John McConda
ABOUT ME:
John has been a testing consultant, manager, and practitioner for over 25 years. He is currently a Quality Manager and Test Lead at Eli Lilly and Company. John has a big family, with a wife and five children and two spoiled cats. He enjoys playing guitar and writing songs, as well as collecting sports cards and messing around with computers. For more info, see his website at mcconda.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:
"Quality has been defined in many ways over the years, but I like Gerry Weinberg’s definition: “Value to some person.” When it comes to software, bugs or defects can decrease that value. A tester’s job is to protect this value from anything that might detract from it. We're advocates for the user, even if they don’t know we exist. For me, this approach means focusing on risk and testing to mitigate those risks. As a consultant, I break down a testing problem by identifying risks, prioritizing them, and testing for them in an effective and efficient way. Of course I wouldn’t be context-driven if I didn’t recognize that every project has its own specific needs, like my current one at Lilly, which requires strict documentation standards. However, in most of my projects, mitigating the most important risks has been my main focus."
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?
"What keeps me motivated is the newest group of testers looking for mentoring and guidance in their careers, just as I was 25 years ago (wow, it’s been that long!). With AI impacting the current IT job market, it's more important than ever to champion human-centered software quality practices."
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?
"I believe AST is uniquely positioned to innovate, as it isn’t driven by profits. We could expand CAST with more speakers, tutorials, and sessions or provide more online content like webinars that address topics testers care about. Another, probably more controversial, idea is offering a certification for BBST. Not an ISTQB-style “certified tester” that pretends to cover all diverse thought in the testing world, but something that students can show their managers to make them more marketable. I envision “BBST Certified Testing Practitioner” or something similar, emphasizing that the student has been trained specifically in BBST. In the long run, this could become an elite title sought after by hiring managers."
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?
"My answers to this question will again focus on BBST. Currently, AST is not offering the courses, which I think is a missed opportunity to engage with testers who want more than what Cem Kaner used to call “drive-by instruction.” I think AST should start offering the courses again. Partnering with Altom was a great idea to bring the two offerings back together, and I believe AST should continue in that direction."
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?
"My history with AST goes back to the first CAST in 2006 in Indianapolis, right after I moved here. Before that, I managed to connect with many context-driven testers (I brought a projector to my first workshop, which I think got my foot in the door). Soon after, AST started offering the BBST courses. I took Foundations and was hooked. I’ve been an instructor for BBST ever since and continue to do so for Altom’s version of the courses. When I was asked to run for the AST board, my main reason for accepting was to continue building and growing the BBST courses. I think they are the most practical and effective courses available to testers today, and I would love to see the program thriving again at AST. My history with BBST, both with the AST and Altom versions, gives me the insight to help make this happen. This also fuels my passion for helping and mentoring testers."
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?
"My goal with this position is to support the next generation of software quality professionals seeking guidance and a sense of belonging to further their skills and understanding."
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.
"I currently manage a team of testers based in India and have worked with students and instructors across the globe as part of BBST for over 16 years. Compromise on non-essentials has been key to getting along with a geo-diverse team. For example, I schedule meetings early in my mornings to accommodate my European and Asian students."