Ady Stokes README
20 Mar 2026
Inspired by this week's TWiQ (This week in quality) session and the "Making testing jobs safer for neurodiversity: Manual of Me" article by Maddy Kilsby-McMurray. I decided to make my own README.
README — Ady Stokes
About Me
I’m Ady (pronounced A D). I've been a warehouse worker, lorry driver, logistics manager, health and safety, quality and environment director, and am currently sort of semi-retired / freelance contracter / Ministry of Testing certificate curator and editor. I am trying to help quality professionals and teams think about thinking so that their work is clear and understood, they test wisely, and they build software that treats all people well. I believe that quality is something we create together, not something we “check” at the end, and that the quality of software is directly proportional to the quality of thinking that goes into it. In an ideal world, that quality thinking would happen early in the process and not come from lessons learned after a disaster in production.
What I Value
I’m Ady (pronounced A D). I've been a warehouse worker, lorry driver, logistics manager, health and safety, quality and environment director, and am currently sort of semi-retired / freelance contracter / Ministry of Testing certificate curator and editor. I am trying to help quality professionals and teams think about thinking so that their work is clear and understood, they test wisely, and they build software that treats all people well. I believe that quality is something we create together, not something we “check” at the end, and that the quality of software is directly proportional to the quality of thinking that goes into it. In an ideal world, that quality thinking would happen early in the process and not come from lessons learned after a disaster in production.
What I Value
- People. Healthy, inclusive teams build healthy, accessible products.
- Psychological safety. Questions are welcome and encouraged, mistakes are for learning, and nobody gets punished for being honest.
- Clarity. Plain language and context beat jargon and assumptions every time.
- Exploration. Testing is thinking, not ticking boxes or following scripts without question.
- Sustainable quality. Burnout ships bugs. Rested teams ship value.
- Adaptability. Quality professionals can adopt multiple mindsets to see the wider picture and view software holistically.
How I Work
I do my best to translate complex ideas into understandable, practical steps. I look for patterns, risks and unknowns. I ask questions that help teams slow down just enough to avoid expensive mistakes later. I’m happiest when helping others gain clarity about something, understand why it matters, and share knowledge through writing, teaching, or talking.
How to Collaborate With Me
- Just ask me anything about anything. If I don't know, we can discover together. If I do know something, we both might learn from me explaining. I especially enjoy the messy, half‑formed thoughts that can lead to gold.
- If you ask for feedback, you can expect honesty delivered with kindness. I want everyone to succeed by doing their best.
- If I'm not sure or don't understand, I'll ask questions, challenge assumptions, even if they are my own, and go looking for answers, then share them with you.
- I value collaboration over heroics. No one is an island, or knows everything. Working together, we are stronger.
- If you give me something to do, you need to let me run with it until I'm ready to ask, " Is this what you expected, or " Am I going in the right direction.
What I Bring
- Quality coaching and exploratory testing
- Teaching, mentoring and workshop design and delivery
- Clear communication with empathy
- Visual models and different viewpoints
- Calm, grounded (potentially over) thinking when things get hectic, and just in general
What I Believe
The goal of Quality Engineering is Continuous Quality.
Testing is thought work, and thought workers thrive on learning about thinking.
Investing in thinking is a force multiplier that increases your effectiveness and capabilities
The best teams are the ones that learn together through open questions, shared curiosity and the ability to say 'I think this is wrong' without judgment.
Ady Stokes
Freelance Consultant
He / Him
STEC Certified. MoT Ambassador, writer, speaker, accessibility advocate. Consulting, Leeds Chapter Lead. MoT Certs curator. Testing wisdom, friendly, songs and poems. Great minds think differently
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