We say tests are documentation.
But let’s be honest—most of the time, they’re not.
They’re written for machines, not humans.
The Hidden Cost of Unreadable Tests
When only developers can read tests, something subtle breaks:
Business rules become tribal knowledge.
Product owners stop validating behavior.
And the test suite slowly drifts away from intent.
A Different Way to Think About Tests
I’ve been re‑framing tests as executable conversations.
Given a situation. When something happens. Then an outcome should follow.
That structure isn’t new—but AI makes it practical at scale.
It can translate low‑level tests into something a human can actually reason about.
Why This Changes Trust
When non‑developers can read—and challenge—tests, alignment improves.
Not because everyone codes…
…but because everyone understands.
📣 If this resonates, you’ll enjoy the deeper dive.
I’ll cover this pattern (and others) in my free Improving Talk on January 28 at 12pm Central.
👉 Register here: https://www.improving.com/thoughs/webinars/define-the-need-solve-the-problem-an-ai-first-playbook-for/
