Michael Larsen
ABOUT ME:
My name is Michael Larsen. I have had a wide and varied career in software testing and quality assurance that now covers 35 years, starting with Cisco Systems in 1991. I've worked in a variety of industries, tested a lot of products, been ad advocate for a lot of ideas, and I've seen my share of failures as well as successes. I helped write a book about software testing, and experiential blog on software testing, and numerous articles, talks, presentations, and courses based on software testing.
This is something that I don't just do for a job, I do it for fun, even when I'm not working as a tester (which as of this writing, I'm between jobs, something many testers probably know about, and it's happened a few times over 35 years 😉 ). To that end, I've walked a few miles, to say the least, so I know the road and what it feels like to walk it. If I can help build some bridges for others to make that journey a little easier. I'm happy to.
By the way, for a touch of the random, I'm also the lead singer of a heavy metal band called Ensign Red (https://ensignred.com).
WHY QUALITY? In 2 paragraphs give us an overview of your philosophy on Quality and how you approach testing in support of achieving quality outcomes… Please provide (non-confidential) real world examples:
The simple answer is: People have to use the stuff we make, so let's make it as easy as we can for them to do so effectively and purposefully. Don't waste people's time, don't make people struggle needlessly, and most important, don't do harm. I worked recently with AI Governance and part of the challenge was finding ways to make sure that the models that were deployerd were doing what we thought they should be doing, and doing our best to prevent them from doing things they shouldn't. For many years, I have been and advocate for accessibility and inclusive design. Everyone deserves software they can use effectively, able bodied or otherwise. My approach to testing is to always keep those aspects in mind. even if the project doesn't require accessibility testing, I use that mindset with everything I test, and it often helps me see things in ways other testers might now.
This board role will require 10 - 20 hours per month of often self driven activities and the ideal candidate is someone who is willing to own an initiative and drive it through to completion... Is this something you are willing to commit to, and in your most honest moment, what will keep you motivated when the work gets hard and progress feels slow?
Been there, done that... even helped write a book about it 🙂
It's 2030. AST just won 'Global Nonprofit of the Year' for transforming testing careers worldwide. What three bold moves did we make between 2025-2030 that nobody saw coming?
Follow-up: Which of these moves would you personally champion, and how would you convince skeptics on the board?
Develop a method that blows ISTQB certification out of the water, create a new generation of software testers that are far and away better than anything we've seen to date, take CAST global.
What's one thing AST is doing right now that we should stop doing immediately, even if it's popular? And what's one bold experiment we should try, even if it might fail spectacularly?
I don't really think anything AST is doing currently needs to be stopped but I would like to see if there are ways we could modernize or update the way we offer training, and what training we offer. Perhaps creater SDET level bootcamps or consider some more specific training opportunities outside of the BBST core (which I think is fantastic and have been teaching classes in for the past 16 years).
What is your history with AST? Describe why you are interested in serving on the AST Board and what personal / professional strengths make you an ideal board member for the organization?
Follow Up: Are there any particular initiatives or areas you are especially interested in driving / leading?
I've been on the board before. From 2011-2014 I was the Treasurer for AST and from 2014-2015 I was its president. So I've been there and done that, but it's been a while. My goal and initiatives I care most about is helpijng testers develop skills, level up in a meaningful way, and carry software quality out further ad furt5her to the edges of development and business where it may not be seen as much of a consideration (and yes, there are a lot of places where that is the case).
When you step down from this board, what do you want your Wikipedia entry to say about your contribution to AST and the testing profession? What impact are you personally committed to creating?
Advocacy and commitment. Mover software testing into an area of expertise that stands toe to toe with whether or not you can code.
You're on a board committee with members from Japan, Brazil, Nigeria, Germany, and the US. The group is stuck on a decision because cultural communication styles are clashing and creating misunderstandings. What is your strategy for facilitating breakthrough and building genuine consensus?
Follow-up: Provide an example of how you've successfully worked across significant cultural or professional differences.
Give everyone a chance to speak the issues and concerns they have. Respect the traditions or aspects of culture that may be foreign or less understood. Seek to understand in a real way. Then make the decisions with everyone having given their input. Again, much of this comes from being an Accessibility advocate. often it takes some steps to both understand situations that don't necessarily apply to you, and then communicate those concerns to others who, also, may not necessarily have to deal with the challenge many people face. You don't know how to address that until you have heard and learned from people with the actual chalenges you want to overcome.