SHIFT Happens Podcast by Romanian Testing Conference

Rachel is a senior test engineer based in the United Kingdom. We met her at the Romanian Testing Conference (RTC) 2023 and her ideas were worth spreading. So here we are! She enjoys taking part in testing conferences and shares how much she values the knowledge she gains from them. “Having that human feel of learning is my preference”, she manifests a preference for listening to valuable information rather than reading it from a book. “Change is a key part of success”, says Rachel. She emphasizes how important it is to develop your skills, deal with challenges to avoid being left behind, especially in the IT industry. “If you fail to adapt, you’re not going to be part of tomorrow's reality, especially in the software domain where it’s important to stay ahead of the curve.” At the end, Rachel explains why she values conferences like RTC and how it can broaden your perspective in terms of how you think and how you view your ways of working. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro.  

Artificial Intelligence has been around for decades, but the recent surge in generative AItools has accelerated its presence across industries. While AI is evolving rapidly, the human element remains critical—arguably more essential now than ever before.In software development, adopting new technologies means rethinking how we build. The software development lifecycle (SDLC) itself may need to evolve to accommodatethe growing ecosystem of AI-driven tools.In the latest episode of the Shift Happens Podcast, we explored how AI can enhance theway we design, build, and deliver software.Our guest, Olimpiu Pop, brings over 20 years of experience in the software industry. Today, hefinds himself in a pivotal phase - returning to a mindset of exploration and innovation, with a strong focus on the real-world applications of AI. For Olimpiu, AI isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a fundamental shift impacting every stage of the SDLC.“AI is not new—whether we want to believe it or not. Generative AI is just another piece of thebroader AI puzzle. It’s already embedded in our lives. I’ll probably get a couple of AI-generated suggestions on my phone before I leave this room,” he says.Discussing the impact of AI in development, Olimpiu points out that while AI won’t replaceengineers, it will certainly expand the developer’s toolkit: “There’s no shortageof tech talent, and no single tool will do the job for us. But AI adds new capabilities—perhaps more powerful than what we’ve used before. At the end of the day, it’s about building tools that help us work better.”He emphasizes a pragmatic approach to generative AI. While it’s not yet production-ready for mission-critical systems, it can still be leveraged effectively:“Generative AI is a general-purpose technology. Don’t expect it to replace your productionarchitecture today—but do explore what works for you. Stay curious, experiment, and adapt.”The episode is hosted by Alex Mocioi, a seasoned software engineer with 20 years ofhands-on experience and a decade of training tech professionals.Shift Happens is proudly supported this season by Mindera Romania, a trusted name in software development.

Humans progress by working together. One of the goals of Shift Happens Podcast Season 2 is to help professionals in technology identify and develop the human skills they need in order to become better professionals. In our 10th episode we discuss with Ashley Hunsberger about how teams and organizations can be empowered through communication or collaborationskills. Our guest, Ashley Hunsberger, has decades of testing experience that has evolved into her current focus on enabling engineers to have theenvironment and support they need to thrive. Her interests have led her to a Master’sdegree in Applied Industrial and Organizational Psychology, where she loves to continue to learn about the human experience at work and how to improve it. Ashley highlights that, “When we build that trust, like in interpersonal relationships, it leads to psychological safety. And hopefully,as you create those safe spaces for teams, they become more and more comfortable.” When discussing difficult workplace conversations and how to give constructive feedback, Ashley emphasizes that “Feedback is a gift! People also need to be ready for it. But sometimes, as a leader, you have to step inwhether they are ready or not. I always like to approach it with kindness”. Her secret ingredient? A leader should coach people on what they want to improve, rather than tell them how to improve. The goal is to guide them toward the right mindset. Our host, Alex Mocioi, is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and a decade in tech training.  The Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera Romania, a leader in software development.

