Why I Love End-2-End Tests and How To Get Them Right

Is the classic testing pyramid wrong? Learn why focusing on ROI and developer ownership is the key to successful end-to-end testing.

#1about 4 minutes

The story of a failed test automation project

A large-scale effort to automate manual regression tests with an external team resulted in a slow, brittle, and unusable test suite.

#2about 3 minutes

Why the automated end-to-end tests failed

The test suite was doomed by its three-hour runtime, constant failures, and complex local setup requirements, leading to the decision to delete most of them.

#3about 2 minutes

Making the business case for software quality

High internal quality, including robust testing, leads to faster feature delivery over time, making it a cost-effective strategy rather than an expense.

#4about 2 minutes

Why team ownership is crucial for testing

Assigning end-to-end responsibility for features and their corresponding tests to a single team creates accountability and ensures tests are maintained.

#5about 3 minutes

The daily practice of maintaining E2E tests

Successful end-to-end testing requires daily monitoring, debugging complex failure chains, and setting realistic goals for stability and execution time.

#6about 2 minutes

Questioning the test pyramid in modern development

Modern architectures like microservices may benefit from alternative models like the test honeycomb or trophy, which place more emphasis on integration tests over unit tests.

#7about 3 minutes

Focusing on return on investment for tests

Prioritize which tests to write by focusing on their return on investment, using heuristics like fixing production bugs and "embarrassment-driven" testing.

#8about 2 minutes

How good testing improves developer well-being

A solid testing practice reduces production bugs and deployment pain, which directly leads to less stress, less burnout, and higher job satisfaction.

#9about 2 minutes

Four principles for successful end-to-end testing

The core principles for effective testing are to build them with features, ensure team ownership, monitor them closely, and focus on their return on investment.