Matthew Heusser

The Managing Consultant at Excelon Development, Matt Heusser is probably best known for his writing. Matt is the former technical editor of Stickyminds.com and he was the lead editor for "How To Reduce The Cost Of Software Testing" (Taylor and Francis, 2011). Matt has served both as a board member for the Association for Software Testing and as a part-time instructor in Information Systems for Calvin College.

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All Stories by Matthew Heusser

Debunking the “Conspiracy” around Learning to Code

When people want to learn to code, they often turn to a learn-to-code site. These sites show a list of buzzwords and a solution, assuming the reader will follow right along—except the typical reader can’t. It's as if there’s a conspiracy trying to make writing code look hard. Fear not—there isn't.

Planning Techniques for Estimating Projects

Agile teams often use estimation to plan projects. There are many different methods, and which you choose should depend on the type of work, what kind of deadline there is, and your team. Matt Heusser explains some estimating techniques that can expand your options when planning a work effort.

What Keeps Me in Software Testing

A lot of people, when asked why they got into software—especially testing—say they sort of "fell into it." But why do people stay? Matthew Heusser has held many different roles in the industry, and here, he talks about learning what matters in software testing—and what's kept him sticking around.

The Abstraction Problem

As technical people, when we give too much information in a project status meeting, we can overwhelm managers. Worse, if we don’t answer the implied question ("When is this thing going to be done?"), the managers will get answers elsewhere. Read on for ideas to get you speaking the same language.

Goals Are Good, but Adaptation Is Often Better

Setting goals is admirable. But in doing so, you can't neglect the possibility of change. What good is achieving your goals if they became irrelevant or the assumptions behind them were incorrect in the first place? It's smarter to focus on the ultimate outcome you want, not just compliance to plan.

Analyzing the Value of a Test Tool Approach

Many test managers want to assess the value of their test tool approach. There is a way to do it that does not require writing code—only the ability to read it a little. Matt Heusser helps you figure out if what your team is doing is working, what you could drop, and what might be worth picking up.

November Leaves, New StickyMinds Articles

Matt Heusser, the editor of StickyMinds.com, talks about some recent contributions to the site—including articles about methods for changing a workplace culture, how to develop a team of testers, and the future of testing—and about how you can get involved writing for StickyMinds, too.

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