💬 Summary
Note: This is a scheduled email series of our previous webinars that I've prepared for your summer break while I’m on vacation 🏝️ I’ll be back soon for our regular streams and coaching.
We dig into:
Why testing feels “slow” in certain teams (but it’s not the tests)
How mental blockers like fear and urgency sabotage good design
What to do when your team or environment works against testability
🎯 This is why you struggle with TDD
What if the real reason you don’t test isn’t lack of time but fear of being wrong?
In this session, we explore the mental resistance developers hit when trying to adopt TDD. Most never-tester behavior stems from systemic blockers: gatekeeping, fragile delivery setups, no psychological safety, or confusion about what tests are for. I walk through coaching patterns that uncover these blockers, and explain why TDD requires a mindset shift to master the technique.
🔍 Highlights from the Stream
⏱ 00:05:01 — The First Mental Hurdle: Working Software über alles
TDD adoption fails when developers focus only on getting production code working, without understanding when a test is “done.”
⏱ 00:09:33 — TDD as a Dual Constraint Problem
TDD isn’t building software and then testing it. It’s designing both at once like solving a Rubik’s cube with fewer moves.
⏱ 00:21:34 — The Three “Why”s Before You Code
Before you even fix a bug, ask: Why this? Why me? Why now? A lack of answers hints at deeper org or process dysfunction.
⏱ 00:35:06 — Why “No Tests” Often Means “No Voice”
Gatekeepers and large batches aren’t just delivery problems they create a culture where devs feel they can’t question priorities.
⏱ 00:52:00 — TDD Won’t Save You in a Dysfunctional Environment
TDD is powerful but it can’t thrive in environments full of blockers, gatekeeping, or delivery fear. Fix the context first.
👉 Watch the full recording above.
✉️ Subscribe to get the rest of this 5-part vacation deep dive series.
💬 Got a team that struggles with mocking, testing, or testability?
Reply to this post — I’d love to hear your challenges, suggestions, feedback and ideas.
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.
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