We are all very concerned about being protected in the digital world. In our episode of Shift Happens Podcast, we will discuss about how to find the right balance for ethical and legal aspects when we are trying to help people, but not get too much in their lives with technology.Our guest, Mathias Jansson, works as a legal counsel at a Swedish government agency. He is currently working in project financing and has a long experience in application of public law, public access to information and secrecy as well as integrity and personal information regulation.Mathias states that if you are developing or selling software, you should have the responsibility that the service you are providing is safe and secure.„I like the idea of testers, developers, anyone involved, actually stepping up and talking about what they’re working on today”. He believes that anyone in the tech community can contribute to the discussion and raise awareness about their role in ensuring ethical and legal compliance”, says Mathias Jansson.Regarding AI-generated content, he points out „it is one of those areas where legislation is lagging behind the cutting-edge technology. We are regulating, perhaps, things that happened yesterday, but not really what’s happening today, and definitely not what’s going to happen tomorrow”.Our host, Alex Mocioi, is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and a decade in tech training. The Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera Romania, a leader in software development.

If we want to bring testers and developers together, what better way than through performance testing and performance engineering?Nicole van der Hoeven, the guest of this episode, is a Senior Developer Advocate at Grafana Labs. She’s been in the performance engineering space for more than a decade, most of that time as a consultant, helping teams test distributed systems and make them more reliable. Nicole believes that good testers truly understand the culture of the application, the company, and the people they are working with.She explains that different tools use different terminology - JMeter has threads, K6 uses virtual users, and others refers to scenarios or populations - but the core concepts remain the same. Every tool provides ways to introduce delays (such as think time, pacing, pauses, or sleep functions) and follows similar principles. Understanding these fundamentals allows testers to adapt to any performance testing tool.Don’t miss the discussion with Nicole.Our host, Alex Mocioi, is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and a decade in tech training. The Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera Romania, a leader in software development.

The topic of this episode is Building Tech Products for Tech People. In this industry, professionals strive to create software designed for humans. This theme is central to the episodes in this season.Aaron Ingram has been a tester for approximately a decade, with a significant part of his career focused on automated testing. He has developed multiple testing products within his agency, enabling them to create and sell solutions like accessibility packages to clients. Aaron explains, “I’ve always been curious about how things work, how you can break something and put it back together again.” He believes that breaking things helps you understand how tobuild them, much like playing with LEGO. Is innovation driven by technology, or are product people leading the creation of new software? Aaron believes product people are the driving force: they identify what needs to bedone and guide the development process. Empathy and support are essential for progress. That’s why software should be built by humans for humans, by people who understand user needs. This is something AI tools, particularly those used for automated accessibility testing, might struggle to fullycomprehend. Our host, Alex Mocioi, is a seasoned professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera Romania, a leader in software development.

As a journalist with twenty years of experience in the field, Vitalie Cojocari covers critical and relevant aspects impacting social, political, economical and environmental issues in Romania. He started his career at ProTV Chisinau, he then worked at Pro TV Bucharest and recently he was co-opted by Euronews Romania, where he followed his dream to create his own show "Voices that matter". "Television journalism is the professional calling of my life. It is the job I have always wanted to do, I love what I do now and I hope I'll be able to enjoy this activity a long time from now". VitalieCojocari states that journalism represents him, as he's doing it in order to inform people, to help the public have a better understanding about the topics he covers. He's passionate about live news as they create the challenges ofhistory being written right before our eyes. "I'm sure, positive sure, that AI could never steal my job, because AI will not be in this position to have emotions like me and will not have the opportunity ro make mistakes, because it's in my duty to make mistakes sometimes - and to be disruptive, and people can be disruptive more than AI", Vitalie emphasizes the human approach that benefits creativity andinnovation.Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training.Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera - Romania, leader in software development.

