When you replace or significantly modify components of a larger system, too frequently we focus on whether the code we are building functions correctly. This is important, but it’s also short-sighted. It’s easy to introduce errors because we are changing interactions. Coding bugs are only one quality problem.

A feature flag is a configuration setting that lets you turn a given feature on or off. There is no need for a feature to be complete before you can start testing—as soon as the first piece of code is merged, you can turn the flag on in your test environment and begin. This also reduces risk. Do you use feature flags?

Some agile teams have so fully embraced the idea of the development team owning quality that they don't hire anyone with a testing background, instead making software engineers responsible for all phases of quality. Still, testers add value to a team in many ways that don’t involve test execution. Where do they fit in?