Thoughts before MoTaCon: there goes the fear

Continuing with an experiment. Let's look at the talk and workshop descriptions of MoTaCon 2026 and share my thoughts and reflections before the talk/workshop has happened. And then, hopefully, share my thoughts after MoTaCon — for those I'm able to attend live or watch back via the recording.

I've not met Suzanne Kraaji but I'm looking forward to it as their MoTaCon talk description sounds super interesting. An excellent title too: The fear factor in Software Testing: Recognize it, address it, transform it.

I'm listening to the band Doves right now so it reminded me that there's a song of theirs called 'There Goes the Fear', which also reminds me there's a brilliant song called 'Fear' by Lenny Kravitz. No doubt there are countless more songs with fear in the title, that explore the topic of fear.

It's poignant that fear appears so much in the arts. It's a powerful emotion and state of being – one that clearly sparks creativity. Fear seems to be an emotion and state of being that can absolutely dominate other emotions, logic and feelings. Yet we're only human so I guess it's natural to experience fear throughout our lives.

I wonder then if fear is actually a driver for change. In the arts it has been. The fear of a style of music standing still forcing groups of people to create new genres. For example, Miles Davis lead the way with Jazz Fusion given he was terrified of jazz becoming sterile. Plus fear within a society sparking entire new genres (see, Punk). Same with art movements – Romanticism as a direct rebellion against Neoclassicism, for example.  

Yet as technology professionals what might fear mean? Is it the fear that we're not doing enough to build better software? What about the fear that we have a duty as tech professionals to have more of a positive impact on our fellow humans via the software and hardware we build?

While I might've misinterpreted, I interpret the fear that Suzanne mentions is not entirely the fear of misusing our time and energy. It seems to be about entering a state of a growing "panic mode" sparked by various incidents, broken processes, pressures from leadership and an uncertain work culture. It seems to be a fear that blocks our creativity and energy. A fear that causes bad feelings amongst our colleagues and customers as pressure mounts to deliver under fear of defects, upset stakeholders and too many unknowns.

It's going to be a super interesting talk and I'm very much looking forward to it.