Hello friends, and welcome to another episode of the Testing Peers podcast.

In this episode, Chris, Dan, David, and Russell come together for a wide-ranging conversation about flow, what it really means, and why it matters far beyond speed or delivery metrics. The discussion starts with some light New Year banter before quickly moving into systems thinking, value, and the often unseen friction that slows organisations down.

The group explore flow as something that exists across people, processes, and systems, not just CI/CD pipelines. Using plumbing analogies, real-world examples, and a healthy dose of scepticism about simplistic metrics, they unpack why optimising individual components rarely improves outcomes if the wider system is ignored.

A recurring theme is the idea that quality is about the removal of unnecessary friction, and that debt shows up in many forms, not just code. Documentation, onboarding, learning mechanisms, and organisational processes all contribute to how effectively value moves through a system.

The conversation also touches on how difficult flow is to measure meaningfully. While metrics like DORA can tell part of the story, they often focus on speed rather than outcomes, impact, or sustainability. The hosts discuss the importance of qualitative signals, trending over time, and understanding what good actually looks like in a given context.

A significant part of the episode focuses on the human side of flow, including onboarding, learning, feedback loops, and psychological safety. The group reflect on how better onboarding and clearer purpose can help people contribute sooner, feel more connected to their work, and understand the impact of what they do.

From a testing perspective, the discussion highlights how testers already have many of the skills needed to assess flow at an organisational level. Curiosity, critical thinking, risk awareness, and communication all play a role in identifying friction, asking difficult questions, and helping teams improve. At the same time, the hosts are careful not to position testers as uniquely gifted, recognising that good systems thinking comes from diverse roles working together.

The episode closes with reflections on trust, credibility, and the role of testers as trusted advisors. Being listened to is not about job titles or tools, but about doing the work, understanding the system, and backing up insights with evidence and experience.

Links and references

• DORA metrics: https://dora.dev/guides/dora-metrics/
• The Phoenix Project: https://itrevolution.com/product/the-phoenix-project/
• Theory of Constraints: https://www.leanproduction.com/theory-of-constraints/
• Stu Crocker on quality as the removal of unnecessary friction
• Post Office Horizon IT Scandal: https://clarotesting.wordpress.com/the-post-office-horizon-it-scandal/

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Happy New Year, Peers!!

Welcome to the latest episode of the Testing Peers podcast, this time panel explores how testers and quality professionals can make the most of their training budgets, whether that budget is zero, modest, or stretches into several thousand pounds.

Hosts this week: Russell Craxford, David Maynard, Chris Armstrong, and Tara Walton.

The discussion is grounded in real experience and looks at how learning choices change depending on constraints, priorities, and organisational context.

Starting from Zero: Learning Without a Budget

The episode begins by challenging the assumption that learning requires money. The hosts highlight the breadth and quality of free resources available, including:

• Blogs, podcasts, and community-driven content
• Free learning platforms such as Test Automation University, freeCodeCamp, and edX
• Vendor-provided learning resources from tooling and platform providers

A key recommendation is the free “Learning How to Learn” course by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski, which helps people understand how they learn best before deciding where to invest time or money.

Spending Around £100: Small Budgets, Real Value

With a budget of around £100, the focus shifts to intentional, value-led choices:

• Books as a focused, low-distraction way to learn:
• Subscriptions to learning platforms rather than single courses
• Prioritising practical outcomes over certificates
• Using community recommendations to avoid low-quality content
• TestSphere and RiskStorming cards
• Obviously, the Testing Peers Conference, March 12th 2026

Books such as Explore It, The Phoenix Project, The Culture Code and other systems thinking titles are highlighted as high-value, low-cost investments.

Around £500: Community, Conferences, and Exposure

At the £500 level, learning opportunities expand:

• Attending local conferences, meetups, or community events
  • Leeds Test Atelier (Free to attend)
  • SIGiST
  • ShipItCon
• Covering travel, accommodation, and tickets for nearby events
• Investing in leadership, communication, and presentation skills
• Subscriptions such as Ministry of Testing Pro (including a ticket to their #MoTaCon event) and similar learning communities
• LeanPub

The hosts discuss the value of human connection, being exposed to new perspectives, and coming away from events with renewed ideas and motivation.

Certifications and Career Signals

The conversation takes a balanced view on certifications, including ISTQB:

• Not a definition of quality or capability
• Potentially useful for people entering the industry
• Helpful as a signal when e

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