Tech Talks With Marcel Veselka

Since the world is advancing in digital engineering objectives, the need for quality assurance has gained all the hype. Be it the introduction of advanced practices like AIOps or the use of machine learning technologies, developers, testers, and business analysts are all aligned to deliver more humanized yet sustainable solutions. 

Even if we have access to all the advanced automation and testing proficiency, the need for driving the perfect user experience requires access to all the advanced QA techniques and exposure to different perspectives. 

This is why BugRaptors constantly aim to bring the dynamic vision of different industry professionals together by interacting through Tech talks. Sticking to the tradition, this time, our in-house expert, Sandeep Vashisht, VP (Quality Assurance) interacted with Marcel Veselka, Founder, Tesena, and wopee.io. 

With almost 20 years of experience, Marcel is on his mission to create a better testing world. And therefore, he has worked on establishing communities. He is not only the Co-founder of [pro]Test but has also served in the position of VP and supporting member of the Czech and Slovak Testing Board (ISTQB member board). Besides, he is still working as a Program committee member at CzechTest.  

Apart from these, he is the Co-founder, a visionary & ex-CEO of Tesena, where he has served as the Principal Test Consultant and has even worked on Key customer & partnership relationships. On top of that, he is working on people development goals by serving as the University lecturer and an ISTQB Accredited Trainer.  

With all that detail about Marcel’s experience and expertise, let us quickly jump on the interview to find out how his productivity secrets as an automation engineer, dealing with test data, the introduction of ChatGPT to testers, and more.  

Sandeep: What was the inspiration to start wopee.io? 

Marcel: At Tesena, we spent countless hours helping our clients improve their test automation frameworks. Despite our best efforts, I noticed that some innovative ideas, particularly the concept of autonomous testing, weren't advancing as quickly as I had hoped. This realization inspired me to take matters into my own hands and create a solution I believe could truly revolutionize the field.  

As we delved deeper into the concept of autonomous testing, we began to realize that it had the potential to transform not only the way we approach software testing, but also the entire industry. 

After several weeks and months of hard work, we found our first customers who were excited about our solution. We knew then that we were onto something big, so we took the leap and established wopee.io as a regular startup. Since last October, we've been fully dedicated to bringing our vision to life and creating a product that can truly make a difference in the world of software testing. 

Sandeep: Can you share 5 tools that make you more productive as a test automation engineer? 

Marcel: I am currently using VS Code, GitHub (in the past I used GitLab and I cannot decide which one is better), ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, . . . not too generic but I also found Jest simple and very useful tool for API testing. 

I rely on several tools to help me work more efficiently and effectively. Here are five of my top picks: 

• Visual Studio Code: This is my go-to code editor. It has a user-friendly interface, supports multiple programming languages, and comes with numerous extensions that can enhance productivity, such as debugging tools and Git integration. 
• GitHub: This platform provides an excellent way to manage code repositories and collaborate with team members. Its built-in version control system helps keep track of changes and enables seamless collaboration. 
• ChatGPT: This AI chatbot provides a quick and easy way to get answers to common testing questions. It's an excellent tool for saving time and staying informed. 
• GitHub Copilot: This AI-powered code assistant helps me write code faster (including BDD tests) and more efficiently. It uses machine learning to suggest code snippets based on the context of my work, which saves me time and improves the quality of my code. 
• Jest: This tool is ideal for API testing, with an intuitive interface and a robust set of features. It allows me to test APIs quickly and easily, and its test reporting feature enables me to keep track of the results.   

Sandeep: What is the importance of continuous aspects of performance testing in DevOps? 

Marcel: Continuous performance testing is essential in DevOps because it helps detect performance issues early, improves system performance, ensures reliability and stability, enhances user experience, and enables continuous delivery. 

Nowadays it is also important to adjust the performance testing approach and cover both server performance as well as user experience via testing of client performance (sometimes called the hybrid performance testing approach).  

Sandeep: According to you, how can we ensure performance when dealing with tremendous amounts of data? 

Marcel: Not sure whether I understand the question. It sounds to me more like design and implementation-related questions than testing-related ones. 

If it was the purpose of the question, then we might apply several strategies to achieve horizontal or vertical scalability. There might be several options like more HW resources, multi-node deployments, caching, etc. 

Without having more details about the specific context, I cannot provide any more advice. 