Melissa Tondi is the Director of Technology Enablement at Campminder, a Principal at Disrupt Testing, and a frequent speaker at various conferences, with over 20 years of experience in the testing industry. “I think that a detail-oriented mindset as well as being very curious are the things that made me excel and find a home in software testing” - Melissa reflects on her journey from being highly detail-oriented to discovering the importance of curiosity in modern software development. She explains how balancing these two traits helped her find success in software testing more than 20 years ago. We also explore the concept of company culture, what it really means, how it forms organically through collaboration, and why leaders must ensure that the culture they envision aligns with what their teams are creating.  Another key topic is the 80/20 rule: dedicating 80% of time to company work and 20% to innovation and personal development. Melissa discusses how this framework fosters creativity and efficiency across industries, ensuring that everyone, regardless of role, has space to grow. Additionally, Melissa also touches on the idea of emergent leadership, how natural leaders surface within teams, even if they aren’t formally in leadership roles. Finally, Melissa encourages listeners to “find their community” and stay connected with like-minded individuals who support and inspire growth. Listen to the entire podcast to hear Melissa’s invaluable insights on leadership, culture, and innovation in the tech world! Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera - Romania, leader in software development.

Paul Holland is a software tester and has been in the testing industry for 29 years. He shares how the 4 years of university taught him he doesn’t want to be a developer “I was good at programming, I just didn't enjoy it, I did enjoy software”. This highlights the importance of being honest with yourself, discovering what you truly enjoy, and pursuing it. “If you’re not learning at work, you’re not gonna enjoy work, that needs to be something you want to learn, something you want to improve”, says Paul.  He shares his perspective on AI, noting how often it can provide incorrect information. He discusses the usefulness of AI, its limitations, and the crucial role humans play in determining which information to take in consideration. “Too much stress is dangerous. Not enough stress, you’re going to stagnate”. There are times when excessive stress causes people to break down making it crucial to take time off, pushing too hard can be dangerous.  Paul shares one of his personal experiences where during his first solo flight, challenging weather conditions tested his limits - much like in testing, where you're given a task with no clear idea how to tackle it. But when you figure it out, the sense of accomplishment is immense. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera - Romania, leader in software development.

Huib Schoots is a Principal Quality Consultant with nearly 30 years of experience in the IT industry. Over the last 10 to 15 years, he has dedicated his expertise to helping organizations and teams enhance their quality processes.
 “How does this work?” As a kid, he was an explorer, always curious and asking questions about everything. This is what led him into the IT domain.
 Huib discusses the importance of failure, emphasizing that “you have to fail to achieve your goals. If you only succeed you’ll never find out why you only succeed” - you’ll never understand the reasons behind your success. He also reassures: "It's okay not to be perfect."
 “Learning comes in steps”, he explains, reflecting on how his attitude has shifted to appreciating the journey of discovering new things rather than being impatient for immediate results. He adds: “You can’t create perfect software; there will always be mistakes” and areas for improvement. Huib describes his role as a coach and mentor, stating, “If you don’t have a goal, I can’t assist you directly, but I can help you set a goal as a coach.” He emphasizes that without internal motivation, you won’t be as driven to solve problems or create new things. 
He also notes, “Coaching is not about giving advice, coaching is about helping you understand why you do what you do.” Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera - Romania, leader in software development.

Our guest, Grzegorz Niczyporuk, is an Engineering Manager and a Magician. He blends these two seemingly disparate worlds seamlessly. With a passion for both the logical and the mystical, Grzegorz has found innovative ways to integrate the precision of engineering with the wonder of magic. He is one of the few individuals we know who successfully manages to excel in both roles simultaneously, despite them being so different. He talks about how he combined both worlds and the journey that led him there. He began his journey as a magician when his hobby naturally evolved into a profession. Unlike many magicians, he started by reading extensively about magic and then practicing the tricks he learned. “When things don't work, that really drives me crazy”, was the mindset that brought Greg an opportunity in the testing career. He shares his enthusiasm for helping others and preventing them from breaking things. Grzegorz shares how finding a mentor was crucial in pursuing his career in testing, along with asking questions and maintaining a strong sense of curiosity.  When it comes to juggling two jobs from different fields, Greg offers encouragement with the following quote:  “We should be afraid of making a change, but we should be more afraid of not risking a change”, says Grzegorz. You might not initially have the skills for both roles, but you can work on developing them. In the end, with dedication and effort, you can acquire the expertise needed to excel in both areas. Listen and watch the entire episode to see how magic and IT are intertwined. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera - Romania, leader in software development.

