TDD-20: A Manager’s Introduction to Test-Driven Development

Audience: Managers, Business Stakeholders, and Product Owners of software development teams

Duration: Three hours live instructor-led training and interactive discussion.

This course covers:

  • What is TDD? A brief demonstration
  • Business impact of TDD
  • Effects on time-to-market
  • Effects on product quality
  • Effects on product longevity
  • Effects on new team member onboarding
  • Effects on technical staff morale
  • Whose responsibility is it?

Test-Driven Development (TDD) has been around in one form or another since the 1960s. The techniques used today are the brainchild of Kent Beck, and were developed in the field by early adopters of Extreme Programming (XP) in the early 1990s.

Despite the long history, there continues to be confusion regarding the value, mechanics, costs, applicability, and effects of TDD, both by technical professionals and business stakeholders. When technical practitioners try to explain the value, they tend to focus on the nitty-gritty mechanics of TDD and on the benefits experienced by technical staff. This often fails to resonate with business people.

If you are in a role such as team lead or project manager or Product Owner or Scrum Master, and you need to “upsell” TDD and other complementary technical practices to senior management or business stakeholders, you may find this class useful. Similarly, if you are in a management role or you are a business stakeholder of software teams, this class may clarify the cost/benefit of having your teams practice TDD.