When dealing with large amounts of data, performance can become a significant challenge. To ensure that the system can handle the data efficiently, developers and testers can employ several strategies, including: 

1. Horizontal and vertical scaling: Either by adding more hardware resources or deploying the system across multiple nodes. 
2. Data partitioning: Partition of the data across multiple servers or nodes, which can help distribute the load and reduce the strain on any one server. 
3. Caching: It can help reduce the number of queries or requests to the database, resulting in faster performance. It can be implemented at various levels, including application-level, database-level, and network-level caching. 
4. Optimization: Involve various techniques, such as optimizing queries, indexes, and data structures. These optimizations can help improve the system's overall performance and reduce response times. 
5. Load testing: To ensure that the system can handle large amounts of data, you can perform load testing to simulate high-volume traffic and identify performance bottlenecks. 

Ultimately, the specific strategies to employ will depend on the particular context, including the nature of the data, the system architecture, and the intended use cases.    

Sandeep: Who has been your most important professional mentor? 

Marcel: While I've had the privilege of working with several inspirational leaders throughout my career. I've always tried to learn from everyone around me, regardless of their position or experience. 

I've been fortunate to work on some challenging projects and collaborate with talented colleagues, and I've learned a great deal from those experiences. I've also sought out opportunities to attend conferences, read books, and participate in online communities to expand my knowledge and skills. 

While I appreciate the value of working independently, I also recognize that I have a lot to learn from others. I try to stay open-minded and receptive to feedback and guidance, and I'm always looking for opportunities to learn and grow. 

Overall, I'm grateful for the many people who have contributed to my professional development over the years, and I'm committed to continuing to learn and improve. 

Sandeep: Do you think ChatGPT will help testers being more effective? 

Marcel: Absolutely. ChatGPT has already proven to be an incredibly valuable tool for testers, myself included. The ability to ask questions and receive quick answers can save a lot of time and effort compared to traditional methods of research and investigation. 

But I believe that the true potential of ChatGPT is yet to be fully realized. As the technology continues to improve, we can expect to see even more sophisticated interfaces and integrations with other tools that will enhance its effectiveness even further. 

For example, imagine a chat interface that seamlessly integrates with an automated testing tool, allowing testers to quickly generate test cases and get feedback on their performance. Or a chatbot that can identify patterns in test results and suggest optimizations based on machine learning algorithms. Similarly, as we are nowadays using GitHub Copilot but with the power of ChatGPT. 

Overall, I'm excited to see how ChatGPT and similar technologies will continue to evolve and help testers be more effective in their work.   

Sandeep: Can you share some tips to the aspiring quality assurance professionals? 

Marcel: Learn more about test analysis and design – often aspiring QAs fall in love with some specific test automation tool and start coding. This is a sure way to hell as you automate something which was not properly thought through. 

Also, learn some (at least one) programming language and automation tool. It will help your future to understand how these things work. 

Apart from that I would advise them to continuously learn and practice what they learned and become better testers. 

Here are a few tips that I believe will be particularly helpful for aspiring QAs: 

1.  Focus on test analysis and design: While test automation tools are certainly important, they should always be secondary to the process of testing. Before you start writing any code, take the time to fully understand the system you're testing and identify the most important areas to focus on. This will ensure that your tests are effective, efficient, and valuable to the overall testing effort. 
2.  Learn at least one programming language and automation tool: While it's important to focus on test analysis and design, it's also essential to have the technical skills necessary to implement those tests. That means learning at least one programming language and an automation tool like Playwright, Cypress.io, Selenium or Appium. This will give you the ability to write effective automated tests and integrate them into your overall testing strategy. 
3. Continuously learn and practice: Finally, I would advise aspiring QAs to never stop learning and practicing their craft. Attend conferences, read blogs and books, and seek out mentorship and feedback from more experienced professionals. The more you learn and practice, the better you'll become at identifying problems, designing effective tests, and contributing to the overall success of your organization's testing effort.   

By following these tips and committing to continuous improvement, aspiring quality assurance professionals can build the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in this challenging and rewarding field.   

Sandeep: If anybody wants to get in touch with you, what’s the best way to do that? 

Marcel: My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcelveselka/  

Gaining digital success is demanding. Especially, when there is a constant tug between demand and supply, quality may take a backseat, ultimately affecting the success and sustainability of the tech products. 

At BugRaptors, we always try to bring the community together in order to create a more dynamic digital impression with the help of quality engineering.  

In case, you need any expert advice, suggestions, or professional testing assistance, feel free to reach us at info@bugraptors.com 

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