A new season of the Shift Happens Podcast is (almost) here! We are ready to share valuable techniques and skills from international experts in the IT world  - and more than that: a unique blend of stories, deep dives into tech innovations and expert insights in order to become the best IT professionals. The podcast is hosted by Alex Mocioi, a seasoned expert with 20 years in software engineering. This year, we're excited to partner with @Mindera - Romania, leader in software development, enhancing our discussions with their pioneering approach to tech solutions. Stay tuned for this new season!

Rachel Kibler has been in the testing industry for nine years. Initially a lawyer, Rachel found this profession unfulfilling, and her love for logic and problem-solving led her to pivot into testing, where she discovered her passion for understanding systems and people. "I loved math," she shares, "and math just made sense to me. That’s why I chose testing." Rachel shares her thoughts on AI’s role in testing, acknowledging that while AI excels at finding efficient solutions from point A to point B, it lacks the human capacity for empathy, which she sees as crucial to understanding users' needs and complex real life problems. "What makes us human is our ability to have empathy and depth, to think about people in their daily lives. This human element in testing is what ensures that software meets users true needs." Software tested solely by tools often misses critical insights into human interaction: "If we can identify risks early, we’ll have less rework with the software itself," Rachel notes, underscoring the proactive role of testers in product development. Rachel believes that to expand our knowledge, we should delve into fields such as psychology, design, history, biographies, and even art documentaries to gain new insights into human behavior and creative problem-solving. To maintain focus and balance, she emphasizes good sleep and a natural daily rhythm, often listening to podcasts while doing chores and finding energy in waking without an alarm. For Rachel Kibler, testing goes far beyond tools and code, it's about understanding, empathizing, and building software that truly serves people. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported this season by Mindera - Romania, leader in software development.

"Only when you start teaching someone you actually start learning yourself", says Mike. He is a firm believer in the idea that knowledge grows when shared and really believes in his own quote: "It's all about giving back; nothing happens in isolation."  Mike Dolha is a software developer at Nagarro. He has 10 years of experience, and also takes on the role of MC at the Romanian Testing Conference.  He believes that the act of teaching not only benefits the learner but also enriches our own understanding and perspective. "It is RTC that changed my whole perspective about testers", he admits. His presence at RTC made him more aware of the sensitive side of testers. Mike speaks about the artistic way of thinking that challenges testers to break the code and find its vulnerabilities. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro.

Hilary Weaver, Senior Quality Engineer, has been in the testing industry for over 16 years. She is now sharing valuable tips, ideas, and information based on her vast experience in this field. ”I needed those rejections to grow further in my career and be able to succeed”. She shares the journey to her dream job. The years of intense learning, how she dealt with and embraced rejection as a valuable step in her career. Hilary emphasizes the importance of building strong and friendly relationships between testers and developers in this field. Additionally, she highlights the potential of social media as a valuable tool for improving one’s skills. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of xperience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro.

Tobias Geyer, Software Tester with over 20 years of experience, shares his opinions on digitalization, the importance of good communication among team members, and more information about his work. “At the end of the day we are talking about humans”, Tobias acknowledges the importance of human connections. Building and maintaining friendly relationships with colleagues. He also emphasizes how good communication between testers and developers can benefit the outcome of a project. He shares his thoughts on AI and the potential help it can provide for testers but also highlights the downsides. He also talks about the responsibility of testers and professionals in this industry to educate people on the limitations of these systems.  What am I going to wear today? All about Reverse Casual Fridays and how they’ve created a community of positivity, motivating people to try new outfits, hairstyles, and, overall, making Fridays more productive.  Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro.

