QA engineers: why they can be the most important people for stable releases
Many clients think QA is “someone who clicks buttons”. In reality QA is a function that protects budget and reputation: fewer regressions, fewer incidents, more predictable releases.
Short version: QA doesn’t slow you down. QA prevents “fast delivery” from turning into fast failures.
1) What QA really does
QA is quality as a process:
- requirements verifiability (something testable)
- test strategy (manual vs automation)
- regression control
- integration testing (payments, CRM, webhooks)
- bug reports and reproducibility
- Definition of Done and release checklist contributions
2) Why projects “speed up” without QA and then explode
Typical no-QA cycle:
- ship fast
- release
- production bugs -> hotfixes -> lost time and trust
Bug cost grows:
- in the task: cheap
- in testing: more expensive
- in production: most expensive (users, money, reputation)
3) Testing types clients should care about
- smoke tests
- critical paths (signup/payment/core flows)
- integration and webhook scenarios (retries, idempotency)
- performance checks (when relevant)
- basic security checklists
4) Manual testing vs automated tests
Manual is great for:
- early MVP
- fast-changing UX
- exploratory testing
Automation is great for:
- catching regressions
- safer, faster releases
- enabling refactors without fear
Common best option: manual QA + automation for critical flows.
5) Minimal QA setup for small projects
Even without a dedicated QA role, you need:
- critical path checklist
- Definition of Done (including tests)
- error logging
- automated tests for auth/payments (if present)
Part-time QA for releases is often enough.
FAQ
Do I need QA for MVP?
Yes, at least for critical flows and release checks.
Does QA slow development?
No. It reduces rework and production fires, which slow teams the most.
Do we always need lots of automated tests?
Not always lots. But critical path automation pays off quickly.
If you want, I can share a minimal QA checklist: smoke, regression, and a clear definition of done so releases don't break production.