The tension between Users and QA
16 Feb 2026
A woman and man on a video call.
In this moment:
Simon Tomes
Kaarina Mikalson
Kaarina explores how a highly skilled tester’s sense of “this is a problem” often diverges from what real users experience as a problem.
And what is the scarcity mindset?
And what is the scarcity mindset?
Simon Tomes
Community Lead at MoTaverse
he/him
Hello, I'm Simon. Since 2003 I've had various roles in testing, tech leadership and coaching. I believe in the power of collaboration, creativity and community. 🎓 MoT-STEC qualified. I get real joy working with and supporting our wonderful MoTaverse community.
“Thanks for making me feel so confident about myself.” | “I'm so grateful for all you do in the MoTaverse community, I learn so much as a result!” | “A simple chat with Simon in person absolutely changed everything.” | “Simon is one of the best people that I've ever met to have conversations with. He's so grounded in his way of thinking and articulates his thoughts so well and his feelings and his knowledge about community and everything.”
Open To
Teach
Speak
Mentor
Podcasting
Review Conference Proposals
Write
CV Reviews
Meet at MoTaCon 2027
Sign in
to comment
Take this 7-question assessment to see where your QA team stands and get a plan for what to automate next.
Explore MoT
Complex workflows, flaky tests, fragmented tools, and AI-driven pressure are making it harder for QA teams to keep up.
Learn with me about what Accessibility is, why it's important to test for and how to get your team started with an Accessibility testing mindset
Into the MoTaverse is a podcast by Ministry of Testing, hosted by Rosie Sherry, exploring the people, insights, and systems shaping quality in modern software teams.