The Most Memorable Bug Ever: A Q&A with Aldy

What if you found a bug in an e-commerce site that allowed you to buy products for free?

Would you exploit it?

That’s what Aldy had to deal with in a project, and he shares his experience handling it.

In this interview, I asked Aldy Syah Daviq Ramadhan six eye-opening questions about software testing and quality assurance:

1. What's one memorable bug you caught?
2. How did you get started in software testing, and what's one lesson you wish you'd known earlier?
3. What's one common mistake you see junior testers make, and how can they avoid it?
4. When collaborating with developers, what's helped you communicate effectively?
5. Are there any tools or resources you recommend for testers looking to level up?
6. Finally, what's something fun or unexpected that testing has taught you, professionally or personally?

These were his answers.

What’s one memorable bug you’ve caught?

Our team once discovered a critical bug where certain users could buy products for $0 while only paying the platform fee.

We noticed something strange while checking the backend and decided to investigate further by reproducing the issue live. When we reproduced it live for stakeholders, the room went silent.

One developer joked, "Add a promo code and we'll end up paying the customers to shop here!"

Luckily, this bug was caught early, and no actual customers exploited it.

However, it showed us how small logic errors could lead to serious business risks and why thorough backend checks and team collaboration are so crucial in Quality Assurance.

How did you get started in software testing, and what’s one lesson you wish you’d known earlier?

My first role was really specialized. I started as a QA automation engineer, not a generalist.

I focused solely on turning test cases from other QAs into automation scripts. I didn't know how the test cases were made, why we created them, or why we had different levels of automation testing.

Eventually though, I realized QA wasn't just about running tests or finding bugs, let alone automation. A QA ensures product quality throughout the entire software development life cycle (SDLC). Without a good process, you'll miss deeper quality issues.

My biggest lesson was to focus on building quality into the process itself, not just detecting problems at the end.

When collaborating with developers, what’s helped you communicate effectively?

Clarity and precision.

Developers need specifics such as the app version, exact steps to reproduce the issue, expected versus actual outcomes, and logs or early findings.

Being technically proficient is also highly beneficial because it enables QAs to assist developers during debugging sessions actively.

It creates a sense of teamwork rather than just a back-and-forth exchange.

What’s one common mistake you see junior testers make, and how can they avoid it?

One clear difference I’ve noticed between junior and experienced testers is in their reporting.

Many junior testers write incomplete bug reports, assuming everyone can see what they see.

However, without details like browser, environment, app version, reproduction steps, or expected outcomes, developers and other team members often feel lost, wasting time. A detailed report ensures everyone is on the same page.

Another mistake (one I’ve made myself) is testing only new features and strictly adhering to acceptance criteria. New features can break existing ones, which is why regression testing is critical.

Hence, testers should always test related existing features, even if they weren’t part of the change. If you’re unsure what’s related, ask the devs or experienced testers. Eventually, as you adopt automation, you’ll be able to avoid repeating manual regression tests.

Are there any tools or books you recommend for testers looking to level up?

I know it sounds cliché, but if you’re not using AI in your workflow yet, now’s the time to start.

AI can boost your productivity, whether it’s writing automation scripts, drafting bug reports, documenting test cases, or other tasks. When you combine strong QA skills with AI, your productivity becomes hard to match.

I also recommend the book “How Google Tests Software” to gain insight into how large companies approach quality.

You’ll be surprised at how different your understanding of QA and testing might be compared to practices at big companies like Google or Microsoft.

Explore broader software engineering topics as well. The Pragmatic Engineer publication is great for that.

For QA-specific reads, check out Ministry of Testing and MagicPod’s blog. Both share thought-provoking insights from experienced testers.

Finally, what’s something fun or unexpected that testing has taught you, professionally or personally?

One thing testing has taught me is not to assume, but to ask!

If something is unclear, ask questions to clarify it. That's how you achieve accurate results. It's the same in life!

If you're unsure about how someone feels about you, don't sit there overthinking, just ask!

Assumptions, whether in testing or relationships, often lead to incorrect conclusions. If possible, go to the source.

Your assumptions are probably wrong.

That wraps it up!

Key Takeaways:

• Build quality into the entire development process
• Small logic errors can create serious business risks
• Provide specific details to developers
• Write complete bug reports to avoid wasted time
• Use AI to boost productivity
• Ask questions instead of making assumptions

Thank you, Aldy, for sharing these valuable insights from your QA journey. You can connect with Aldy on LinkedIn and read more articles from him on TestingPod.

For more insightful interviews with software testing professionals, make sure to subscribe to TestingPod and get it in your inbox every Friday.