It’s Time We Go Beyond The Test Pyramid (& Do This Instead)

Is the Test Pyramid actually holding your delivery back? In this episode, host Emily Bache dissects the state of software testing in 2026. While the software testing pyramid has been a staple of modern software engineering for over a decade, our guests argue that the way we implement it often creates more friction than flow. Emily facilitates a deep dive into the test desiderata—the essential qualities that make a test suite valuable—and explores why "fast and predictive" should be your North Star. From the origins of TDD (Test Driven Development) and the influence of pioneers like Kent Beck and Dave Farley, to the practical realities of automated testing in a distributed microservices world. In this episode, we cover: - The Testing Pyramid vs. Reality: Why the software engineer's favorite diagram might be leading you toward "slow and brittle" rather than "fast and predictive." - Beyond the Code: How software development teams can move past rigid QA gates and embrace a more fluid, resu