Tech Effect

Hosted by TestDevLab

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Oct 2026

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About the show

TestDevLab's Tech Effect is a podcast where host Josh explores software engineering and tech innovation through conversations with diverse industry professionals. Covering testing, development, and emerging trends, each episode delivers insights valuable for both technical and business roles—ideal for anyone interested in technology's impact across industries

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45 recent

October 8, 20261 hr 15 min

#44 Barry Ehigiator (BBC): Quality Isn't Just Testing - Culture Across iPlayer, Sounds, & Beyond

Season 2 Episode #25: Barry Ehigiator studied biochemistry, human rights, and development economics before a research project convinced him that every growing industry runs on technology. Now he leads testing for mobile video and audio experiences at the BBC, covering iPlayer, Sounds, Sport, and News.We explore what quality actually means when millions of users all expect something different, why the same feature can behave completely differently across iOS and Android, and the reason most teams fail at quality culture that has nothing to do with testing. Barry also shares how AI already turned weeks of audience feedback analysis into hours, and where streaming app testing is heading as audio and video formats start merging. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

September 10, 202645 min

#43 Elena Coazzoli (Lingvano): One Codebase, Three Platforms, 4 Million Users - With a Team of Five?

Season 2 Episode #24: Elena Coazzoli went from studying radiology in Italy to leading product for a 4-million-user sign language learning app with an integrated team of five covering product, engineering, design and data, with no separate departments.We get into why gamification and spaced repetition both failed when tested, what makes sign language fundamentally different to teach through an app, and the discovery that over half of Lingvano's learners can't find anyone to practice with. Elena also shares how AI is shifting what engineers actually focus on, and what working alongside deaf colleagues taught her about accessibility far beyond screens. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

September 8, 202657 min

#42 Adrián Bolonio (Kununu): No ARIA Is Better Than Bad ARIA - And AI Is Making It Worse

Season 2 Episode #23: Adrián Bolonio picked accessibility as a conference talk topic almost at random. It became a career-defining commitment that took him from Willhaben to GitHub, where he built the platform's first accessibility settings, to Miro, where he turned a visual canvas into audio with footsteps and trash can sounds.We explore why the same accessibility issues top the WebAim survey every year and nobody fixes them, how to convince leadership to prioritise accessibility under shipping pressure, and why AI is simultaneously helping and hurting the cause. Adrián also shares what it takes to build accessibility into design systems rather than bolt it on, and why no ARIA is always better than bad ARIA.You can learn more about Adrián on his website: https://www.adrianbolonio.com/en 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

August 27, 202652 min

#41 Jan Daniel Sulaiman (1NCE): He Detects Network Outages Before the Operator Even Knows

Season 2 Episode #22: What happens when a kid whose only goal was to become his dad's boss accidentally falls into IoT through a missing sensor reading? Jan Daniel Sulaiman, VP of Global IoT Solutions at 1NCE, shares how he helped build a global connectivity platform from a single room with fewer than 20 people.We explore what it takes to operate 15 million connections across 175 countries, why 1NCE built custom network probes that detect outages before the local operator does, and how the platform evolved from basic connectivity to device-level awareness. We also dig into where AI is already delivering real value in IoT and the big question Jan is watching: is AI truly transformative like electricity, or will it go through the classic hype cycle like everything else? 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

August 24, 202652 min

#40 Ergo Esken (Microsoft): The Hardware and Science Behind Sounding Good on a Call

Season 2 Episode #21: What happens when a hi-fi hobbyist who was manufacturing driver's licenses gets a tip from his brother about a new audio lab being built at Skype? Ergo Esken, Principal Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft, shares how that moment launched nearly two decades of ensuring the call quality millions of people take for granted every day.We explore why getting hardware right still matters more than most people realise, how design teams wanting thinner devices force engineers into impossible tradeoffs, and what it actually looks like to test a call using head and torso simulators in anechoic chambers. We also dig into why users blame the platform, not the device, how you write test specs for ML features that behave differently every time, and why algorithms will happily calculate numbers from completely scrambled audio that only a human can catch. 👉 Hit "Follow" on our podcast page to receive updates on future episodes of "Tech Effect," where we bring you the latest news, trends, and expert insights from the world of technology. Together, let's unlock the potential of software solutions and embrace the future of innovation. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

August 12, 202654 min

#39 Dennis Thisner (Rebtel): Code First, AI Second - Why Knowing the Basics Matters More Than Ever

