Tech Talks With Marco A. Cruz

Since we are heading towards a more dynamic age of technology, the tech enthusiasts have all started to work on creating more dynamic and progressive solutions. Right from the most-advanced AI based enterprise solutions to concepts like Blockchain, Quality Assurance has become an inevitable aspect of the future.  

BugRaptors as a QA service provider has always worked on nurturing the industry-leading QA best practices in order to foster a more prominent setup for deployments and deliveries. Besides, the objective to sustain and contribute to the innovation in the virtual landscape keeps us motivated about connecting with QA enthusiasts from across the globe.  

Be it discussing the agile implementation with DevOps or harnessing automation frameworks, technology and quality assurance excites us in all ways possible. Having that perspective in mind, we recently continued with our tradition of Tech Talks where we connect with industry influencers from across the globe discussing quality assurance and the future of testing. 

This time, our in-house expert, Sahil Verma interacted with Marco A. Cruz, Founder at AutomateNow, from the United States. Marco is an accomplished lead SDET with extensive experience in eCommerce, engineering, workforce intelligence, and insurance domains.  

He is an engineer who is highly passionate about software testing and stops at nothing to produce unmatched results. He takes great pride in his work, enjoys solving complex "problems," and demonstrates a relentless can-do attitude. 

With all that information about Marco, let us quickly jump to the interview and start gaining a vision of his journey as a Software Automation Engineer. The session will also highlight the concept of developing the right mix of automation and manual testing while sharing insights on creating a stable and optimal test environment.  

Let’s begin! 

Sahil: How did you start Automate Now? What was your inspiration?  

Marco: Automate Now began as an idea to help people who wanted to learn automated testing. It then became a YouTube channel and, shortly after, a website. The idea came from my passion for software testing. I realized that although many learning resources teach automation, hardly any help people who don't come from a programming background and have no idea how to get started in automation. Hence, my goal is to help aspiring engineers fulfill their dreams.  

Sahil: What's your take on modernization of Quality Assurance?  

Marco: Embracing the modernization of Quality Assurance is vital to any organization that wishes to remain competitive in today's digital world. The reality is that it is not sufficient or reasonable to leave software testing solely to the Quality Assurance team. Instead, companies should seek to involve the entire delivery team in being responsible for testing activities—this practice results in stronger team cohesion and happier customers.  

Sahil: Can you share some best practices on how to get the right mix of automation and manual testing? 

 Marco: Don't try to automate everything. Instead, focus on tests that will add real value. Manual testing should mainly focus on new features and things that are easier for humans, such as testing user experience.  

Sahil: How can a tester innovate? Do you have any specific examples?  

Marco: Innovators break away from the status quo and commonly exhibit the following qualities. Curiosity: They are not afraid to question decisions, especially when things don't make sense. Think outside the box: They ask, "Is this the best way to do XYZ, or is there a better way?"  

Sahil: How can organizations create a stable and optimal test environment?  

Marco: They can do so by creating a culture that values software quality and empowering teams to take ownership and pride in the software delivered to end users.  

Sahil: What are three books you'd recommend to the readers and why?  

Marco: Testing Computer Software by Kaner, Falk, and Nguyen - although some of its content is outdated, it remains one of the best software testing books of all time. Any book that teaches the fundamentals of any programming language, such as Java A Beginner's Guide by Schildt - a tester with even the most fundamental understanding of a programming language is a more valuable tester Good To Great by Collins - this is not a software testing book by any means, but the ideas found in this book will help you discover untapped potential.  

Sahil: How can our readers connect with you online?  

Marco: I would love to connect with other testers and even non-testers.  

https://linktr.ee/automateNow 

At BugRaptors, we constantly aim at improving the digital experience while taking the latest industry insights to testers, developers, and QA enthusiasts.   

Just in case you have any queries surrounding QA automation or software testing services, feel free to reach our team through info@bugraptors.com