Testing Seems Easy Until the Firefighting Begins: Q&A with Saif

Sometimes the best career decisions are the ones you can't explain.

That's what happened to Saif Siddiqui.  What started as a gut decision became a passion for quality assurance that's taken him through high-pressure launches, critical security bugs, putting him at the frontier of modern testing.

In this interview, Saif shares lessons from his software testing experience, including a story about uncovering a security vulnerability that exposed user credentials.

Here's what we explored together:

• How a random career choice led to a testing passion
• Why testing seems easy until the firefighting begins
• His approach to balancing manual and automated testing decisions
• A critical security bug he found that halted a release
• Essential skills every QA professional should develop
• How he stays current with rapidly evolving testing trends

Let's dive in!

1. What first got you interested in the world of software testing?

Honestly, it happened by chance.

When I got selected at an MNC, I was offered a choice between a Software Testing role and an SCM profile. I wasn’t entirely sure why, but I chose Software Testing, and I’m so glad I did.

Over time, I’ve grown to truly love it because it challenges my thinking, sharpens my problem-solving skills, and allows me to ensure quality in something that directly impacts real users.

2. What's one thing you wish people understood about software testing?

Software testing might seem easy until firefighting begins.

The challenge lies in the misconception that anyone can do it, which often hinders the pursuit of true quality. In reality, effective testing requires critical thinking, domain knowledge, and a proactive mindset to catch issues before they reach the end user.

I remember one instance during a high-profile feature launch. Marketing campaigns, ads, and external communications were already live. As with many real-world projects, we faced last-minute production issues, hotfixes, regression failures, and chaos. Just a week before launch, we uncovered a critical issue.

Everything had been on track until that point. The fix was complex and time-consuming, but delaying the launch wasn’t an option. With high expectations and tight timelines, we had to act fast, test efficiently, and ensure nothing else broke in the process.

3. What skills do you recommend every QA professional should develop?

Stay aligned with market trends.

If there’s a new tool or tech stack that’s gaining traction, learn it. Balancing a strong testing mindset with up-to-date technical skills is essential; having one without the other won’t be enough.

Also, keep learning and don’t limit yourself to a single skill or domain. I am always open to new projects and domains which can provide a good learning trajectory. Be open to everything, whether it’s a small Chrome extension for capturing screenshots or leveraging AI for test case generation or automation.

Develop strong soft skills and communication skills. The key is to stay curious and learn quickly.

4. How do you choose between manual and automated testing for a new project?

Use manual testing when:

• The feature is still evolving
• Performing exploratory testing
• Validating UI/UX
• Handling one-time or ad-hoc test scenarios

Use automation when:

• Tests are repetitive and stable
• Tests need to be run frequently (like regression, smoke, or performance tests)

5. Can you share a time when you uncovered a critical bug? How did you handle it?

While working on a project, I found a critical bug where the username and password were being exposed in the API response under a rare and initially unreproducible scenario.

I documented the exact steps, captured detailed logs, and collaborated closely with the dev team to trace the root cause. We made the decision to pause the release until the issue was fixed.

This experience reinforced the importance of edge case testing and effective collaboration under pressure.

6.  How do you stay updated as testing trends and tools evolve?

Whenever I find time, I engage with knowledge-sharing communities, take online courses, and attend webinars.

I also participate in meetups organised by lambdaTest, Ministry of Testing, and other similar groups, as well as conferences when possible.

Staying updated is a continuous process, and I try to make learning a habit.

That's a wrap!

Key Takeaways:

• Career paths often start with unexpected choices that lead to genuine passion.
• Testing appears simple until critical issues emerge under pressure.
• Strong soft skills and communication are as important as technical knowledge.
• Manual and automation decisions should be based on feature stability and test frequency.
• Edge case testing can uncover serious security vulnerabilities.
• Continuous learning through communities and courses keeps testers relevant.

Thank you, Saif, for sharing your journey from accidental tester to quality advocate. You can connect with Saif on LinkedIn to discuss testing strategies and career insights.

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