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Testing PeersAuthor: Testing Peers
Testing Peers is a community-driven initiative built by testers, for testers. We are a not-for-profit collective focused on supporting each other across software testing, quality, leadership, and engineering. This group is peer-led, values-driven, and passionate about shaping a more thoughtful, collaborative testing culture.The Testing Peers podcast is now expanding beyond its original four hosts, David Maynard, Chris Armstrong, Russell Craxford and Simon Prior, striving to represent the voices of a diverse and thriving community. Our inaugural in-person conference, #PeersCon, launched in Nottingham in March 2024, returning for #PeersCon25, with #PeersCon26 already scheduled - further solidifying Testing Peers as a not-for-profit, by testers, for testers initiative. Language: en-gb Genres: Business, Management, Technology Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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What If We Started a Testing Consultancy?
Episode 147
Tuesday, 24 March, 2026
In this episode, Russell, Chris, Tara, and David explore what a testing consultancy could look like if you stripped it back and built it around values, experience, and honest reflection.Starting with some light-hearted conference banter, the conversation quickly turns to consultancy models, what works, what does not, and what they would do differently.Outcomes over outputsA recurring theme throughout the discussion is the importance of focusing on outcomes rather than outputs.The group reflect on:Delivering meaningful change, not just activityAvoiding long-term dependency on consultantsMeasuring success by what happens after you leaveEnablement and sustainabilityRather than doing the work for clients, the conversation leans towards:Setting up repeatable processesEnabling teams to continue without supportLeaving organisations self-sufficientThe idea of making yourself redundant comes up as a sign of success.Working with contextThe discussion explores how consultants engage with existing client environments:When to adapt to existing processesWhen to challenge and improve themThe importance of pragmatic, context-informed decisionsThere is no single answer, but a strong emphasis on informed choice and transparency.Thought leadership vs “bums on seats”The group question traditional consultancy models, particularly:Staff augmentationLong-running placementsValue tied to time rather than impactInstead, they explore a model centred around:Short-term, high-impact engagementsStrategic and cultural changeSupporting teams rather than filling rolesFollow-ups, iteration, and lasting changeA key challenge raised is what happens after consultants leave.The group discuss:Returning at later checkpointsSupporting incremental changePreventing regression to old habitsThe idea is less one-off transformation, more ongoing iteration.Consultancy as connectionAn alternative model emerges during the conversation:Acting as a connector of people and expertiseMatching specialists to specific problemsLeveraging community rather than a fixed benchBlurring the line between consultancy, partnership, and network.Who would this be for?The group gravitate towards:Startups and scale-upsOrganisations open to changeTeams looking for guidance, not just deliveryWith less interest in:Large-scale augmentationTraditional long-term consultancy modelsThis episode exploresWhat good consultancy looks like in practiceOutcomes vs outputs in client engagementsEnablement and making change stickNavigating client context and constraintsThought leadership vs staff augmentationAlternative consultancy models and community-led approachesReferenced in this episodeFiona Charles – 10 Commandments for Ethical Testershttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQHt4Pao2Vs#PeersCon27 (March 11th, 2027) is now LIVE Tickets for the event are live for the Early Bird Price of £15 until November 30th 2027.Support the show
