Why Your CTO Doesn't Understand Testing

Most companies manage testing, but nobody leads it. Kari Kakkonen explains why that gap kills quality and how ACT2LEAD fixes it. "I think there is not enough leadership in testing." - Kari Kakkonen In this episode, I talk to Kari Kakkonen about his Act 2 Lead model and why testing leadership is often missing in software testing. We unpack the reality that while grassroots testing within teams works well, the higher levels of organizations often lack a real understanding and leadership around quality. Kari lays out his model, a memorable eight-letter heuristic, as both a guide and a checklist for leaders at any level. It made me reflect on how companies approach testing - sometimes leaving it solely to autonomous teams but missing the big picture. I found myself wondering: is strong leadership the missing link for better quality software? 00:00 Leadership Lacking in Testing 03:33 Testing Beyond Code Execution 08:31 Prioritize Quality and Testing Culture 10:54 Adaptive Risk and Testing Diversity 13:10 Need for Centralized Testing Leadership 16:52 CEO-Centric Summary Guide 📌 EuroSTAR 2026 in Oslo (June 15–18) — the podcast will be there. Community perk: 15% off all tickets with the code EUROSTAR15 👉🏻 https://tul.fm/star 🎯 Highlights: * Testing lacks leadership: teams test well, but companies don't actively enable quality culture from the top. * ACT2LEAD means add testing everywhere, use context, show transparency, balance automation with humans, learn continuously, enable culture, adapt to risks, embrace diversity. * Testers have the broadest software understanding because they learn it deeply from multiple angles and risks. * Diversity in testing beats "best practice": use multiple techniques, people, approaches, tools, and environments simultaneously. * Companies need a head of testing role to ensure consistent quality across autonomous teams, not just grassroots efforts. 🔗 Links * Blog Post for Episode: https://www.richard-seidl.com/en/blog/software-testing-leaders 🎙️ More from Richard Seidl * Website: https://www.richard-seidl.com * Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/richardseidl/ * Podcast Software Testing: https://www.testing-unleashed.fm #softwaretesting #QA #testingleadership