If you are a startup founder, product manager, or developer, you have probably faced challenges with testing – not because you do not care about quality, but because the majority of QA tools are built assuming you have a fully-fledged QA team. This is where the problem begins. Start-up teams have limited people and everybody is multitasking. Yet, Quality still matters. Bugs in production can impact user experience, reduce credibility, and ultimately cost you time and money to fix. Unfortunately, the tools that were meant to help prevent this, only make things even harder. Some major challenges faced are discussed below.
1. Expecting Everyone to Code Tests is Not Realistic
Most well-known automation frameworks and libraries are too technical and functional on their own. They require programming knowledge which is a lot to ask for someone who is not a QA engineer full time. When tools are complicated, these frameworks do not get used consistently, and inconsistent testing leads to unpredictable releases.
2. Too Much Setup, Not Enough Testing
Even if you are able to figure out how to run tests, setting up the test environment is a whole new obstacle to conquer. You simply cannot take more time to set up the automation when the release is nearing. The setup is a bottleneck that slows down your progress. In many cases, teams give up on automation not because they want to, but because the tool demands more than the team is able to give.
3. Expectation of a QA Workflow Absent in Growing Startups
When a QA tool expects a structured QA process, and your team doesn’t have enough time and manpower, it is where the conflict starts. You will spend more time trying to adapt to the tool’s process rather than properly testing. The tool should fit the testing process, not the other way around.
4. Non-Technical Teams Shouldn’t Depend on QA to Test
Non-technical teams want to validate things themselves like testing some unexpected cross-browser issues. However, most QA tools make this nearly impossible. Since writing tests requires code, they can only collaborate with someone who is on the QA team. That introduces delays, and also creates a dependency. From an ideal tool, every member of that team should be able to run basic tests without writing a single line of code.
It’s Time for QA Tools to Catch Up
Startups are building quicker, launching sooner, and working with fewer people. But QA tools are still stuck in the past – expecting big QA departments and long testing timelines. What worked 10 years ago for enterprises does not work for a startup today. QA should never be a blocker. It should be part of the process, embedded into the way you work.
What Growing Startups Actually Need
Startups are fast paced. They ship features weekly and sometimes daily. Hence, they need tools that help them test, fix things, and get on with it. If the tools do not work as quickly as the product, tools become a drag.
Startups can be benefitted with testing tools that are lightweight, easy to use, and require no setups. They need a tool that allows all people in the team to run tests without learning a new language and installing a dozen plugins. Startups require clarity, speed, and flexibility.
Final Thoughts
If you are feeling like the test automation tools were not meant for your team, you are not alone. Startups are different, they need tools that are fast, simple, accessible for all, not just QA engineers. Growing startups teams should not be forced to adapt to tools that are not made for them. It is time for QA tools that understand what startups need.