Season 2 Episode #20: Dennis Thisner quit his first job out of pride, called his mom to brag, and realized he had no plan. A friend's tip and some truly terrible bug reports later, he was a QA engineer. Ten years on, he's built quality processes from the ground up across gaming, enterprise SaaS, agency work, and now telecom at Rebtel.We explore what it takes to build QA where none exists, why developer buy-in is the hardest first step, and why he tells his team to code first and use AI second. Dennis also shares where test automation is heading when you can just hand AI your test cases, and why quality has less to do with attention to detail and more to do with the atmosphere around your team.You can check out Dennis's work on his GitHub: https://github.com/dthisner 👉 Hit "Follow" on our podcast page to receive updates on future episodes of "Tech Effect," where we bring you the latest news, trends, and expert insights from the world of technology. Together, let's unlock the potential of software solutions and embrace the future of innovation. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

August 10, 20261 hr 11 min

#38 Fawzi Mesmar: A Burger King Booth to Award-Winning AAAs— 20+ Years in Game Design

Season 2 Episode #19: Fawzi Mesmar wrote "I want to make games in Japan" in kindergarten. That compass took him across five countries and studios like King, DICE, and EA.We explore why leadership is servitude, why defining the problem matters more than judging the idea, and Creative Sobriety, his framework for understanding why thousands of people keep having the same ideas. Fawzi also shares how he fit an orchestral soundtrack into 500 kilobytes, why constraints breed the best solutions, and why AI will own the inevitable ideas but can never replicate a lived human experience.Check out Fawzi's blog here: https://fawzi.zone/awards/ 👉 Hit "Follow" on our podcast page to receive updates on future episodes of "Tech Effect," where we bring you the latest news, trends, and expert insights from the world of technology. Together, let's unlock the potential of software solutions and embrace the future of innovation. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

July 28, 202639 min

#37 Vaidas Kavaliunas (CUJO AI): Test Inflation, Flaky Tests & How AI Won't Save Test Automation

Season 2 Episode #18: The 2008 financial crisis forced Vaidas Kavaliunas to choose between switching to QA or losing his job. That decision launched a 17-year journey across fintech, insurance, gaming, and cybersecurity, each teaching him something different about quality. We explore what stays the same when you test across radically different domains, what makes a test automation framework succeed or fail, and why AI is like a drunken genius in your passenger seat. Vaidas also shares the real risk of test inflation in CI/CD pipelines and why quality engineers will be in higher demand than ever. 👉 Hit "Follow" on our podcast page to receive updates on future episodes of "Tech Effect," where we bring you the latest news, trends, and expert insights from the world of technology. Together, let's unlock the potential of software solutions and embrace the future of innovation. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

July 24, 20261 hr 5 min

#36 Aleodor Tabarcea (Stripe): AI, Burnout, & Why Great Work Doesn't Speak for Itself

Season 2 Episode #17: What happens when a kid whose family wanted him to become a priest falls in love with code and ends up managing engineering teams at one of the world's most respected fintech companies? Aleodor Tabarcea, Engineering Manager at Stripe, shares how curiosity, resilience through 23 failed interviews, and a willingness to burn out and learn from it shaped his approach to leadership.We explore what it really takes to go from developer to leader, how Stripe's Bucharest office grew from 26 people copying US culture to 120 building their own identity, and why the DISC personality framework matters when assembling high-performing teams. We also dig into why AI is commoditizing execution and what that means for engineers, how Aleodor evaluates whether AI tools are genuinely helping his team or just adding noise, and why he believes humanity is facing a choice between a creative renaissance and a million more notifications on our phones.Follow Aleodor:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleodor-tabarceaWebsite and Sunday Field Notes: https://aleodor.com/ 👉 Hit "Follow" on our podcast page to receive updates on future episodes of "Tech Effect," where we bring you the latest news, trends, and expert insights from the world of technology. Together, let's unlock the potential of software solutions and embrace the future of innovation. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect

July 17, 202644 min

#35 Luke Gill (Zego): The Hidden Complexity of Insurance Tech and What AI Makes Possible

Season 2 Episode #16: What happens when a Flash developer with a passion for problem-solving ends up reshaping how an entire insurance company thinks about technology? Luke Gill, Head of Product and Technology at Zego, shares how curiosity, creativity, and a love for talking to customers led him to one of the most data-rich industries in tech.We explore why motor insurance demands a different standard of product quality, how Zego is using telematics and driver behavior data to price risk more fairly, and why Luke believes building great teams always starts with people, never tooling. We also dig into the real challenges of deploying AI responsibly in a regulated industry, and what it actually takes to measure whether it's working. 👉 Hit "Follow" on our podcast page to receive updates on future episodes of "Tech Effect," where we bring you the latest news, trends, and expert insights from the world of technology. Together, let's unlock the potential of software solutions and embrace the future of innovation. 🔔 Follow TestDevLab for more technology & software related content: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/testdevlab/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TestDevLab/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/testdevlablv/#TechEffect