Director of Engineering at Trustpilot, based in Copenhagen, with 11 years of experience in software development, leading teams and scaling systems, Dana Aonofriesei answered a lot of (good) questions about testing, AI, IT, productivity. She moved from Romania to Denmark because she was curious to work in a modern company, with progressive mindset, in a company that was building its own product. Hit the PLAY button and listen to all the discussion! A few ideas: “Leaders and also employees look for the productivity gain by using AI in their job. I am not concerned so much about AI taking jobs, I think it will help us in doing our job better and working smarter. With every new technology out there, there will be a need for new jobs. For sure, in a few years there will be jobs we can’t even think of at the moment". "My hope is that with the rise of AI and machine learning, we will be able to be more precise in saying the areas of your product that have the higher risk and what your testing budget should be. Now it’s not so precise. Imagine you have machine learning looking at your historical data about areas with the most problems, production incidents, bugs and so on and then you can have a clear answer before you ship the production that you should test in this area because this is where you usually had the most problems and the most challenges”, says Dana Aonofriesei, speaker & chairperson for the Romanian Testing Conference 2024. Listen to the podcast here and feel free to share your point of view in the comments section. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training.

I don’t know how we all got jobs. There were two of us in the team who made sure we all worked, the rest of us were absolute clowns. It was enjoyable, there were really good teams and I learnt a lot there. These days, the budgets for these games are similar with the ones for a Hollywood film, it’s not small money and it is more serious and credible. Vernon Richards shares ideas, memories and information from his career. Vernon is a Quality Coach & Tester that helps organizations, teams & individuals understand the relationship between quality & testing, to help them build better products & deliver more effective services. He has been testing since 2002 starting with video games on PS2, Xbox & PC (it may not sound like a real job but it’s the truth!). By day, he is a Senior Expert Quality Engineer at a health tech, and by night night he runs Abode of Quality. He believes that quality & testing problems are actually people problems in disguise! Often the cause of these problems is misaligned goals, different perspectives, low empathy for colleagues, and the list goes on. Using his coaching skills in the quality & testing space, Vernon believes the most effective way to serve the business is to help teams & individuals gain new perspectives about themselves & their teammates. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro.

“I bring a deeply human perspective to technical work. I value and I think that we don’t spend enough time thinking about the people that use our tools, that use our software, that experience what we build. So I hope that people would say that I bring a very human perspective and a real concern for the people that use our software”, says Jenna Charlton, software tester and the director of product for Functionize. She has over a decade of experience in the testing space. In this episode, Jenna speaks about enabling change, bugs, test skills and tools. Our host is Alex Mocioi, a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro.

"A professional athlete spends 7-8 hours a day training, identifying the weak points and engaging in deliberate practice to improve their skills. I don’t see that much happening in the IT space”, says Andrei Conțan, our content manager, co-founder and organizer of the Romanian Testing Conference. At Shift Happens Podcast, Andrei shared for the first time how he finds his inspiration in sports and transfers his learnings in the testing space from organizing Romanian Testing Conference to TestingScool trainings and performing testing work for international companies. “My impact in the testing industry is about making clear that testing is a profession, a set of abilities that we all can build upon and have a successful professional career as testers. We are here, after 13 RTC editions trying to send the same message, that testing is a profession, is something that you can be very successful from and that’s a message that we barely can find in the IT space and we feel like we are building the community and a niche to propagate this message”, admits Andrei Conțan, one of the co-founders of the Romanian Testing Conference and our adrenaline junkie. Alex Mocioi is our Host for the SHIFT Happens Podcast at the Romanian Testing Conference - a professional with 20 years of experience in software engineering and 10 years of experience in tech training. Shift Happens podcast is supported by Nagarro.