Waking up a bit early to pack my stuff and check out before breakfast. I am a bit tired, but I guess I also got used to it.
Fun moment of the morning was to receive the newsletter from Testing Circus about the May issue, featuring the guy I spend the three past evenings with playing board and card games. Erik Davis! Great job, Erik!
I had breakfast and a chat with Emma and Dan Ashby. So far I only had the chance to shake hands with Dan.
Jean-Paul Varwijk “ISO 29119”
The last day went by way too fast. I decided to visit Jean-Pauls session on ISO29119, which was a good choice. It was not only good talk, but also a great discussion afterwards. I already knew a big bite before that talk, but I got also a good portion of new information lighting the spirit to fight that standard. I joined in the chorus of Ben Kelly, Iain McCowatt and John Stevenson against that standard, and I hope I helped answering questions of the people from the right side of the room, that seemed to have their first encounter with ISO29119. Thanks Jean-Paul for a great opportunity to refresh and add information there and planning it already with an intense discussion part, and Dan Billing did a great job facilitating the Q&A for this difficult topic.
Alexandra Casapu’s “Examine Your Testing Skills”
It was time for a last workshop. It was Alexandra Casapu‘s “Examine Your Testing Skills”. I worked one last time together with Chris and a new face for me in Michael. Since both were from Switzerland and I am from Bavaria, we decided to speak in sort of German. It was hard not only for me to think and speak again in German after three days completely in English. So we ended up speaking a mixture. I took away lots from that session, if you want to know what, read it here soon. But for now I will share my key takeaway with you, that reflects also on all of Let’s Test. To become a good or even great tester, you need way more than just technical skills. There is so much to learn about communication and thinking skills, which I became a great supporter of in the last 2,5 years. Alexandra’s session showed all the different aspects and skills you use when challenging a problem. And all of Let’s Test was about improving critical thinking, creativity, communication and so many more skills, that usually don’t end up on a skill improvment list. And Alexandra did a great job sharing her experience how to analyze and list your skills, showing so many from us skills that are useful and need to be improved by reading, training, reflection and more. A big thank you to Alexandra for this wonderful closing workshop.
“Testing in the Pub” with Dan Ashby
After a last lunch with Megan and others, I sat down with both Dans (Billing and Ashby) and Christina reflecting the last days. We were sad that we missed the chance to record a “Testing in the pub” session the last days. So Dan pulled out his mobile and we set up a quick recording session reflecting Let’s Test. Thanks Dan for having me as a guest in your great series of podcasts. It’s a real honor. And kudos for setting up a structured episode in about 3 minutes.
It was time for the closing keynote about “Detetecting the heartbleed bug”. After lots of insights in the technical aspects of heartbleed, the coincidence of three bugs coming together and the serendipity of finding it.
I sat on one of those nice couches in the back with some of the great folks that I spend the last three days with. Saying goodbye came closer and since I had to catch a taxi to the airport rather quick after the keynote, I made my round, shaking hands, hugging and patting backs. It was sad to leave after three and a half days after being sort of accepted as part of the big family.
Besides my key takeaway that Let’s Test is about those skills, that make you become a better tester, it is all about the people. I met a lot of wonderful people, I put real life faces to twitter handles, and know I want to meet each and every one again to talk more with them.
One last key aspect of visiting this conference for me was to find out, how a conference talk looks like, and imagine how it would be, to host one on my own. On the way home I already started thinking about topics that I want to present at conferences. So open up those CfPs, I already found some topics I want to speak about. Beware of the TestPappy!
Good bye, Runö. I hope to see you again next year!
Test Pappy 
Reblogged this on kauflin.