A tester with opinions on development goes against a mostly unidirectional SDLC flow. A developer with a penchant for testability is a multi-skilled asset as th

A tester with opinions on development goes against a mostly unidirectional SDLC flow. A developer with a penchant for testability is a multi-skilled asset as they help the org to shift left on quality. The sooner you switch roles, the sooner you will align with the more powerful part in the value chain. Developers’ jobs, on average, are more difficult and more valuable. It’s easier to take a median developer and turn them into a good tester than it is to take a median tester and turn them into a good developer. Similarly, if we consider a bright college graduate, it would take them less time to become competitive as a tester than as a developer. Secondly, the difference in business impact of a “good enough” tester versus a “world class” tester is negligible (rarely more than 1-5 FTE), while the difference between a “good enough” developer and a “world class” developer is uncapped. The economic treatment of these two groups, and therefore their relative power in the workplace, merely reflects the expected replaceability and value of these professionals.