

#CriticalThinking

In episode 104 of This Week in Testing, co-hosts Demi Van Malcot and Simon Tomes embrace the chaos of testing life with the support of the MoTaverse.

Demi shares a week filled with laptop migrations, budget cuts, and the upcoming loss of a quality manager. This sparks up conversations about how testers can step up, share responsibility, and keep quality work from falling through the cracks. Simon highlights fresh community content, from Rahul Parwal’s Advanced Prompting for Testers course to Ady Stokes’ new article on testing mindsets.

On stage, Eamon Droko talks about the highs and lows of his first month in a new role, leaning on the community to break through a rut. Ady expands on the 11 mindsets behind “I Think, Therefore I Test” and floats ideas for games, talks, and more ways to explore them. Gary Hawkes shares lessons from influencing product direction and reflects on team resilience when leaders leave.

From Worldwide Tester Day celebrations to TestBash prep, this episode shows how community support turns uncertainty into opportunity, and how the MoTaverse has your back when work gets messy.

#TestingCommunity

#QualityEngineering

#TestLeadership

#ThisWeekInTesting

In episode 103 of This Week in Testing, co-hosts Ben Dowen and Judy Mosley throw “Everyone’s invited to the QA Party!” Judy shares solo-QA tactics like a fun QA Slack channel and “Today is…” prompts that spark team chatter. Ben talks about getting developers into exploratory testing and his first look at Mac desktop automation.

Guests Nataliia Burmei and Yudit Sharabi add real-world lessons. Nataliia contrasts fast delivery feedback with slow-burn strategy work. Yudit explains “testing without testers” at a startup, from process upgrades to whole-company QA parties. The group swaps tips on starting quality conversations and using AI to reduce draining tasks and improve code reviews.

#TestingCommunity

#QualityEngineering

#TestAutomation

#ThisWeekInTesting

In episode 102 of This Week in Testing, co-hosts Simon Tomes and Sarah Deery shine the spotlight on the launch of the Software Testing Essentials Certificate (STEC) — lovingly nicknamed STEC by the community.

Sarah shares the years-long journey that led to its creation, from identifying gaps in existing training to surveying over 160 juniors and managers, and finally co-creating a curriculum with 59 contributors across the globe. Simon reflects on reviewing the lessons, the power of asking the right questions, and why the “portfolio of work” makes STEC different from traditional certificates.

Ady Stokes joins to describe his role in shaping the article content and explains how STEC goes deeper than any other introduction to testing, covering not just techniques but also storytelling, communication, and critical thinking. Maneesh Maddala jumps in with questions about localisation, AI, and the future of certifications. The live chat adds humour and energy — from Rosie Sherry’s breaking news that she passed the exam, to debates about whether Ady should sit the test he helped write, to ideas about bug-hunting Easter eggs hidden in certificates.

Whether you’re tired of the old ISTQB path, curious about how STEC was built, or just want to hear community voices reflect on shaping the future of testing, this episode is packed with insights, stories, and plenty of laughs.

#STEC

#TestingCommunity

#CareersInTesting

#LearningAndDevelopment

#ThisWeekInTesting