Holistic Testing - Lisa Crispin

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"Nobody wants to read the documentation, although it is important." - Lisa Crispin

In this episode, I talk to Lisa Crispin about holistic testing and what it really means for teams striving for better software quality. Lisa brings her experience to the conversation, sharing how testing is much more than a stage or a checklist - it’s a mindset that weaves through every part of the development process. We dig into the practical side: how teams can focus on both internal and external quality, the value of strong relationships, and the power of good questions. It’s clear: true quality comes from collaboration and curiosity, not just tools or process. There’s a lot for teams to rethink here.

Lisa Crispin is a consultant, author and speaker based in Vermont, USA. She and Janet Gregory have co-authored four books, most recently Holistic Testing: Weave Quality Into Your Product. They have also developed two courses taught by training providers around the world.

Highlights:

• Testing activities belong at every stage of development—not just at the end of sprints.
• Lack of shared understanding during planning causes most rework and costly production defects.
• Testers should build relationships across silos—operations, design, marketing—to lead quality initiatives.
• Visual tools like mind maps make test strategies collaborative, accessible, and easier to adapt.
• Quality attributes for internal maintainability must be planned upfront, not left to developers alone.