Why Good Testers Ship Bad Software
Testing isn’t just about finding bugs.
Testing isn’t just about verifying requirements.
It’s about revealing the truth—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The role of a great tester is to uncover and share information with decision-makers so they can make informed decisions. Sometimes, that means releasing software that’s not 100% polished.
Yes, you read that right:
Good testers release software with known bugs.
Good testers ship imperfect products.
Sound counterintuitive? Here’s why: quality isn’t the only priority. When a business makes decisions, it weighs factors like:
Speed to market: Being first often trumps being perfect.
Customer needs: Sometimes, “good enough” delivers value faster.
Seasonality: Some deadlines don’t wait for flawless code.
This doesn’t mean testers or testing failed. It means testers empowered the business with the right information to choose its trade-offs.
It’s not about “perfect” software.
It’s about the right software, delivered at the right time, with the right trade-offs.
So the next time you see a bug in production, remember:
It might not be a failure of testing.
It might be a deliberate decision for the business.
Being a good tester isn’t about chasing perfection.
It’s about delivering clarity, even when the answers are messy.
To my software engineering and testing community: I’d love to know what’s the hardest trade-off you’ve had to make when balancing quality with business goals?