In this episode, Filip Hric, an expert in test automation and Cypress, discuss his journey into testing, the importance of Cypress, common mistakes in test automation, and practical tips for getting started. He also shares insights on avoiding flaky tests, the differences between Cypress and other tools, and the significance of continuous learning for testers. Finally, he highlights resources for aspiring testers and provides advice on building empathy with developers by understanding web applications.

Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDvKs0uqrjE

Links:

• Connect with Filip on LinkediIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/filip-hric-11a5b1126

• Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@filip_hric

• Check Filip’s personal website - https://filiphric.com/

• Replay.io - A full-stack app builder that works like ChatGPT but generates complete applications instead of text responses.

• Cypress Documentation - https://docs.cypress.io/app/get-started/why-cypress

• Blog post - how to structure Cypress for big projects - https://filiphric.com/how-to-structure-a-big-project-in-cypress

• Test Automation University (free) - https://testautomationu.applitools.com/

• 99 Cypress.io Tips - https://filiphric.com/course/99-cypress-tips

• Filip Hric speaking at STAREAST 2026 on AI-driven test automation https://stareast.techwell.com/

In this episode of "How to Test This," we are joined by Debbie O'Brien, Global Community Lead and key contributor to the Playwright framework.

For over 30 minutes, we discussed:

1. Her journey from a front-end developer to a leader in the testing community.
2. Playwright as a powerful tool for end-to-end testing, what makes it different from other tools, and its key features.
3. Valuable insights on common mistakes teams make when using Playwright
4. The role of AI in testing, MCP, and how Playwright's agents can automate test generation and debugging.
5. Practical advice for aspiring test automation engineers to embrace AI, continuously learn, and engage with the testing community to succeed in their careers.
   Happy Listening.

Episode #8 – How to Test As an Architect with Paul McCollumPaul McCollum is a Salesforce MVP, enterprise architect, community leader (We Dreamin’, Architect Dreamin’) and author of Practical Salesforce Architecture. Together, we talked about how to move from roles like tester, admin or dev into architecture.Here are 5 key lessons for aspiring architects:1️⃣ Architecture ≠ “Senior Salesforce”→ A solution architect works inside Salesforce. An “Architect Architect” designs how multiple systems (Salesforce, Workday, IdP, data platforms, etc.) work together.2️⃣ Know what happens under the hood→ Great Salesforce architects understand databases, integration patterns and scale limits, and know when Salesforce is perfect—and when it’s not the right tool alone.3️⃣ Curiosity beats titles→ You can move from tester/admin/dev to architect if you relentlessly ask why things break, follow issues down to root causes, and learn the concepts behind limits and failures.4️⃣ Stop trying to “make Salesforce win”→ A real architect optimizes for business outcomes, not for their favorite stack. That means accepting constraints (budget, skills, timelines) and being okay when your preferred option isn’t chosen.5️⃣ Design your own apprenticeship→ Find architect mentors, study multiple paradigms (data, integrations, security), use Trailhead for solution skills, certifications like Data Architecture for foundations, and learn from real-world problems in the community.Hope you’ll enjoy this episode. Link to today's episode and extra resources:

• Connect with Paul on LinkedIn - / realpaulmccollum

• Book Practical Salesforce Architecture: Understanding and Deploying the Salesforce Ecosystem for the Enterprise - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1098138287?...

• Paul Trailhead Account - https://www.salesforce.com/trailblaze...

• Connect with the LinkedIn Group Architect Dreamin’ - / architectdreamin

• https://developer.salesforce.com/podc...