Testing @ ThoughtWorks: A TestBash Experience


I have been attending TestBash prior to signing onto ThoughtWorks. This year I enlisted the help of a fellow tester, Abby Bangser, and we recruited a couple of other TW'ers to spend their conference dollars going to TestBash USA in Philadelphia.

From Left to Right: Abby Bangser, Hiyasmin Dimaranan, 
David Corrales, Melissa Eaden, Darrel Grainger

For those of you that don't read my blog regularly, TestBash USA is a pretty awesome event, along with all it's co-events that happen throughout the year which focuses on community and testing.

It's different from other Testing Conferences because it does exactly what it's mission is: Help testers, Aid the community at-large, and help people network within the context of testing and software development.

TestBash USA was 2 days long and offered a single track each day. The first day even had a new event called The Testing Circus.

The Testing Circus is a carousel style learning event where you can move from station to station every 20 minutes and participate with speakers and their assistants focusing on an activity that is related to their talk.

Some of the takeaways and quotes from ThoughtWorks folks were TestBash Attendees:

"...Cassandra's and Ash's talks have been my favorites. And I'm definitely running some of the circus dynamics at the office." - David Corrales

"I was really happy with the CI/CD talk. Just seemed to cover all of the terrain of the pipeline really clearly. Big takeaway is that I have wayyy too much TestBash/MoT koolaid in my veins. Love this place." - Abby Bangser

"I've really enjoyed all the talks. But Stephen's talk on coaching resonated with me! Also, I love the circus!!" - Hiyasmin Dimaranan


Overall, everyone reported having a good experience and learning a lot. A few of us even spoke at the 99 Second Talks which wrapped up day 2 of TestBash USA.

David Corrales with a 99 Second Talk

I hope more folks across the ThoughtWorks network decide to attend TestBash wherever they can, whether it's the US, UK, Europe, and now Australia! This is one conference I can't recommend enough not only for the community aspects but also for the fact that ThoughtWorks and TestBash/Ministry of Testing hold a lot of the same values at the core of what they try to accomplish.

Next year TestBash USA will be in San Francisco. The co-hosts will be Ash Colman and Angie Jones - I can't wait for this dynamic duo to take the stage and show off the testing community at it's finest.


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